the piece of a rattle and of a glass bottle should be directed
against the occupant of "_the throne on which he has been placed by
the favour of his Sovereign_."

Still it may be of use towards the suppression of the Orange
Lodges, which I have great hopes will result from it. It has been
proposed to extend the English Act against Secret Societies, to
Ireland, with a view to some of the cases of conspiracy which they
have been unable to deal with; and upon mentioning to Peel that
that was the Act upon which the House of Commons in general agreed
in 1813 to consider the Orange Association as illegal, I had much
pleasure to see that he looked upon this as a recommendation rather
than an objection.

The conduct of Villele is to me quite inexplicable, nor can I
conceive his motive for resorting to so offensive and irritating a
step as the publication of a despatch (in itself calculated to
provoke a war) immediately after he had triumphed over the war
party, and their expulsion from the Cabinet.

Ever most faithfully yours,

C. WILLIAMS WYNN.

CHAPTER XI.

[1823.]

CONTINENTAL AFFAIRS. DIPLOMATIC POSTS. PROPOSED MINISTERIAL CHANGES.
MISSION OF LORD FITZROY SOMERSET TO SPAIN. STATE OF IRELAND. OBJECTS OF
FRANCE. APPOINTMENT OF REGINALD HEBER. INCREASING POPULARITY OF MR.
CANNING. THE KING'S SPEECH. TRIALS IN IRELAND. MR. PLUNKET. THE
BEEFSTEAK CLUB IN DUBLIN. OBJECTIONABLE TOAST. THE DUKE OF CLARENCE.
IMPRUDENCE OF LORD WELLESLEY. THE LORD-LIEUTENANT'S EXPLANATION.

CHAPTER XI.

Continental affairs were at this time attracting general attention
throughout the British Empire, principally in consequence of the
recently-published declaration from the Allied Sovereigns at the
Congress of Verona, threatening interposition in the affairs of Spain,
and the attitude of France with a view to the same object. To the new
Foreign Secretary an opportunity presented itself for directing the
policy of Great Britain in a manner worthy of the position she had
acquired by her prodigious exertions in the last European war; and
remembering the largeness of his professions when out of office, the
political world waited with much eagerness the measures of this
brilliant statesman to maintain the dignity of his country. Mr. Canning
appeared sensible of the gravity of the threatened complication, but
occupied himself much more in endeavouring to stren