EDWARDS'S GENUINE EDITION, THE BOOK !" OR, THE PROCEEDINGS AND CORRESPONDENCE UPON THE SUBJECT OF THE INQUIRY . INTO THE CONDUCT OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS tfrftwotf of ffialig UNDER A COMMISSION APPOINTED BY THE KING IN THE YEAR 1806. FAITHFULLY COPIED FROM AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, 2U $arrattoe of rtje Decent That have led to the Publication of the Origiual Documents. WITH A STATEMENT OF FACTS RELATIVE TO THE CHILD, Now nnder the Protection of Her Royal Highness. Stonfcon : PRINTED BY AND FOR RICHARD EDWARDS, CRANE COURT, FLEET STREET ; AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM- 1813. ADVERTISEMENT. THE publisher of the present Volume cannot but regret that circumstances, of an imperious nature, have rendered it absolutely necessary that the WHOLE OF THE DOCUMENTS upon the subject of the Inquiry into the Conduct of Her ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES, should be submitted to the examination of the public. This being the only means by which a fair and impartial judgment can be formed upon the "De- licate Investigation," the publisher conceives that he is merely performing an act of justice in delivering to the world a genuine and unmutilated copy of the suppressed book, as it was printed by him in the year 1807, under the direction of the late Mr. PERCEVAL. Of the herd of spurious works on this subject, which are so industriously obtruded upon public notice, it is unnecessary to speak. The garbled 2O687Q4 extracts, also, that have been given in the News- papers are but ill calculated to satisfy the public concerning this highly important and interesting Inquiry. In addition to the documents printed in 1807, the present work will be found to contain a Mi- nute of Cabinet of January 25, 1807 ; a Minute of Council of April 21, in the same year; and a Letter from the Princess of Wales to the King, dated the 2nd of October, 1806. To this edition, exclusively, are added, A Nar- rative of the Hecent Events, that have led to the publication of the " Book ;" and A Statement of Facts, relative to the CHILD now under the pro- tection of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales; disclosing circumstances of great interest, which are exclusively in the possession of the publisher. Crane Court, Fleet Street, March 19, 1813. CONTENTS. Page A NARRATIVE of Recent Events, ix REPO RT of tlie Commissioners 3 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated August 12, 1806 10 Note from the Princess of Wales to the Lord Chan- cellor, dated August 17, 1806 13 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated August 17, 1806 13 Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, dated August 20, 1806 19 Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, dated August 24, 1 806 20 Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, dated August 29, 1806 21 Note from the Princess of Wales to the Lord Chan- cellor, dated August 31, 1806.... 22 Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, dated September 2, 1 806 24 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated October 2, 1806 .'.. 2t Deposition of Thomas Manby, Esq. dated the 22d of September, 1806... I 181 Deposition of Thomas Lawrence, Esq. dated the 24th of September, 1806....... 182 Deposition of Thomas Edmeades, dated September 26, 1806, 184 Memorandums of the Heads of Conversation be- tween Lord Moira, Mr. Low ten, and Mr. Ed- meades, on the 14th of May, 1806 187 Deposition of Jonathan Partridge, sworn on the 25th of September, 1806 1Q1 Deposition of Philip Krackeler and Robert Eagle- stone, sworn on the 27th of September, 1806 .. 192 Letter from the Princess of Wales to his Majesty, dated the 8th of Dec. 1806 194 VI CONTENTS. Page Minute of Cabinet, January 25, 1807, 198 Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, dated January 28, 1807 200 Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales.... 201 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated January 9, 1807 203 Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales, dated January 29, 1807 '204 Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales, dated February 10, 1307-.- 204 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated February 12, 1807 205 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated February 16, 1807 206 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated March 5, 1807 243 Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated October 2, 1806 245 Minute of Council, dated April 21, 1807 246 LIST OF THE DOCUMENTS STATED IN THE APPENDIXES. APPENDIX (A.) No. 1. Warrant, or Commission, authorising the Inquiry, dated May 29, 1806 1 2. Deposition of Charlotte Lady Douglas, sworn June 1, 1806 $> 3. Deposition of Sir John Douglas, sworn on the 6th of June, 1 806 8 4. Deposition of Robert Bidgood, swoi n on the J st of June, 1806 .... 9 5. Deposition of William Cole, sworn on the 6th of June, 1806 , n CONTENTS. vii No. Page 6. Deposition of Frances Lloyd, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 13 7. Deposition of Mary Ann Wilson, sworn June 7th, 1806 15 8. Deposition of Samuel Roberts, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 16 9. Deposition of Thomas Stikeman, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 17 10. Deposition of John Sicard, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 20 1 1. Deposition of Charlotte Sander, sworn on the 7th ofJune, 1806 21 12. Deposition of Sophia Austin, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 24 13. Letter from Earl Spencer to Lord Gwydir, dated JuneSO, 1806 25 14. Letter from Lord Gwydir to Earl Spencer, dated the 2Ist June, 1806 ..... k 25 15. Letter from Lady Willoughby to Earl Spencer, dated the 21st of June, 1806 27 16. Extract from the Register of Brownlow Street Hospital, dated 23d June, 1806 27 17. Deposition of Elizabeth Gosden, sivorn the 23d of June, 1806 28 18. Deposition of Betty Townley, sworn the 23d of June, 1806 ,- 29 19- Deposition of Thomas Edmeades, sworn the 25th of June, 1806 30 20. Deposition of Samuel Gillam Mills, sworn the 25th of June,1806 32 21. Deposition of Harriet Fitzgerald, sworn the 27th of June, 1806 33 22. Letter from Earl Spencer to Lord Gwydir, dated the 1st of July, 1806 , 36 23. Letter from Lord Gwydir to Earl Spencer, dated the 3rd of July, 1806 37 24. Queries and Answers of Lord Gwydir. ........ 37 25. Robert Bidgood's further Deposition, sworn the 3d of July, 1806 39 26. Deposition of Sir Francis Millman, sworn the 3rd of July, 1806 41 27. Deposition of Mrs. Lisle, sworn on the 3rd of July, 1806 42 28. Let ter from .-sir Francis Millman, dated the 4th ofJuly, 1806 46 29. Deposition of Earl Cholmondeley, sworn on the I6thof July, 1806 47 Vlll CONTENTS. APPENDIX (B.) No. Page 1. Statement of Lady Douglas, signed on the 3d of December, 1805 49 2. Narrative of the Duke of Kent, signed on the 27th of December, 1805 92 3. Examinations of Sarah Lampert and William Lampert ... ......,_ 97 4. First Examination of William Cole, dated the llth of January, 1806 98 5. Second Examination of William Cole, dated the 14th of January, 1806 , 100 6. Third Examination of William Cole, dated the 30th of January, 1P06 102 7. Fourth Examination of William Cole, dated the 23d of February, 1806 102 8. Examination of Robert Bidgood, dated the 4th of April, 1806 103 9. Examination of Sarah Bidgood ..... 106 10. Frances Lloyd, dated the 12th of May, 1806 107 Statement of Facts relative to the Child now under the protection of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales 119 A NARRATIVE OP THE That have ted to the Publication of the Original Dof la- ments relative to Her Royal Highness THE PRINCESS OF WALES. the last three months, ST many hints, advertisements, and notices appeared in the daily papers, and in various other ways, that the public mind, was, in some measure, prepared to expect a full disclosure of the proceedings relative to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The following occur- rence was the first that strengthened the conviction of every bserver on this subject. On the 14th of January last, a sealed letter was transmitted to Lord Liverpool and Lord Eldon, by Lady Charlotte Camp- bell, as lady in waiting for the month, expressing her Royal Highness's pleasure that it should be presented to the Princa Regent j and there was an open copy for their perusal On the 15th, the Earl of Liverpool presented his compli- ments to Lady Charlotte Campbell, and returned the letter unopened. On the l6th, it was returned by Lady Charlotte, intimating, that as it contained matter of importance to the State, she relied on their laying it before his Royal Highness. It was again returned unopened, with the Earl of Liverpool's com- pliments to Lady Charlotte, saying, thst the Prince saw no reason to depart from his determination. > On the 1/th, it was returned, in the same way, by command of her Royal Highness, expressing her confidence, that the two noble lords would not take upon themselves the responsibility t f not communicating the letter to his Royal Highness, and that she should not be the only subject in the empire, whose petition was not to be permitted to reach the throne. To this an answer was given, that the contents of it had beea made known to the Prince. On the Igth, her Royal Highness directed a letter to be ad- dressed to the two noble lords, desiring to know whether it had been made known to his Royal Highness, by being read to him, and to know his pleasure thereon. No answer was given to this letter, and therefore on the 26th, she directed