Sydney acquainted the King, at my request,
with my wish to see him. I went there in the evening. Lord
Ashburton was there before me, and had an audience of near two
hours. When I went in, I said that you had been highly flattered
with his gracious communication, and had been encouraged by it
to trouble His Majesty with a detail of your situation, and the
circumstances in which you stood. He received it very
graciously, saying, that he was infinitely obliged to you for
it; that he would take the first moment to look it over, and
would certainly answer it, which should pass through my hands,
as he had never been more satisfied, &c., &c.

He then entered into a detail of what had passed since I saw him
last. This, however, differs so very little, if at all, from
what I have before stated to you about the Cabinet which was
proposed, and the subordinate arrangement which was refused, and
upon which the whole negotiation broke off, and has never since
been resumed, that I will not trouble you with it over again.
One thing, however, is worth mentioning, of which I was not
before apprized, that the King complained of personal incivility
from the Duke of Portland.

Since the negotiation with the coalition broke off, the
Government has been repeatedly and most eagerly pressed upon
Pitt, who has, however, yesterday, once more firmly declined it.
What the present intention is, I have scarcely a guess. The King
seems as much disinclined as ever to open the negotiation again,
and yet I see no resource which he has. He complained much that
no one would step forth, and asked me whether I thought Tom Pitt
could be worked upon. To this I gave little answer, except my
ignorance, &c.; but I believed I might have answered decisively
in the negative, as he declined even with William Pitt.

He then entered into a conversation on the subject of Ireland,
stating your universal popularity there, and inquiring about
different people, particularly Scott. This brought us to the
precipitate appointment of the Duke of Portland, and to the
insult which had been offered by it to Lord Carlisle, and his
astonishment that immediately afterwards he could accept such an
office under him.

He mentioned Lord Ely's having applied to be invested in
England, and his having desired Lord Sydney to refer the l