one hundred and fifty peers against
them, but he did not know how many women, though he heard there were
some. This allusion to the queen was immediately followed by groans; and
shortly after her majesty, while taking an airing, was grossly insulted
by the populace. In fact the king himself, at this period, learned
the true value of the shoutings which had attended him as the personal
protector of the reform bill. In one of the metropolitan unions a member
was loudly applauded for declaring that till the reform bill was passed
there was no William IV., but only a Duke of Clarence. The queen, also,
was dragged forward, as an active enemy of the bill, to be made the
theme of atrocious insult.

In the meantime the king found a difficulty in forming an
administration. As soon as he had resolved to accept the resignation
of his cabinet, he sent for Lord Lyndhurst, desiring that nobleman
to obtain the opinion of parties respecting the advice which he had
rejected, and also authorising him to adopt measures for the formation
of a new ministry. At the same time his majesty declared, that
"extensive reform was necessary, and was the express condition on
which such a ministry must be based." Lord Lyndhurst, on receiving his
majesty's commands, immediately waited upon the Duke of Wellington.
The sentiments of his grace on the subject of reform had been fully and
openly declared; but he, nevertheless, was found willing to make large
sacrifices, and to encounter any obloquy, in order to extricate his
majesty from embarrassment. He desired no office, he said, much less
that of prime-minister; yet if necessary for the king's service, he
was ready to serve in any way that might be thought fit. After some
consultation, these noble lords considered it advisable to offer the
first place to Sir Robert Peel. He was asked if he would accept the
office of prime-minister; on the clear understanding that he must carry
through a measure of extensive reform, in fulfilment of his majesty's
declaration? Sir Robert replied that by an "extensive reform" he assumed
to be understood all the principles of the bill, and that under such a
condition, it was impossible to accept office: hostile as he uniformly
had been to every plan of extensive reform, he felt that he could be of
no service to the king or to the country. Lord Lyndhurst communicated
the nature of his commission to several other influential persons, and
they were not unwilling to take subor