JET. 36.] AND THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. 229 



was bound to do. He and the Princess talked in 

 German, but this was well understood by the Princess 

 Charlotte and also by Miss Mercer, so that nothing 

 was concealed which passed. After dinner I first 

 begged the Princess Charlotte to give me a full 

 account of what had caused her flight. She said she 

 could not bear any longer the treatment she met with 

 of changing her ladies without her consent, and of 

 interrupting her intercourse with her mother and 

 Margaret (meaning Miss Mercer), her most intimate 

 friend; and that it was her fixed resolution, after throw- 

 ing herself on her mother's protection, to reside with 

 her entirely. But she dwelt much upon the match ; 

 and though I repeated what I had often assured her 

 of, that without her consent freely given it never 

 could take place, she said, " They may wear me out 

 by ill-treatment, and may represent that I have 

 changed my mind and consented." We then con- 

 versed upon the subject with the others, and after a 

 long discussion on that and her lesser grievances, she 

 took me aside and asked me what, upon the whole, I 

 advised her to do. I said at once, " Eeturn to War- 

 wick House or Carlton House, and on no account to 

 pass a night out of her own house." She was ex- 

 tremely affected, and cried, asking if I too refused to 

 stand by her. I said quite the contrary, and that as 

 to the marriage I gave no opinion, except that she 

 must follow her own inclination entirely, but that her 

 returning home was absolutely necessary ; and in this 

 all the rest fully agreed her mother, the Duke of 

 Sussex, Miss Mercer, and Lady Charlotte Lindsay, for 

 whom she had a great respect and regard. I said that, 

 however painful it was for me, the necessity was so 



