and after dinner cut his jokes with all the coarse
merriment which is his characteristic. Lord Wellesley did not
seem to like it, but of course he bowed and smiled like the rest.
I saw nothing very particular in the King's manner to Lady
Conyngham. He sat by her on the couch almost the whole evening,
playing at patience, and he took her in to dinner; but Madame de
Lieven and Lady Cowper were there, and he seemed equally civil to
all of them. I was curious to see the Pavilion and the life they
lead there, and I now only hope I may never go there again, for
the novelty is past, and I should be exposed to the whole weight
of the bore of it without the stimulus of curiosity.

December 19th, 1821 {p.049}

I dined with Lord Gwydir yesterday, and sat next to Prince
Lieven. He told me that Bloomfield is no longer in favour, that
he has been supplanted by Lord Francis Conyngham,[7] who now
performs almost all the functions which formerly appertained to
Bloomfield. He is quite aware of his decline, and submits himself
to it in a manly way. He is no longer so necessary to the King as
he was, for a short time ago he could not bear that Bloomfield
should be absent, and _now_ his absence is unfelt. Francis goes
to the King every morning, usually breakfasts with him, and
receives all his orders. He was invited to go to Panshanger for
two days, and was very anxious to go, but he could not obtain
leave from the King to absent himself. Bloomfield does not put
himself forward; 'meme il se retire,' he said, and it is
understood that he has made up his mind to resign his situation
and leave the Court. The King is still perfectly civil and
good-humoured to him, but has withdrawn his confidence from him,
and Bloomfield is no longer his first servant.

[7] [Lord Francis Conyngham, second son of the first
Marquis of Conyngham (who was raised to the British
peerage in June 1821), afterwards himself Marquis of
Conyngham.]

I asked Lieven whether Francis Conyngham, in performing the other
duties which had been hitherto allotted to Bloomfield, also
exercised the functions of Private Secretary, because this
involved a much more serious question. He said that he did not
know; all he knew was that whilst he was at Brighton Bloomfield
was absent for five days, and that during that time the other had
ostensibly occupied the place which Bloomfield used to hold about
the King's person. The commencement of this