512 THE WELLINGTON GOVERNMENT. [1828. 



ning's statement of the dividing point of the road ? " 

 I said, " My answer is, that I should be left there 

 without post-horses to carry me on either way;" on 

 which he laughed heartily, and said, " I have told 

 Canning that the proposal was out of the question, and 

 that they must be satisfied with your support out of 

 office." This, however, led the Duke to make offers 

 through Darlington ; and my first answer was, that 

 while the Catholic question remained unsettled I 

 could not think of it. Next year, when that difficulty 

 was removed, Darlington had a letter from the Duke 

 that he wanted to see him upon the same subject. 

 Darlington wrote to me desiring to know what answer 

 he should give him (the Eolls was in question). I 

 received his letter on my way to York, and immedi- 

 ately answered it, by begging him not to have any 

 interview with the Duke ; for as I was quite resolved 

 to refuse, I thought it was not fair or honourable in me, 

 with that resolution taken, to allow a great offer to be 

 made, merely that I might have the eclat of having 

 refused it. So, in accordance with my request, he had 

 at that time no further communication with the Duke, 

 but he afterwards took an opportunity of telling him 

 how handsomely I had behaved. 



TO EARL GEEY. 



"December 8, 1828. 



" MY DEAR LORD GREY, Parnell's account of Irish 

 affairs is certainly as gloomy as can be. He says 

 that there is hardly a part of the country where 

 the people have not been, as it were, trained that is, 

 organised as to turning out and moving in bodies, 

 chiefly by the old soldiers, of whom 28,000 (pen- 