a letter to be written, expressing her sur- prize, that no answer had been given to her application for a whole week. To this, an answer was received, addressed to the Princess, stating, that in consequence of her Royal Highness's demand. her letter had been read to the Prince Regent on the 23rd, but that he had not been pleased to express his pleasure thereon. The following is a copy of this important document : " Sir, " It is with great reluctance that I presume to obtrude myself upon your Royal Highness, and to solicit your attention to matters which may, at first, appear rather of a personal than a public nature. If I could think them so if they related merely to myself I should abstain from a proceeding which might give uneasiness, or interrupt the more weighty occupa- tions of your Royal Highness's time. I should continue, in silence and retirement, to lead the life which has been pre- scribed to me, and console myself for the loss of that society and those domestic comforts to which I have so long been a .Danger, by the reflection that it has been deemed proper I should be afflicted without any fault of my own and that your Royal Highness knows. " But, Sir, there are considerations of a higher nature than any regard to my own -happiness, which render this address a duty both to myself and my daughter. May I venture to say a duty also to my husband, and the people committed to fc'u care ? There is a point beyond which a guiltless woman Wnnot with safety carry her forbearance. If her honour is invaded, the defence of her reputation is no longer a matter of choice ; and it signifies not whether the attack be made openly, manfully, and directly or by secret insinuation, and by holding such conduct towards her as countenances all tha suspicions that malice can suggest. If these ought to be the feelings of every woman in England who is conscious thaf she deserves no reproach, your Royal Highness has too sound a judgment, and too nice a sense of honour, not to perceive, how much more justly they belong to the mother of your daughter the mother of her who is destined, I trust at a very distant period, to reign over the British Empire. " It may be known to your Royal Highness, that during the continuance of the restrictions upon your royal authority, I purposely refrained from making any representa tions which might then augment the painful difficulties of your exalted station. At the expiration of the restrictions, I still was in- clined to delay taking this step, in the hope that I might ow the redress I sought to your gracious and unsolicited conde- scension. I have waited, in the fond indulgence of this expectation, until, to my inexpressible mortification, I find that my unwillingness to complain, has only produced fresh grounds of complaint j and I am at length compelled, either to abandon all regard for the two dearest objects which I pos- sess on earth, mine own honour, and my beloved child, or to throw myself at the feet of your Royal Highness, the natural protector of both. " I presume, Sir, to represent to your Royal Highness, that the separation, which every succeeding month is making wider, of the mother and the daughter, is equally injurious to my character and to her education. I say nothing of the deep wounds which so cruel an atrangement inflicts upon my feel- ings, although I would fain hope that few persons will be found of a disposition to think lightly of these. To see my- self cut off from one of the few domestic enjoyments left me certainly the only one upon which I set any value, the society of my child involves me in iuch misery, as I w*ll b 2 know your tloyal Highness could never inflict upon me if y6ft were aware of its bitterness. Our intercourse has been gra- dually diminished. A single interview, weekly, seemed suf- ficiently hard allowance for a mother's affections. That, however, was reduced to our meeting once a fortnight j and I now learn that even this most rigorous interdiction is to be still more rigidly enforced. " But while I do not venture to intrude my feelings as t. mother upon your Royal Highness's notice, I must be allowed to say, that in the eyes of an observing and jealous world, this separation of a daughter from her mother, will only ad- ftjit of one construction a construction fatal to the mother's tep'Btation. Your Royal Highness will also pardon me for ad- ding, that there is no less inconsistency than injustice; in this treatment, sHe who dares advise your Royal Highness to over- look the evidence of my innocence, and disregard the sentence of complete acquittal which it produced ; or is wicked and false" enough still to whisper suspicions in your ear, betrays . hi* duty to you, sir, to your daughter, and to your people, if he counsels you to permit a day to pass without a further investigation of my conduct, f know that no such calum- niator will venture lo recommend a measure which must speedily end in his utter confusion. Then let me implore you to reflect on the situation in which I am placed : without the shadow of a charge against me---witliout even an accuser- after an inquiry that led to my ample vindication yet treated as if I were still more culpable than the perjuries of my suborned trac'ucers represented me, and held up to the world as a mother who may not enjoy the society of her only child. "The feelings, sir, which are natural to my unexampled situation, might justify me in the gracious judgment of your Royal Highness had I no other motives for addressing you buj such as relate to myself. But I will not disguise from your Royal Highness what I cannot for a moment conceal from my- self, that the serious, and it soon may be, the irreparable injury which my daughter sustains from the plan at present 'pursued, has done more in overcoming my reluctance to in- trude upon your Royal Highness, than any sufferings of my own could accomplish j and if for her sake I presume to c.'ll away your Royal Highness's attention from the other cares of your exalted station, I feel confident I am not claiming it for a 'matter of inferior importance either to yourself or your people. " The powers with which the constitution of these realm* vests your Royal Highness in the regulation of the royal family, I know, because I am so advised, are ample and unquestion- able. Mv appeal, sir, is made to your excellent sense and liberality of mind in the exercise of those powers ; and I willingly hope that your own parental feelings will lead you to excuse the anxiety of mine for impelling me to represent the unhappy consequences which the present system must en- tail upon our beloved child. " It is impossible, sir, that any one can have attempted to persuade your Royal Highness, that her character will not be injured by the perpetual violence offered to her strongest af- fections the studied care taken to estrange her from my society, and even to interrupt all communication between us ? That her love for me, with whom, by his Majesty's wise and gracious arrangements, she passed the years of her infancy and childhood, never can be extinguished, I well know, and the knowledge of it forms the greatest blessing of my existence. " But let me implore your Royal Highness to reflect how inevitably all attempts to abate this attachment, by forcibly se- parating us, if they succeed, must injure my child's principles if they fail, must destroy her happiness. " The plan of excluding my daughter from all intercourse with the world, appears to my humble judgment peculiarly unfor- tunate. She who is destined to be the sovereign of this great country, enjoys none of those advantages of society which are deemed necessary for imparting a knowledge of mankind to ersons who have infinitely less occasion to learn that impor- tant lesson 5 and it may so happen, by a chance which I trust is very remote, that she should be called upon to exercise th powers of the Crown, with an experience of the world more confined than that of the most private individual. To the ex- traordinary talents with which she is blessed, and which ac- company a disposition as singularly amiable, frank, and de- cided, I willingly trust much ; but beyond a certain point the greatest natural endowments cannot struggle against the dis- advantages of circumstances and situation. It is my earnest prayer, for her own sake, as well as her country's, that your Royal Highness may be induced to pause before this point be reached. " Those who have advised you, sir, to delay so long the period of my daughter's commencing her intercourse with the world, and for that purpose to make Windsor her residence, appear not to have regarded the interruptions to her education which this arrangement occasions ; both by the impossibility of obtaining the attendance of proper teachers, and the time unavoidably consumed in the frequent journies to town, which she must make, unless she is to be secluded from all intercourse, even with your Royal Highness and the rest of the royal family. To the same unfortunate counsels I ascribe a circumstance in every way so distressing both to my parental and religious feelings, that my daughter has never yet enjoyed the benefit of confir- mation, although above a year older than the age at which all the other branches of the royal family have partaken of that solemnity. May I earnestly conjure you, sir, to hear my in- treaties upon this serious matter, even if you should listen to other advisers on things of less near concernment to the wel- fare of our child ? " The pain with which I have at length formed the resolution of addressing myself to your Royal Highness is such as I should in vain