Chapter X: 1838 (continued) (1)

_Friday, 1st June._—I also told Lord Melbourne that I quite approved of what he had written to me (also in the afternoon) about the Homage at the Coronation; namely, that the Peers should _kiss my hand_; Lord Melbourne smiled when I said this. Lord Melbourne had left Lady Holland in a great fright, fearing there would be a thunderstorm, of which she is dreadfully afraid. We spoke of thunderstorms, of people being afraid of them, of there being always a certain degree of danger; of the danger of standing under a tree. I told Lord Melbourne I never could forgive him for having stood under a tree in that violent thunderstorm at Windsor last year; he said, “It’s a hundred to one that you’re not struck,” and then added smiling: “It’s a sublime death.” Spoke ... of Lord Durham for some time, of whose arrival we think we must soon hear. Lord Melbourne said, “I’ll bet you he’ll go by Bermuda,” which would be a good deal out of his way; I asked Lord Melbourne what could make Lord Durham wish to go there. He replied, “I’m sure I don’t know why he’s got it into his head, but I’ll bet you he’ll go there.” Spoke of my fear that Lord Melbourne was right in what he said about Lady Mary Lambton’s[498] great regret at leaving England, the other day; namely, her being attached to John Ponsonby,[499] which we think seems likely, as he (J. Ponsonby) is the ONLY person to whom Lady Mary has written since she left England. Spoke of Epsom, and Lord Melbourne said there was scarcely ever “a Derby without somebody killing himself; generally somebody kills himself; it is not perfect without that,” he said laughing. Spoke of _Don Giovanni_, and the Statue having laughed so much the other night (about which Lablache told him he was so distressed), and Lord Melbourne said the _original_ Piece and Music was very old; and on my observing that I thought _this_ music by Mozart old-fashioned, he clasped his hands and looked up in astonishment....

_Sunday, 3rd June._—We spoke of Music; of Lord Melbourne’s going to sleep when Thomas Moore was singing, which he would hardly allow. Lord Melbourne quoted some lines to prove that Lydian music used to put people to sleep; and of Phrygian music, which made people fight. I showed Lord Melbourne the 1st number of a work called, _Portraits of the Female Aristocracy_. Then he, and also I, looked at a new Work called _Sketches of the People and Country of the Island of Zealand_, which are very well done. Lord Melbourne said, in opening it, “These are a fine race, but they eat men, and they say it’s almost impossible to break them of it.” He farther added, “There are no _animals_ whatever there, and therefore they are obliged to eat men.” Lady Mulgrave observed that she thought they only eat their enemies; Lord Melbourne said, “I fancy they eat them pretty promiscuously.” Lord Melbourne was in excellent spirits, and very funny in his remarks about the different drawings; it’s always my delight to make him look at these sorts of things, as his remarks are always so clever and funny. He again said that it was so difficult to break them (the New Zealanders) of eating men; “for they say it’s the very best thing,” which made us laugh. He added, “There was an old woman who was sick, and they asked her what she would like to have; and she said, ‘I think I could eat a little piece of the small bone of a boy’s head,’” and he pointed laughing to his own head, explaining _what_ part of the head that small bone was.... Lord Melbourne went on speaking of New Zealand, &c., and said, “The English eat up everything wherever they go; they exterminate everything”; and Lady Mulgrave and Mr. Murray[500] also said that wherever the English went, they always would have everything their own way, and never would accommodate themselves to other countries. “A person in a public situation should write as few private letters as possible”....

