g with complacency those who surround him lap
up the superfluities which may chance to bubble over from his cup
of pleasure and happiness. It is a farce to talk of friendship
with such a man, on whom, if he were not Duke of Bedford,
Brougham would never waste a thought.

[3] [These remarks relate to John, sixth Duke of Bedford,
born 6th July, 1766, died 29th October, 1839. He was
the father of the Lord Tavistock often mentioned in
these Journals, and of Lord William and Lord John
Russell.]

September 17th, 1839 {p.240}

Finding the Duke of Wellington was in town yesterday, I called on
him. He talked to me a great deal about Brougham and the Dover
dinner, and told me a comical anecdote with reference to his
giving the toast of the Duke's health at the dinner. The
Committee invited him and, as the chairman was a man who could
not speak at all, they, thinking it a catch to get so great an
orator to do the office, proposed to Brougham to give the toast
of the night. He accepted, and then they found that Lord
Guilford, a man of the first rank and consequence in the county,
and therefore entitled to this distinction, was highly affronted
at the preference of Brougham to him. They got embarrassed, and
desired to take the toast from Brougham and give it to Lord
Guilford, and when he got down there this was suggested to him;
but he said 'it could not be, for he had not only written his
speech beforehand, but had already sent it to be published, so
that no alteration was then possible.' The consequence was, Lord
Guilford would not come to the dinner, and he was only pacified
afterwards by the Duke himself, who went to call upon him for the
purpose of soothing down his ruffled plumage; this he succeeded
in doing by telling him this story, and nothing the Duke said
reconciled him so much to what had passed, as the fact of
Brougham's having written his speech beforehand.

He told me what Brougham had said of Macaulay (whom he hates with
much cordiality), when somebody asked if he was to be Secretary
at War. 'No, Melbourne would not consent to it: he would not have
him in the Cabinet, and could not endure to sit with ten parrots,
a chime of bells, and Lady W----.'

The more I see of the Duke, the more am I struck with the
impression that he is declining; that he is not what he was a
year or two ago. He is vigorous and hearty, cheerful, lively; his
memory does not seem to be imp