the party towards him, of the press, of the
people, and of the leading Whigs, talked of the flags of truce he
had held out, and how they had been fired on, and that he must
again arm himself for another fight. All this in a curious,
disjointed style. As these letters were considered flags of
truce, Lady Holland fired upon them an invitation to dinner, but
he would not come. I met him on Sunday, and asked him why he did
not come, but he would not give any answer whatever. On that
occasion he talked for two hours without stopping, abusing one
person after another, particularly Fonblanque, and then telling
the whole history of the Reform Bill and of the famous
dissolution, and of all his own exploits on that occasion. It was
amusing enough, but he talks too much, and his talk has the grand
fault of not impressing his hearers with an idea of its truth; it
is lively, energetic, vivacious, abundant, but it is artificial
and unsatisfactory, because liable to suspicion and doubt.

[10] It was well known, eventually, that the hoax was
entirely his own, and the letter dictated by himself.

Windsor Castle, November 15th, 1839 {p.246}

Here for a Council. I sat next to Baroness Lehzen at dinner--a
clever, agreeable woman. She complained of Peel's having said in
the House of Commons that he did not mean to turn her out, and
says he ought to have said he could not, and that he had nothing
to do with her, as she is not in the public service. I defended
Peel. In the evening, Lord Melbourne told me to search the
Council books and see what was the form of declaration of the
Sovereign's marriage, so that matter is pretty clearly settled.

November 23rd, 1839 {p.246}

[Page Head: THE QUEEN'S BETROTHAL.]

At Wolbeding for three days. Then news came of the Duke's
illness, which, though it turned out to be exaggerated, will, I
fear, prove to have given him a shake. The Council being summoned
to declare the Queen's marriage to-day, I have come up to town
for it, and am just returned from the declaration, which took
place in the lower apartments of the palace. About eighty Privy
Councillors present, all who were within call having attended.
Peel, Lyndhurst, and the Duke. The Duke arrived last night for
the purpose; he looked very old, very feeble, and decrepit. I
thought a great change was observable in him, but he was cheerful
as usual, and evidently tried to make the best of it. The Queen
had sent in the morning to