_Monday, 4th June._—Spoke of the Eton Montem, and I told Lord Melbourne I was going to the Provost’s house, which he said he was very glad of. There were two Montems while he was at Eton; he said no one knows the origin of the Eton Montem. Formerly there used to be, he said, a Mock Sermon at Salt Hill; a boy dressed like a clergyman and another like a clerk delivered a sort of sermon, and in the middle of it the other boys kicked them down the hill; George III. put a stop to it, as he thought it very improper. We spoke of the Montem, and of giving money, and Lord Melbourne said he thought he should give £20. I asked Lord Melbourne what he did when Lady Holland goes down to Brocket. “Oh! I give up the whole house to her,” he replied. And he says she twists everything about; not only in her own room but in other rooms downstairs. Then she swears she has too much light, and puts out all the candles; then too little, and sends for more candles; then she shuts up first one window, then another. I showed him in the Genealogy of _Lodge’s Peerage_ how Lord Barham came to his title and how he was related to the Earl of Gainsborough. In looking over it, Lord Melbourne began to speak of Sir Charles Midleton, First Lord of the Admiralty, made 1st Lord Barham, and maternal grandfather to Lord Barham. He said he was a most distinguished and clever man. He told me, with the tears in his eyes, an anecdote of what he (Sir C. Midleton) did at the time of the Mutiny.[501] He was very much for those people and said, “I used always to think those poor fellows very hardly treated”; but when he heard of the Mutiny, he ordered two 74-gun ships to be put broadside of the ship in which the Mutineers were, and desire her to surrender, and if she did not, to send her to the bottom. So they said to him, “But if the men should disobey?” “Why, then we shall be in a scrape; but give your orders steadily and they won’t disobey.” “That was very fine,” said Lord Melbourne. Spoke of clothes, about which Lord Melbourne was very funny; said the fewer you had the better, and that he was certain it was very bad to keep things in _store_, at which we laughed much, and said it would be impossible for ladies to keep dresses in store, as the fashions always changed; and he was against keeping furs, as he said “The moth doth corrupt.” Spoke of Miss Chaworth, Byron’s first admiration, about whom Lord Melbourne told a story on Sunday, which I did not quite understand, and I begged him to repeat it which he did. It was as follows:—Miss Chaworth was told that she would like Lord Byron very much (she _did_ admire him) and would in fact marry him. She said, No, she never would; for that if ever she married, it should be a man with two straight legs (Byron having one leg and foot quite deformed[502] from his birth, which made him limp very much); this was told to Byron, whom it shocked most exceedingly, as he was extremely unhappy and conscious of his lameness, and made him quite indignant. He went to her, made her copy a piece of music for him (they had been in the habit of singing together) in order to have a remembrance of her, took it, left the house, and never saw her again. Lord Melbourne told me there was an awkwardness between the two families; as in George II.’s reign Miss Chaworth’s ancestor was killed in a duel by a Lord Byron; they quarrelled at a Club, went upstairs, fought and Chaworth was killed[503]; Lord Melbourne said it was always suspected that he had been killed unfairly, as Chaworth was known to be the best fencer there was, and it was thought that Byron passed his sword through him before they fought. Miss Chaworth married afterwards a Mr. Musters and was very unhappy; lived on bad terms with her husband, and at last died deranged. Lord Melbourne said he saw her once, he went over to her place, Annesley, when he was staying in Nottinghamshire in 1813, and stayed there two days. She was then living on very bad terms with her husband, and everything was in a very uncomfortable state; but she was very kind to Lord Melbourne. I asked Lord Melbourne where Lord Byron made the acquaintance of his cousin, Miss Milbanke, now the Dowager Lady Byron; he said at his house, at Whitehall, where Byron used to come. Spoke of Irish and Italian servants, who Lord Melbourne says are very uncertain and not to be trusted. I asked Lord Melbourne if he had good servants; he said, “Not very”; he added, “I’m told that great drunkenness prevails in my house,” but that _he_ never saw it, and as long as that was the case, he could not much complain; he, _of course_, can’t look after them. The man he always takes about with him, when he comes here, he says is a very steady, exact man, and always ready; he has risen from being a steward’s boy in his house. He told me that he has but few servants; a butler, this man, an under butler, and one footman; that’s all. He’s likewise told that his expenses in comparison to other people’s are very great; that the profuseness in his country house was beyond everything, people told him; _he_ does _not_ think the expense very great, in fact he says it _cannot_ be, as he is so little at home.

_Tuesday, 5th June._—At a ¼ to 11 we got into our carriages for Montem. Mamma and Lady Mulgrave were with me; Lord Melbourne, Miss Paget, Lord Albemarle and Lady Flora were in the next carriage to mine; then Lady Theresa, Miss Dillon, Lord Conyngham, and Miss Davys; and lastly Lord Lilford, Mr. Murray; Colonel Wemyss and Col. Cavendish. These carriages _preceded_ us in going to Eton. We were stopped on the Bridge for “Salt.” When we reached Eton College we were received there by the Provost,[504] Dr. Hawtrey,[505] and the other Fellows; we went under the Cloisters and saw all the boys march by, 3 times, which is a pretty sight; some of the boys were beautifully dressed. We then all went up to one of the rooms in the Provost’s house, where we looked out of the window and saw the flag flourished; we then took some luncheon at the Provost’s, I sitting between the Provost and Lord Melbourne. The only people besides our own party there, were, Mrs. Goodall (the Provost’s wife), Lady Braybrooke,[506] Edward of Saxe-Weimar,[507] Mr. Wood,[508] and two nieces of the Provost’s. The room in which we lunched is hung round with many portraits of the young men (now mostly, if indeed not all, old) who had been at Eton; amongst which were Lord Grey’s, Lord Holland’s, Lord Wellesley’s, Mr. Canning’s.[509] Lord Melbourne’s was not there, which it _ought_ to have been. Lord Melbourne, said he had been painted by Hoppner, for Dr. Langford (his Master, but not the _Head_ Master, who was then Dr. Heath), and had been sold at the sale of his things when he died.[510] Lord Melbourne said that Lord Holland had a fine countenance when young, but always _lame_, there being some ossification in one of his legs; he was “very slim” when young!! After luncheon we got into our carriages again (the other carriages _following_ mine), and drove to Salt Hill, where we saw the boy again flourish the flag. The heat was _quite intense_, and the crowd _enormous_! We got back to the Castle at 20 m. to 2. I saw Lord Melbourne from 7 m. to 2 till 7 m. p. 2, in my room on my return. He said he was not tired, and was very anxious I should not be so. Spoke of the Montem, the fine boys; he thought they looked “very sheepish” and shy as they marched by; and the boy (a great big boy) who held up the bag for “Salt,” very shy, on the bridge. Lord Melbourne gave £10; and I £100. Lord Melbourne thought that the Provost and Mrs. Goodall, knew nobody, for she took Lord Melbourne for Lord Ebrington. It is 69 years, Lord Melbourne told me (the Provost had said) since he (the Provost) walked in a Montem! Lord Melbourne was going to dine at Lord Anglesey’s. He said he was going away directly. He had neither slept well. At ½ p. 2 I left Windsor (as I came the day before), and reached Buckingham Palace at ½ p. 4 or 20 m. to 5....

