^ET. 34.] CONSULTED BY THE PRINCESS. 145 



Princess's acquaintance ; and I recollect a dinner at 

 her Blackheath villa, to which they were all invited, 

 when Canning and Ward alone came, the rest of the 

 chairs being unoccupied. This abandonment led to 

 her and her daughter consulting me on all matters, 

 and also Whitbread, who had lately made her ac- 

 quaintance, though not the Princess Charlotte's. The 

 cruel treatment went on as before. Above all, the 

 intercourse with her daughter was more and more 

 restricted, and there were indications of an intention 

 to cut it entirely off. It was said she was to be con- 

 firmed without her mother being present. This would 

 have been such a public condemnation of her as she 

 could not be expected to bear- without resistance ; and 

 both mother and daughter felt it alike, and viewed it 

 in the same light. Before I left town I received the 

 following letter from Whitbread. I give it, although 

 it does not relate to the Princess of Wales : 



" SOUTHHILL, August 12, 1812. 



" I ought to be ashamed of myself for not having 

 returned an answer to your first letter at a much earlier 

 period ; but when you read, as you will do, in the paper 

 of to-day, that on Monday last, and not before, was 

 married the Hon. William Waldegrave to Elizabeth, 

 the eldest daughter of Samuel Whitbread, Esq., you 

 will perhaps pardon me ; for I do assure you I have 

 been very fully occupied. At last it is done ; they are 

 settled at Cardington, which we have made a most 

 complete and beautiful cottage for them, and there 

 is strong reason to hope they will be happy. Lady 

 Elizabeth is just preparing to pay a visit to the bride, 

 and is as reasonably happy as you can well imagine. 



VOL. II. K 



