“My dinner yesterday with my beloved Sovereign was everything I could wish, and more, indeed, than I had a right to expect. Jemmy Kempt, according to my request, sent his carriage for me after it had set him down at the Palace. My only very little doubt was whether I should not have gone in shorts and silk stockings instead of trowsers; and if I had, I should have been the only man in shorts in the room; so that, you know, was very well.
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The Duke of Wellington disgusted his Tory followers by speaking and voting for the second reading of the Government’s Bill for regulating the Protestant Church of Ireland. |
| 1832-33.] | KING WILLIAM’S LEVEE. | 259 |
“Well, after our being all assembled near half an hour, the doors were flung open, and in entered Billy, accompanied by his household; and, having advanced singly into the middle of the room, the company formed a great circle around him. As I was not very anxious to attract his attention after all my sins against him,* I placed myself in the 2nd row of the circle. The first thing he did was to call Sir James Kempt† to him as his bottle-holder for the occasion. I then heard him say to him:—‘There are two officers in the room who have never been presented to me’ (then mentioning their names which I did not hear), ‘bring them here to me.’ So accordingly the two officers were conducted into the centre of the circle, dropt upon their marrow-bones, and kissed hands.
“Our beloved then said something else to Kempt which I could not hear; but the General immediately looked about with all his eyes for his man; and I am sure you will all partake of Nummy’s† surprise when Kempt, having discovered me, said:—‘Creevey, the King wishes to speak to you;’ and I was conducted likewise into the middle of the circle. Then the King, in the prettiest manner, said:—‘Mr. Creevey, how d’ye do? I hope you are quite well. It is a long time since I had the pleasure of seeing you. Where do you reside, Mr. Creevey?’ Now, would you believe it? this was the only thing of the kind that took place. After this he went a little round the circle, talking to officers. I heard him ask General Bingham where he had lost his arm, and such kind of things.
“My Scotch master, Jemmy,§ was so touched with the King’s civility to myself that he came afterwards to me and said:—‘Upon my soul, Creevey, after the King’s gracious behaviour to you to-day, you must come to the next levee; for you never do go, and he
* Creevey, as a Radical member, had not been accustomed to speak respectfully of the Duke of Clarence, and had voted steadily against the royal grants. † General the Right Hon. Sir James Kempt [1764-1854], commanded the 8th Brigade at Waterloo. ‡ One of Creevey’s pet names in his family. |
| 260 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch. X. |
