nce Augustus of Prussia, and
her resolving to marry him and nobody else, not knowing that he
was already married _de la main gauche_ in Prussia. It seems that
she speedily made known her sentiments to the Prince, and he
(notwithstanding his marriage) followed the thing up, and had two
interviews with her at her own house, which were contrived by Miss
Knight, her governess. During one of these Miss Mercer arrived,
and Miss Knight told her that Prince Augustus was with the
Princess in her room, and what a fright she (Miss Knight) was in.
Miss Mercer, who evidently had no mind anybody should conduct such
an affair for the Princess but herself, pressed Miss Knight to go
and interrupt them, which on her declining she did herself. The
King (Regent as he was then) somehow heard of these meetings, and
measures of coercion were threatened, and it was just when an
approaching visit from him had been announced to the Princess that
she went off. Miss Mercer was in the house at the time, and the
Regent, when he came, found her there. He accused her of being a
party to the Princess's flight, but afterwards either did or
pretended to believe her denial, and sent her to fetch the
Princess back, which after many _pourparlers_ and the intervention
of the Dukes of York and Sussex, Brougham, and the Bishop of
Salisbury, her preceptor, was accomplished at two in the morning.

Hess's affair was an atrocity of the Princess of Wales. She
employed him to convey letters to her daughter while she used to
ride in Windsor Park, which he contrived to deliver, and
occasionally to converse with her; and on one occasion, at
Kensington, the Princess of Wales brought them together in her own
room. The Princess afterwards wrote him some letters, not
containing much harm, but idle and improper. When the Duke of
York's affair with Mrs. Clark came out, and all the correspondence,
she became very much alarmed, told Miss Mercer the whole story,
and employed her to get back her letters to Hess. She accordingly
wrote to Hess (who was then in Spain), but he evinced a
disinclination to give them up. On his return to England she saw
him, and on his still demurring she threatened to put the affair
into the Duke of York's hands, which frightened him, and then he
surrendered them, and signed a paper declaring he had given up
everything. The King afterwards heard of this affair, and
questioning the Princess, she told him everything. He sent for
Miss Mercer, and desi