attempt to express. If I could adequately describe it, you might be enabled, sir, to estimate the strength of the motives which have made me submit to it. They are the most powerful feelings of affection, and the deepest impressions of duty towards your Royal Highness, my beloved child, and the country, which I devotedly hope she may be preserved to govern, and to shew, by a new example, the liberal affection of a free and generous people to a virtuous and constitutional monarch. " I am, Sir, with profound respect,'and an attachment which nothing can alter, Your Royal Highness's Most devoted and most affectionate Consort, Cousin, and Subject, (Signed) CAROLINE LOUISA." " Montague House, Jan. 14, 1813. Various Cabinet Meetings and Proceedings succeeded this letter almost immediately. We must now advert to another circumstance connected with the Investigation. The Princess Charlotte having been in- disposed, previously to the Fete given by the Prince Regent, at Carlton House, on the 5th of February, and this illness after- wards increasing, her Royal Highness was necessarily oblige to defer her return to Windsor. In consequence of this, the Princess of Wales, on the 8th of February, addressed herself to Lord Liverpool, desiring that he would communicate to the Prince Regent her Royal Highness's intention to visit the Prin- cess Charlotte at Warwick-house. Lord Liverpool replied, that he was happy to announce the Princess Charlotte so much better, that her Royal Highness would be able to visit the Prin- cess of Wales, at Kensington Palace, on the following Thurs- day, February the llth. On that morning, the Princess fof Wales received information that the Princess Charlotte waj refused coming. Upon this, the Princess of Wales again addressed Lord Liverpool to know the reason, none having been assigned, for the Princess Charlotte's being thus suddenly prohibited from giving the meeting to her royal mother, and when and how soon her Royal Highness might expect to see the Princess .Charlotte. To this inquiry, the Princess of Wales received the following reply from Lord Liverpool : (COPY.) " Fife-house, Pel. 14, 1813. te Lord Liverpool has the honour to inform your Royal Highness, that in consequence of the publication, in the Morn- ing Chronicle of the 10th inst., of a letter addressed by your Royal Highness to the Prince Regent, bis Royal Highness thought fit, by the advice of his confidential servants, to signify his commands that the intended visit of th& Princess. Charlotte to your Royal Highness, on the following day, should not take pi ace. " Lord Liverpool is not enabled to make any further com- munication to your Royal Highness on the subject of your Royal Highness's note." To this letter, the Princess of Wales commanded Lady Ann* Hamilton, her lady in waiting, to reply, as follows, to Lord Liverpool : " Montague- House, Btackheath, Pel. 15, 1813. " Lady Anne Hamilton is commanded by her Royal High- ness the Princess of Wales to represent to Lord Liverpool that the insidious insinuation, respecting the publication of the letter addressed by the Princess of Wales, on the 14th of January, to the Prince Regent, conveyed hi his lordship's reply to her Royal Highness, is as void of foundation and as false as all the former accusations of the traducers of her Royal Highness's honour in the year 1806. " Lady A- Hamilton is further commanded to say, that dignified silence would have been the line of conduct the Princess would have preserved upon such insinuation (more than unbecoming Lord Liverpool) , did not the effect arising from it, operate to deprive her Royal Highness of the sole real happiness she can possess in this world that of seeing her only child. And the confidential servants of the Prince Regent ought to feel ashamed of their conduct towards the, Princess, in avowing to her Royal Highness their advice to the Prince Regent, that upon "unauthorized and unfounded suppo- sitions, a mother and daughter should be prevented from meet- ing a prohibition positively against the law of nature. Lady ( xvii > Anne Hamilton is commanded further to desire Lord Liver- pool to lay this paper before the Prince Regent, that his Royal Highness may be aware into \vhat errors his confidential servants are leading him, and will involve him, by counselling and signifying such commands. Here closed the correspondence. The Cabinet meetings still continued to be held, and the Princess of Wales not being informed concerning the nature, form, and object of their proceedings, her Royal Highness on the 27th of February, addressed the subjoined letter to the Earl of Harrowby : Copy of a letter addressed by the Princess of Wales to the Earl of Harrowby, Feb. 27, 1813. " The Princess of Wales has received reports from various quarters of certain proceedings lately held by his Majesty's Privy Council respecting her Royal Highness ; and the Princess has felt persuaded that these reports must be unfounded, be- cause she could not believe it possible that any resolution should be taken by that most honourable body in any respect affecting her Royal Highness, upon statements which she has had no opportunity of answering, explaining, or even seeing. " The Princess still trusts that there is no truth in these rumours ; but she feels it due to herself to lose no time in protesting against any resolutions affecting her Royal High- ness, which may be so adopted. " The noble and right honourable persons who are said to have been selected for these proceedings, are too just to decide any thing touching her Royal Highness, without affording her an opportunity of laying her case before them. The Princess has not had any power to choose the Judges before whom any inquiry may be carried on ; but she is perfectly willing to have her whole conduct inquired into by any persons who may be selected by her accusers. The Princess only demands that sh* may be heard in defence or in explanation of her conduct, if it is attacked ; and that she should either be treated as inoo- eent, or proved to be guilty." ( xviii ) A topy of the Report of the honourable the Privy Council, having been laid before the Prince Regent, was transmit- ted to her Royal Highness by Viscount Sidmouth, on the evening of the day on which the above letter was sent; and Lord Harrowby replied to her Royal Highness, by letter, to this effect. 'The Report is as follows : TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE RBGEWT. The following members of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, viz. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, The right honourable the Lord High Chancellor, His Grace the Archbishop of York, His Grace the Lord Primate of Ireland, The Lord President of the Council, The Lord Privy Seal, The Earl of Buckinghamshire, The Earl Bathurst, The Earl of Liverpool, The Earl of Mulgrave, The Viscount Melville, The Viscount Sidmouth, The Viscount Castlereagh, The i ight honourable the Lord Bishop of London, The right honourable Lord Ellenborough, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, The right hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons, The right honourable the Chancellor ot the Exchequer, The right honourable the Chancellor of the Duchy, His honour tfie Master of the Rolls, The right honourable the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas*, * The Chief Justice of the Curt of Common Pleas was prevented by ndispoiition from attending, during any part of these proceedings. The right honourable the Jx>rd Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, The right honourable the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, The right honourable the Dean of the Arches ; Having been summoned by command f your Royal High- ness, on the IQth of February, to meet at the office of Vis- count Sidmouth, Secretary of State for the home department, a communication was made by his lordship to the lords then present, in the following terms ; " MY LORDS,--! have it in command from his Royal High- ness the Prince Regent, to acquaint your lordships, that a copy of a letter from the Princess of Wales to the Prince Regent having appeared in a public paper, which letter refers to the proceedings that took place in an Inquiry instituted by com- mand of his Majesty, in the year 1806, and contains among other matters, certain animadversions upon the manner in which the Prince Regent has exercised his undoubted right of regulating the conduct and education of his daughter the Prin- cess Charlotte 5 and his Royal Highness having taken into his consideration the said letter so published, and adverting to the directions heretofore given by his Majesty, that the documents relating to the said Inquiry should be sealed up, and deposited in the office of his Majesty's principal Secretary of State, in order that his Majesty's government should possess the means of resorting to them if necessary, his Royal Highness has been pleased to direct, that the said letter of the Princess of Wales, and the whole of the said documents, together with the copies of other letters and papers, of which a schedule is annexed, should be referred to your lordships, being members of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, for your consider- ation : and that you should report to his Royal Highness your opinion, whether, under all the circumstances of the case, it be fit and proper that the intercourse between the Princess of Wales and her daughter the Princess Charlotte, should con- tinue to be subject to regulations and restrictions." " Their lordships adjourned their meetings to Tuesday, the 23d of February j