On Tuesday the Prince sent for them again, and showed a letter he had received from the Queen (Mr. Adam would not allow me to take a copy). ‘My dearest son, you will be, I am sure, highly gratified to hear that the King is considerably improved in health; he had an interview this morning with Mr. Perceval, who was much satisfied with his whole appearance. He held a very reasonable conversation, and inquired with great interest all that had been done, and expressed himself with kindness towards you, and said he was pleased with yr. conduct pending this business. I send my own servant that there may be no delay in yr. receiving this agreeable information. (Signed) Charlotte,’
The Prince ridiculed the artifice, which was too gross to escape detection. What woman, he said, ever used the Westminster Hall term of pending the business? They thought him shook and little disposed to encounter the clamour of a change. He showed them a letter from Perceval in which he represented the state of public business as pressing. The Prince begged them to write the answer, which was done offhand.
On withdrawing they agreed to assemble a meeting of their future Cabinet to take the business into consideration, and on Thursday, 31st Jan., they met both morning and evening. It was agreed that they should, in consequence of the representation in Perceval’s letter of the state of the army and navy and the progress of private Bills (which he artfully had pressed on), communicate to the Prince that it would be subjecting the country to very material injury if he delayed 48 hours longer the bringing his mind to a determination, either of changing the Ministry, or retaining those now in their offices. In the meantime Sr. Henry Halford (Dr. Vaughan), who had been suspected of meddling more with the body politic than with the diseased physical body he was called in to attend, had frequent audiences of the Prince, in which he worked upon his imagination and fears by drawing the picture of the King agitated and thrown into an exa—tion [sic] which might end fatally; their removing his confidential servants would inevitably produce that effect. It is also suspected that he added if the King recovered and found things stationary he would not reassume the authority, and that the Prince might continue in power. There are besides a hundred little anecdotes, which by not writing at the time have escaped my memory. There was also a letter from the D. of Cumberland, who said, ‘Vaughan has behaved nobly to us all.’
The Prince was very much agitated, and on Friday he saw Adam, Lds. Moira and Hutchinson, to whom he stated the distracted state of his mind, and bid them do justice to his feelings. In the evening he sent Adam and Ld. Hutchinson to Camelford House, by appointment to Lds. G. and G., intimating that in consequence of the report of the physicians as to the probable recovery of the King, he had resolved not to remove the Ministers, hoped they approved, thanked them for their generous conduct, and begged to see them on the following Sunday, and also Ld. Holland, Mr. G. Ponsonby.
AFFAIRS IN SICILY
October, 1811.—Sudden return of Ld. Wm. Bentinck[385] from Sicily for further instructions, after an absence of only a few weeks, has surprised people, and convinced them of his want of capacity and timidity of character. It is understood that his instructions were merely an echo of those given to his predecessor, Lord Amherst, the substance of which was to induce the Court by moderate means to admit the native Sicilians into the Governt., and to diminish the burthens upon the people, and various other points of importance. Ld. Wm. is accused of having very unskilfully in his first paper to Circello betrayed the whole context of his secret instructions; whereupon its not appearing that Ld. Wm. had the power of withholding the subsidy Circello made a most able diplomatic reply, deprecating the interference of any foreign power, however allied, with the internal Governt., and giving it plainly to be understood that allies who acted thus might withdraw their forces. Upon the receipt of this, Ld. Wm., without further discussion, got on board the first vessel, which happened to be Capt. Clifford, of the Cephalus, gun brig, and came home. It is said Ministers were astonished, but declared everywhere that they were highly pleased at his conduct. As that is impossible, the glossing it over must be out of compliment to the D. of Portland. The report is that the Cabinet have resolved upon vigorous measures, and those who know the Queen believe she will not resist, but in case of her being so disposed, she is to be made to submit, and a retreat into Austria suggested as her best resource. The unfortunate Barons who were imprisoned in consequence of their appeal,[386] are left in severe confinement, and Prince Belmonte, who is in a precarious state of health, will certainly not survive the confinement in one of the worst dungeons, and in the most unwholesome spot in the Island. The idle English, by their silly language in the coffee houses have contributed much towards irritating the Queen. Fredk. Lamb[387] is at last to accompany Ld. Wm.
COMMISSION TO MEXICO
The Commissioners to Mexico are to begin their peregrinations in about 3 weeks; it is a trading voyage. Capt. Cockburn,[388] who is one and is to have the rank of Commodore and a flag, goes first to Lisbon to pick up Mr. Stewart; then to Cadiz for the Spaniards; to Jamaica for Mr. Morier; and finally to Vera Cruz. From what is said, the expedition seems to be rather a wild goose chase. It is not certain that the Spanish Governt. will accept the offered mediation. When it was originally proposed, they accepted, annexing the condition that if the colonies did not within 15 months fall into their allegiance to the Mother Country, that in that case the English should assist with military force and compel them to submit by subduing them. This condition has not been acceded to on the part of this Governt., but they send out this Commission, without waiting for the final determination of the Govt. of Cadiz, now they know that they are only to be supported in any pacific measures. The man upon whom much depends is Bardachi, a sort of Secretary of State, who, with some abilities and honesty, is full of prejudice against this country, and of an impracticable temper. B. Hoppner is Sec. to the Commission. Frere, who has been living here upwards of a month, to my astonishment expressed himself surprised and offended that he had been neglected by Ld. Wellesley, saying that from his knowledge of Spain he considered himself as the fittest to be employed; boasted of his influence over Bardachi, who owes his place to him, and various other such absurdities. I was petrified, it not being possible to acquiesce in the reasonableness of his complaint, or consider it as an injury the not selecting him.