deen's. A letter from Leopold, endeavouring
to throw upon us the blame of delay for two months, and treating
acquiescence in his terms of loan as a _sine qua non_. Now the terms we
propose are not _exactly_ the same, as we make a payment by annual
instalments a part of it, and I expect he will break off at last; but he
will wait till the King is actually dead.

_May 7._

A very good account of the King. He has passed twenty-four hours with
mitigated symptoms.

Dined with Sir J. Murray. I must next year have an Indian dinner.

_May 9._

Read as I went to town to Cabinet, and returned in the carriage Cabell's
memorandum on the Hyderabad transactions.

The Duke read the letter he had received from Sir H. Halford. It gave a bad
account of the King. Yesterday was a day 'of embarrassment and distress,'
and he is swollen notwithstanding the punctures made by Brodie. He is
anxious about himself, and must know his danger, yet he talks of the
necessity of having a new dining-room at the Cottage ready by Ascot.

We had much conversation respecting the law asserting his power of
disposing of his property by will.

The Chancellor was not there. He went to Windsor.

The other matters considered were merely the mode of dealing with several
questions to be brought on next week. It seems to be clear that no
dependence whatever can be placed in the House of Commons. Every man will
vote for his constituents.

No answer has been received from Prince Leopold.

My apprehension is that the King cannot live ten days.

Lord Londonderry went to Windsor yesterday and saw the physician. He had a
dinner afterwards at his villa, and told every one, the Lievens being
there, that the King was much worse than he had ever been. This was untrue,
for the Duke left Windsor after Lord L., and when he left the Castle the
King certainly was not worse, but rather better. I have no doubt Lord L.
managed to tell Wood, [Footnote: Lord Londonderry's brother-in-law, having
married Lady Caroline Stewart, also sister-in-law of Lord Ellenborough.]
and Wood would tell the Duke of Clarence, who would think he was ill-used
and deceived.

_May 10._

The Duke will read the Hyderabad memorandum as he goes down to Windsor on
Wednesday.

I told him of the alteration in the treaty with Nagpore.

The Chancellor was at Windsor yesterday. He did not see the King. The
physicians seemed to think it could not last a week. He is greatly swollen,
and general