and the intermediate days having been em- ( xx ) ployed in perusing the documents referred to them, by com- mand of your Royal Highness, they proceeded on that and the following day to the further consideration of the said docu- ments, and have agreed to report to your Royal Highness as follows : " In obedience to the commands of your Royal Highness,we have taken into our most serious cons' derail on the letter from her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales to your Royal Highness, which has appeared in the public papers, and has been referred to us by your Royal Highness, in which letter the Princess of Wales, amongst other matters, complains that the intercourse between her Royal Highness, and her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, has been subjected to cer- tain restrictions. " We have also taken into our most serious consideration, together with the other papers referred to us- by your Royal Highness, all the documents relative to the Inquiry instituted in 1806, by command of his Majesty, into the truth of cer- tain representations, respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness tike Princess of Wales, which appear to have been pressed upon the attention of your Royal Highness, in con- sequence o^f the advice of Lord Thurlow, and upon grounds of public duty ; by whom they were transmitted to his Ma- jesty's consideration ; and your Royal Highness having been graciously pleased to command us to report our opinions to your Royal Highness, whether, under all the circumstances of the case, ii be fit and proper, that the intercourse be- tween the Princess of Wales and her daughter, the Princess Charlotte, should continue to be subject to regulation and restraint : " We beg leave humbly to report to your Royal Highness, that after a full examination of all the documents before us, we are of opinion, that under all the circumstances of the case, it is highly fit and proper, with a view to the welfare of her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, in which are equally involved the happiness of your Royal Highness, in your pa- rental and royal character, and the most important interests of the State, that the intercourse between her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, should continue to be subject to regulation and restraint. " We humbly trust that we may be permitted, without being thought to exceed the limits of the duty imposed on us, rei- pectfully to express the just sense we entertain of the motives by which your Royal Highness has been actuated in the post- ponement of the Confirmation of her R >yal Highness the Princess Charlotte ; as it appears, by a statement under the hand of her Majesty the Queen, that your Royal Highness has conformed in this respect to the declared will of his Ma- jesty ; who had been pleased to direct, that such ceremony should not take place till her Royal Highness should have completed her eighteenth year. " We also humbly trust that we may be further permitted to notice some expressions in the letter of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, which may possibly be construed as implying a charge of too serious a nature to be passed over without observation. We refer to the words " suborned traducers." As this expression, from the manner it is intro- duced, may, perhaps, be liable to misconstruction (however impossible :t may be to suppose that it can have been so in- tended) to have reference to some part of the conduct of your Royal Highness ; we feel it our bounden duty not to omit this opportunity of declaring, that the documents laid before us, afford the most ample proof, that there is not the slightest foundation for such an aspersion. (Signed) C. CANTUAR, SIDMOUTH, ELDON, J. LONDON, E. EBOR, ELLENBOROUGH, W. ARMAGH, CHAS. ABBOT, HARROWBY, P. C. N. VANSITTART, WESTMORELAND, C. P. S. C. BATHURST, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, W. GRANT, BATHURST, A. MACDONALD, LIVERPOOL, W. SCOTT, MULGRAVE, J. NICHOL. MELVILLE, A true copy, SIDMOUTH." ( xxii ) The next document of importance is a letter addressed te the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Commons, by the Princess of Wales, in which her Royal Highness called for an investigation of her conduct, before Judges known to the Constitution, in order that she might either be declared to be innocent, or proved guilty. A copy of this letter was also transmitted to the Lord Chancellor. Immediately, upon the Meeting of the House of Commons, on March 2nd. the SPEAKER rose and observed, he thought it his duty to acquaint the House, that in the afternoon of yester- day, he had received a paper which purported to be a letter from'her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, the contents of which it would have, of course, been his duty to communi- cate to the House ; but as it was delivered merely to one of the door-keepers, he forbore to take any steps on the re- ceipt of it until it was properly authenticated. In so acting, he trusted, that he had not interposed so as to prevent, or improperly to delay, the approach of such a document to the consideration of the House of Commons. This morning the letter in question was authenticated ; he had received a du- plicate of it, inclosed in another letter from her Royal High- ness, and both of these letters, with the permission of the House, he should now read to them. The House having signified its assent, the SPEAKER pro- ceeded to read the first letter, which was to the following effect :- Montague-House, March 2. " The Princess of Wales begs to inform Mr. Speaker, that by her own desire, as well as in consequence of the advice of her Counsel, she yesterday transmitted to him a letter, the contents of which she was anxious should be made known to the House of Commons ; and with that view her Royal Highness now incloses herewith a duplicate of that letter." The inclosure was as follows : " Montague-House, Blackheath, March I, 1813. " The Princess of Wales informs (Mr. Speaker) the Lord Chancellor, that she has received from the Lord Viscount ( xxiii ) Sidmouth a copy of a Report made to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, by a certain number of the Members of his Privy Council, to whom it appears, that his Royal Highness had been advised to refer the consideration of documents, and other evidence, respecting her character and conduct. " The Report is of such a nature, that her Royal Highness feels persuaded no person can read it vrithout considering it as conveying aspersions upon her ; and although their vagueness renders it impossible to discover precisely what is meant, or even what she has been charged with j yet, as the Princess feels conscious of no offence whatever, she thinks it due to herself, to the illustrious Houses with which she is connected by blood and by marriage, and to the people, among whom she holds so distinguished a rank, not to acquiesce, for a mo- ment, in any imputation affecting her honour. "The Princess of Wales has not been permitted to know upon what evidence the Members of the Privy Council proceeded, still less to be heard in her defence. She knew only by com- mon rumours of the inquiries which they have been carrying on, until the result of those inquiries was communicated to Tier, and she has no means now of knowing whether the Members acted as a body to which she can appeal for redress, at least for a bearing : or only in their individual capacities, as persons selected to make a Report upon her conduct. " The Princess is therefore compelled to throw herself upon the wisdom and justice of Parliament, and to desire that the fullest investigation may be instituted of her whole conduct during the period cf her residence in this country. " The Princess fears no scrutiny, however strict, provided she may be tried by impartial Judges, known to the consti- tution, and in the fair and open manner which the law of the land prescribes. " Her only desire is, that she may either be treated as innocent, or proved to be guilty. "The Princess of Wales desires Mr. Speaker (the Lord Chancellor) to communicate this letter to the House of Com- mon*." ( xxiv ) This letter having been read, some conversation took place between Mr. Whitbread and Lord Castlereagh on the sub- ject ; but as the promised motion of Mr. Cochrane John- stone* stood for the 14th of March, here the matter rested for the present. This letter was not communicated to the House of Lords, the Lord Chancellor conceiving that he was restrained by a sense of duty, from reading it to that House. On the 4th of March, Mr. Cochrane Johnstone proceeded to bring on his motion, and the Speaker having called on him, Mr. Lygon moved the standing order of the House, and, consequently, the doors were closed, and all strangers ex- cluded. The sitting being thus rendered secret, Mr. Bennett, moved an adjournment, upon which the House divided : Ayes, - - - 139 Noes, - - - 248 Majority, - - 109 The adjournment being thus negatived, Mr. Cochran* Johnstone said, that he would follow the example of the honourable member, who had moved to clear the gallery, by exercising his right also of not bringing forward the motion of which he had given notice. The proceedings in the House of Commons on the 6th of March, appear to have been of the highest importance, since they amounted to a complete vindication and acquittal of ths Princess of Wales, not only from all the charges, but from all the aspersions that have been thrown out against her Royal Highness. Upon the meeting of the House on this day, Mr. Lygon moved that strangers should not be admitted after