a great pitch by the mountebank
exhibitions of Brougham, and he is so alarmed and disgusted at the
Radical propensities which the Durham dinner has manifested, that
he is resolved to try whether the Government cannot be conducted
upon principles which are called Conservative, but which shall
really be _bona fide_ opposed to the ultra doctrines and wild
schemes which he knows are not distasteful to at least one-half of
his late Cabinet.

His resentment against these people has been considerably
increased by the discovery (which he believes he has made) of his
having been grossly deceived at the period of Lord Grey's
retirement and the formation of Melbourne's Administration. The
circumstances of this part of the business I know only imperfectly,
so much so as to leave a good deal that requires explanation in
order to make it intelligible; but I was told on good authority
yesterday that at that time Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of
Wellington were quite prepared to undertake the formation of a
Government if it had been proposed to them, and that he had every
reason to believe they had been betrayed by 'that scoundrel
H----,' who had been employed by some of the other party to find
out what their intentions and dispositions were upon that point;
that H---- had gone to them and asked them the question, and
having at that time entire confidence in him, they had told him if
it was offered to them they certainly would undertake it; that he
had never told them or given them any reason to believe that he
was commissioned to find out their resolution, and they think he
returned to his employer and told him that they must take care how
such an offer was made to the Tories, as they would certainly
accept it if it was offered. Melbourne was no party to this
transaction, but the consequence of it was that the King was given
to understand that it would be useless to propose to them to form
a Government, for they were not prepared to do so, and he was
advised to make the proposal of a coalition, which was made, and
which they of course rejected. The King, it appears, subsequently
discovered what their disposition had been at the time, and that
he had been misled and deceived, and this made him very indignant.

I should like to know this story more in detail, for it would be
curious to learn who were the agents in the intrigue, and, above
all, what could induce H---- to sacrifice the interests of the
Duke of Wellington (with whom he