bearance of the Tories towards him;
he thought he had never given stronger evidence of talent than in
some of his speeches during the last session. I asked him if the
King and Brougham were well together. He shook his head: 'not at
all, and the King can't bear these exhibitions in Scotland.' He
said the King liked Palmerston, Auckland, Spring Rice, and
Mulgrave; had no fancy for any of the rest. (I suspect he likes
him (Melbourne), because he appears to talk openly to him, and to
express his feelings about the others, and I dare say Melbourne
puts him at his ease.) He can't bear John Russell, respects
Althorp (and particularly Lord Spencer), but hates Althorp's
politics; treats Lord Holland with the familiarity of a
connexion,[7] but doesn't like his politics either; he is
tenacious about having everything laid before him, often gives his
opinion, but is easily satisfied; liked Lord Grey, but was never
quite at his ease with him (this accounts for his taking Lord
Grey's resignation as quietly as he did); has a very John-Bullish
aversion to the French, and the junction of the English and French
fleets two years ago was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

[7] [Colonel Fox, Lord Holland's eldest son, having married
Lady Mary, the King's eldest daughter, both however
born out of wedlock.]

We afterwards talked of Canning and the Duke of Wellington, and
the breaking up of the Tory Government. I told him that I
believed the Duke and the Tories were aware of Canning's
communications with Brougham. Brougham wrote to Canning and made
him an unqualified offer of support. When the King asked Canning
how he was to obtain support enough to carry on the Government,
he pulled this letter out of his pocket, gave it to him, and
said, 'Sir, your father broke the domination of the Whigs; I hope
your Majesty will not endure that of the Tories.' 'No,' said the
King; 'I'll be damned if I do;' and he made him Minister. This
Canning told Melbourne himself.

September 25th, 1834 {p.138}

Dined yesterday at Holland House; only Melbourne and Pahlen, and
in the evening Senior came. He is a very able man--a conveyancer,
great political economist, and author of various works on that
subject. He was employed by Government to draw up the Poor Law
Bill, and might have been one of the Poor Law Commissioners if he
would have accepted the office; his profits in his profession are
too great to be given up for this occupati