he never utters
a word in their presence, and he always sends them away when he
sees anybody or speaks on business of any kind. Batchelor thinks
that this new disorder is a symptom of approaching decay, and
that the King thinks so himself.

[Page Head: LADY CONYNGHAM.]

In the meantime the influence of Knighton and that of Lady
Conyngham continue as great as ever; nothing can be done but by
their permission, and they understand one another and play into
each other's hands. Knighton opposes every kind of expense,
except that which is lavished on her. The wealth she has
accumulated by savings and presents must be enormous. The King
continues to heap all kinds of presents upon her, and she lives
at his expense; they do not possess a servant; even Lord
Conyngham's _valet de chambre_ is not properly their servant.
They all have situations in the King's household, from which they
receive their pay, while they continue in the service of the
Conynghams. They dine every day while in London at St. James's,
and when they give a dinner it is cooked at St. James's and
brought up to Hamilton Place in hackney coaches and in machines
made expressly for the purpose; there is merely a fire lit in
their kitchen for such things as must be heated on the spot. At
Windsor the King sees very little of her except of an evening; he
lies in bed half the day or more, sometimes goes out, and
sometimes goes to her room for an hour or so in the afternoon,
and that is all he sees of her. A more despicable scene cannot be
exhibited than that which the interior of our Court presents--
every base, low, and unmanly propensity, with selfishness,
avarice, and a life of petty intrigue and mystery.

May 16th, 1829 {p.207}

O'Connell attempted to take his seat last night, but the business
was put off till Monday. His case is exceedingly well got up, but
too long. There are many opinions as to his right; many people
think he has established it (though he had failed to do so), that
a Bill ought to be brought in to enable him to take the new
oaths. It was supposed Government would take no part, but Peel's
speech and the language of some of the Ministers are rather
unfavourable to him. Lord Grey, when he read the case, thought
his argument on the tenth clause of the Bill conclusive, but when
he examined the Bill he thought differently, and that the context
gives a different signification to the words on which O'Connell
relies. Tierney thinks otherwise, a