206 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1814. 



sion of the letter) she grew extremely impatient, and 

 resolved to leave Windsor, by running away to her 

 mother's, and desired this plan to be communicated to 

 me. I need not enter into details, which are long ; 

 but I certainly prevented this step from being taken. 

 She then wished to see me privately, to talk over her 

 case, and had arranged a scheme for the purpose ; but 

 I refused peremptorily, and explained the extreme 

 danger to herself of such proceedings, but continued 

 to advise her through her mother. 



" The other circumstance is, that she having after- 

 wards written a letter, I believe in the most frank and 

 confidential terms, to a political friend in whose dis- 

 cretion I had no kind of confidence, and sent it to me 

 to deliver to him, I of my own authority stopt it 

 and kept it, refusing to deliver it either to the person 

 to whom it was written, or to the mother, through 

 whom I received it. A week had not elapsed before 

 she was quite convinced that I had saved her from a 

 dreadful scrape in both those quarters, and expressed 

 her relief and gratitude most fully. 



" I believe that these circumstances, rather than my 

 connection with the Princess of "Wales, a-re the origin 

 of her late communication (and of others of lesser note 

 last summer). The affair of Lady Perceval, indeed, 

 was not likely to make her look much towards her 

 mother at this moment; and, conscientiously speaking, 

 I really could not recommend any one to have any 

 communication with the latter while the most remote 

 possibility remains of her ever seeing that friend. 



" I must now add that she agreed to the match as 

 a mere matter of convenience and emancipation, car- 

 ing for the Prince of Orange literally nothing. The 



