The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 12 August 1834
“12th August.
“. . . I asked Sefton just now how Lord
Grey was last night—whether he was in the same depressed
state of mind he had been in the two or three preceding
days.—‘Why,’ said Sefton,
‘I’ll tell you a story of him last night, and you may judge.
He was talking of Taglioni, and,
after going over all the dancers of his own time by name, and swearing that
not one of them came within a hundred miles of her, he concluded by saying
in the most animated strain:—“What would I give to dance as
well as her!” This sudden ebullition of ambition, in so new a field
for a fallen Minister of State, produced a very natural convulsion of
laughter from the few persons present, and from no one more than Lady Grey, who, as soon as she recovered,
said:—“This passion in Lord Grey is not
new to me, for I well remember that, on the only day he ever was tipsy in
my presence, when he returned from dining with the Prince of Wales, nothing would serve him but dressing
himself in a red turban and trying to dance like
Paripol!”’ . . .
“Melbourne and
our William are going on corresponding about a Government,
and he is to go down
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to the King at
Windsor to-morrow at two. . . . The King’s first proposal to
Melbourne was to make a comprehensive administration,
and he named the Duke of Wellington,
Peel and Stanley as necessary parties to such a Government.
Melbourne wrote his reasons at length and in detail
why he thought it quite impossible that such a mixture with the late Government
could ever take place. He communicated, however, the King’s proposal to
the Duke, Peel and Stanley,
accompanying each with his own letter. Stanley, in his
answer, adopts every one of Melbourne’s arguments
against such a coalition, professes his unqualified adherence to Lord Grey and his principles, and avows his fixed
determination never to make a part of a Tory Government. The
Beau and Peel, in their answers, merely
state they have received Melbourne’s letter, and
that they don’t feel themselves commanded by the King to say more.
Melbourne has written to them again by the
King’s command to ask what they think of his proposal and what they mean
to do, and the King begs them to send their answers thro’ Lord Melbourne. This is treating the
great men (that used to be) rather scurvily, I think. . . . I dine at Althorp’s to-day, and to-morrow at
Lord Grey’s.”
Henry Peter Brougham, first baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was a founder of the
Edinburgh
Review in which he chastised Byron's
Hours of Idleness; he
defended Queen Caroline in her trial for adultery (1820), established the London University
(1828), and was appointed lord chancellor (1830).
Charles Grey, second earl Grey (1764-1845)
Whig statesman and lover of the Duchess of Devonshire; the second son of the first earl
(d. 1807), he was prime minister (1831-34).
William Lamb, second viscount Melbourne (1779-1848)
English statesman, the son of Lady Melbourne (possibly by the third earl of Egremont) and
husband of Lady Caroline Lamb; he was a Whig MP, prime minister (1834-41), and counsellor
to Queen Victoria.
John Charles Spencer, third earl Spencer (1782-1845)
English politician, son of the second earl (d. 1834); educated at Harrow and Trinity
College, Cambridge, he was Whig MP for Northamptonshire (1806-34) and chancellor of the
exchequer and leader of the lower house under Lord Grey (1830).
Marie Taglioni (1804-1884)
Celebrated ballerina who performed in London in the 1820s.