_Wednesday, 6th June._—I showed him the letter from Uncle Leopold which I got yesterday, and in which he touches upon these unhappy Affairs, wishing _me_ to prevent my Government from taking the lead in these Affairs, &c., &c.; and saying his position is _des plus embarassantes_. Lord Melbourne read it over with great attention, and then spoke of it all most _kindly_ and sensibly; said he did not see how we could get out of this Territorial Arrangement; said he felt that Uncle’s position was not an agreeable one, for that he was made to do what his people disliked and what was extremely unpopular; “and people and countries never make allowances for the difficulties Kings are placed in; the King is made the Instrument of an Act which is extremely unpopular; and all the blame will fall upon him.” All this is most true; we spoke of this, and of its being rather hard of Uncle appealing to my feelings of affection for him. I told him what Uncle had said of Stockmar to Van de Weyer, and that Stockmar said he did not fear all this, and was sure that Uncle would give way in a little time. Lord Melbourne said, “He always says that the pressure of circumstances will make him give way, but I think he trusts everything to that power”; which Lord Melbourne does not think always is the case. He was going to show the letter to Lord Palmerston. I showed him another letter from Ferdinand in answer to mine to him about the Slave Trade; he seems very anxious to do what we wish, but stated the difficulties are so great; which Lord Melbourne said was true.... Before this, Lord Melbourne said, “Immense crowd at the Montem; my servant told me he never saw such a number of people.” Lord Melbourne was in sight of us, in coming to London, already before Datchet. His servant also told him that there were _72_ pair of Post-horses sent down the road yesterday, and he (Ld. M.) paid 8 guineas for going; whereas in general he only pays 4. Spoke of the Montem; and of the boys there; the Collegers generally stay longer than the others; they must stay till there is a vacancy at King’s, unless they are past 19; he says there are much fewer little boys than there used to be; the Provost told him “they had only 20 in the lower form.” “People don’t send their children as early as they used to do.” We spoke of the Montem; the deal of money said to have been collected, more than ever was known. Lord Melbourne spoke of the boy who held the bag and looked so sheepish; of the Provost, who Lord Melbourne said was an excellent Master; that nobody could make a lesson so pleasant to the boys; and that he was “a beautiful scholar” and “a good-natured man.” Lord Melbourne said that “A Master should have great spirits; better spirits than all the boys.” He went on saying, “It’s now 42 years ago since I left Eton, and I should like very much to be put back to that time.” He would not like, he said, to go through all he _had_ gone through; but to go back to that time, with his _present_ experience; “I should manage them all so much better,” he said laughing. He spoke of the extreme love of contradiction children have; of the great deal of disputing there used to be formerly in private Society. Lord Egremont used to say, that Society was not near so amusing as it used to be; people were all so well educated, that there were no more any originals to be seen. Lord Melbourne said the love of arguing was at an amazing height when he was born; “People used to argue till they got into a passion and swore at each other.” That people always would find the other in the wrong....

_Sunday, 10th June._—I told Lord Melbourne that the Queen Dowager had come to me the day before, and had told me that Chambers[511] had told her that she must not pass another winter in England, and wished her to go to Madeira, which she declared was too far off; he then named Malta, to which she assented, and asked my leave to go, and to have a frigate to go in; about which Lord Melbourne said there could not be the slightest difficulty. I said she told me she preferred Malta, as being still in _my_ dominions.... Lady Mulgrave began saying how much mischief the Eton boys committed after the Montem, hacking and cutting things all to pieces. Of the Montem, its origin; the wish of some to abolish it; the Provost’s declaring he never would. The Provost, he told us, is the son of the butler of Lord Lichfield’s grandfather. Spoke of Dr. Hawtrey’s introducing much new learning, which the Provost disliked. Spoke of what the boys learn, and many coming away amazingly ignorant. What makes the school one, Lord Melbourne said, is that the most gentlemanly boys are sent there. Lord Melbourne told us that Talleyrand said, “La _meilleure_ éducation, c’est l’éducation Publique Anglaise; et c’est _détestable_!” There is one Head Master and an Under Master, and eight other Masters at Eton, Lord Melbourne said. The Masters, he says, who are quite young men, often require more keeping in order and are more irregular than the boys. “_My opinion is_,” said Lord Melbourne, “that it does not much signify _what_ is taught, if what’s taught is _well_ taught.” Then he added, “People too often confound learning and knowledge with talent and abilities”; for that the two former could not make the two latter. Lord Melbourne was sent to Eton at 9 years old, but had been with a clergyman before, who taught him on quite a different principle, but very well; made him work very hard, with a dictionary, by himself, and at Eton they construe it to you first; “so that when I came to Eton I was infinitely superior to most of the other boys, and I could do my lessons and theirs too.” That’s because he _always_ was cleverer than most other people. He said, “I never was so surprised as when I came there; I did not know what to do. It was perhaps 12 o’clock, and they said that I might stay out till two. I said, ‘What can I do? Who is to stay with me now?’ I thought it then very odd, for I had been accustomed to have 2 or 3 nursery-maids after me, not allowing me to wet my heels near the water; and here you are let into a field alone, with a river running through it, which is 10 feet deep at the bank; and if you make a false step you’re drowned to a certainty.” Then he said his father gave him a great deal of money, and he ate such a quantity of tarts, made himself so sick, though he was only there three weeks when he first went—that he was very ill when he went home, with eruptions and spots over his face. This made us laugh much. Spoke of the fighting there, and that the Masters should never allow it to go on long. “I always yielded directly,” he said, “if I found the boy too much for me; after the first round if I found I could not lick the fellow, I gave it up, and said, ‘Come, this won’t do, I’ll go away, it’s no use standing to be knocked to pieces.’” All this and a great deal more Lord Melbourne told us in the funniest, most delightful way possible; he is _so_ amusing about himself, and so clever and sensible about education.

