Memoirs of the Court of George IV | Page 4

the highest
paroxysm of the supposed squabble; but I happened not to be in it,
being confined at home by a cold.
I have not been in town, except to collect some account of the late
horrible plot, on the day after the discovery (when I was in the House
of Lords about half an hour), for a considerable time, the weather and a
cold having concurred to keep me at home.
I know nothing authentic of the quarrel, so much the subject of rumour
and noise, nor do I know more of the present designs or future plans. I
am at all times at your Lordship's orders, to wait on you whenever you
please; the weather is now so much improved, that I can attend you in
London any morning that may suit you; but I really have nothing yet to
state beyond the contents of my former letters.
Always, my dear Lord,
Yours most sincerely,
WELLESLEY.

In the spring of the year 1821, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
Duchess of Clarence lost their only child, the infant Princess Elizabeth.
Of this long-forgotten branch of the Royal Family, one who was
present at her birth says:--"She is christened by the name of Elizabeth
Georgiana. I hope the bairn will live. It came a little too early, and is a
very small one at present, but the doctors seem to think it will thrive;
and to the ears of your humble servant it appears to be noisy enough to
show it has great strength."[7] Her loss affected the King, between
whom and the Duke the most lively affection existed; and he wrote to
his confidential attendant in the following terms:--
[7] Twiss's "Life of Lord Eldon," vol. ii. p. 37.
THE KING TO SIR WILLIAM KNIGHTON.
Brighton, March 4, 1821.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
For God's sake come down to me to-morrow morning. The melancholy
tidings of the almost sudden death of my poor little niece have just
reached me, and have overset me beyond all I can express to you. Poor
William's[8] letter, which is all affection, and especially towards you,
refers me to you for all the particulars; therefore pray come to me with
as little delay as possible. I have not time to add a word more about
myself. You will be a great consolation to me.
Ever your most affectionate friend,
G. R.[9]
[8] The Duke of Clarence.
[9] Knighton's "Memoirs," p. 88.
The first report of the intention of Queen Caroline, as the Princess of
Wales was now styled, to return to England, appears to have taken both
the King and the Government by surprise; but the latter, in the

conviction that they had an overwhelming case against her, would not
believe that she was serious, and took no steps towards putting the
result of the Milan investigations into shape.[10]
[10] "Every one," the Duke of Wellington acknowledged, "had his
secret persuasion and his wish, that with such a case against her she
would never come here."--R. Plumer Ward's "Diary," vol. ii. p. 65.
That everything did not run smoothly between his Majesty and his
Ministers, may be inferred from a memorandum made (April 26, 1820)
by one of the most influential of them:--
"Our Royal master seems to have got into temper again, as far as I
could judge from his conversation with me this morning. He has been
pretty well disposed to part with us all, because we would not make
additions to his revenue. This we thought conscientiously we could not
do in the present state of the country, and of the distresses of the middle
and lower orders of the people,--to which we might add, too, that of the
higher orders. My own individual opinion was such that I could not
bring myself to oppress the country at present by additional taxation for
that purpose, and I strictly and firmly acted upon that opinion, when I
had every reason to believe that, adhering to it, I should no longer write
the letter C. after the name Eldon. I think now the speech, in which he
will disavow wishing for any increase, will make him popular, and if
times mend, will give him a better chance of fair increase of income
than anything else could give him."[11]
[11] Twiss's "Life of Lord Eldon," vol. ii. p. 3.
The Lord Chancellor, who has not been held in great estimation for
disinterestedness or patriotism, is here represented as very nearly
making himself a martyr to his sense of public duty; but the cause of
Lord Eldon's unusual dissatisfaction with his Sovereign may be
gathered from another cotemporary memorandum, dated the following
day:--
"The Vice-Chancellor Leach has been trying to root out the Ministry;
he has been telling the King that his present Ministers are not standing

by