After recording these changes, a modern historian adds: "This coalition gained Ministers a few votes in the House of Commons, but it was of more importance as indicating--as changes in the Cabinet generally do--the commencement of a change in the system of government. The admission of even a single Whig into the Cabinet indicated the increasing weight of that party in the country, and, as they were favourable to the Catholic claims, it was an important change."[76] [76] Alison's "History of Europe," vol. ii. p. 489. The biographer of Lord Eldon implies that this accession of strength was regarded with much dissatisfaction by a certain portion of the Government, of which the Lord Chancellor may be considered the representative, and acknowledges they were of opinion that the honours and advantages conferred on the new recruits would have been better bestowed on themselves. An extract of a letter, dated January 14th, from the learned Lord to Lady F. J. Bankes, supports his views: "This coalition," he writes, "I think will have consequences very different from those expected by the members of Administration who have brought it about. I hate coalitions."[77] The Lord Chancellor was in truth very much put out of temper by an arrangement in which he had not been consulted, and revenged himself by circulating all the jokes (harmless enough) he could hear or invent, at the expense of his new colleagues. [77] Twiss's "Life of Lord Eldon," vol. ii. p. 61. There is no doubt that this junction firmly established the Government in their position. If only a moiety of the rumours that had long been circulated affecting their stability was true, they were in an unenviable state. The King's dissatisfaction had been confidently reported, and changes threatened of a very sweeping character; but, though his Majesty had no doubt been greatly irritated by the result of the Queen's trial, the unexpected removal of the cause of irritation, and the agreeable impression created by his Irish and German tours, caused a sensible reaction in favour of his long-tried servants, and he only permitted the removal of one--replaced by a younger and more active statesman, who had already acquired high political eminence. How these changes affected the parties most interested in them, will be found fully detailed in their correspondence. MR. W. H. FREMANTLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. Bagshot Park, Jan. 11, 1822. MY DEAR LORD,