170 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1812. 



" The Queen's answer is full of lies and evasions, 

 and the Princess's letter is now with the Prince. 



" On Perceval's death, a box of the Princess's papers, 

 kept by him to prevent the Prince from seizing them, 

 got into some foreign lady's hands, who is a partisan 

 of the Princess ; at least so I gather from what has 

 happened : for this person last week called at my 

 chambers in the dusk, and left them sealed up with 

 an anonymous letter, strongly persuading their imme- 

 diate publication. I have read them, and returned 

 them with an answer, expressing my indignation at 

 such an attempt being made to involve me in any 

 mysterious transaction especially in one where some 

 breach of trust appears to form a link of the commu- 

 nication. But I advised that they should be imme- 

 diately sent to the Princess, and proper steps taken in 

 the matter with her authority. 



" I half suspect she is at the bottom of the whole, 

 but this I can't be sure of. At all events, my answer 

 would have been the same, of course. 



" Now for the papers. They are a series of letters 

 from her to the Prince, and many long ones from him 

 to her, relating to Lady Jersey and the other old dis- 

 putes ; then curious ones from the King to her, some 

 of them bearing hard on the Prince, also from Thurlow, 

 &c.; with two Cabinet minutes of April 21, 1807, by 

 all the ministers except Perceval, fully acquitting her, 

 and desiring her to be received publicly at Court. 



" The advice I am disposed to give is this : that an 

 able narrative be drawn up, with a proper selection 

 from the papers, and suppression of private names, if 

 this is deemed advisable. The Princess will do what- 

 ever is thought best. 



