normous number of
portraits, but many of his later works are still unfinished, and
great complaints used to be made of his exacting either the whole
or half payment when he began a picture, but that when he had got
the money he could never be prevailed on to complete it. Although
he is supposed to have earned enormous sums by his paintings, he
has always been a distressed man, without any visible means of
expense, except a magnificent collection of drawings by the
ancient masters, said to be the finest in the world, and procured
at great cost. He was, however, a generous patron of young
artists of merit and talent. It was always said that he lost
money at play, but this assertion seems to have proceeded more
from the difficulty of reconciling his pecuniary embarrassments
with his enormous profits than from any proof of the fact. He was
a great courtier, and is said to have been so devoted to the King
that he would not paint anybody who was personally obnoxious to
his Majesty; but I do not believe this is true. He is an
irreparable loss; since Sir Joshua there has been no painter like
him; his portraits as pictures I think are not nearly so fine as
Sir Joshua's, but as likenesses many of them are quite perfect.
Moore's was the last portrait he painted, and Miss Kemble's his
last drawing.

The King has been very ill; lost forty ounces of blood. Vesey is
better, but has no chance of going on with his office. The
general opinion seems to be that Herries will succeed him. I do
not believe he knows anything of the business of the Board of
Trade. Charles Mills told me yesterday that a proposal was lately
made by Government to the East India Company to reduce their
dividends, and that at the very time this was done Rothschild,
who had L40,000 East India stock, sold it all out, and all his
friends who held any did the same. The matter was eventually
dropped, but he says nobody doubts that N---- gave notice to
Rothschild of the proposed measure. The Company are mightily
satisfied with Lord William Bentinck, who has acted very
handsomely by them in this business by the reduction of the pay
of the troops. He has written some very trimming letters to Lord
Combermere, who is coming home, and if he had not been, would
probably have been recalled. The Duke, as well as the Company, is
furious with Combermere for the part he has acted in the affair.

[Page Head: LEOPOLD AND THE THRONE OF GREECE]

Leopold's election to the throne of