152 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1812. 



be upon another footing in future ; in short, that she 

 has a complete contempt of her father's character, 

 which she obtained, not from influence, but from her 

 own sagacity, and experience which she has made of a 

 similar ill treatment. She abhors the Queen and the 

 Duke of Cumberland. She has no confidence in any 

 of the princesses, nor in either of the dukes. Miss 

 Elphinstone, as well as Lady Barbara Ashley two 

 young ladies of whose acquaintance the Prince had 

 approved two years ago, and who were the only she 

 ever corresponded with their letters were intercepted 

 by the special order of the Eegent ; and though there 

 was no high treason in them, the correspondence was 

 forbid, as well as the waiting, for which reason my 

 daughter has no other intimate friend than her mother. 

 That she writes every day twelve pages, and sometimes 

 more, having nobody to whom she could open her 

 heart so freely and so trusty. I should be very grate- 

 ful to all the family for having adopted this new plan 

 to write, to prevent that I should ever have any 

 influence over her as my daughter ; and I am now so 

 united that no event could make a disunion between 

 us. Even the great difficulty to get a letter to her, 

 and to receive one, gives a zest to our correspondence. 

 So you will see, my dear Lady Charlotte, by the letter 

 from the Chancellor to Lady de Clifford, that there is 

 no objection for the writing to me. I cannot other- 

 wise look upon it than a trap to get possession of our 

 correspondence, but which will be unsuccessful, as the 

 letters are sent to Lady de Clifford's house, under her 

 address, sealed with my own seal ; and her confiden- 

 tial servant carries them himself down every two days. 

 Lady de Clifford was to have been sent away if she 



