unded by gossips who
played upon his fears of revolution, and took care to appeal to his
prejudices. His zeal for Reform had already cooled, and Queen Adelaide
was hostile to Lord Grey's measure.

When, therefore, Lord Grey and Lord Brougham went down to Windsor to
urge the creation of new Peers, they met with a chilling reception. The
King refused his sanction, and the Ministry had no other alternative
than to resign. William IV. took counsel with Lord Lyndhurst, and
summoned the Duke of Wellington. Meanwhile the House of Commons at the
instance of Lord Ebrington, again passed a vote of confidence in the
Grey Administration, and adopted an address to His Majesty, begging him
to call to his councils such persons only as 'will carry into effect
unimpaired in all its essential provisions that bill for reforming the
representation of the people which has recently passed the House of
Commons.' Wellington tried to form a Ministry in order to carry out some
emasculated scheme of Reform, but Peel was inexorable, and refused to
have part or lot in the project.

[Sidenote: THE FIERCE CRY OF THE STREETS]

Meanwhile the cry rang through the country, 'The bill, the whole bill,
and nothing but the bill!' William IV. was hissed as he passed through
the streets, and the walls blazed with insulting lampoons and
caricatures. Signboards which displayed the King's portrait were framed
with crape, and Queen Adelaide's likeness was disfigured with lampblack.
Rumours of projected riots filled the town, and whispers of a plot for
seizing the wives and children of the aristocracy led the authorities to
order the swords of the Scots Greys to be rough-sharpened. At the last
moment, when the attitude of the country was menacing, the King yielded,
on May 17, and sent for Lord Grey. 'Only think,' wrote Joseph Parkes on
May 18, 'that at three yesterday all was gloomy foreboding in the
Cabinet, and at twenty-five minutes before five last night Lord Althorp
did not know the King's answer till Lord Grey returned at half-past
five--"All right." Thus on the decision of one man rests the fate of
nations.'[8]

Instead of creating new Peers, the King addressed a letter to members of
the House of Lords who were hostile to the bill, urging them to withdraw
their opposition. A hint from Windsor went further with the aristocracy
in those days than any number of appeals, reasonable or just, from the
country. About a hundred of the Peers, in angry sullen mo