454 POLITICS. [1822. 



and your saying you will take no office is, in my 

 mind, tantamount to saying no Whig Administration 

 can be formed. 



"The Duke of Sussex came yesterday. He was 

 drawn into Alnwick. He seems highly pleased with 

 all the attentions he met with at Lambton. He pro- 

 ceeds on Monday towards Eaby, where I wish I could 

 meet you to talk over these matters ; but this illness, 

 though it no longer confines me to the house, prevents 

 my going from home for at least a week. Ever yours, 



" GREY. 



" P.S. The something I should do on Parliamen- 

 tary reform would be a good deal; and I think it 

 would be necessary to take our stand upon it, at least 

 till it had had a fair trial. There are difficulties on 

 all sides ; but the only chance you could have of 

 carrying anything, would be by some assurance that 

 the thing would be kept quiet afterwards." 



" BROUGHAM, IQth September 1822. 



"My DEAR LORD GREY, I stayed at Eaby from 

 Monday to Friday. Nothing could be better than it 

 all was. I only wish Lord Thanet had been at Apple- 

 by, as in that case the Duke of Sussex would have 

 gone there, and returned to town by Liverpool and 

 Cheshire, where Lord Grosvenor had expected him. 

 The effect of a Prince herding with Whigs and speak- 

 ing their language, is far greater among persons of all 

 classes, and even among Tories (in the country I mean), 

 than one can suppose who merely observes what passes 

 in town. In town and Parliament they do us perhaps 

 as much harm as good ; but in the country it is very 