the division on the Brecon Canal Bill, and Mr. Bennett * Notice of this motion ou the subject of her Royal Highness tht Princess of Wales, was given by the Honourable Cochrane Johnstone, on the 25th of February last ( XXV ) moved an adjournment, to establish his right of meeting tha clearing of the gallery on such ground. He did not, however,, persist in dividing upon the question. Mr. Cochrane Johnstope then rose in pursuance of his no- tice and said, that it wag the undoubted right of the honour- able member (Mr. Lygqn) to act as he had done, in clearing the House of strangers j if, however, this precaution had been taken under the impression that any thing he had to s^y should be unbecoming the respect he owed to that House, or incon- sistent with what was due to the feelings of every branch of the Royal Family j such apprehensions were utterly unfounded. He thought it a duty he owed, in the first instance., to the Princess of Wales, to declare, that for the motion he was. about to submit, he had no authority from her j that he had had no communication with any person or persons whatsoever, and that the proceedings originated entirely and exclusively with himself. The honourable member proceeded to observe, that it wa* well known that a commission had been granted by the King in 1806, to four noble lords, Grenville, Spencer, Erskine, and Eftenborongh, to examine into certain allegations that had been preferred against the Princess of Wales. He then read the whole of the report made by the commissioners above stated, containing the most unqualified opinion, that the charge pro- duced by Sir John and Lady Douglas against the Princess of Wales, of having been delivered of a chile} in the year 1803, was utterly destitute of truth. It added, that the birth and, real mother of the child, said to have been born of the Prin- cess, had been proved beyond all possibility of doubt. The report concludes with some objections made by the commis- tioners, to the manners, or to levity of manners, upon different occasions, in the Princess. The honourable member next proceeded to state, tha^ the. paper he should now read, was a docuqnent which he was ready, to prove at the bar of the floute was dictated by Lord Eldon, Mr. Perceval and Sir Thomas Plomer, though igned by th$ Princess of Wale ; it was a letter -Britten, of purporting to be, a ( xxvi ) written, by her Royal Highness to the King, on pth October, 1806, as a protest against the report of the Commissioners,, just detailed 3 the letter being read at length appeared to be a formal and elaborate criticism upon the nature of the commis- sion under which her conduct had been reviewed ; it asserted in the most unqualified terms her own innocence, and called the charges of her accusers a foul and fake conspiracy made ex-par te, and affording no appeal. Upon this letter being read, the honourable member observed, that he fully con- curred in the sentiments it expressed upon the subject of the commission, and that he insisted that the charge against the Princess before that Tribunal, by Sir John and Lady Douglas, was nothing short of (reason ; that if the commissioners had power to acquit her Royal Highness of the crime charged, they had equally the power to convict her : what was the state of that country in which such a thing were even possible ? Be- sides he inquired, what became of Sir John and Lady Doug- las ? If he were rightly informed, they still persisted in the same story j if all they maintained were so notoriously false, why were they not prosecuted ? The honourable mem- ber went on to remark, that he understood no proceedings of the late Privy Council, except the report, had been transmitted to the Princess of Wales. This was the case in 1806, but he submitted that copies of all those examina- tions should be given to her. The honourable member then concluded by moving, first, a very long resolution, containing nearly the whole of the report of the Commissioners in 180(3, with his own reasoning upon the illegality of such a commis^ sion, and terminating with expressing the expediency of a new and different trial of, or inquiry into, the same subject ; the second motion was, fora variety of papers connected with this subject, from 1806 to the present time*. A very animated debate ensued, in which Lord Castlereagh, Mr. Whitbread, and Sir Samuel Rom illy, were the principal speakers. * The whole ot these interesting and important documents will be found in the present work. ( XXV11 Upon the question being put, Mr. Cocbrane Johnstone's motion WAS NEGATIVED WITHOUT A DIVISION-. Tbus terminated, for the present, this memorable debate, which involved consequences of the last importance to the nation. From these proceedings in the House of Commons, may be inferred a perfect acquittal of her Royal Highness. No actual criminality was, or could be imputed to her Royal Highness ; no case whatever was made out j no matter ex- isted against her Royal Highness to become the subject of Inquiry, and therefore further inquiry was accounted super- fluous. Notwithstanding this decision, however, on the 15th of March, Mr. Whitbread gave notice, in the House of Commons, of his intention to nuove on the 1/th of this month for an Address to the Prince Regent, praying his Royal Highness to order a prosecution to be instituted against Lady Douglas, for the evidence given by her Ladyship, respecting the Princess of Wales. Upon the meeting of the House of Commons on the 13th instant, after the transaction of some routine business, Mr. Whitbread said, " I hold in ray Hand a petition that I received just before my arrival in this House, which I was requested to lay before it. On perusing it I find that it is worded in a manner perfectly respectful, and I therefore told the individual who delivered it into my care, that I felt it my duty, as a member of parliament, to present it. It is the petition of Major General Sir John Douglas, on behalf of himself and Charlotte Lady Douglas, his wife. I remarked that the form of the signature was not perfectly regular ; but I added, that I did conceive, that notwithstanding this informality the House would receive it as the petition of Sir John Douglas, though, not as the joint petition of himself and his wife. I, therefore, move for leave to bring up this petition." The question having been put, Mr. Whitbread brought up the petition, which was read by the Clerk, nearly in the following words : ( xxviii ) " To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom, ftrc. ^' The humbb petition of Major-General Sir John" Douglas, on behalf of himself and Charlotte Lady Douglas his wife " Sheweth That your petitioners are advised that the de- positions they made on their oaths, before the Lords Commis- sioners appointed by his Majesty for investigating the conduct of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, on or about the first of Jan. 1806, were not made on such judicial proceedings, or before stich a tribunal as could legally support a prosecution for perjury against them. *' Feeling the fullest confidence in Ihose depositions, and iii the justice of their cause, they are ready and desirous, and hereby offer to re-swear to the truth of such depositions before any tribunal competent to administer an oath, that your peti* tioners may be subjected to the penalty of pbrjury if it be proved that they are false. " Your petitioners therefore pray that your Honourable House will adopt such proceedings as in your wisdom may be thought proper, to re-swear them to their depositions before such tribunal as would legally subject them to a prosecution for such depositions, should they be proved to be false : it being their anxious desire not to deliver themselves through any want 6f legal forms. (Signed) JOHN DOUGLAS." Mr. Whitbread moved, that the petition be laid upon the table, and it was ordered accordingly. Mr. Whitbread again rose, and having taken a view of the whole affair relative to the conduct of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, he made some remarks upon the line of proceeding adopted by two daily papers, the Morn- ing Herald and the Post. In the course of this long speech, Mr. Whitbread observed, *' wfien upon a former night, in this Houses the Princess ( XXIX ) Vyas pronounced innocent by the noble lord (Castlereagh), he Was proud of her triumph. A noble friend of her Royal High- ness had done him tile honour of asking his advice, and he ou that occasion sketched out a letter of digaified submission from ter to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wajes, and sent it to the Princess. She did him the honour of taking a copy of it in her own hand, with the intention* of sending it to the Prince ; but this healing and desirable step was prevented, by her receiving information, that Sir John and Lady Douglas were again under examination, and that too with the sanction of the Lord Chancellor. The letter he would read, if the irlouse would indulge him." The following is a correct copy : " SIR> I once more approach your Royal Highness, and can venture to assure you, sir, that if you will deign to read iny letter, you will not be dissatisfied with its contents. " The report made by certain Members of his Maiesty's Privy Council, was communicated to m'e by Lord Sidmouth, and its contents appeared to those, upon whose advice I rely, to be such as to require on my part a public assertion of nay innocence, and a demand 6f investigation. It cannot be un- known to your Royal Highness that I addressee! a letter to the Lord Chancellor, and a duplicate of tiiat letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, for