kland Lewis, a member of the
Grenville and Canning section of the Tory party; made a
baronet by Sir Robert Peel; the father of the Right
Hon. Sir George Cornewall Lewis.]

June 29th, 1828 {p.134}

I dined yesterday with the King at St. James's--his Jockey Club
dinner. There were about thirty people, several not being invited
whom he did not fancy. The Duke of Leeds told me a much greater
list had been made out, but he had scratched several out of it.
We assembled in the Throne Room, and found him already there,
looking very well and walking about. He soon, however, sat down,
and desired everybody else to do so. Nobody spoke, and he laughed
and said, 'This is more like a Quaker than a Jockey Club
meeting.' We soon went to dinner, which was in the Great Supper
Room and very magnificent. He sat in the middle, with the Dukes
of Richmond and Grafton on each side of him. I sat opposite to
him, and he was particularly gracious to me, talking to me across
the table and recommending all the good things; he made me (after
eating a quantity of turtle) eat a dish of crawfish soup, till I
thought I should have burst. After dinner the Duke of Leeds, who
sat at the head of the table, gave 'The King.' We all stood up,
when his Majesty thanked us, and said he hoped this would be the
first of annual meetings of the sort to take place, there or
elsewhere under his roof. He then ordered paper, pens, &c., and
they began making matches and stakes; the most perfect ease was
established, just as much as if we had been dining with the Duke
of York, and he seemed delighted. He made one or two little
speeches, one recommending that a stop should be put to the
exportation of horses. He twice gave 'The Turf,' and at the end
the Duke of Richmond asked his leave to give a toast, and again
gave 'The King.' He thanked all the gentlemen, and said that
there was no man who had the interests of the turf more at heart
than himself, that he was delighted at having this party, and
that the oftener they met the better, and he only wanted to have
it pointed out to him how he could promote the pleasure and
amusement of the turf, and he was ready to do anything in his
power. He got up at half-past twelve and wished us good night.
Nothing could go off better, and Mount Charles told me he was
sure he was delighted.

[Page Head: LORD LYNDHURST AND THE GREAT SEAL.]

I dined with the Chancellor [Lord Lyndhurst] three days ago; h