The Duke's opinion is that if the King should be seized with one of those attacks when no one was with him, he would die.
The opinion of Halford and the others is that the disorder is mortal; but he may live six weeks or two months.
The punctures are healed. They are afraid of opening them again for fear of mortification, and can only proceed by medicines.
The King's state seems distressing. He can neither remain quiet in his chair or in his bed. He is in a state of constant restlessness.
The Duke of Cumberland was there to-day, but the King had desired he might not see him.
Leopold has declined. He sent a note to that effect on Friday night at twelve o'clock—very well written, not by himself. Aberdeen thinks Palmerston wrote it. He takes popular ground, and cannot impose himself upon a reluctant people. The fact is Friday's bulletin wrote his letter.
The Duke thinks he will be shown up. The papers presented to-morrow will be no more than it was before intended to present; but Aberdeen will announce the evasion of the sovereign, and say that that circumstance will render necessary the production of other papers which will be presented as soon as they can be printed. The whole discussion will turn upon Leopold's conduct.
Aberdeen will be in the position of the manager of a country theatre who, just as the curtain is about to be drawn up, is obliged to come forward and announce that the amateur gentleman who had solicited the part of Macbeth, who had attended all the rehearsals, and whose only difficulty, which was about money, seemed to be in a fair way of adjustment, had unexpectedly intimated his intention to withdraw in a printed address to the galleries.
Forsooth there should have been an appeal to the people of Greece on the subject of their Government! An appeal to the people of Newgate on the subject of the new police! [Footnote: This sentiment, however severe, represents the feeling about the Greeks of many Englishmen at that time, and especially of those who, as in the case of naval officers employed in Greek waters, had seen much of them during the war. Their struggle for independence was undoubtedly disgraced, not only by cruelty, but by a treachery and disregard of faith which, though perhaps attributable to past subjection and oppression, was peculiarly odious to English observers. Lord Ellenborough adopted this view.]
By a letter of C. Capo d'Istria's, dated 25 M., April 6, written immediately after his receipt of one from Leopold (after his acceptance), it appears that Leopold had intimated his intention to change his religion. He must have had about forty-eight hours to consider the point.