the ^"urpose of its being com- municated to the Houses of Parliament. " The Lord Chancellor twice returned toy letter, and did not communicate its contents to the House of Lords, " The Speaker of the House of Commons thought it his duty to announce the receipt of rny letter, and it was read from the chair. To my inexpressible gratification I have been informed, that, although no proceeding was instituted according to my re* quest, certain discussions which-took place in that Honourable House, have resulted in the complete, and unequivocal, and universal acknowledgment of ray entire innocence, to the sa- tisfaction of the world. " Allow me, sir, to say to your Royal Highness, that I a becomes me, and with implicit deference to the opinion expressed by his Majesty, now that I have been made acquainted with it. His Majesty's decision I must al- ways regard as sacred. " To such restrictions as your Royal Highness shall think proper to impose upon the intercourse between the Princess Charlotte and myself, as arising out of the acknowledged exer- cise of your Parental and Royal Authority, I submit without observation ; but I throw myself upon the compassion of your Royal Highness, not to abridge more than may be necessary my greatest, indeed, my only pleasure. " Your Royal Highness may be assured, that, if the selec- tion of society for the Princess Charlotte, when on hei visits to me, were left to my discretion, it would be, as it always has been, unexceptionable for rank and character. If your Royal Highness would condescend, sir, to name the society yourself, your injunctions should be strictly adhered^to. " I will not detain your Royal Highness I throw myself again on your Royal justice and compassion, and I subscribe myself, with perfect sincerity, and in the happy feelings of jus- tified innocence, your Royal Higbness's, &c. &c. &c." Mr. Whitbread concluded by putting in copies of the Morning Herald of Saturday and Monday last, the parts of which alluded to were entered and read, and then moved an humble address to the Prince Regent, expressive of the deep concern and indignation which the House felt at publications of so gross and scandalous a nature, so painful to the feelings of his Royal Highness, and all the other branches of his illus- trious family, and praying that his Royal Highness would be pleased to order measures to be taken for bringing to justice all the persons concerned in so scandalous a business, and particu- larly for preventing the continuance or repetition of so high aa offence. ( xxxi ) After some farther observations from Lord Castlereagb, the noble lord charged Mr. Whitbread " with indulging in illi- beral, unfair, and as he (Lord Castlereagh) thought, unparlia- mentary observations on the conduct of the Prince of Wales himself." Mr. Whitbread then moved, that the words of the noble lord be taken down. This being agreed to, Mr. Whitbread dictated the words used by Lord Castlereagh, and the nobla lord declined to make any alteration therein. Some farther discussion took place, and at length Lord Castlereagh proceeded with his speech. The debate was then continued, in which Mr. Ponsonby, Mr. Batburst, Mr. Ste- phen, Sir Samuel Romilly, Sir Thomas. Plomer, and Air. Tierney bore the principal share. Mr. Tierney (at the conclusion of his speech) moved an amendment, to which Mr. Whitbread consented. This amendment, upon the original motion, was, " That the printer and publisher of the Morning Herald, and of the Morning Post, should be called to the bar of the House to- morrow, (the I pth inst.), to answer by whose authority they had published the depositions before the Privy Council, and from whom they had received them." After some remarks from Mr. Ryder, Mr. C. Wynne, and Mr. Canning, Mr. Whitbread consented to withdraw his ori- ginal motion, and Mr. Tierney's AMENDMENT was then put, and NEGATIVED, without a division. Before the reader enters upon the perusal of the " BOOK ITSELF," some account of the circumstances which gave rise to its important CONTENTS, may, perhaps, be acceptable. This indeed, is in some measure, necessary to the right understand- ing of that mass of extraordinary evidence now exhibited to the public. In the beginning of November 1805, his Royal Highness, the Duke of Sussex made known to the Prince that Sir John Douglas had communicated to him some circumstances in the conduct of the Princess of Wales, that it was of the utmost con- sequence to the honour of his Royal Highness, and to the se- curity of the Royal Succession, should be made known to him ; and that Sir John said, he and his Lady were ready to give a full disclosure, if called "upon. He added, that his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent had been partly acquainted with the matter a twelvemonth before. ( xxxii )= In consequence of this, the Prince called on the Duke of Kent, to say what had been communicated to him, and why he had for a whole year kept from his knowledge a matter so interesting to the honour of the family. The Duke of Kent, in a written declaration, slated, that about the end of 1804, he had received a note from the Prin- cess of Wales, stating, that she had got into an unpleasaat al- tercation with Sir John and Lady Douglas, about an anony- mous letter and a filthy drawing, which they imputed to her Royal Highness. She requested the Duke of Kent to inter- fere, and prevent its going farther. His Royal Highness ap- plied to Sir Sidney Smith, and through him had an interview with Sir John Douglas ; who seemed convinced that both the anonymous letters and the loose drawing were by the hand of the Princess, and that the design was to provoke Sir John Douglas to a duel with his friend Sir Sidney Smith, by the gross insinuation flung out respecting the latter and Lady Douglas. The Duke of Kent, however, succeeded in prevail- ing on, Sir John Douglas to abstain from his purpose of com- mencing a prosecution, or of stirring farther in the business j as he was satisfied in his mind of the falsehood of the insinua- tion, and could not be sure that the fabrications were not some gossrpping story, in which the Princess had no hand. Sir John, however, spoke with great indignation of the conduct of the Princess, and promised only that he would for the present ab- stain from farther investigation, but would not give him a pro- mise of preserving silence if he should be farther annoyed.- The Duke of Kent concluded with stating, that npthing was communicated to him beyond this fracas, and that having suc- ceeded in stopping it, he did not think it fit to trouble his. Royal Highness with a gossipping story that might be entirely founded on the misapprehension of the offended parties. Sir John and Lady Douglas then made a formal declaration; of the whole narrative, as contained in their subsequent affidg- vits, before the Duke of York, on the 3d December, 1803. This declaration was submitted by the Prince to the late Lord Thurlow, who said, that his Royal Highness had no air ternative it was his duty to submit it to the King, as the Royal Succession might be affected if the allegations were true. Jn the mean time, it was resolved to make farther inquiry, and Mr. Lowten, of the Temple, was directed to take steps ac- cordingly. The consequence was that William and Sarah Lampert (ser- vants to Sir John Douglas), William Cole, Robert and Sarah, Bidgood, and prances Lloyd made declarations, the whole of which, together with that of Sir John and Lady Douglas, were submitted to his Majesty, who thereupon issued a warrant, dated the 29th May 1 806, directing Lord Erskine, Lord Grenr ville, Earl Spencer, and Lord Ellenborough, to inquire into th truth of the allegations, and to report to him thereon. THE PROCEEDINGS, OF THE MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY^ * OUR Majesty having been graciously pleased, by an instrument under Your Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, a copy of which is annexed to this Report, to " authorize, empower, and direct us " to inquire into the truth of certain written " declarations, touching the conduct of Her " Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, an " abstract of which had been laid before Your " Majesty, and to examine upon oath such " persons as we should see fit, touching and con- " cerning the same, and to report to Your " Majesty the result of such examinations." We have, in dutiful obedience to Your Majesty's com- mands, proceeded to examine the several witnesses, the copies of whose depositions we have hereunto annexed; and, in further execution of the said commands we now most respectfully submit to Your Majesty the report of these examinations as it has appeared to us : But we beg leave at the same time humbly to refer Your Majesty, for more complete information, to the examinations themselves, in order to correct any error of judg- ment, into which we may have unintentionally fallen, with respect to any part of this business. On a reference to the above-mentioned declara- tions, as the necessary foundation of all our pro- ceedings, we found that they consisted in certain statements, which had been laid before His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, respecting the conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess. That these statements, not only, imputed to Her Royal Highness great impropriety and indecency of behaviour, but expressly asserted, partly on the ground of certain alleged declarations from the Princess's own mouth, and partly on the personal observation of the informants, the fol- lowing most important facts ; viz. That