ond) was gone to the Archbishop. Stanley turned him
out at once. As soon as he began he said, 'There is no use, Mr.
Perceval, in going on this way with me. We had, therefore, better
put an end to the subject, and I wish you good morning.' He went
to Lord Holland, and Lady Holland was with great difficulty
persuaded to allow him to go and receive the Apostles. She
desired Lord John Russell (who happened to be in the house) to go
with him, but John begged to be excused, alleging that he had
already had his interview and did not wish for another. So at
last she let Lord Holland be wheeled in, but ordered Edgar and
Harold, the two pages, to post themselves outside the door, and
rush in if they heard Lord Holland scream. Perceval has been with
the King, and went to Drayton after Sir Robert Peel, but he
complains that he cannot catch the Duke of Wellington.

February 3rd, 1836 {p.332}

[Page Head: LYNDHURST ON THE HOUSE OF LORDS.]

A meeting at the Council Office yesterday on another patent case,
a gun--Baron Heurteloup, the famous lithotritic doctor and
inventor--which was clicked off for the information of their
Lordships. Since this Patent Bill, we have got very noisy between
percussion guns and pianofortes. I walked away with Lyndhurst to
hear what he had to say. He said that he understood Peel was come
to town with the intention of being very active, but that the Duke
talked of staying at Strathfieldsaye till after Easter; and if the
Duke did not attend the House of Lords, no more would he; he said
it was impossible to turn out the Government--what could they do?
that it would never do for them to come in again without a
considerable majority, and _that_ they had not, nor would have.
What would a dissolution do for them? Not, I said, anything
considerable, if the new Corporations were to have the influence
he always attributed to them, and I asked him whether the working
of the Municipal Bill promised to be as mischievous as he had
expected. He said, 'Yes, I think so;' but I could see that he does
not think so very badly of it as he once told me. However, I
gather from him that the leaders are aware that the time is not
come for attempting to push out the Government, and that they will
not try; their difficulty will be to deal with their own rash and
impatient followers, who are always for desperate courses.
Lyndhurst told me that he thought Peel felt very bitterly towards
Stanley, and that it must end in their de