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The Creevey Papers
Samuel Whitbread to Thomas Creevey, 10 November 1809
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Introduction
Vol. I. Contents
Ch. I: 1793-1804
Ch. II: 1805
Ch. III: 1805
Ch. IV: 1806-08
Ch. V: 1809
Ch. VI: 1810
Ch. VII: 1811
Ch. VIII: 1812
Ch. IX: 1813-14
Ch X: 1814-15
Ch XI: 1815-16
Ch XII: 1817-18
Ch XIII: 1819-20
Vol. II. Contents
Ch I: 1821
Ch. II: 1822
Ch. III: 1823-24
Ch. IV: 1825-26
Ch. V: 1827
Ch. VI: 1827-28
Ch. VII: 1828
Ch. VIII: 1829
Ch. IX: 1830-31
Ch. X: 1832-33
Ch. XI: 1833
Ch. XII: 1834
Ch XIII: 1835-36
Ch XIV: 1837-38
Index
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“Southill, Nov. 10, 1809.

“. . . Tom Adkin, who went to Bedford yesterday to meet his friend Williams at Palmer’s, was the first person who told us of the King’s letter to Perceval. Notwithstanding the awful presence of the Duke and the other Lords, he had got very drunk, and in his drunkenness he related this story, which he prefaced, as usual, by saying he had a fact to relate; which fact everybody laughed at; but the next morning Lord Carrington showed me a letter from Horner, in which the same story is told very circumstantially, and his lordship was very much surprized that what was said by Mr. Adkin ‘in that wild way’ should turn out to be true. I have no doubt that it is so, but the madness and folly of Perceval is inconceivable. Does he quite forget the narrow escape his administration had at starting from the mess made of Canning’s trial?
100 THE CREEVEY PAPERS [Ch. V.
Tierney had not seen the letter when he was here, or, if he had, he was silent about it. Neither did he mention to us Perceval’s letter to the D. of Northumberland, altho’ there was some discussion about the Earl Percy’s taking a seat at the Treasury Board.

“. . . I delight in the stoutness of Lord Holland: I believe him to have principles and to be capable of conduct worthy of his name: but he is hampered. It is a most fortunate circumstance that Canning has given mortal offence at Holland House. The wounds are deep, and I hope incurable. . . . You will hear Martyn’s language from many mouths—great lamentation at our not hanging together. I shall be still the person blamed; but do you think in the present state of affairs that if either Lord Henry Petty or Lord George Cavendish were to be acknowledged by me as leader in the House of Commons there would be a chance of keeping a party together? Should I not lose all power in one way and gain nothing in the other? Should I not bind myself to a compact I could not keep? Should I not at every turn be said to be endeavouring to outstrip my leader? and would it not be confusion worse confounded? Yet I suppose these are the only nostrums recommended. I cannot take them—this is between ourselves. . . . Pray tell me what Lord Derby says and pray tell me whether the report be true or false respecting Burdett’s declaration against the Catholick Question. . . .”