The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 2 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IVGreville, Charles
History
The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 2 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV
Greville, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830; Great Britain -- History -- William IV, 1830-1837
I had a conversation with Fitzgerald (Vesey) the other day about
the Government and its prospects. They want him greatly to return
to office, but he is going abroad again for his health, and I
suspect is not very anxious to come in just now, when things look
gloomy. He thinks they have acted very injudiciously in sending
down candidates to turn out their opponents, attempts which
generally failed, and only served to exasperate the people
interested more and more against them. Such men as the Grants, as
he said, cannot be kept out of Parliament. But they manage
everything ill, and it is impossible to look at the present
Ministry and watch its acts, and not marvel that the Duke should
think of going on with it. If he does not take care he will be
dragged down by it, whereas if he would, while it is yet time,
remodel it altogether, and open his doors to all who are capable
of serving under him (for all are ready to take him as chief), he
might secure to himself a long and honourable possession of
power. Then it is said he can't whistle off these men merely
because it is convenient, but he had better do that than keep
them on bungling through all the business of the country.
Besides, I have some doubts of his tender-heartedness in this
respect.
Goodwood, August 10th, 1830 {p.025}
[Page Head: THE KING GOES TO WINDSOR.]
On Saturday, the 7th, the King and Queen breakfasted at Osterley,
on their way to Windsor. They had about sixty or seventy people
to meet them, and it all went off very well, without anything
remarkable. I went to Stoke afterwards, where there was the usual
sort of party.
The King entered Windsor so privately that few people knew him,
though he made the horses walk all the way from Frogmore that he
might be seen. On Saturday and Sunday the Terrace was thrown
open, and the latter day it was crowded by multitudes and a very
gay sight; there were sentinels on each side of the east front to
prevent people walking under the windows of the living-rooms, but
they might go where else they liked. The King went to Bagshot and
did not appear. All the late King's private drives through the
Park are also thrown open, but not to carriages. We went,
however, a long string of four carriages, to explore, and got
through the whole drive round by Virginia Water, the famous
fishing-pagoda, and saw all the penetralia of the late King,
whose ghost must have been indignant at seeing us (Sefton
particularly) scampering all about his most secret recesses. It
is an exceedingly enjoyable spot, and pretty, but has not so much
beauty as I expected.
Came here yesterday and found thirty-two people assembled. I rode
over the downs three or four miles (from Petworth), and never saw
so delightful a country to live in. There is an elasticity in the
air and turf which communicates itself to the spirits.
[Page Head: FRENCH DEMOCRACY.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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