_Monday, 11th June._—At 20 m. to 2 Lord Palmerston introduced the Prince de Ligne to me, Uncle Leopold’s Ambassador to me for the Coronation; I then went into the Drawing-room where the Prince de Ligne (who is a gentlemanlike and rather young man) introduced five other Belgian gentlemen, who have accompanied him. I hear he came in the most splendid equipage, with four grey horses. At 7 m. to 2 came my good Lord Melbourne and stayed with me till 5 m. to 3. He said he was well, and we spoke of the weather. He then told me of the difficulty of replacing the Chief Baron of Ireland (Joy, of whose death he had told me last Friday), and he said it was wished, and he thought it was best, to make O’Loghlen, now Master of the Rolls, Chief Baron, and to offer the Mastership of the Rolls to O’Connell; he said O’Connell might possibly refuse it, but that it might likewise satisfy him and his party; on the other hand, the difficulties are, that O’Connell might not give up his _agitation_, and that “we,” as Lord Melbourne says, may be attacked for it by the other party. He then asked me twice over, “Have you any particular feeling about it?” I said none whatever, and therefore it is left to Ministers to offer it, or not, as they may think fit.[512]

_Wednesday, 13th June._—I made Lady Mary Paget[513] sing after dinner which she did beautifully, two songs before the gentlemen came in, the pretty one from _The Ambassadrice_, and one by Alari; Lady Adelaide[514] accompanying her in the last. The gentlemen then came in; after this Lady Mary sang the other song by Alari which she sang at Buckingham Palace; and then “Ah! non giunge” (Lady Adelaide accompanying her), _most beautifully_, with all Persiani’s ornaments. They, particularly Lord Anglesey, then insisted on _my_ singing; which I did, but literally shaking with fear and fright. I sang “Il superbo vinctor” from _Il Giuramento_. Lord Melbourne stood opposite me, _listening_, which really is marvellous, considering he does not care the least about music. Lady Mary sang a very pretty little thing from _Beatrice_; and I then sang “Sogno talor.” We then sat down (at a ¼ p. 10), I sitting on the sofa with Lady Surrey, Lord Melbourne sitting near me the whole evening, and several of the other ladies sitting round the table. I observed to Lord Melbourne how dreadfully frightened I had been; and he smiled and said “I can quite understand it.” Talked of Ascot Races; Lord Melbourne said he had not been to Ascot Races since he left Eton, _42_ years ago!! The Eton boys are now not allowed to go to Ascot, but in Lord Melbourne’s days they were much less severe than they are now. “My brother” (Pen Lamb) “was a great man on the Turf. I used always to go to him; I always got leave all the week, and used to go all the week, and very good fun it used to be,” Lord Melbourne said.

_Thursday, 14th June._—Spoke of Miss Pitt, and of our fearing she was attached to her brother-in-law; Lord Melbourne said such a marriage could not take place now[515]; that the _Law_ preventing it was only made last year. Till then such a marriage could take place; but was void, if any of the parties made objections to such marriage. This Bill made good all such marriages which had taken place (like the Duke of Beaufort’s[516]) but prevented any others being made. Lord Melbourne said he did not know if it was right or wrong; we spoke of it for a little while.[517] I then asked him if he thought it would be well, if, on occasions like the Races, I should wear my Star and Ribbon; he said yes.[518] I said to him also, that, if he did not dislike it, I should be so very happy if he would wear the Windsor Uniform when he came down to Windsor; he replied kindly, “I shall be very happy,” and I added I hoped he would often be at Windsor.[519]

_Friday, 15th June._—I told him that I had been reading in the morning in Coxe’s _Life of Walpole_; which I found very interesting, but that I had got a good deal puzzled with the South Sea Company, and the _Redeemable_ and _Irredeemable_ debt; and that it was very difficult and puzzling, which he said it was, and that I should not trouble or puzzle myself with that part of the book, which is not clearly written; and he explained to me in a few words and in his clear delightful way, like a father to his child, this difficult South Sea Scheme. We spoke of that strange proposition, the Peerage Bill,[520] which is curiously told in Coxe’s _Life_. “That was all a party scheme,” said Lord Melbourne; “and done with a view to cripple George II.” “If that had been done,” he continued, “there would be hardly any peerages left now.” Lord Melbourne was speaking of how many peerages, _of that time_, were extinct; and that there were now 20 peers in the House of Lords without heirs. I likewise told him that the Duke of Wellington had let me know that George IV. and William IV. always wore the _Order of the Bath_ on that day—Waterloo Day—as also on the anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar; and I asked Lord Melbourne if he thought I should do so, or not. He said he thought I should. I observed I did not like giving up my _Blue Ribbon_, _even_ for one night; but if he wished it I would do so. He said, “If you don’t dislike it, I think you should do it; it will be considered a compliment to the Army....”[521]

