determination to do so.  He had been long in the habit of saying, ‘the Queen is not with child.’  There had been a report to that effect.  Rode to the Duchess of Kent’s and Duke of Sussex’s.  Met Lord Graham, Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot, and the Chancellor.  Rode on with the Chancellor to Kensington.  As we were coming away from the Palace we heard the trampling of horses behind us, and turning round, saw the King coming full tilt with his lancers; we had but just time to wheel round and salute His Majesty, who seemed much amused at seeing two of his Ministers amongst all the little children who were running by his carriage, and the Chancellor, so lately in all the gravity of his official robes, mounted on a little white New Forest pony of Lady Lyndhurst’s.  I rode on to Roehampton, dined there, and rode back.

At 10 a Cabinet at Peel’s.  We framed the message.  Peel was very flat.  The measure of immediate dissolution is one he does not half approve.  He wished to settle the Regency question.  He has been put out of humour by having his opinions upon that point not at once acquiesced in.  He sees all the difficulties of our position, and does not meet them with energy and elan.  He certainly is not an agreeable person to transact business with, but he is a very able man.

The accounts from Ireland are very bad.  The potatoes are exhausted at Limerick, Tralee, and other places, and the new crop will not come in till August.  At Limerick some stores have been forced, and the troops attacked with stones.

At Tralee there was a subscription of 450L for the purchase of potatoes; 300L was expended, and the Mayor of Tralee and other gentlemen bought some of these potatoes, which were offered at a reduced price to the people, for seed!  Can any country be tranquil in which resident gentlemen can do such things?  A discretionary power has been given to the Lord Lieutenant to expend 3000L in food, should it become necessary, without further reference.

About 180 peers have taken the oaths.  I fear we shall be beaten upon the Forgery Bill; we have a very narrow margin indeed, not above six or eight without bishops.  It is supposed the bishops will stay away.  I fear those will stay away who would, if present, vote with us, and all who are against will come.  If this should be the case we must be defeated.

The King was perfectly reasonable about Lord Combermere.  The Duke showed His Majesty the letters which had passed, and the King said he should not think of it.  He told Peel and Lord Melville he wished the Royal Academy to remain open till after the King’s funeral, that he might see the exhibition, and said Peel should attend him when he went.  This Peel thinks very foolish, and his disposition seems to be to turn the King into ridicule, and to throw the suspicion of insanity upon all his acts.  This is the tactique of the Whigs.  The King takes the Sacrament on Sunday, and has desired the two English and one Irish archbishop to attend.  This they call ‘an indication.’