variable
silence upon this head. During the discussion of the Bill he
seldom took any part; never opposed it; but, if appealed to,
expressed his acquiescence by silent nods. Of late, when a great
clamour has been raised against the Act, and language bordering
on sedition has been used, he has never said a word in favour of
the system, which it would have been more generous, manly, and
honourable to do than to cover himself with a cautious and
mysterious reserve on so important a subject. The Duke of
Wellington took part in the original measure very frankly; but at
the end of last year, when Lord Stanhope got up a discussion in
the House of Lords on the subject, though appealed to by Lord
Tavistock, the Duke would not say a word. This was not like him,
for with reference to mere party tactics, it is to his praise
that he is generally 'too fond of the right to pursue the
expedient.' It is this behaviour of the Tories which has shown me
that there may be such a thing as a 'Tory-Radical;' for though I
had heard the appellation, I thought they were contradictory
terms which did not admit of a conjunction. A Tory-Radical is,
however, a politician who for Tory party purposes endeavours to
influence the minds of the people against the laws and their
administration, not because he thinks those laws either ill-
contrived or ill-executed, but because he thinks that the
consequences of such popular discontent will fall upon his
opponents, and that he can render the angry feeling instrumental
to his own selfish or ambitious designs.

August 30th, 1837 {p.020}

All that I hear of the young Queen leads to the conclusion that
she will some day play a conspicuous part, and that she has a
great deal of character. It is clear enough that she had long
been silently preparing herself, and had been prepared by those
about her (and very properly) for the situation to which she was
destined. The impressions she has made continue to be favourable,
and particularly upon Melbourne, who has a thousand times greater
opportunities of knowing what her disposition and her capacity
are than any other person, and who is not a man to be easily
captivated or dazzled by any superficial accomplishments or mere
graces of manner, or even by personal favour. Melbourne thinks
highly of her sense, discretion, and good feeling; but what seem
to distinguish her above everything are caution and prudence, the
former to a degree which is almost unnatural in on