be tested forthwith. This was a regular concerted
party move, and took their opponents completely by surprise. It
proceeds from the boiling impatience of the party, indoors and
out. The Tory masses complain that nothing is done; and so, to
gratify them, an immediate assault is resolved upon. Lord
Wharncliffe said to me yesterday morning that the real obstacle
to the Tories coming into office was the Queen. This was the only
difficulty; but her antipathy to Peel rendered him exceedingly
reluctant to take office, and there were many among the party who
felt scruples in forcing an obnoxious Ministry upon her. This is,
in fact, the real Tory principle, but I doubt many of the Tories
being influenced by it.

Bradshaw[14] and Horsman went out yesterday morning. The former
called out the latter on account of a speech at Cockermouth, in
which, in allusion to the famous Canterbury _Victorippick_, he
had said that Bradshaw had the tongue of a traitor and the heart
of a coward. Though six weeks had elapsed between the speech and
the challenge, Horsman did go out, and they exchanged shots;
after which Bradshaw made a sort of stingy apology for his
insults to the Queen, and the other an apology for his offensive
expressions. Gurwood went out with Bradshaw, which he had better
not have done.[15] He said, 'he had never read Bradshaw's speech,
and was ignorant what he had said.' As Gurwood is a man of honour
and veracity, this must be true; but it is passing strange that
he alone should not have read what everybody else has been
talking about for the last two months, and that he should go out
with a man as his second on account of words spoken, and not
enquire what they were.

[14] [Mr. Bradshaw had used very unbecoming and disloyal
language in speaking of the Queen at a public dinner or
meeting at Canterbury some weeks before. Mr. Horsman, a
strong Whig, and Member for Cockermouth, had censured
Bradshaw for his disloyalty--hence this strange duel.]

[15] [Colonel Gurwood, the Duke of Wellington's confidential
friend, and editor of his Despatches, had just been
appointed to the Governorship of the Tower.]

January 18th, 1840 {p.254}

[Page Head: HORSMAN AND BRADSHAW DUEL.]

Everybody talks of this duel, and the Whigs abuse Gurwood, and
accuse him of ingratitude, for having acted for Bradshaw in such
a quarrel, when he has just been loaded with favours--a p