74 STATE OF PARTIES. 



tinent being open to trade, a vast spring is sud- 

 denly given to it.* Sugar is up, from 49s. to 70s. ; 

 and even coffee is rising. I fear no ultimate good 

 will come of these things. We shall be mad enough 

 once more to put Bonaparte in the right. We shall 

 not have the sense to offer peace ; and he, having 

 sixty millions of subjects, may easily raise half a 

 million more men. Even were he killed or taken 

 (which I don't expect), we should hear of nothing but 

 Bourbons. Add to which, the Prince and his advisers 

 will go mad, and be above every control, unless to- 

 day's advertisement of ' The Book ; keeps him in order. 

 It certainly comes rather apropos^ 



I am much obliged to you for your kind wishes. 

 If anything should come in my way soon, I should 

 certainly jump at it. What frame of mind I may be 



* In reference to the retreat from Moscow. Napoleon left the 

 remainder of his army ten days before the date of the letter. 



f * The Book complete, being the whole of the Depositions on the 

 Investigation of the Conduct of the Princess of Wales, before Lords 

 Erskine, Spencer, Grenville, and Ellenborough.' The original materials 

 for 'The Book/ which appeared from 1812 downwards in various 

 shapes, was believed to be the documents privately printed for 

 the use of the Prince and his advisers in 1807. Though great pains 

 were taken to repress the circulation of these documents, some got 

 into private hands, and found their way to speculative publishers. 

 " One editor of a newspaper was said to have obtained .1500 for his 

 copy ; and several other copies were bought up at 500, 750, and 

 similar sums. The Chancellor in 1808 had issued an injunction against 

 one editor, who declared that he possessed a copy and would publish it. 

 He was restrained under a penalty of 5000, and afterwards sold his 

 copy for an enormous sum." Lloyd, Mem. of Geo. IV., 306. 



In an article on " George IV. and Queen Caroline" ('Contributions to 

 Edinburgh Eeview,' i. 465), Lord Brougham says : " There is no doubt 

 whatever that 'The Book,' written by Mr Perceval, and privately 

 printed at his house under Lord Eldon's superintendence and his own, 

 was prepared in concert with the King, and was intended to sound the 

 alarm against Carlton House and the Whigs, when a still more favourable 

 opportunity of making a breach with the latter unexpectedly offered 

 itself in the Catholic question." 