_Monday, 18th June._—Lord Melbourne then gave me a list of the Creations and Advancements which are to take place, which are as follows:

The Earl of Mulgrave Marquis of Normanby
Lord Dundas Earl of Zetland
The Earl of Kintore Baron Kintore
(Scotch)
The Viscount Lismore Baron Lismore of Shanbally
(Irish) Castle in the
County of Tipperary
The Lord Rossmore Baron Rossmore of the
(Irish) County of Monaghan
The Lord Carew Baron Carew of Castle
(Irish) Boro in the County of
Wexford
The Hon. Wm. S. C. Baron de Mauley
Ponsonby
Sir John Wrottesley, Baron Wrottesley of
Bart. Wrottesley in the
County of Stafford
Charles Hanbury Baron Sudeley
Tracy, Esq.
Paul Methuen, Esq., of Baron Methuen of Corsham.
Corsham in the
County of Wilts

Lord Melbourne said he wished to add two more,[522] with my consent, namely, Lord King,[523] an Earl; and to call up Lord Carmarthen[524] to the House of Lords. I of course consented to both. Before I say another word, I must not omit to mention that I wrote a letter to Stockmar begging him to mention to Lord Melbourne my anxious wish to give him the _Blue Ribbon_ (which I offered to him through Stockmar already last year, immediately upon my accession, and which he refused in the most noble manner), as I said I felt I owed him so much; and he had been and was so very kind to me that it would grieve me to be giving other people honours whom I cared not about, and him nothing. Stockmar told me this morning he had shown Lord Melbourne my letter and that Lord Melbourne would speak to me on the subject. Accordingly Lord Melbourne said to me, “The Baron showed me your letter, and I feel very grateful, I am very sensible of Your Majesty’s kindness”; upon which I assured him he was quite right (having previously heard from Stockmar that he would decline it); “I hope,” he continued, “you don’t think I’ve any contempt for these things, but it gives me such a command”; which is most true; “and therefore you’ll allow me to decline it.”[525] I added I thought him quite right but that _I_ could not do less. This is a fine noble disinterested act, and worthy of Lord Melbourne, and I honour, esteem and admire him the more for it; it only increases my fondness of him....[526] [**F1: no anchor apparent in text]

_Friday, 22nd June._—At a ¼ p. 2 came Marshal Soult, Due de Dalmatie, who was introduced by Lord Glenelg. I was very curious to see him; he is not tall, but very broad, and one leg quite crooked from having been severely wounded; his complexion is dark, and he has the appearance of great age; his features are hard, and he speaks slowly and indistinctly. His eyes are piercing; he seemed much embarrassed. I then went into the outer room, where he presented his 12 (I think) Attachés to me, amongst whom were the Marquis de Dalmatie (his son), and his son-in-law. Wrote to Aunt Louise. At 3 came Lord Melbourne, and stayed with me till 4. He asked how I was, and was sorry to hear I had so much to do. I told him I had just seen Soult, who was so much embarrassed; which Lord Melbourne said he was also when he came to him; and that he never would understand anything, and that he made Lord Melbourne repeat the things over 20 times. He gave me a list of the names to be made Baronets on the occasion of the Coronation; there are 30; amongst whom are Mr. E. Lytton Bulwer and Mr. Micklethwait,[527] which last I must say Lord Melbourne has been most exceedingly kind about. I then begged him to add (to write down) the two following names to the list of Peers which he gave me the other day, and which he did; Lord King to be Earl of Lovelace, and Viscount Ockham in the County of Surrey; and the Marquis of Carmarthen to be called up by the title of Baron Osborne....

_Wednesday, 27th June._—At 20 m. p. 4 I went with Lady Lansdowne and Lady Barham (the Duchess of Sutherland going in her own carriage, as she feared an open one), and Lord Conyngham and Col. Wemyss to Westminster Abbey to see all the Preparations for to-morrow. The streets were full of people, and preparations of all kinds. I was received at the Abbey by Lord Melbourne, the Duke of Norfolk, Sir William Woods,[528] and Sir Benjamin Stevenson. The whole thing is beautifully and splendidly and very conveniently done; Lord Melbourne made me try the various thrones (that is, two) which was very fortunate, as they were both too low. I came home again as I went (crowds in the streets and all _so_ friendly) at 5. The preparations for Fairs, Balloons, &c. in the Parks, quite changes all, and the encampments of the Artillery, with all their white tents, has a very pretty effect. I did not think Lord Melbourne looking well, though he said he was better. I’m very glad I went to the Abbey, as I shall now know exactly where I’m to go, and be. The Duchess of Sutherland came to ask for further Orders a few minutes after I had got home, and said she had taken Lord Melbourne in her carriage to Downing Street which is only one step from the Abbey. He walked _to_ the Abbey. Wrote my journal. At ½ p. 7 we dined.

