ust have a house,[4] and that she could not afford to
pay for one (the greater part of her income being appropriated to
the payment of her debts). Duncannon told her that there were no
royal apartments unoccupied, except the King of Hanover's at St.
James's; and it was settled that he should be apprised that the
Queen had occasion for them, and be requested to give them up.
Duncannon accordingly wrote a note to Sir F. Watson, who manages
the King's affairs here, and told him that he had such a
communication to make to his Majesty, which he was desirous of
bringing before him in the most respectful manner, and that the
arrangement should be made in whatever way would be most
convenient to him. Watson informed him that he had forwarded his
note to the King, and shortly after Duncannon received an answer
from the King himself, which was neither more nor less than a
flat refusal to give up the apartments. Another communication
then took place between Duncannon and Watson, when the latter
said that it would be very inconvenient to the King to remove his
things from the apartments without coming over in person, as the
library particularly was full of papers of importance. Duncannon
then proposed that the library and the adjoining room, in which
it was said that his papers were deposited, should not be
touched, but remain in his possession; that they should be walled
off and separated from the rest of the suite, which might be
given up to the Duchess for her occupation. This proposal was
sent to the King, who refused to agree to it, or to give up the
apartments at all. Accordingly the Queen was obliged to hire a
house for her mother at a rent of L2,000 a year. I told Duncannon
that they were all very much to blame for submitting to the
domineering insolence of the King, and that when they thought it
right to require the apartments, they ought to have gone through
with it, and have taken no denial. It was a gross insult to the
Queen to refuse to give up to her an apartment in her own palace,
which she desired to dispose of; and they were very wrong in
permitting such an affront to be offered to her. So Duncannon was
himself of opinion; but Melbourne, who is all for quietness,
would not allow matters to proceed to extremities, and preferred
knocking under--a mode of proceeding which is always as
contemptible as it is useless. The first thing is to be in the
right, to do nothing unbecoming or unjust, but with right and
propriet