Office.  Saw Wortley.  He is glad that the division against us has been upon the Civil List, rather than upon Reform.  He thinks we should resign to-day, and thus throw upon the Whigs the burden of bringing forward Reform as a Government measure.  Probably Brougham would postpone his motion if we resigned.

At about half-past three I received a note from Sir Robert Taylor desiring my immediate attendance at St. James’s.  I dressed and went, and in a few moments was admitted to the King.  I met Lord Melville coming away.  The King desired me to sit down, and asked me whether I had any expectation of the division of last night?  I said no—­I thought that upon any question connected with the Civil List we should have had a majority; that the question itself was one of little importance; but, as the Committee had not been granted before, Sir R. Peel thought it would be a confession of weakness not to oppose it now, and I thought he was right.  The King said it was probably chosen as a question merely to try strength.

The King asked me what had taken place between the Government and the Company.  I told his Majesty, and added an outline of the plan I had for the new military arrangements, of which he seemed highly to approve.  I then said I supposed I must take leave of his Majesty.  He said in one sense his Ministers seemed to think they could not go on.

I said I could not but express my sentiments, which were I was sure those of all my colleagues—­the sentiments of deep gratitude to his Majesty for the constant kind and honourable confidence he had placed in us.

His Majesty said he thought it his duty to give the full support of the Crown to his Ministers.  He had confidence in those he found at his brother’s demise; and since July 26, which was the commencement of our troubles, he had regarded with admiration that which was most important in their conduct, their Foreign Policy.  He had a feeling of entire satisfaction with them.

I said it must likewise be satisfactory to his Majesty to feel that his late Ministers, fully aware of the real difficulties of the country, would never be led by any personal or party feelings to do anything which could be prejudicial to the country, and that whatever might be their differences in principle from his new Ministers they would ever support his Majesty’s interests.

The King was much affected, and had the tears in his eyes all the time I was speaking to him.  I then rose and kissed his hand, and he shook hands with me, and wished me good-bye for the present.  I asked for the entree, which he gave me very good-naturedly.  As I came away I met Rosslyn going in.  The three Fitzclarences were in the lower room, seemingly enjoying our discomfiture.

House at five.  The Duke had already declared that the occurrence which had taken place elsewhere had induced him to think it his duty to tender his resignation to the King, and his Majesty had been graciously pleased to accept it.