1829.] - Affairs in General. 413 
In the House of Commons it carried away Mr. Peel’s blushes, and all 
that makes a public man unfit to meet the world’s eye after he has done 
things of which he ought to be ashamed. We will not suppose Mr. 
Peel about to pick pockets, or forge bank notes; but the countenance 
that he has now manufactured, would, we promise that worthy young 
person, not disgrace either of the occupations. 
It also carried off Sir Thomas Lethbridge’s last dozen years’ harangues 
against the papists, and left in their place the very silliest apology for a 
turncoat that we ever heard in the shape of the most profound speech 
ever attempted by Sir Thomas. But we have to pay our compliments to 
him again, and shall let him down only until we have leisure for his 
flagellation. 
The next performance of those all-pervading winds was to go down to 
Windsor, and stop Sir Jeffery Gimcrack Michael Angelo Palladio 
Wyattville, in full swing at the Royal Lodge. We grieve for the delay 
of that enterprising performer. In a week, no doubt, he would have 
had the whole job in a way to so handsome a catastrophe, that nothing 
short of a miracle could have given a well sized rat, or any thing short 
of the patience of a cabinet minister, such as they are at the present 
day, room to rest a foot in. But the besom of destruction was checked 
at once ; the Royal Lodge was left to that miserable state of dilapidation 
in which the king has, however, contrived to eat, drink, and sleep, for 
years ; and the formidable calamity has actually occurred, that Sir 
Palladio Wyattville is, at this present writing, standing without a job on 
hands. Only 217,000 pounds have been yet laid out on Windsor Castle. 
Only 70,000 pounds have been. laid out on York House; which, if the 
Marquis of Stafford had not stepped into take it off their hands, would 
have been turned into a barrack, a menagerie, or a receptacle for the 
Marchionesses of Westmeath and other highborn personages of the beau 
sexe who prefer living in lodgings rent free. So much for the blood of 
all the Salisburys ; and of some dozens of other superb aristocrats, who 
will let any one that likes, pay for their coalsand candles. The Palace! 
late Buckingham-House, has hitherto cost only 300,000 pounds, and is 
not to cost above double the sum besides, before his Majesty ever sits 
down in it, which we understand his Majesty never intends to do ; and 
for which we by no means blame him, it being the vilest compilation of 
brick and plaster, that Mr. Nash, who is a bricklayer and plasterer, and 
nothing more, ever perpetrated. We profess, and vow, that the sight of 
this finished production makes us sick, and that our only consolation 
arises from the fact, that the brewery in its rear will so utterly blacken 
it in a month or two, that the world will not distinguish it from West- 
minster workhouse. 
Who can call usa poor nation, when we can lay out a million in such 
__ a handsome manner ; or a nation careless of the residence of our king, 
_ when we lodge him in such a style as no king in Europe beside is 
lodged in: or niggardly in our employment of artists, when we patronize 
the persons who now flourish away on our public buildings ? 
The next exploit of the nipping winds was to go to Rome, and extin- 
guish the Pope; the poor old man died a great penitent, sent for St. 
Dominic's breeches from the Dominican convent, put them on, was 
anointed with the oil which St. Francis brought from Paradise two 
_ hundred and fifty years ago, and which has never lost a drop since, 
though it has oiled all their holinesses, and spared a regular supply for 
