When Perceval proposed last year, 1809, to Lord Grenville and Grey to form a _part_ of his Administration, some private correspondence in consequence of this overture took place between these Lords. They agreed perfectly in the propriety of rejecting the terms as proposed, but as it was just possible they might be addressed again upon a similar occasion, they discussed the state of their own views, &c. Ld. Grenville told Grey that whenever they came into office, and were enabled to make the concessions deemed necessary to the Irish Catholics, he intended to propose that his brother, Lord Buckingham, should be the person sent over; that he had always contributed so disinterestedly to the support of the party, that as it was his wish to go, he considered him entitled to it. This hint was not relished, nor was it combated; but the Grenvilles are great graspers and encroachers. At the Installation[346] Lord Grenville promised the heads of Houses to supply them with venison, having been promised by his brother 15 brace. A few days before the festival Ld. B. sent to say he could not furnish any venison, and but for the good nature of private friends he would not have been able to fulfil his engagement. The Duke of Bedford told me this, and was one of the persons applied to, and gave 4 brace. Ld. B. is envious of his brother, and enjoys his feeling any mortification. * * * * * [Sidenote: THE LAKE COUNTRY] We made an excursion for seven weeks to the North in order to amuse Henry, and try the effect of change of air, as he was not well. We went by Derby and Lancashire to Appleby Castle, Ld. Thanet’s. We stayed there a few days in order that Ld. H. might get some fishing; from thence we went to the Lake of Ullswater, and dined at Patterdale. Returned and slept at Penrith. At Keswick we saw Southey, who was very agreeable; he is just about publishing two epic poems. Windermere is the pleasantest and most agreeable of all the Lakes to my taste. Mr. Dumont was of our party. We went rather impromptu to Edinburgh, by the Kelso road, to see Melrose Abbey. Kelso is a charmingly situated town and exceedingly pretty. Melrose Abbey disappointed me greatly, especially after John Clerk’s praise, who described it as the finest remains of the richly wrought Gothic in the Island. I did not mind Walter Scott’s poetry, but was very considerably chagrined at its being so very inferior to many even in England. The high roads now making in Scotland are very characteristic of the nation; they are _scientific and thrifty_, for they are upon good principles, but are excessively dangerous and alarming from the parsimony with which they are executed. They are contrived to go upon the mountains like terraces or ledges, so that the up and down is avoided, but then they are rather narrow, and there is not the smallest parapet or any protection which intervenes between the poor traveller and the deep valley below.