Earl of Mulgrave.
Postmaster-General Marquis of Conyngham.
Irish Secretary Mr. Littleton.]

CHAPTER XXIV.

Taylor's 'Philip van Artevelde'--Goodwood--Earl Bathurst's
Death--Death of Mrs. Arbuthnot--Overtures to O'Connell--Irish
Tithe Bill--Theodore Hook's Improvisation--Lord Westmeath's
Case in the Privy Council--First Council of Lord Melbourne's
Government and Prorogation--Brougham's Vagaries--Lord Durham's
Exclusion--The Edinburgh Dinner--Windsor and Meiningen--Spencer
Perceval--Lord Grey's Retirement--The Westmeath Case again--The
Queen's Return--Melbourne and Tom Young--Holland House--
Reflections--Conversation on the Poets--Miscellaneous Chat--
Lord Melbourne's Literary Attainments--Lord Holland's Anecdotes
of Great Orators--Execution of Charles I.--Lord Melbourne's
Opinion of Henry VIII.--The 'Times' attacks Lord Brougham--His
Tour in Scotland--His Unpopularity--Cowper's Secret--Canning on
Reform--Lord Melbourne on Palmerston and Brougham--Canning and
Brougham in 1827--Senior--Lord Melbourne and the Benthamites--
His Theology--Spanish Eloquence--The Harley Papers--The Turf--
Death of Lord Spencer--The Westmeath Case heard--Law
Appointments--Bickersteth--Louis Philippe's Position.

July 23rd, 1834 {p.114}

Brougham spoke for four hours on the Poor Law Bill on Monday, and
made a luminous speech; Alvanley, to people's amusement, spoke,
and against the Bill; he spoke tolerably well--a grave speech and
got compliments.

July 24th, 1834 {p.114}

Read Reeves' 'History of English Law,' finished Henry Taylor's
'Van Artevelde,' and read 250 lines of Virgil. 'Philip van
Artevelde' is a poem of extraordinary merit, and the offspring of
a vigorous and independent mind. The author, who is my particular
friend, and for whom I have a sincere regard and a great
admiration, took his work to Murray, who gave it to Lockhart to
read. Lockhart advised Murray not to publish it, at least at his
own risk, but he bestowed great encomiums on the work, and urged
Taylor to publish it himself. He did so, without much expectation
that it would be popular, and has been agreeably surprised to
find that in a short space of time a second edition is called
for. With the vivacity of a sanguine disposition, and a
confidence in the sterling merits of his poem, he now believes
that edition will follow edition like wave