ment to Madame de Lieven the other
night. She was pointing out the various beauties at some ball,
and among others Lady Seymour, and asked him if he did not admire
her. He said, 'Elle est trop jeune, trop fraiche,' and then, with
a tender look and squeezing her hand, 'J'aime les femmes un peu
passees.'

July 4th, 1834 {p.099}

The other night Stanley made a fierce speech on Irish tithes, and
plainly showed that no reconciliation between him and the
Government is feasible. Last night Littleton made a melancholy
exhibition with O'Connell. Formerly a Minister must have resigned
who cut such a figure; now it is very different, for no matter
how unfit a man may be, it is ten to one nobody better can be
found to replace him. A more disgraceful affair never was seen;
the Tories chuckled, the Government and their friends were
disgusted, ashamed, and vexed; Durham sat under the gallery and
enjoyed the fun.

I was at Woolwich yesterday to see the yacht in which the Queen
is to sail to the Continent. Such luxury and splendour, and such
gorgeous preparations. She will sail like Cleopatra down the
Cydnus, and though she will have no beautiful boys like Cupids to
fan her, she will be attended by Emily Bagot, who is as beautiful
as the Mater Cupidinum. She will return to her beggarly country
in somewhat different trim from that in which she left it, with
all her earls and countesses, equipages, pages, valets, dressers,
&c. The Duke of Wellington gave a great ball the other night, and
invited all the Ministers. The Chancellor was there till three or
four o'clock in the morning, and they say it was very amusing to
see the Duke doing the honours to him. The Tories have had a
great disappointment in the Finsbury election, which they fancied
Pownall was sure of carrying the first day, but Tommy Duncombe
beat him hollow the second. It is certainly a great exhibition of
Radical strength in that metropolitan district, and may serve to
sober the Tories a little, and bring some of them down from their
high horses.

July 6th, 1834 {p.100}

[Page Head: STANLEY'S THIMBLERIG SPEECH.]

When I wrote the above I had not read Stanley's speech, and had
only heard he had used very strong language. I was greatly
astonished when I did read it, and fully concur in the nearly
universal opinion that, however clever and laughable it may have
been, it was a most injudicious and unfortunate exhibition, and
is calculated to do him a serious and las