Mr. Greville's Diary. 85 



" June 2gth, 182S. — Dined with tlie King at St. James's — his Jockey Chib dinner. After 

 dinner, the Duke of Leeds, who sat at the head of the table, gave ' The King.' We all stood 

 up, when His Majesty thanked us, and hoped this would be the first of annual meetings under his 

 roof. He then ordered paper and pens, and they began making matches and stakes. The 

 most perfect ease was established, just as much as if we had been dining with the Duke of York, 

 and he seemed delighted. He made one or two little speeches, one recommending that a stop 

 should be put to the exportation of horses. He twice gave ' The Turf.' 



"August 2^th. — Went to Windsor to-day for a Council. The King gave the Chancellor 

 Lyndhurst a long audience, and another to Peel, probably to talk over Dawson's speech* and 

 arrange politics. After the Council, the King called me, and talked to me about racehorses, 

 which he cares more about than the welfare of Ireland or the peace of Europe. 



" I might as well have put in what the King said to me, as it seems to have amused every- 

 body. I was standing close to him at the Council when he put down his head and whispered, 

 'Which are you for, Cadland or the mare.''' Sq I put down my head too, and said, 'the horse,' 

 (meaning the match between Cadland and Bess of Bedlam), and then as we retired he said to 

 the Duke of Wellington, ' A little bit of Newmarket.' 



"June 2^th, 1829. — Ascot races. The King was very anxious and disappointed. The 

 King has bought seven horses successively, for which he has given 11,300 guineas, principally 

 to win the Cup at Ascot, which he has never accomplished. He might have had Zinganee 

 (which won) but would not, because he fancied the Colonel would beat him ; but when that 

 appeared doubtful, was very sorry not to have bought him, and complained that he was not 

 offered to him. 



" 1830, August i^th. — Stayed at Goodwood till the I2th. Went to Brighton, riding over 

 the Downs from Goodwood "to Arundel. A delightful ride. Hozu much I prefer England to 

 Italy! There we have mountains and sky; here, vegetation and verdure, fine trees, soft turf; 

 and, in the long run, the latter are the most enjoyable. 



" I never come here (Goodwood) without fresh admiration of the beauty and delightfulness 

 of the place, combining everything that is enjoyable in life — large, comfortable houses, spacious 

 and beautiful parks, extensive views, dry soil, sea air, novels, rides over the Downs, and all the 

 facilities of occupation and amusement. The Duke * * * * appears here to advantage, 

 exercising a magnificent hospitality, and as a sportsman, a farmer, a magistrate, a good, simple, 

 unaffected, country gentleman, with great personal influence. 



"May 2jth, 1833. — I went to the 'Oaks,' when Lord Stanley kept house for the first time. 

 It is an agreeable sort of place. It has for forty years been the resort of our old jockeys, 

 and is nozv occupied by the sporting portion of our Government. We had Lord Grey and his 

 daughter, Duke and Duchess of Richmond, Lord and Lady Errol, Lord Althorp, Sir James 

 Graham, Lord Uxbridge, the Duke of Grafton, the Earl of Litchfield. It passed off very 

 well. Raining all the morning. An excellent dinner. Whist and blind hookey in the 

 evening. 



" It was curious to see Stanley (Lord). Who would believe they beheld the orator and 

 statesmen, only second to Peel in the House of Commons, on whom the destiny of the country 



* George Dawson, M.P., was the brother-in-law of Sir Robert Peel, and up to that time the darling of his constituents, the 

 Orangemen of Derry. In this speech he virtually avowed his conversion to Catholic Emancipation. The Duke, when it was reported 

 to him, said, "Such a man is only fit for a strait-waistcoat." The indignation of the Ministerial prjss was hot and heavy. 

 The next year the Duke and Peel " emancipated " the Roman Catholics. 



