2$6 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1814. 



Madam, for the freedom with which I have presumed 

 to speak. I am so entirely devoted to the service of 

 your Koyal Highness and the Princess Charlotte (which 

 I deem the cause of the country), that I would willingly 

 risk even the displeasure of both to serve either ; and 

 I assure you most solemnly that I am not by any 

 means singular in my fears upon the present occasion. 

 I would fain be furnished with some formal pledge from 

 your Koyal Highness that you merely go for a visit or 

 a tour, in order that I may feel authorised to contra- 

 dict the reports already in circulation. But such con- 

 tradiction will be all in vain if your Royal Highness, 

 before going, shall make such arrangements as are 

 preparatory to a permanent absence. 



" I have the honour to be, with profound respect, 

 Madam, your Royal Highnesses most devoted and 

 dutiful servant, H. BROUGHAM." 



At this time I wrote as follows to Lord Grey : 



"YORK, July 29, 1814. 



"Mr DEAR LORD GREY, I received your letter from 

 London, and if you have by this time got the one I 

 wrote to prevent you from coming to London, you 

 will have perceived that I was clearly of opinion that 

 the thing stood as well as possible, and that we ought 

 to leave it there for the present, hanging the discussion 

 over their heads till next session. 



" As to your trip to London, it is no doubt a bore ; 

 and no one regrets it more than I do, having been the 

 means of bringing you up. Yet I am clearly of opin- 

 ion that your journey has done much good, both in 

 encouraging and disheartening. Nothing short of it 

 would have disconcerted the silly hopes the blind 



