mfited, and meditating no further
resistance to the Reform Bill. The Duke is to make his _expose_
to-night.

Peel, who has kept himself out of the scrape, is strongly
suspected of being anything but sorry for the dilemma into which
the Duke has got himself, and they think that he secretly
encouraged him to persevere, with promises of present support and
future co-operation, with a shrewd anticipation of the fate that
awaited him. I am by no means indisposed to give credit to this,
for I well remember the wrath of Peel when the Duke's Government
was broken up in 1830, and the various instances of secret
dislike and want of real cordiality which have peeped from under
a decent appearance of union and friendship. Nothing can be more
certain than that he is in high spirits in the midst of it all,
and talks with great complacency of its being very well as it is,
and that the salvation of character is everything; and this from
him, who fancies he has saved his own, and addressed to those who
have forfeited theirs, is amusing.

The joy of the King at what he thought was to be his deliverance
from the Whigs was unbounded. He lost no time in putting the Duke
of Wellington in possession of everything that had taken place
between him and them upon the subject of Reform, and with regard
to the creation of Peers, admitting that he had consented, but
saying he had been subjected to every species of persecution. His
ignorance, weakness, and levity put him in a miserable light, and
prove him to be one of the silliest old gentlemen in his
dominions; but I believe he is mad, for yesterday he gave a great
dinner to the Jockey Club, at which (notwithstanding his cares)
he seemed in excellent spirits; and after dinner he made a number
of speeches, so ridiculous and nonsensical, beyond all belief but
to those who heard them, rambling from one subject to another,
repeating the same thing over and over again, and altogether such
a mass of confusion, trash, and imbecility as made one laugh and
blush at the same time.

As soon as the Duke had agreed to try and form a Government he
applied to the Tories, who nearly all agreed to support him, and
were prepared to go to all lengths, even to that of swallowing the
whole Bill if necessary; the Duke of Newcastle particularly would
do anything. These were the men who were so squeamish that they
could not be brought to support amendments even, unless they were
permitted to turn the schedules upsid