"I hope, you do me the juftice to be lieve, it is as much against my will, that

very

I now tell you, that, after this, it is ' unfit lady MARLBOROUGH fhould stay with you, fince that gives her husband fo just a pretence of being where he ought

not.

I think, I might have expected you should have spoke to me of it. And the 'KING and I, both believing it, made us

ftay thus long. But feeing you was fo * far from it, that you brought lady MARLBOROUGH hither last night, makes us refolve to put it off no longer, but tell you, fhe must not ftay; and that I have all the reafon imaginable to look upon your bringing her, as the strangest thing that ever was done. Nor could all my kind f nefs for you (which is ever ready to turn s all you do the best way, at any other time) have hindred me fhewing you that * moment, but I confidered your condition, and that made me mafter myself fo far, as not to take notice of it then.

But

• But now I must tell you, it was very ‹ unkind in a fifter, would have been very ⚫ uncivil in an equal, and I need not say I have more to claim. Which, though. my kindness would make me never exact, yet when I fee the ufe you would make of it, I must tell you, I know what is due to me, and expect to have it from you. 'Tis upon that account, I tell you plainly, lady MARLBOROUGH must not • continue with you in the circumstances < her lord is.

C

• I know this will be uneafy to you, and I am forry for it; and it is very much so to me to fay all this to you, for I have all the real kindness imaginable for you, and

as I ever have, fo will always do my part

to live with you as fifters ought. That is, not only like fo near relations, but like friends. And, as fuch, I did think to write to you. For I would have made ? myfelf believe your kindness for her made you at firft forget that you should have ' for the KING and ME; and resolved to put you in mind of it myself, neither of

us being willing to come to harfher ways. • But the fight of lady MARLBOROUGH having changed my thoughts, does naturally alter my ftile. And fince by that I • fee how little you feem to confider what even in common civility you owe us, I • have told it you plainly; but withal af• fure you, that let me have never fo much • reafon to take any thing ill of you, my

7

• kindness is so great, that I can pass over • most things, and live with you, as becomes

me. And I defire to do fo merely from ⚫ that motive. For I do love you, as my fifter, and nothing but yourself can make me do otherwife. And that is the reafon I chufe to write this, rather than tell it you, that you may overcome your first thoughts; and when you have well confidered, you will find, that though the ⚫ thing be hard, (which I again affure you I am forry for) yet it is not unreasonable but what has ever been practifed, and what you yourself would do, were you in my place.'

2

I will end this with once more defiring you to confider the matter impartially, and take time for it. I do not defire an an

'fwer presently, because I would not have you give a rash one. I fhall come to your drawing-room to-morrow before you play, ⚫ because you know why I cannot make one: At fome other time we shall reafon the

business calmly; which I will willingly do,

or any thing else that may shew, it shall

< never be my fault if we do not live kind

ly together: Nor will I ever be other by

choice, but your truly loving and affectionate fifter,

M. R.

I am perhaps too much concerned in the affair to be a proper judge of this letter. However, Ishall take the liberty to remark, that it seems not easy to reconcile the QUEEN'S being forry to say fo much, with her employing at the fame time fuch useless repe÷ titions; as if it had been a pleasure to her to remind her fifter of the diftance between them, and of what was due from the PRIN

CESS

CESS of Denmark to the QUEEN of England. And I have wondered too, that so much kindness for a fifter, big with child, and fo much piety (for it must be observed the QUEEN was in devotion) did not hinder her from doing a thing which the owns is hard. Her MAJESTY indeed fays, that though it be bard, it is not unreasonable; but what has ever been practised, and what the PRINCESS berfelf would do in her place. What the PRINCESS would have done in her place, no body can tell: (she herself thought that thẹ would not have done like the QUEEN.) But that it was not the conftant practice is certain from many inftances to the contrary, and particularly one, at that very time in the cafe of the marchionefs of HALIFAX. And if the practice was not conftant, how reasonable it was for the QUEEN to infift upon it in my cafe, I believe, I may safely leave to the judgment of her most zealous advocates.

For how difagreeable foever to the QUEEN my conduct had been, it would have proved no easy task to her, to find in any part of it a plau