JET. 43.] THE TRIAL. 413 



great measure owing to what never entered into my 

 mind at the time the King's mistake having been 

 shared by the audience. 



The division on the second reading was a moment 

 of great anxiety to us, because on the amount of the 

 majority, which we were fully certain would be against 

 us, depended the immediate or postponed fate of the 

 bill. I was standing by Croker on the steps of the 

 throne, he a stout friend of the bill, and I expressed 

 strongly my opinion of the unwise conduct of the Duke 

 of York in supporting it, as likely to revive all the 

 rancour against him of 1809. But Croker, who had 

 taken a very active part in that affair, held it to be 

 clear that the public opinion would, on the success of 

 the bill, come over to the Duke, as it had in his own 

 case, after the proceedings of Wardle and Mrs Clark 

 had so much damaged them ; and I candidly admitted 

 to him that there was a great deal in his statement as 

 to these individuals. 



We continued conversing while the vote was taken, 

 and on the number being announced, nine, I said, "There 

 is an end of your bill/' " Why so?" asked Croker. I 

 answered, " Because the majority is the number of the 

 ministers and high officers in this House, and it won't 

 do to pass such a bill by their votes." 



It was announced next day to be withdrawn. I 

 knew that, greatly as the bill had lost its virtue in the 

 King's eyes since the divorce clause was struck out, 

 he continued very anxious for its passing, and was 

 bitterly vexed with the ministers, whom he discovered 

 by many indications to be well satisfied at getting rid 

 of it in any way. Indeed this had long been plain, if it 

 was not from the very first. I remember seeing Eldon 



