him not to tell
the Duke of Cumberland; Best was sent for. So Best went, and accepted the
terms offered. Thus we shall get Scarlett, and the King and the Duke be
separated a little.

Yesterday the Duke of Wellington did his business with the King while the
Duke of Cumberland was hearing a clause in the House of Lords. The
Chancellor, knowing how the Duke of Wellington was occupied, kept the Duke
of Cumberland as long as he could.

_May 27._

Committee on London Bridge. Lord Londonderry, who came from the review in
his uniform just covered by a frock coat, spoke against time on a
collateral point for an hour and a half, and disgusted the Committee.

_May 28._

London Bridge Committee. Lord Londonderry a little better than before, but
not much. He is running down his character altogether. He has now formed an
alliance with the Duke of Cumberland, and through him made his peace with
the King. The Duke of Cumberland wishes to be reconciled to the Duke of
Wellington. In the House of Commons there is a small Ultra-Tory party, not
fifty. In our House I doubt whether there are twenty.

_May 30._

Chairs. Lord W. Bentinck seems to be so ill as to make it doubtful whether
he can remain in India should he recover. The letter is dated January 27.
He was then in danger. The vessel did not leave Calcutta till the 30th. The
news then was that he was better, and had sat up for six hours. It was a
_coup de soleil_.

London Bridge Committee.

The Duke showed me a letter from Lord Rosslyn, accepting most cordially the
Privy Seal.

I suppose we shall have a Council on Monday, or on some early day next
week, for me to give it up.

_June 1._

To the Cabinet room.

There is a report that Varna [Footnote: Varna was in the hands of the
Russians, having been taken in the previous campaign.] is _cernee_ by
40,000 men, Bazardjik taken, the Russians running from Karasan, and from
6,000 to 8,000 Russians, who had been thrown over the Danube at Hirsova,
driven into it at Czernavoda by the garrison of Silistria. [Footnote: These
reports seem to have been unfounded. Soon after this date the decisive
battle of Kouleftcha opened to the Russians the road to Adrianople.]
Clanwilliam wrote me he thought the Duke attached some credit to this last
rumour.

News from Calcutta of February 1 states that Lord William Bentinck was then
out of danger. Lady William, who was going to set off to join him, had
determined to expect him at Ca