^T. 36.] AND THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. 185 



performance of a contract. But the attempts to over- 

 come her reluctance continued, and new threats were 

 used, and new vexations practised, especially with re- 

 spect to her household, as a punishment for her refusal. 

 Her mother was as much averse to the match as she 

 was herself; but certainly she did not lead her in the 

 dislike of it; she only joined, and did nothing to 

 overcome her repugnance. I believe, indeed, that 

 there was some family difference arising out of the 

 share her father (the Duke of Brunswick) formerly had 

 in the expedition which supported the Stadtholder's 

 family against the States in 1788. 



During the three or four weeks that this dispute 

 lasted, she only wavered in her resolution from the 

 anxiety to be freed from the thraldom in which she 

 was kept ; but any time that she listened with favour 

 to the proposal, the apprehension of a foreign residence 

 put an end to all chance of her yielding ; because on 

 one thing she was resolved, and peremptorily, the 

 establishment in this country as her general residence, 

 and any visit to Holland being only occasional and 

 temporary. Upon the whole subject of her rights, 

 and the Prince's power by law, I had fully informed 

 her, and on one occasion had written a very strong 

 letter to dissuade her from a project she had for a 

 moment conceived, of requiring formally to be consid- 

 ered as of age, which she imagined to be at eighteen. 

 On all that regarded the match I had constant cor- 

 respondence with her through Lady Charlotte Lindsay 

 chiefly, but sometimes through others of her mother's 

 household. 



The following letter relates to this proposed match : 



