lution, and that the
Duke's being Prime Minister again is out of the question; says he
_knows_ Peel would never consent to act with him again in the same
capacity, that all the Duke's little cabinet (the women and the
toad-eaters) hate Peel, and that there never was any real
cordiality between them. Everything confirms my belief that Peel,
if he did not bring about the dissolution of the late Ministry by
any overt act, saw to what things were tending, and saw it with
satisfaction.

December 16th, 1830 {p.094}

At Court yesterday; William Bathurst sworn in. All the Ministers
were there, and the Duke of Wellington at the levee looking out
of sorts. Dined at the Lievens'; Lady Cowper told me that in the
summer the Duke had not made a _direct_ offer to Melbourne, but
what was tantamount to it. He had desired somebody (she did not
say who) to speak to Frederick,[6] and said he would call on him
himself the next day. Something, however, prevented him, and she
did not say whether he did call or not afterwards. He denied ever
having made any overture at all. To Palmerston he proposed the
choice of four places, and she thinks he would have taken in
Huskisson if the latter had lived. He would have done nothing but
on compulsion; that is clear. It is very true (what they say Peel
said of him) that no _man_ ever had any influence with him, only
_women_, and those always the silliest. But who are Peel's
confidants, friends, and parasites? Bonham, a stock-jobbing
ex-merchant; Charles Ross, and the refuse of society of the House
of Commons.

[6] [Sir Frederick Lamb.]

Lamb told me afterwards, talking of the Duke and Polignac, that
Sebastiani had told him that Hyde de Neuville (who was Minister
at the time Polignac went over from here on his first short
visit, before he became Minister) said that upon that occasion
Polignac took over a letter from the Duke to the King of France,
in which he said that the Chambers and the democratical spirit
required to be curbed, that he advised him to lose no time in
restraining them, and that he referred him to M. de Polignac for
his opinion generally, who was in possession of his entire
confidence. I think this _may_ be true, never having doubted that
these were his real sentiments, whether he expressed them or not.

[Page Head: THE KING AND HIS SONS.]

There has been a desperate quarrel between the King and his sons.
George Fitzclarence wanted to be made a Peer and have a pension;