'One day, the Princess showed me a large book, in which she had written characters of a great many of the leading persons in England. She read me some of them. They were drawn with spirit, but I could not form any opinion of their justice; first, because a mere outline, however boldly sketched, cannot convey a faithful portraiture of character; and, secondly, because many of the persons mentioned therein wre unknown to me. Upon the whole, these characters impressed me with a high opinion of her discernment and power of expression. Not that it was good English, but that it was strong sense. But how dangerous! If that book exists, it would form a curious episode in the memoirs of those times.'