_17th_.--Dined at Lord Derby's. Sat next Lady Clanricarde, who, _a propos_ of Sir H. Holland's 'Past Life,' talked about her father [Footnote: George Canning, _d_. 1827.] and his last illness. She said that in truth Holland saw Canning very little at Chiswick, and that it was Sir Matthew Tierney who really attended him; and then she told me the following story of Tierney:--News came from Clumber that the Duke of Newcastle was dangerously ill with typhus fever. Tierney was sent down as fast as post-horses could carry him. It was about 1823, in the pre-railway days; and when he arrived he was informed that the Duke had been dead about two hours. Shocked at this intelligence, he desired to see the corpse, which was already laid out. At his first glance he thought he was dead. At the second he doubted it. At the third he cried out, 'Bring me up a bucket of brandy!' They tore the clothes off the body and swathed it in a sheet imbibed with brandy, and then resorted to friction with brandy. In rather more than an hour symptoms of life began to manifest themselves, and in two hours the Duke was able to swallow. He recovered, and lived twenty-five years afterwards. Certainly this triumph over death beats even Dr. Gull's nursing of the Prince of Wales. It is the myth of Hercules and Alcestis. _May 4th_.--Visit to Drummond Wolff at Boscombe. A further look at Southbourne. I chose the site I afterwards purchased. _8th_.--The King of the Belgians presided at the Literary Fund dinner. Disraeli made a capital speech. _18th_.--Visit to Mrs. Grote at Sheire. Called at Albury. Many London dinners. The Bennett case was heard at this time by the Judicial Committee. Long deliberation on the judgement at the Chancellor's on June 1st. It was delivered on June 8th. [Footnote: See 'The Bennett Judgement' in _Edinburgh Review_, October 1872.] _From Lord Westbury_ _June 1st_,--I am going to Oxford, and fear I may be late at the committee. There are very important subjects in which we wish to examine you; especially the danger, if not the illegality, of attempting by new legislation to create a new Appellate Jurisdiction for the Colonies. _From Mr. E. Twisleton_ 3 Rutland Gate, June 6th