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treme, to what they had been in the beginning of the affair. It was needless to tell him I thought differently from him as to the House of Commons, particularly as to Wilberforce; he said, the case would have been made out much more strongly than in the Lds. by fresh witnesses that had arrived. When I told him Ministers meant to stand or fall by what the Commons might decide as to the Liturgy and the refusal of the Palace, he said, he did not see how any set of men could support the King through the affair so well as the present; that the Whigs, from their latter conduct, certainly could not. All this I understood, and it confirmed to me what we had so often heard, that at first the Whigs were flirting with the King through Sir John himself, probably by means of Ld. Essex. When I asked upon whom he could build, when such a man as Ld. Arden spoke so churlishly, and voted so totally against all that was expected from his principles, he observed, "That was a mere tribute to Perceval his brother's memory, who had been the friend of the Queen, when really persecuted by the Talents."

Sir Colin Campbell, who commands at the Tower, told us the mob insulted, and had even beaten some of the soldiers who were out on leave. Six of the mob against two soldiers. They began by asking if they were the King's men or Queen's men. They not answering, the mob thrashed them. The soldiers complained to their comrades, who conferred together, and said, if this was to be, they would come out in parties and see who would have the worst.

November 22nd, 1820. Was with Vansittart by appointment. We had some politics. He hoped and believed things would cool after the prorogation on the 23rd; and, as to next session, had more fear about the Palace than the Liturgy. He grounded this on Wilberforce, and those who had been most for the restoration before, giving it up for the reasons stated. What would they now after such evidence? Met the Duke just come to town. He took me under the arm, and walked me to Ld. Bathurst's. He was in excellent humour, and asked what news; having, as he said, been a country gentleman for two days. I said I thought the heat a little, and but a little, subsiding. He observed he thought so too, and that it would more after to-morrow, the prorogation. He was more convinced than ever of the wisdom of that measure, and of withdrawing the Bill."

The remaining portion of Mr. Ward's diary, though embracing many curious and interesting political details, and professedly intended for publication, appears to me to comprehend a period too recent to make its continuance expedient. It will be seen by the extracts already given, that he both entertains and expresses very decided opinions as to the political conduct of his opponents, and even occasionally of his own party. I know, too, from the warm kindliness of his nature, he would have been the last to wish that any pain

should be given to their surviving connexions, through expressions of opinion which he considered justified, and even required, by the events upon which he was commenting. It is upon this principle that many omissions of names and of particular anecdotes have been determined on, and it is with the same views that I have stopped short at a period when such omissions would too frequently interrupt the continuity of the journal.

As a party politician, taking strong views and expressing them openly, brought in contact, as we have seen, with men of both sides, both in and out of the House, and put forward on many occasions to receive and repel official attacks, I believe few have retired from the political arena with more cordial feelings of personal good-will.

FIRST COMMENCEMENT

CHAP. IV.

OF NOVEL-WRITING."TREMAINE" PUBLISHED BY COLBURN.-REASONS FOR PRESERVING INCOGNITO. · LETTERS TO AND FROM MR. AND MRS. AUSTEN, ROBERT SOUTHEY, THE LATE DR. COPLESTON, BISHOP OF LLANDAFF, AND OTHERS. -ODD CONSEQUENCES OF HIS INCOGNITO. -VISITS MULGRAVE CASTLE. LETTERS THENCE TO MR. AND MRS. AUSTEN. OTHER FASHIONABLE NOVELISTS IN THE FIELD.-CRITICISM ON VIVIAN GREY."-"DE VERE." LETTERS THEREON FROM CANNING, FROM AN ANONYMOUS CORRESPONDENT, AND FROM B. D'ISRAELI, ESQ.

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THE death of that beloved wife to whom he had been now united for upwards of a quarter of a century affected him deeply, and he began to think of retiring from active public life, in which he had been so long engaged during times of unexampled interest and excitement. He gave up his seat at the Board of Ordnance, and retired from Parliament after the session of 1823, being soon afterwards appointed Auditor of the Civil List. Before, however, he took leave of the House of Commons, he had occasion to make a reply to a vehement attack of Mr. Hume on the Ordnance Estimates, which called forth the following congratulatory letter from one of his oldest college friends.

Sir Michael Shaw Stewart to R. Ward, Esq.

My dear Ward,

"Edinburgh, Feb. 26. 1823.

"I have just been reading your admirable reply to Hume, and I feel an impulse that I cannot resist, to congratulate you on the complete drubbing which you so genteely gave him, and to express the satisfaction I experienced in the ample proofs which you so forcibly brought forward of the fair, honourable, and disinterested conduct of all the individuals concerned in the appointment he so illiberally attacked.* Nothing could be more ef fectually done; and, recollections of former times occurring, I really felt as if I had a share in the triumph of my old and valued friend. But what a beautiful and unprecedented epoch in parliamentary history this is; when in our annals was ever an exposé of a Chancellor received as the last? Clouds and darkness did indeed seem to rest upon us; partly from actual distress, but more from the dismal croakings and exaggerated statements of the agricultural meetings; when, at once, the sun burst forth in splendour, an unchallenged, uncontroverted display of our wealth and prosperity is made manifest, and Opposition itself is disarmed. Long may this new feeling,' as Ld. Milton calls it, last; and long may the plan and principles of

*The appointment alluded to is that of Lord Beresford as Lt.-General of the Ordnance. The debate was also graced by a brilliant speech from Mr. Canning, who refused to allow the motion to be withdrawn. It was, therefore, rejected by 200 to 73.

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