_Thursday, 28th June!_—I was awoke at four o’clock by the guns in the Park, and could not get much sleep afterwards on account of the noise of the people, bands, &c., &c. Got up at 7 feeling strong and well; the Park presented a curious spectacle; crowds of people up to Constitution Hill, soldiers, bands, &c. I dressed, having taken a little breakfast before I dressed, and a little after. At ½ p. 9 I went into the next room dressed exactly in my House of Lords costume; and met Uncle Ernest, Charles and Feodore (who had come a few minutes before into my dressing-room), Lady Lansdowne, Lady Normanby, the Duchess of Sutherland, and Lady Barham, all in their robes. At 10 I got into the State Coach with the Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle, and we began our Progress. It was a fine day, and the crowds of people exceeded what I have ever seen; many as there were the day I went to the City, it was nothing—nothing to the multitudes, the millions of my loyal subjects who were assembled in _every spot_ to witness the Procession. Their good-humour and excessive loyalty was beyond everything, and I really cannot say _how_ proud I feel to be the Queen of _such_ a _Nation_. I was alarmed at times for fear that the people would be crushed and squeezed on account of the tremendous rush and pressure. I reached the Abbey amid deafening cheers at a little after ½ p. 11; I first went into a robing-room quite close to the entrance, where I found my eight Train-bearers: Lady Caroline Lennox, Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Mary Talbot, Lady Fanny Cowper, Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope, Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, Lady Mary Grimston, and Lady Louisa Jenkinson,—all dressed alike and beautifully, in white satin and silver tissue, with wreaths of silver corn-ears in front, and a small one of pink roses round the plait behind, and pink roses in the trimming of the dresses. After putting on my Mantle, and the young ladies having properly got hold of it, and Lord Conyngham holding the end of it, I left the robing-room and the Procession began. The sight was splendid; the bank of Peeresses quite beautiful, all in their robes, and the Peers on the other side. My young Train-bearers were always near me, and helped me whenever I wanted anything. The Bishop of Durham[529] stood on one side near me. At the beginning of the Anthem where I’ve made a mark, I retired to St. Edward’s Chapel, a small dark place immediately behind the Altar, with my Ladies and Train-bearers; took off my crimson robe and kirtle and put on the Supertunica of Cloth of Gold, also in the shape of a kirtle, which was put over a singular sort of little gown of linen trimmed with lace; I also took off my circlet of diamonds, and then proceeded bare-headed into the Abbey; I was then seated upon St. Edward’s chair where the Dalmatic robe was clasped round me by the Lord Great Chamberlain. Then followed all the various things; and last (of those things) the Crown being placed on my head;—which was, I must own, a most beautiful impressive moment; _all_ the Peers and Peeresses put on their Coronets at the same instant. My excellent Lord Melbourne, who stood very close to me throughout the whole ceremony, was _completely_ overcome at this moment, and very much affected; he gave me _such_ a kind, and I may say _fatherly_ look. The shouts, which were very great, the drums, the trumpets, the firing of the guns, all at the same instant, rendered the spectacle most imposing. The Enthronization and the Homage of, 1st all the Bishops, then my Uncles, and lastly of all the Peers, in their respective order, was very fine. The Duke of Norfolk (holding for me the Sceptre with a Cross) with Lord Melbourne, stood close to me on my right, and the Duke of Richmond with the other Sceptre on my left. All my Train-bearers standing behind the Throne. Poor old Lord Rolle, who is 82 and dreadfully infirm, in attempting to ascend the steps, fell and rolled quite down, but was not the least hurt; when he attempted to reascend them I got up and advanced to the end of the steps, in order to prevent another fall. When Lord Melbourne’s turn to do Homage came, there was loud cheering; they also cheered Lord Grey and the Duke of Wellington; it’s a pretty ceremony; they first all touch the Crown; and then kiss my hand. When my good Lord Melbourne knelt down and kissed my hand, he pressed my hand and I grasped his with all my heart, at which he looked up with his eyes filled with tears and seemed much touched, as he was, I observed, throughout the whole ceremony. After the Homage was concluded I left the Throne, took off my Crown and received the Sacrament; I then put on my Crown again, and re-ascended the Throne, leaning on Lord Melbourne’s arm; at the commencement of the Anthem I descended from the Throne, and went into St. Edward’s Chapel with my Ladies, Train-bearers, and Lord Willoughby, where I took off the Dalmatic robe, Supertunica, and put on the Purple Velvet Kirtle and Mantle, and proceeded again to the Throne, which I ascended leaning on Lord Melbourne’s hand. There was another present at this ceremony, in the box immediately above the Royal Box, and who witnessed all; it was Lehzen, whose eyes I caught when on the Throne, and we exchanged smiles. She and Späth, Lady John Russell and Mr. Murray saw me leave the Palace, arrive at the Abbey, leave the Abbey and again return to the Palace!! I then again descended from the Throne, and repaired with all the Peers bearing the Regalia, my Ladies and Train-bearers, to St. Edward’s Chapel, as it is called; but which, as Lord Melbourne said, was more _unlike_ a Chapel than anything he had ever seen; for, what was _called_ an _Altar_ was covered with sandwiches, bottles of wine, &c. The Archbishop came in and _ought_ to have delivered the Orb to me, but I had already got it. There we waited for some minutes; Lord Melbourne took a glass of wine, for he seemed completely tired; the Procession being formed, I replaced my Crown (which I had taken off for a few minutes), took the Orb in my left hand and the Sceptre in my right, and thus _loaded_ proceeded through the Abbey, which resounded with cheers, to the first Robing-room, where I found the Duchess of Gloucester, Mamma, and the Duchess of Cambridge with their ladies. And here we waited for at least an hour, with _all_ my ladies and Train-bearers; the Princesses went away about half an hour before I did; the Archbishop had put the ring on the wrong finger, and the consequence was that I had the greatest difficulty to take it off again,—which I at last did with great pain. Lady Fanny, Lady Wilhelmina, and Lady Mary Grimston looked quite beautiful. At about ½ p. 4 I re-entered my carriage, the Crown on my head and Sceptre and Orb in my hand, and we proceeded the same way as we came—the crowds if possible having increased. The enthusiasm, affection and loyalty was really touching, and I shall ever remember this day as the _proudest_ of my life. I came home at a little after 6,—really _not_ feeling tired.[530]

