JET. 43.] THE TRIAL. 403 



ceedings, could seriously believe such a course deserv- 

 ing of a moment's consideration. 



I have often been asked what I should have done 

 had the bill passed the Lords, instead of being with- 

 drawn after the second reading. I have said, as I did 

 while it was going on, that I should certainly stop it 

 in the Commons. It must, according to the rules of 

 proceeding, have been brought down by two judges, as 

 a royal family bill, and not by Masters in Chancery; 

 and I used to say that these judges would pass a great 

 part of their lives in the lobby of the House of 

 Commons ; for I should assuredly debate night after 

 night, and prevent it being brought up to the table. 

 With a large portion of the House in our favour by 

 their votes, almost the whole in their hearts against 

 the bill, possibly a majority even voting against it 

 but at all events a very large minority, and nearly 

 the whole country agreeing with that minority its 

 making any progress was absolutely impossible. 



Much has been said of the feeling of the troops. Of 

 this we had remarkable proofs. The soldiers, like many 

 of the people, considered that the Queen as well as the 

 King was entitled to their allegiance. Indeed, " God 

 save the King and Queen" was in former days a very 

 common form of expression ; for instance, it was at the 

 foot of all the play-bills. I recollect a letter of my 

 mother telling me with some alarm of a regiment of 

 cavalry stopping on its march at Penrith, and hearing 

 they were in my neighbourhood, they drank my health, 

 but the Queen's, of course, with much more enthusiasm; 

 and vowed " they would fight up to their knees in 

 blood for their Queen." At one time the evidence 

 against her appeared to be strong, and the impression 



