lf informed of
the facts of the petition, and finding they were against his
friends, said so in the House.

Arbuthnot told me some particulars about Tierney. He began by
being a friend of Mr. Pitt, and in one of his speeches on the
Southwark or Colchester election he praised him in opposition to
Mr. Fox. This latter never liked him, and the Regent assured
Arbuthnot he had letters of Tierney in his possession thanking
him for having endeavoured to remove Mr. Fox's antipathy to him.
When Addington came in, Pitt advised him to get Tierney, as
nobody would be so useful to him. He did accordingly, and so
Tierney became a member of the Administration.[25] When Pitt came
again into office a negotiation was opened with him through the
medium of Charles Long. He was offered the Chief Secretaryship in
Ireland, which he wished to have, but he made it a condition that
he should not be in Parliament. To this Mr. Pitt would not agree,
as he said that he must commit himself with them entirely or not
join them at all; he refused, not choosing to commit himself, and
the negotiations broke off.

[25] [Right Hon. George Tierney, Treasurer of the Navy and
P.C. in 1803. President of the Board of Control in
October, 1806, Member of the Mint in 1827.]

January 31st, 1819 {p.014}

I dined with Lady Bathurst yesterday. We talked of the
approaching contests in Parliament, and she said that she felt
more apprehensive now than ever she had done for the safety of
the Government, that it was impossible for Ministers to stay in
if they were defeated, as they had occasionally been in the last
Parliament, and that if they were defeated she should attribute
it all to Vansittart, who is a millstone about their necks. I
asked why they did not get rid of him, and she said that it was
from good-nature; they had scruples about telling him he was
inefficient and must resign. She said that Canning's conduct had
been so good towards them, they were very anxious to put him in
some more considerable office.

[Page Head: PRINCESS LIEVEN.]

February 3rd, 1819 {p.015}

I went with Bouverie to Newmarket on Monday to look at the
horses. On Wednesday I came to town and went on to Oatlands.
Madame de Lieven was there. This woman is excessively clever, and
when she chooses brilliantly agreeable. She is beyond all people
fastidious. She is equally conscious of her own superiority and
the inferiority of other people, and the contemp