JET. 33.] EARL GREY. 515 



though he was not there last night. This leaves 

 them seven of majority, of which I wish them much 

 joy, as I do of Lord Grenville's vote when accom- 

 panied with his speech, by far the most violent he 

 ever made against them. He never called them 

 ministers, or even ' noble lords/ but ' those people,' 

 ' those men,' and ' those persons/ And, among 

 other things, accused them in plain words of ' for- 

 gery/ 



" They were very much cast down upon the whole, 

 and the symptoms of ratting are manifest. Lord 

 Alvanley voted with opposition. He said at White's 

 that he had told the Duke of York, ' If you rat, 111 

 rat too/ The duke holds his proxy. There is to be 

 a city meeting ; and our friends are very confident 

 of carrying instructions and resolutions, which have 

 been prepared and sent to them. 



" However, I look to Windsor for the results in 

 fact speeches and meetings are of no moment now 

 the bulletins must decide it. 



" There must be some mistake in Ward's account 

 of Castlereagh's having voted in 1789, for he was not 

 in Parliament. However, it is said, he still means to 

 rat. Lord Holland made an excellent speech last 

 night, as I hear from all quarters. 



" I only heard the few words which he spoke to 

 explain why you were absent, which he did very 

 properly. Anybody who could even think of asking 

 you to come up must be mad or worse. I shall be 

 very anxious till I hear that all is well. 