Her Royal Highness had been pregnant in the year 1802, in consequence of an illicit intercourse, and that she had in the same year been secretly delivered of a male child, which child had ever since that period been brought up by Her Royal Highness in her own house, and under her imme- diate inspection. These allegations thus made, had, as we found, been followed by declarations from other persons, who had not indeed spoken to the important facts of the pregnancy or delivery of Her Royal Highness, but had related other particulars, in themselves extremely suspicious, and still more so M'hen connected with the assertions already mentioned. In the painful situation, in which His Royal Highness was placed, by these communications, we learnt that His Royal Highness had adopted the only course which could, in our judgment, with propriety be followed. When informations such as these, had been thus confidently alleged, and particularly detailed, and had been in some degree supported by collateral evidence, applying to other points of the same nature (though going to a far less extent), one line only could be pur- sued. Every sentiment of duty to Your Majesty, and of concern for the public welfare, required that these particulars should not be withheld from Your Majesty, to whom more particularly be- longed the cognizance of a matter of State, so nearly touching the honour of Your Majesty's Royal Family, and by possibility, affecting the Succession of Your Majesty's crown. Your Majesty had been pleased, on your part, to view the subject in the same light. Consider- ing it as a matter which, on every account, de- manded the most immediate investigation, Your Majesty had thought fit to commit into our hands the duty of ascertaining, in the first instance, what degree of credit was due to the informations, and thereby enabling Your Majesty to decide what further conduct to adopt concerning them. On this review, therefore, of the matters thus alleged, and of the course hitherto pursued upon them, we deemed it proper in the first place, to examine those persons in whose declarations the occasion for this Inquiry had originated. Because if they, on being examined upon oath, had retrac- ted or varied their assertions, all necessity for further investigation might possibly have been precluded. We accordingly first examined on oath the principal informants, Sir John Douglas, and Char- lotte his wife : who both positively swore, the former to his having observed the fact of the pregnancy of Her Iloyal Highness, and the latter to all the important particulars contained in her former declaration, and above referred to. Their examinations are annexed to this Report, and are circumstantial and positive. The most material of those allegations, into the truth of which we had been directed to inquire, being thus far supported by the oath of the parties from whom they had proceeded, we then felt it our duty to follow up the Inquiry by the examina- tion of such other persons as we judged best able to afford us information, as to the facts in ques- tion. We thought it beyond all doubt that, in this course of inquiry, many particulars must be learnt which would be necessarily conclusive on the truth or falsehood of these declarations. So many persons must have been witnesses to the appear- ances of an actually existing pregnancy ; so many circumstances must have been attendant upon a real delivery; and difficulties so numerous and insurmountable must have been involved in any attempt to account for the infant in question, as the child of another woman, if it had been in fact the child of the Princess ; that we entertained a full and confident expectation of arriving at com- plete proof, either in the affirmative or negative, on this part of the subject. This expectation was not disappointed. We are happy to declare to Your Majesty our perfect conviction that there is no foundation whatever for believing that the child now with the Princess is the child of Her Royal Highness, or that she was delivered of any child in the year 1802; nor has any thing appeared to us which would warrant the belief that she was pregnant in that year, or at any other period within the compass of our in- quiries. The indentity of the child, now with the Princess, its parentage, the place and the date of its birth, the time and the circumstances of its. being first taken under Her Royal Highness'* protection, are all established by such a concur- rence both of positive and circumstantial evidence, as can, in our judgment, leave no question on this part of the subject. The child was, beyond all doubt, born in the Brownlow- Street Hospital, on the 1 1th day of July, 1802, of the body of So- phia Austin, and was first brought to the Princess's House in the month of November following. Nei- ther should we be more warranted in expressing any doubt respecting the alleged pregnancy of the Princess, as stated in the original declara- tions ; a fact so fully contradicted, and by so many witnesses,- to whom, if true, it must, in various ways have been known, that we cannot think it entitled to the smallest credit. The testimonies on these two points are contained in the annexed deposi- tions and letters. We have not partially abstracted them in this Report lest, by any unintentional omission, we might weaken their effect ; but we humbly offer to Your Majesty this our clear and unanimous judgment upon them, formed on full deliberation, and pronounced without hesitation, on the result of the whole Inquiry. We do not, however, feel ourselves at liberty, much as we should wish it, to close our Report here. Besides the allegations of the pregnancy and delivery of the Princess, those declarations, on the whole of which Your Majesty has been pleased to command us to inquire and report, contain, as we have already remarked, other particulars respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalted rank and station, necessarily give occasion to very unfavourable interpretations. From the various depositions and proofs an- nexed to this Report, particularly from the exa- minations of Robert Bidgood, William Cole, Frances Lloyd, and Mrs. Lisle, Your Majesty will perceive that several strong circumstances of this description have been positively sworn to by witnesses, who cannot, in our judgment, be sus- pected of any unfavourable bias, and whose vera- city, in this respect, we have seen no ground to question. On the precise bearing and effect of the facts thus appearing, it is not for us to decide ; these we submit to Your Majesty's wisdom : But we conceive it to be our duty to report on this part of the Inquiry, as distinctly as on the former facts : that, as on the one hand, the facts of pregnancy and delivery are to our minds satisfactorily dis- proved, so on the other hand we think, that the circumstances to which we now refer, particularly those stated to have passed between Her Royal Highness and Captain Manby, must be credited until they shall receive some decisive contradic- tion ; and, if true, are justly entitled to the most serious consideration. 10 We cannot close this Report, without humbly assuring Your Majesty, that it was, on every account, our anxious wish, to have executed this delicate trust, with as little publicity as the nature of the case would possibly allow ; and we entreat Your Majesty's permission to express our full per- suasion, that if this wish has been disappointed, the failure is not imputable to any thing unnecessarily said or done by us. All which is most humbly submitted to Your Majesty. (Signed) ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, July 14th, 1806. ELLENBOROUGH. A true Copy, J. Becket. THe. Depositions which accompanied this Report will be found in Appendix (A.) numbered from 1 to $9. Blackheath, Aug. 12, 1806'. SIRE, WITH the deepest feelings of gratitude to your Majesty, I take the first opportunity to acknow- ledge having received, as yesterday only, the Re- port from the Lords Commissioners, which was II dated from the 14th of July. It was brought by Lord Erskine's Footman, directed to the Princess of Wales ; besides a note enclosed, the contents of which were, that Lord Erskine sent the Evidences and Report by commands of his Majesty. I had reason to flatter myself that the Lords Commis- sioners would not have given in the Report, be- fore they had been properly informed of various circumstances, which must for a feeling, and deli- cate-minded woman, be very unpleasant to have spread, without having the means to exculpate herself. But I can in the face of the Almighty assure your Majesty that your Daughter-in-law is innocent, and her conduct unquestionable ; free from all the indecorums, and improprieties, which are imputed to her at present by the Lords Com- missioners, upon the evidence of persons, who speak as falsely as Sir John and Lady Douglas themselves. Your Majesty can be sure that I shall be anxious to give the most solemn denial in my power to all the scandalous stories of Bidgood, and Cole ; to make my conduct be cleared in the mOit satisfactory way, for the tranquillity of your Majesty, for the honour of your illustrious family, and the gratification of your afflicted daughter-in- law. In the mean time I can safely trust your Majesty's gracious justice to recollect, that the whole of the evidence on which the commissioners have given credit to the infamous stories charged against me, was taken behind my back, without my having any opportunity to contradict or explaia any thing, or even to point out those persona, who might have been called, to prove the little credit which was due