Volume III Part 9 (1/2)

July 24th, 1834 {p114}

Read Reeves' 'History of English Law,' finished Henry Taylor's 'Van Artevelde,' and read 250 lines of Virgil 'Philip van Artevelde' is a poeorous and independent mind The author, who is ard and a great adave it to Lockhart to read Lockhart advised Murray not to publish it, at least at his own risk, but he bestowed great encoed Taylor to publish it himself He did so, without reeably surprised to find that in a short space of tiuine disposition, and a confidence in the sterling merits of his poem, he now believes that edition will follow edition like wave upon wave, in which I fear he will be disappointed [When the first edition was all sold, and a second called for, he made up his account with his publisher, and the balance was 37 _against_ hiust 5th, 1834 {p115}

At Goodwood for the races, so read nothing except half of Jacquemont's Letters and a little book I picked up, the 'History of the Grand Vizier Coprogli;' called to town on Wednesday last for a Council, to swear in Mulgrave Privy Seal; went to Petworth on ht Stanley was at Goodwood, absorbed in racing, billiards, and what not; nobody would have guessed that all this rough and rustic gaiety covered ambition, eloquence, and pohich h his reputation is not what it was

[Page Head: DEATH AND CHARACTER OF LORD BATHURST]

While I was there news came of Lord Bathurst's death He was a very ah his talents were far froh Tory, but a cool politician, a bad speaker, a good writer, greatly averse to changes, but unwillingly acquiescing in ood deal of huenerally a series of jokes, and he rarely discussed any subject but in a ludicrous vein His conduct to Napoleon justly incurred odiuh he was only one of h whom the orders of Government passed, and he suffered the principal share of the reproach which was thrown upon the Cabinet for their rude and barbarous treatination, and his feelings were not excited by the contereatness I was Lord Bathurst's private secretary for several years, but so far froation to hi me that post as the source of all my misfortunes and the cause of ht fit to employ me, never associated me with the interests and the business of his office, and consequently abandoned hteen to that life of idleness and dissipation froht have been saved had he felt that my future prospects in life, reat iven to my mind He would probably have made me a Tory (which I should hardly have remained), but I should have becoonist tastes which divided ot the better of that for amusement and idleness, instead, as unfortunately happened, of the latter prevailing over the for, and was his private secretary for some years, and his family and mine have always been so intimate, I had no real intimacy with him From what I have learnt frohly than the world has done He was the friend and devoted adular Tory of the old school, who felt that evil days had coe When he left office with the Duke of Wellington he resolved upon finally quitting public life, and let whatto town yesterday I heard of another death--Mrs Arbuthnot, after a short illness The Duke of Wellington, hom she had lived in the ood deal of feeling, but he is accused of insensibility because he had the good taste and sense to so to the House of Lords with a cheerful aspect She was not a clever woman, but she was neither dull nor deficient, and very prudent and silent

August 6th, 1834 {p116}

To my office, then to the House of Lords and heard a discussion on foreign politics; not very aood as Grey would have been The Duke spoke, but he looked very ill

Walked froent ; he thinks we are going on step by step to an utter subversion of all interests and institutions

August 7th, 1834 {p117}

[Page Head: IRISH titHE BILL]

Yesterday I ton, who talked to me of Mrs

Arbuthnot; I walked away from my office with Duncannon, who told me that O'Connell's amendment in the tithe Bill h he did not exactly say as much, his connivance) He said he was sure this Bill was the only chance for the Irish Church, which he was very anxious to save and support; expressed great anxiety to reat judicial situation, is convinced he is sincere (at the moment) in all he says, but that he is so vain and excitable and aets all he has proains the ascendant, and he bursts into all those excesses which have made him so odious and forement with him, for the majority of the Government would not hear of it I dined at the 'Travellers;'

walked to a fire in Edward Street, where I alare, bustle, and noise There was Duncannon again, a Secretary of State jostling and jostled in the ust 12th, 1834 {p117}

On Saturday to Hillingdon, and back yesterday; passed the night at the House of Lords, to hear the debate on the Irish tithe Bill[1] At aat Apsley House the Tory Lords came to an unanimous resolution to throw out the Bill, and at one or two reed to do the same The debate was heavy; Melbourne very unlike Lord Grey, whose forte was leading the House of Lords and h spoke the best, I think I hardly ever heard such unbroken fluency, and a good deal of _stuff_, too, in his speech

Ellice and Spring Rice both told me that this decision was the most fatal and most important that had occurred for years; the latter said that no tithe would be paid, but that there would be no _active_ resistance Such tithe property as could be seized would not be sold, because there would be no purchasers for it

One thing is clear to'revolution' and 'spoliation,' and who talk of the gradual subversion of every institution and the imminent peril in which all our establishments are placed, do not really believe one word of what they say, and, instead of being oppressed with fear, they are buoyed up with delusive confidence and courage; for if they did indeed believe that the Church--the Church of Ireland especially--was in danger, and that its preservation was the one paraht, that danger by a co a very small (if any) sacrifice of principle, and which would secure to the Irish clergy, as far as huislative sanction, and the authority of law can secure it, a perer and the odiu tiyman in the country It is a curious speculation to see what the effect will be of this vote practically in Ireland on the condition of the clergy, and upon public opinion here

[1] [The Irish tithe Bill was thrown out by the House of Lords by 189 to 122]

It is difficult to understand why the Lords did not alter the Bill in Coinal state, that which Ellenborough said he would not have opposed, and which had been already sanctioned by a great majority of the House of Commons upon the report of a Committee If they had done this, either the Bill must have passed in this less obnoxious shape or the odium of its rejection would have been thrown upon the Commons, and the Lords would undoubtedly have had an excellent case to present to the country But if there is a wall they are sure to run their heads against it, and if there is none they build one up for the purpose What puzzles y; they are the parties most immediately and reat majority of theust 13th, 1834 {p118}

[Page Head: THEODORE HOOK]

Dined at Roehampton yesterday with Farquhar Mrs Norton and Mrs