he stout blunt carle that
cares for few things, and fears nothing. He has represented the author
as in the act of composition, yet has effectually discharged all
affectation from the manner and attitude. He seems pleased with it
himself. He dined with us at Peel's yesterday, where, by the way, we saw
the celebrated Chapeau de Paille, which is not a Chapeau de Paille at
all.

_November_ 19.--Saw this morning Duke of Wellington and Duke of York;
the former so communicative that I regretted extremely the length of
time,[414] but have agreed on a correspondence with him. _Trop d'honneur
pour moi_. The Duke of York saw me by appointment. He seems still
mending, and spoke of state affairs as a high Tory. Were his health
good, his spirit is as strong as ever. H.R.H. has a devout horror of the
liberals. Having the Duke of Wellington, the Chancellor, and (perhaps) a
still greater person on his side, he might make a great fight when they
split, as split they will. But Canning, Huskisson, and a mitigated party
of Liberaux will probably beat them. Canning's will and eloquence are
almost irresistible. But then the Church, justly alarmed for their
property, which is plainly struck at, and the bulk of the landed
interest, will scarce brook a mild infusion of Whiggery into the
Administration. Well, time will show.

We visited our friends Peel, Lord Gwydyr, Arbuthnot, etc., and left our
tickets of adieu. In no instance, during my former visits to London, did
I ever meet with such general attention and respect on all sides.

Lady Louisa Stuart dined--also Wright and Mr. and Mrs. Christie. Dr. and
Mrs. Hughes came in the evening; so ended pleasantly our last night in
London.

[_Oxford_,] _November_ 20.--Left London after a comfortable breakfast,
and an adieu to the Lockhart family. If I had had but comfortable hopes
of their poor, pale, prostrate child, so clever and so interesting, I
should have parted easily on this occasion, but these misgivings
overcloud the prospect. We reached Oxford by six o'clock, and found
Charles and his friend young Surtees waiting for us, with a good fire in
the chimney, and a good dinner ready to be placed on the table. We had
struggled through a cold, sulky, drizzly day, which deprived of all
charms even the beautiful country near Henley. So we came from cold and
darkness into light and warmth and society. _N.B._--We had neither
daylight nor moonlight to see the view of Oxford from the Maudlin
Bridge, w