th, 1833 {p.035}

Dined with Sefton yesterday; after dinner came in the Chancellor
in good humour and spirits; talked of Lord Wellesley, who, since
he has been in Ireland, has astonished everybody by his activity
and assiduity in business. He appeared, before he went, in the
last stage of decrepitude, and they had no idea the energy was in
him; but they say he is quite a new man, and it is not merely a
splash, but real and bona-fide business that he does. The
Chancellor talked over some of the passages of the Queen's trial,
to which he loves to revert. It was about the liturgy. The
negotiations which had taken place at Apsley House between the
Duke of Wellington and Lord Castlereagh on one part and Brougham
and Denman on the other were broken off on that point. It was
then agreed to refer the matter to others; the Duke and
Castlereagh were to meet Lord Fitzwilliam and Sefton; a queer
choice, old Fitzwilliam a driveller, and Sefton, with all his
sharpness, totally unfit for the office of negotiator in a grave
matter. He can't be grave, life itself is to him a plaything; but
the night before they were to meet, Fitzwilliam took fright, and
backed out. Notice was sent to the other party, but they did not
get it, owing to some mistake. In the morning Brougham came to
Sefton and asked him to drive him up to the Queen's house, and as
they passed through Grosvenor Square, to their amazement they saw
Wellington and Castlereagh alighting (full dressed for the levee)
at Lord Fitzwilliam's door. Sefton went into the house, and found
them already in the dining-room, the table covered with papers,
when an explanation ensued, on which they had to bundle up their
papers again and trot off.

[Page Head: BROUGHAM'S ANECDOTES OF QUEEN CAROLINE.]

When the deputation from the House of Commons went up with the
address to the Queen, entreating her to come to terms (Banks,
Wortley, Acland, and Wilberforce), she had got all her Council
assembled, and before receiving the deputation from the Commons,
she asked their advice. Brougham said that she was disposed to
acquiesce, but wanted _them_ to advise her to do so, and that her
intention was, if they had, to act on that advice, but to save
her popularity by throwing the odium on them, and devoting them
to popular execration. He therefore resolved, and his brethren
likewise, to give no advice at all; and when she turned to him,
and said, 'What do you think I ought to do?' he replied, in a
s