At 8 we dined. Besides we 13, Lord Melbourne and Lord Surrey[531] dined here. Lord Melbourne came up to me and said, “I must congratulate you on this most brilliant day,” and that all had gone off _so_ well. He said he was not tired, and was in high spirits. I sat between Uncle Ernest and Lord Melbourne, and Lord Melbourne between me and Feodore, whom he had led in. My kind Lord Melbourne was much affected in speaking of the whole ceremony. He asked kindly if I was tired; said the Sword he carried (the 1st, the Sword of State) was excessively heavy. I said that the Crown hurt me a good deal. He was much amused at Uncle Ernest’s being astonished at our still having the Litany[532]; we agreed that the whole thing was a very fine sight. He thought the robes,[533] and particularly the Dalmatic, “looked remarkably well.” “And you did it all so well; excellent!” said he with the tears in his eyes. He said he thought I looked rather pale, and “moved by all the people” when I arrived; “and that’s natural.” The Archbishop’s and Dean’s Copes (which were remarkably handsome) were from James the 1st’s time; the very same that were worn at his Coronation, Lord Melbourne told me. Spoke of the Duc de Nemours[534] being like his father in face; of the young ladies’ (Train-bearers’) dresses which he thought beautiful; and he said he thought the Duchess of Richmond (who had ordered the make of the dresses, and had been much condemned by some of the young ladies for it) quite right. She said to him, “One thing I was determined about; that I would have no discussion with their Mammas about it.” Spoke of Talleyrand and Soult having been much struck by the ceremony of the Coronation; of the English being far too generous _not_ to be kind to Soult. Lord Melbourne went home the night before, and slept very deeply till he was woke at 6 in the morning. I said I did not sleep well. Spoke of the Illuminations and Uncle Ernest’s wish to see them.

_Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg_

_from a portrait by Gutekunst 1830_]

After dinner, before we sat down, we—that is, Charles, Lord Melbourne and I—spoke of the numbers of Peers at the Coronation, which Lord Melbourne said was unprecedented. I observed that there were very few Viscounts; he said, “There are very few Viscounts”[535]; that they were an odd sort of title, and not really English; that they came from Vice-Comités; that Dukes and Barons were the only _real_ English titles; that Marquises were likewise not English; and that they made people Marquises when they did not wish to make them Dukes. Spoke of Lord Audley who came as the 1st Baron, and who Lord Melbourne said was of a very old family; his ancestor was a Sir Something Audley[536] in the time of the Black Prince, who with Chandos gained the Battle of Poitiers. I then sat on the sofa for a little while with Lady Barham and then with Charles; Lord Melbourne sitting near me the whole evening. Mamma and Feodore remained to see the Illuminations, and only came in later, and Mamma went away before I did. Uncle Ernest drove out to see the Illuminations. I said to Lord Melbourne when I first sat down, I felt a little tired on my feet; “You must be very tired,” he said. Spoke of the weight of the robes, &c.; the Coronets; and he turned round to me, and said _so_ kindly, “And you did it beautifully,—every part of it, with so much taste; it’s a thing that you can’t give a person advice upon; it must be left to a person.” To hear this, from this kind impartial friend, gave me great and real pleasure. Mamma and Feodore came back just after he said this. Spoke of these Bishops’ Copes, about which he was very funny; of the Pages, who were such a nice set of boys and who were so handy, Lord Melbourne said, that they kept them near them the whole time. Little Lord Stafford[537] and Slane (Lord Mountcharles)[538] were Pages to their fathers and looked lovely; Lord Paget[539] was Lord Melbourne’s Page and remarkably handy, he said. Spoke again of the young ladies’ dress about which he was very amusing; he waited for his carriage with Lady Mary Talbot and Lady Wilhelmina; he thinks Lady Fanny does not make as much show as other girls, which I would not allow. He set off for the Abbey from his house at ½ p. 8, and was there long before anybody else; he only got home at ½ p. 6, and had to go round by Kensington. He said there was a large breakfast in the Jerusalem Chamber, where they met _before_ all began; he said laughing that whenever the clergy or a Dean and Chapter had anything to do with anything, there’s sure to be plenty to eat. Spoke of my intending to go to bed; he said, “You may depend upon it, you are more tired than you think you are.” I said I had slept badly the night before; he said that was my mind, and that nothing kept people more awake than any consciousness of a great event going to take place and being agitated. He was not sure if he was not going to the Duke of Wellington’s.

Stayed in the drawing-room till 20 m. p. 11, but remained till 12 o’clock on Mamma’s balcony looking at the fireworks in Green Park, which were quite beautiful.

