“Your advice has been followed by anticipation (to speak Irish); at this moment my courier is within a couple of days’ journey of the Queen. He was despatched on Sunday, for I had early notice from the D. of Sussex* coming to my bedside at 2 in the morning. The courier (Sicard) was with me by 7, and after some delay for a passport from the P. Minister, he was off. He took my appointment and Denman’s as Atty. and Solr. General, as I did not like to use the blank one I have with me. He also took a letter from me, giving her no choice, but commanding her instantly to set out by land, and be at Brussells or Paris or Calais immediately. Then she will demand a yatch.
“Now—the young King† has been as near death as any man but poor Kent ever was before—150 oz. of blood let have saved his precious life. I never prayed so heartily for a Prince before. If he had gone, all the troubles of these villains‡ went with him, and they had Fred. I.§ their own man for his life—i.e. a shady Tory-professional King, who would have done a job or two for Lauderdale, smiled on Lady [Jersey], been civil at Holland House, and shot Tom Coke’s‖ legs and birds, without ever deviating right hand or left, or giving them,⁋ politically, the least
* About the King’s danger. † Young, not in years, but in reign. It was just a week since the accession. ‡ Ministers. § The Duke of York. ‖ Of Holkham, created Earl of Leicester in 1837. ⁋ Ministers. |
| 298 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch XIII. |
“Meanwhile, the change of name which Mrs. P.§ has undergone has had a wondrous effect on publick feeling. She is extremely popular. . . . The cry at the Proclamation was God save the Queen! but Perry durst not put it in his paper, tho’ with the respectability which belongs to Mackintosh’s gent of the Daily Press. He told me all this in private.
“The rage of the new monarch against Leach and Eldon and Co. exceeds all bounds. He finds he has now a Queen in possession to [illegible], she having 70 places (some of them very fat ones) to give away. I think of making her replace or offer to replace all the old Queen’s pensioned household, to save salaries, and stop the mouths of a few courtiers, who will soon find out that she has every virtue.
