The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-05-04
VOLUME XXI. NO. 30.

side, and Sir Benjamin Bloomfield oppo-
site him. Oh how the sycophants-the
lip-royalty people-the parasites, must
have been astonished when they saw the
King, whom they believed on his death
bed, vigorous with renewed health, and
the Duke of York, to whom they had
been paying their devoirs, in anticipation
OF his future favor, merrily telling the
King what sort of false-hearted people
all the courtiers were! Among the few
who remained true was Bloomfield
1t seemed as there would be no limits to
the regard and friendship which the King
entertained Tor professed) for him. But
who can fix the wheel of fortune?
Bloomfield, like Cardinal Woolsey, soon
had to say,
Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness"
To bear out the theory of Haroun Al
raschid, he lost his places through a NO
man
1t is notorious that the late March
ioness Conyngham was "the fayorite 4"
Ito put the matter in the gentlest terml
of George the Fourth. Long afief she
had passed the heyday of youth-1ong
after she had lost even the traces Of
beauty-this right honorable" lady rev.
elled in the favor of the man whom Cob
bett called the big Sovereign" His Ma
jesty was said to have had a penehant for
rather ancient beauties; and perhaps his
liking for the Marchioness was caused by
his admiration of her bulk. George "
was one of the stoutest and most unwiel-
dy men of his day, particularly in his la
ter years, and his Overgrown Hebe sur
passed most of her sex in stature and ro-
tundity. Wei need not pause to say how
much this lady's family and connexions
profited by her friendship for the Big Sow
ereign; the number of honors, places,
pensions, and sinecures lavished upon
them, exceeds accurate enumeration.
The Marchioness was very fond of Jew
| els, and, shortly after the accession of
| George ~, longed for set of diamonds
which Rumdell and Bridges valued at
| G80,000. She asked her Royal friend to
purchase this set, and make her present
of it. He would have done so, if he had
had'the money to spare, but like all his
family he was very fond of money, and,
though he did not mind running largely
into debt, had strong objection to parting
with even a sixpence of hard cash. The
| jewellers, too, to whom he was largely in
debted, declined letting him have the dia-
monds on credit. At this crisis the Mar
chiOness suggested to the jewellers that
they should give her the diamonds, and
charge the price in the bill for the expen-
ses of the Coronation. They consented
TO do this. The jewels were accordingly
supplied, and sparkled, in due course, ON
the extensive person of the Marchioness
Conyngham. The people were to be sad
died with the payment of this E80,OOO.-
Yet, if any newspaper had dared to ques-
| finr fhn of H. !
ling the Attorney General of the time
would eertainly have prosecuted 1t for libel
and sedition.
Bloomfield, who was desired to explain
the matter to Lord Liverpool, the Premi-
er, had an interview with him. With
many weaknesses, Lord Liverpool had
something like conscience. "Pay eigh.
ty thousand pounds for set of diamonds
for the Marchioness," said he, land charge
the amount among the Coronation expen
ses! Tell the King that l shall do nc
such thing. If he makes expensive pres
sents to his female friends, let him pay fol
them out of his own pocket. The peo
pie already pay quite enough to him anC
HI. All this, though true, was so un
courtier-like, that Sir Benjamin Bloom
field was positively afraid to mention it t.
the King.
By and by, when the jewellers Corona
, ton bills came in for payment, Lord Liv
, erpool drew his pen across the item o
] eighty thousand pounds for diamonds Il
the MarchioneSs. The jewellers then for
warded their account to the King, VIII
sent for Bloomfield, and asked him WIN
he had not settled the matter with Lore
, Liverpool? There was nothing for it bu
to confess that, months before, Lord Liv
erpool had been spoken to, and had refus
J ed to pay the amount Then" said tn,
, King" why not have told me so at tht
time" The result was the dismissal o
Sir Benjamin Bloomfield. But as he knew
more of the secrets of Royalty than wa
desirable, his fall was broken by his beinj
sent, in September, 1924, as Minister Plen
,, ipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary t.
! Sweden, (where he remained until tn
death of George Nv, while, as further fa
, vor, he was raised to the peerage of Ire
,, land, in 1925, as Baron Bloomfield. H
, died in August, 1916, aged IS, geners
in the army, and colonel commandant c
the Royal regiment of artillery, thougl
he had never seen one half hour c
actual military service since he was sui
altern. His son, the present Lord Bloom
field, was ambassador to Russia, from l64
to 1851, and from that time to Prussia
: In the event of expected retirement, O.
pension, it is probable that Lord Maple
. may succeed him.