from the Conservative
interest. He owned that nothing was to be expected from that
quarter. It remained, then, that it was only from the more
extreme party that their ranks could be recruited. To this the
King would not consent, and he therefore imparted to him his
resolution of placing the Government in other hands.[1]

[1] [This account of the transaction is confirmed in almost
every particular by the statement drawn up by King
William himself (or by his directions) for the
information of Sir Robert Peel, and first published in
Baron Stockmar's 'Memoirs' in 1872.]

Lyndhurst then went off upon the difficulties of their position. I
told him that the Duke had said to me, 'If the King had been a
very clever man, he would probably have played a more adroit game,
by letting them go on till Parliament met, and then taking the
opportunity which would soon present itself of breaking them up;'
that I disagreed with the Duke, and thought it infinitely more
convenient that this change should take place while Parliament was
not sitting, to which Lyndhurst fully agreed. He said that they
must dissolve as soon as Peel came home, that they had no
alternative; that it would not do to _try_ this Parliament, to run
the chance of a failure and dissolve after having experienced it,
that this would be too great a risk. He said that they had several
seats quite safe in consequence of their superior management about
the registration, such as Leeds and Ripon, where they were sure of
both members. He then talked of the tactics to be used, and said
they must direct their hostility against the Whigs rather than the
Radicals, and make it their principal object to diminish the
number of the former. I said I thought this a very perilous game
to play, and that if it was avowed and acted upon, it would
infallibly produce a reunion between the Whigs and Radicals, who
would coalesce to crush their Government; that the Radicals were
now very angry with the Whigs, who they thought had deserted the
principles they professed, and it should rather be their care to
keep Whigs and Radicals asunder than provoke a fresh alliance
between them. He said the Whigs were certain to join the Radicals.
I asked him if he had seen the 'Times,' said what had passed
between the Duke and me, and told him he would do well to
endeavour to obtain its support. He said he desired nothing so
much, but in his situation he did not