irreparable injury to her cause. An
embassy had arrived from Pedro, with a proposition that they
should concert a combined operation for crushing the Miguelites
and the Carlists both, beginning with the former. George Villiers
seems to think it feasible, but doubts if the Spanish Government
has sufficient energy and courage to undertake such an operation.

March 25th, 1834 {p.072}

[Page Head: DINNER AT SIR ROBERT PEEL'S.]

Dined with Peel on Saturday; a great dinner with the Duke of
Gloucester and the Ambassadors. The day before, in the House of
Lords, Lord Grey presented a petition from certain members of the
University of Cambridge, praying for the admission of Dissenters
to take degrees, which he introduced with a very good speech. The
Duke of Gloucester, who, as Chancellor of the University, ought
properly to have said whatever there was to say, was not there (in
which Silly Billy did a wise thing), so the Duke of Wellington
rose to speak in his stead. It may have been that considering
himself to stand in the Duke of Gloucester's shoes, he could not
make too foolish a speech, and accordingly he delivered one of
those harangues which make men shrug their shoulders with pity or
astonishment. It is always a matter of great regret to me when he
exposes himself in this manner. After dinner at Peel's I talked to
Lyndhurst about it, who said, 'Unlucky thing that Chancellorship
of Oxford; it will make him commit himself in a very inconvenient
manner. The Duke is so very obstinate; if he thought that it was
possible to act any longer upon those High Church principles it
would be all very well, but you have transferred power to a class
of a lower description, and particularly to the great body of
Dissenters, and it is obvious that those principles are now out of
date; the question is, under the circumstances, What is best to be
done?' Lord Ellenborough entirely threw the Duke over, and made a
very good speech, agreeing to the prayer of the petitioners, with
the reservation only of certain securities which Lord Grey himself
approves of. I dined with him the day following, and he said so,
adding at the same time, 'though I dare say they will consider
them as an insult, and make great complaints at their imposition.
However, I don't care for that, and if they don't choose to accept
what is offered them on such conditions, they may go without it.'
There are two things which strike one (at least strike me) in the
discussi