JET. 43.] AFTER THE TRIAL. 419 



enemies, that she had formed an acquaintance with 

 certain individuals, should have been warning enough. 

 Of these Lady Oxford was the chief. In 1814 they 

 had put about these reports, and at the time of the 

 rumours confidently asserting her intimacy I can 

 most positively affirm that she had never even seen 

 her. She soon after saw a great deal of her abroad, 

 and was not deterred by the eagerness of the Carlton 

 House set to find that it was so. The same kind of 

 things continually occurred in 1820 and the following 

 spring. She passed her time very uncomfortably, in 

 consequence of constant vexations arising from the 

 scandalous newspapers and the reports in society, most 

 of which were purposely brought to her knowledge, in 

 the hope of wearing her out, and making her again go 

 abroad. Among the tricks practised, there were thefts 

 of her papers and letters, as well as of letters in other 

 people's possession. I recollect one instance of a person 

 in the Duke of York's service, who had been in that 

 of Sir James Graham, and had there picked up a letter 

 of mine giving an account of the difficulty we had in 

 prevailing upon her to attend the great ceremony of 

 her going to St Paul's to return thanks on the bill 

 being defeated. I had observed how false the belief 

 was that she was so fond of popular demonstrations ; 

 and I said it was with great difficulty that we could 

 get her to St Paul's. This was put into some person's 

 hands for the purpose of being printed, and of showing 

 how disrespectfully her lawyers talked of her. I do not 

 recollect what the letter called her, but the slander- 

 monger who used it thought it would be the better if 

 a word were added, and he put in " sober," it being 

 one of the many lies told about her that she was given 



