ctions for so
doing; to which the King replied that Lord Liverpool had behaved
very ill to him, and had made him do this; and then he became
very violent, and cursed and swore, and said he never would see
him. The Duke said that he might put off the report; that there
were three men who must be hanged, and it did not signify one
farthing whether they were kept in prison a little longer or
shorter time (he forgets that there are others lying under
sentence of death, probably several), and that he had better put
it off than have the Common Serjeant come down to a scene in his
palace. After letting him run on in his usual way, and exhaust
his violence, he left him, and the report stands over once more;
but the Duke told me that it could not stand over after this, and
if the Recorder is not well enough when the time arrives for the
next report, his Majesty must receive Denman whether he will or
no, and that he shall insist upon it. He told me the whole
history in great detail mixed with pretty severe strictures on
the King. I have put down all I could carry away. I have not such
a memory (or such an invention) as Bourrienne.

[Page Head: THE CIVIL LIST]

The Duke then told me that he had made strong remonstrances about
the excess of expenditure on the Civil List; that in the Lord
Steward's department there had been an excess of L7,000, in that
of the Master of the Horse of L5,000, and that of the Master of
the Robes (the tailor's bill) of L10,000 in the last half-year;[17]
that he had stated that unless they could save the difference in
the next half-year, or pay it out of the Privy Purse, he must go
to Parliament, which would bring the whole of the expenses of the
Civil List under discussion. He said it was very extraordinary,
that the King's expenses appeared to be nothing; his Majesty had
not more tables than he (the Duke) had.

[17] I am not sure that I am correct in the sums, but very
nearly so.--[C.C.G.]

I asked him about Brummell and his Consulship. He said Aberdeen
hesitated; that he had offered to take all the responsibility on
himself; that he had in Dudley's time proposed it to him
(Dudley), who had objected, and at last owned he was afraid the
King might not like it, on which he had spoken to the King, who
had made objections, abusing Brummell--said he was a damned
fellow and had behaved very ill to him (the old story, always
himself--_moi, moi, moi_)--but after having let him run out
his