_Friday, 29th June._—I told Lord M. that I had been quarrelling with Feodore about Louis Philippe, whom she called a Usurper, and that I told her he was not, and that we disagreed amazingly about it; he smiled. That she called our William III. and Mary Usurpers; Lord Melbourne said it was that strong feeling of the divine right of Kings which some people have; that many people would not be convinced that Louis Philippe had _not_ organised that Revolution; but that it did not do, he said, to wish well to the Family and not to Louis Philippe as Feodore did; for that the happiness of the _one_ depended on the _other_....

_Sunday, 8th July._—Got up at 20 m. to 10 and breakfasted at 11. Signed. Heard from Lord Melbourne that, “He finds himself much better this morning and will wait upon Your Majesty about three or a little after.” At ½ p. 3 came my excellent Lord Melbourne and stayed with me till a ¼ p. 4. He looks very thin and pulled as I think, but was in excellent spirits and as kind as ever. He said he felt much better today, but that his knee was still stiff and had been very painful yesterday. It’s the same leg (the left) which was first bad, but the _foot_ was nearly well; he wore large loose shoes and no straps to his trousers. I showed Lord Melbourne a letter from Lord Glenelg I had got about Lord Durham and a letter from Lady Durham. And Lord Melbourne showed me one from Lord Palmerston about Van de Weyer’s being asked, and about the Ladies of the Ambassadors having some seat at the Balls....

_Monday, 9th July._—At a ¼ p. 11 I went with Mamma and the Duchess of Sutherland, Feodore, Lady Barham, Lord Conyngham, Lord Albemarle, Miss Pitt, Lady Flora, Späth, Lord Fingall, Miss Spring Rice, and Miss Davys, Lady Harriet Clive and Mr. Murray to a Review in Hyde Park, of which I subjoin an account. I could have cried almost not to have _ridden_ and been in _my right_ place as I ought; but Lord Melbourne and Lord Hill thought it more prudent on account of the great crowd that I should not _this_ time do so,[540] which however now they all see I might have done, and Lord Anglesey (who had the command of the day, looked so handsome, and did it beautifully and gracefully) regretted much I did not ride. I drove down the lines. All the Foreign Princes and Ambassadors were there, and the various uniforms looked very pretty. The troops never looked handsomer or did better; and I heard their praises from all the Foreigners and particularly from Soult. There was an immense crowd and all so friendly and kind to me....

_Wednesday, 11th July._—Spoke of Soult, and that Uncle Ernest said that the Duc de Nemours told him that Soult was in excellent humour here, in better humour than he had ever seen him. Lord Melbourne seemed pleased. He said he was not at all surprised at the manner in which the English received Soult; as they were always curious to see distinguished foreigners. During the War, at the Peace of Amiens when Marshal Orison[541] came over, they took the horses out of his carriage and dragged him through the streets; “and that was in the midst of war,” he continued. “Many people were rather annoyed at that; but that was from mere curiosity.” I spoke of Feodore, and asked him if he saw any likeness between us; he said, “I see the likeness, though not perhaps very strong.” I spoke of her children and of Charles (her eldest) being her favourite, as he was so much the fondest of her. Lord Melbourne said smiling that one must not judge according to that, and to the _manner_ in which children _showed_ their love; “Children are great dissemblers; remember how Lear was deceived by that. They learn to be the greatest hypocrites,” he said.

_Thursday, 12th July._—Lord Melbourne said that they were going to have a Cabinet upon what O’Connell and Sir Robert Peel declared in the House of Commons, the day before yesterday, upon the Irish Tithes. They proposed that the sum left from the sum which was voted in 1833 for the distressed Clergy, should be employed to pay the arrears of Tithes due. I asked Lord Melbourne if he thought this a good plan; he said it would have the effect of quieting the people, but that it was “rather a lavish way of bestowing the Public Money.” In general, Lord Melbourne said, when any sum of the kind is voted for a certain class of people, many miss it who ought to get it, and many get it who ought not to get anything.

_Friday, 13th July._—Lord Melbourne said Ellice had told him that they cheered Soult amazingly when he went to Eton (that day), and Ellice told him he must ask for a Holiday, which he did, upon which the Boys cheered him much more; he shook hands with some of the Boys, and then they all wished to shake hands with him, so he shook hands with the whole school....

_Tuesday, 17th July._—He (Ld. M.) said that the Sutherlands had a large family; and asked if the last was a boy or girl, at which I laughed very much, as I said he _ought_ to know; he said boys were much more expensive than girls; there was only the girl’s dress that could be expensive and perhaps Masters; but nothing to what boys’ going to school cost. I said that younger sons were always so poor, and that girls married; he said certainly that was so, and even if girls did not marry they wanted less money. I said Feodore at one time liked having boys much better than girls, but she did not now, as she thought that boys got into more difficulties and scrapes than girls. “Men certainly get into more scrapes than girls,” said Lord Melbourne; “but there is risk in both.” We spoke of other things; and he said Lord Ebrington had come to him and spoken to him about its being reported that I had so many French things, and that the lace of the Servants’ coats came from France; which I said I knew nothing about, and I assured him I had quantities of English things, but must sometimes have French things. He said he knew quite well it was so, and that it was impossible not to have French things, if one wished to be well dressed. That it was not so much the material, but the make which we English could not do; he said they never could make a cap or a bonnet; and that the English women dressed so ill....