nning away from his place in the House of
Lords. It relates to some defect in his physical conformation;
some body found out his secret, and probably threatened its
exposure.

September 19th, 1834 {p.135}

[Page Head: CANNING AND LORD HOLLAND.]

Yesterday at Holland House; nobody there but Melbourne. We were
talking of Reform, and Lord Holland said, 'I don't know if we were
right about Reform, but this I know, that if we were to propose it
at all, we were right in going the lengths we did, and this was
Canning's opinion.' Melbourne said, 'Yes, I know it was, and that
was mine, and that was the reason why I was against Reform.' Holland
then resumed that he had formerly been one of Canning's most
intimate friends at college; that at that time--the beginning of the
French Revolution--when a general excitement prevailed, Canning was
a great Jacobin, much more so than he was himself; that Canning had
always hated the aristocracy (a hatred which they certainly returned
with interest); that in after life he had been separated from
Canning, and they had seen but little of each other. Just before he
was going to India, however, Holland called on him, and Canning
dined at Holland House. On one of these occasions they had a
conversation upon the subject of Reform, when Canning said that he
saw it was inevitable, and he was not sorry to be away while the
measure was accomplished, but that if he had been here while it was
mooted, he could have _let those gentlemen_ (the Whig aristocracy)
_know that they should gain nothing by it_. After dinner we had much
talk about religion, when Allen got into a fury; he thundered out
his invectives against the _charlatanerie_ of the Apostles and
Fathers and the brutal ignorance of the early Christian converts,
when Holland said, laughing, 'Well, but you need not abuse them so
violently.' They were in high delight at Holland House at the way
the Edinburgh dinner went off. It was a very ludicrous incident that
the Scotchmen could not be kept from falling to before Lord Grey and
the grandees arrived, and when they did come most of the dinner was
already eaten up. The Chancellor is said to have made an admirable
speech at the meeting of _savans_, full of dignity, propriety, and
eloquence, and the _savans_ spoke one more absurdly than another.

September 23rd, 1834 {p.136}

[Page Head: PALMERSTON AND BROUGHAM.]

On Saturday at Stoke; came up yesterday with Melbourne. We had a
great deal o