esist, and should refuse to see them,
at all events for some time.

The Prince wished me to mention this to Lord Melbourne when I went to
take leave of him, and to urge Lord Melbourne to set this right with
the Queen by his advice before he parted with the Queen, reminding him
that his view had always been that from this moment the Prince would
take up a new position, and that the Queen, no longer having Lord
Melbourne to resort to in case of need, must from this moment consult
and advise with the Prince. That Lord Melbourne should urge the Queen
to have no scruple in employing the Prince, and showing that unless
a proper understanding existed from the first, he in attempting to do
good would be easily misrepresented.

I found Lord Melbourne alone in his dressing-room and put this case
before him. He said he had always thought that when he left the
service of the Queen the Prince would of necessity be brought forward,
and must render great assistance to the Queen; and the Queen's
confidence in his judgment having so much increased, this consequence
was the more natural. The Prince must, however, be very cautious at
first, and in a little time he would fall into it. He must be
very careful not to alarm the Queen, by Her Majesty for an instant
supposing that the Prince was carrying on business with Peel without
her cognisance.

If it were possible for any one to advise Peel, he would recommend
that he should write fully to Her Majesty, and _elementarily_, as Her
Majesty always liked to have full knowledge upon everything which was
going on. He would advise the Queen to be cautious in giving a verbal
decision, that she should not allow herself to be _driven into a
corner_, and forced to decide where she felt her mind was not made up
and required reflection.

Peel should be very careful that intelligence came first from him
direct. King William was very particular upon this point, so was the
Queen.

I asked Lord Melbourne if he had considered the future position of
himself with the Queen, and also of Peel with the Queen. He said he
owned he had not and would avoid entering into any discussion--he felt
sure that he should be regarded with extreme jealousy, not so much by
Peel as by the party. He would be looked upon as Lord Bute had been in
his relation to George III.,--always suspected of secret
intercourse and intrigue. He would make me the medium of any written
communication.

With regard to Peel's position with