To London early. The King of France is supposed to be gone towards Cherbourg. We fear he will come here. The Duke said the King seemed disposed to receive him, and reminded the King that the Pretender had been three times ordered out of Paris on the representations of this country. I was glad to find a very general feeling that the King of France could not be permitted to remain if intrigues were allowed by him. That he could have no more than a refuge. Peel seemed to feel this most strongly. The Duke seemed to think there had been previous concert on the part of the patriots.
The King is violent against the Duke of Orleans.
Our Duke of Orleans, as I call him, the Duke of Sussex, sticks close to the
King whenever he appears.
The Duke of Cumberland has resigned the Blues in a huff because they are placed under the Commander-in-Chief. However, he wore the uniform to-day at the levée.
We have a Cabinet to-morrow at 4, on Civil List and Regency. Indeed we know not how soon we may meet Parliament. Perhaps on September 15.
The Queen received the address of the London clergy. She had her whole état major.
August 5.
At four Cabinet. Talk about the Civil List. There are pensions to the amount of about 7,000£ a year which the present King will pay, and he will pay 6,000£ a year to Mrs. Fitzherbert, her charge on Brighton. She had 10,000£ a year before. Many pensions are struck off, one of 500£ to Sir J. Lake, many others, to jockies, &c.
It seems the late King borrowed 50,000£ for himself and as much for the
Duke of York, on the revenues of Hanover, which sums have been paid off.
The King of France abdicated, and so did the Dauphin, in favour of the Duc de Bordeaux, in a letter addressed by them to the Duke of Orleans, in which his Lieut.-Generalship was treated as emanating from the King. The Duke of Orleans in his speech to the Chambers announced the abdications, but did not say they were in favour of Henry V. Hence the people of Paris, hearing the King made difficulties, supposed he had receded from his original promise—whereas he only said his original promise was conditional, and had not been fairly made known. Be this as it may, 35,000 men set off for Rambouillet to take him, 10,000 were sent afterwards by the Duke of Orleans to protect him, and he has 7,000 at Rambouillet, chiefly cavalry and artillery, for the same purpose. I think there must be a smash.