Ld. Wellesley made his debut in the character of Minister upon the thanks of the House being moved to Ld. Wellington. Some commend, and others disparage his speech; perhaps the middle line of praise would be nearest the truth. He was rather oriental in his style of praising his brother, but much may be owing to his feelings upon such a subject as that of his brother’s merits undergoing a slighting review. Poor Hoppner, the painter, is dead. Public attention and sympathy has been fixed by the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Mr. Eden,[343] who left his father’s house in Old Palace Yard on Friday eve., having previously told his servant he should return in an hour, and from that time to this, an interval of ten days has elapsed without any tidings. A man was seen on that Friday, at 9 o’clock, scrambling upon the ice on the Thames, who, upon being called upon to stop, rushed on and plunged into the stream. Poor young man, he was to all appearance the last person in the world likely to lay violent hands upon himself. _Sunday, 28th Jan., 1810, Pall Mall._--A belief afloat that Prince Stahremberg is the bearer of an offer of peace from Ld. Wellesley to Napoleon. He went yesterday to Paris. Lds. Thanet, Erskine, Sr. Philip Francis, and Don Domingo de Souza[344] dined. * * * * * [Sidenote: WINDHAM’S WILL] _June, 1810._--It appears that Windham from the period of his leaving College had kept a diary; the last entry was on the day the operation was decided.[345] He says: ‘This day sentence has been passed upon me,’ It fills 15 vols. in 4to., and according to his will is annexed as an heirloom to the proprietor of Fellbrigge; so in case of failure of issue in Capt. Lukin, it will fall into the hands of the Egremont family. A curious instance of weakness in Windham, and one that probably never would have been drawn forth, but for the feelings stirred up by the French Revolution: he has put Lord Egremont into the entail of his estate, treating him as a relation. During his life the relationship was never claimed, and certainly not admitted, either by him or by Ld. Egremont; the mode of spelling the name is quite different. He left six thousand pr. ann., at least, to his wife, who has most indecorously exposed to public sale all his books and common pamphlets; the latter especially are scribbled over entirely with his own observations on the margin. These have been bought up by the booksellers, and will hereafter be sold as immensely valuable from possessing his notes. There is a pamphlet of Sr. S. Romilly’s upon the state of Criminal Law, which is entirely written over by W.; and the strictures intended merely for himself to reply to in the H. of Commons are most likely not calculated to please Romilly, or indeed could they have been designed for his eye.