It seems certain, from his own declarations, that in
later life he would have declined the honour; but there was a time when it
might have been offered, and would probably have been accepted. When he
feared that England might be dragged into war with France on behalf of
Spain, he composed a skit purporting to be a Protest entered on the
Journals of the Lords by the Bishop of Worcester, and signed it "Sydney
Vigorn."[104] The Bishop of Worcester[105] died on the 5th of September
1831, and Lord Grey gave the vacant mitre to a Tory.[106] Sydney's emotions
are not recorded; but on the 10th of September Lord Grey offered him a
Residentiary Canonry of St. Paul's--"a snug thing, let me tell you, being
worth full L2000 a year." It was not an overwhelming reward for such long
and such brilliant service to the causes which Lord Grey represented, but
it was a recognition--and it was enough. He was installed on the 27th of
September, and on the day of his installation he wrote to a friend--"It
puts me at my ease for life. I asked for nothing--never did anything shabby
to procure preferment. These are pleasing recollections."
Soon afterwards, he was presented on his appointment, and met with a
misadventure at the Palace.--
"I went to Court, and, horrible to relate, with strings to my shoes
instead of buckles--not from Jacobinism, but ignorance. I saw two or
three Tory lords looking at me with dismay, was informed by the Clerk
of the Closet of my sin, and, gathering my sacerdotal petticoats about
me (like a lady conscious of thick ankles) I escaped further
observation.
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