11th June.—D. of Bedford dined with us, and gave an account of the debate last night. Ld. Carlisle was to have made his motion against Kenyon, but a shuffling sort of compromise made it go off tamely; he agreed to withdraw it if Grenville desired it. A languid, half shabby business. The Duke spoke. It is comical how eagerly these seceding gentlemen embrace every opportunity of speaking; on the most unimportant subjects unconnected with politics they attend, and say their say. Last night the Divorce Bill was thrown out in the Commons: not even admitted into a Committee. The mortification of its rejection thus will be double to Ld. Auckland; such marked contempt. Sheridan made an admirable speech, and did not mar the effect of it by too much wit; his matter was excellent. Ld. H. supplied him. At his request he wrote a little treatise which is full of sound reason and practical good sense. I have a copy of it.
Ld. H.’s epigrams on Horsley[118] were lying upon my table; Ld. G. Leveson, in rummaging over the papers upon it, found them and took them. Ld. H. being jokingly angry, wrote this:—
Though in private my Muse in a profligate humour
Her nakedness never withheld from your view,
Yet she liked not that all who at tea in the room are
Should have the same privilege too, and would you?
The following he said would suit ——, an impotent husband, to his wife:—
As women wish to be who love their lords
You wish to be, and ask why it delayed is.
Because I’m not (what need of many words),