to some of the witnesses, from their connection with Sir John and Lady Douglas ; and the absolute falsehood of parts of the evidence, which could have been completely contradicted. Oh ! gracious King, I now look for that happy moment, when I may be allowed to appear again before your Majesty's eyes, and receive once more the assurance from your Majesty's own mouth that I have your gracious protection ; and that you will not discard me from your friendship, of which your Majesty has been so condescending to give me so many marks of kindness; and which must be my only support, and my only consolation, in this country. I remain with sentiments of the highest esteem, veneration, and unfeigned attach- ment, Sire, Your Majesty's most dutiful, submissive, and humble Daughter-in-law and Subject, (Signed) CAROLINE. To the King. IS Montague-House, Aug. 17th, 1806. The Princess of Wales desires the Lord Chan- cellor to present her humble duty to the King, and to lay before His Majesty the accompanying letter and papers. The Princess makes this com- munication by his Lordship's hands, because it relates to the papers with which she has been furnished through his Lordship, by His Majesty's commands. To the Lord Chancellor. Aug. 17th, 1806. SIRE, UPON receiving the copy of the Report, made to Your Majesty, by the Commissioners, appointed to inquire into certain Charges against my Conduct, I lost no time, in returning to your Majesty, my heartfelt thanks, for your Majesty's goodness in commanding that copy to be communicated to me. I wanted no adviser, but my own heart, to express my gratitude for the kindness, and protec- tion which I have uniformly received from your Majesty. I needed no caution or reserve, in expressing my confident reliance, that that kind- ness and protection would not be withdrawn from 14 me, on this trying occasion ; and that your Majes- ty's justice would not suffer your mind to be affected, to my disadvantage, by any part of a Report, founded upon partial evidence, taken in my absence, upon charges, not yet communicated to me, until your Majesty had heard, what might be alleged, in my behalf, in answer to it. But your Majesty, will not be surprised, nor displeas- ed, that I, a woman, a stranger to the laws and usages of your Majesty's kingdom, under charges, aimed, originally, at my life, and honour, should hesitate to determine, in what manner I ought to act, even under the present circumstances, with respect to such accusations, without the assistance of advice in which I could confide. And I have had submitted to me the following observations, respecting the copies of the papers with which I have been furnished. And I humbly solicit from your Majesty's gracious condescension and justice, a compliance with the requests, which arise out of them. In the first place, it has been observed to me, that these copies of the Report, and of the accom- panying papers, have come unauthenticated by the signature of any person, high, or low, whose veracity, or even accuracy, is pledged for their correctness, or to whom resort might be had, if it should be necessary, hereafter, to establish, that these papers are correct copies of the originals. I am far from insinuating that the want of such attestations was intentional. No doubt it was omit- 15 ted through inadvertence"; but its importance is particularly confirmed by the state, in which the copy of Mrs. Lisle's examination has been trans- mitted to me. For in the third page of that exami- nation there have been two erasures ; on one of which, some words have been, subsequently in* troduced apparently in a different hand-writing from the body of the examination ; and the passage as it stands, is probably incorrect, because the phrase is unintelligible. And this occurs in an important part of her examination. The humble, but earnest request, which I have to make to your Majesty, which is suggested by this observation, is, that your Majesty would be graciously pleased to direct, that the Report, and the papers which accompany it, and which, for that purpose, I venture to transmit to your Majes- ty with this letter, may be examined, and then returned to me, authenticated as correct, under the signature of some person, who, having attested their accuracy, may be able to prove it. In the second place, it has been observed to me, that the Report proceeds, by reference to certain written declarations, which the Commission- ers describe as the necessary foundation of all their proceedings, and which contain, as I presume, the charge or information against my conduct. Yet copies of these written declarations have not been given to me. They are ^described indeed, in the Report, as consisting in certain statements, respect- ing my conduct, imputing not only, gross impro- 16* priety of behaviour, but expressly asserting facts of the most confirmed, and abandoned criminality, for which, if true, my life might be forfeited. These are stated to have been followed by declarations from other persons, who, though not speaking to the same facts, had related other particulars, in themselves extremely suspicious, and still more so, as connected with the assertions already mentioned. On this, it is observed to me, that it is most im- portant that I should know the extent, and the particulars of the charges or informations against me, and by what accusers they have been made ; whether I am answering the charges of one set of accusers, or more. Whether the authors of the original declarations, who may be collected from the Report to be Sir John and Lady Douglas, are my only accusers ; and the declarations which are said to have followed, are the declarations of per- sons adduced as witnesses by Sir John and Lady Douglas to confirm their accusation; or whether such declarations are the charges of persons, who have made themselves also, the authors of distinct accusations against me. The requests, which, I humbly hope, your Ma- jesty will think reasonable, and just to grant, and which are suggested by these further observations ore, First, That your Majesty would be graciously pleased to direct, that I should be furnished with copies of these declarations ; and, if they are rightly described in the Report, as the necessary founda- 17 tion of all the proceedings of the Commissioners, your Majesty could not, I am persuaded, but have graciously intended, in directing that I should be furnished with a copy of the Report, that I should also see this essential part of the proceeding, the foundation on which it rests. Secondly, That I may be informed whether I have one or more, and how many accusers ; and who they are ; as the weight and credit of the ac- cusation cannot but be much affected by the quar- ter from whence it originates. Thirdly, That I may be informed of the time when the declarations were made. For the weight and credit of the accusation must, also, be much affected, by the length of time, which my accusers may have been contented to have been the silent depositories of those heavy matters of guilt, and charge, and, Lastly, That your Majesty's goodness will se- cure to me a speedy return of these papers, ac- companied, I trust, with the further information which I have solicited ; but at all events a speedy return of them. And your Majesty will see, that it is not without reason, that I make this last request, when your Majesty is informed, that, though the Report appears to have been made upon the 14th of July, yet it was not sent to me, till the 1 1th of the present month. A similar delay, I should, of all things, deplore. For it is with reluctance, that I yield to those suggestions, which have induce^ 18 me to lay, these my humble requests, before your Majesty, since they must, at all events, in some de- gree, delay the arrival of that moment, to which, I look forward, with so earnest, and eager an im- patience ; when I confidently feel, I shall complete ly satisfy your Majesty, that the \ " Her, by the King's commands, and under his " Lordship's signature,"' Her Royal Highness could never have wished for a more authentic attestation* if she had conceived, that they were authenticated under such signature. But she could not think that the mere signature of his Lordship^ on the outside of the envelope, which contained them, could afford any authenticity to the thirty papers, which that envelope contained ; or could, in any manner, identify any of those papers, as having been contained in that envelope. And she had felt herself confirmed in that opinion, by his Lordship's saying in his note of the 20th inst. " that the reason of their not having been authen- " ticated, by the Lord Chancellor, was, that be " received them as copies from Earl Spencer, who " was in possession of the originals, -and he could 11 not therefore with propriety do so, not having " himself compared them. Her Royal Highness takes this opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of the declarations refer- red to in the Commissioners' Report. To the Lord Chancellor, i Lincoln s Inn Fields, Sept. 2nd, 1 806. THE Lord Chancellor has taken the earliest opportunity in his power, of complying with the wishes of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. He made the promise of other copies, without any communication with the other Com- missioners, wholly from a desire to shew every kind of respect and accommodation to Her Royal Highness, in any thing consistent with his duty, and, not at all, from any idea, that the papers, as originally sent, (though there might be errors in the copying) were not sufficiently authenticated. An opinion which he is obliged to say he is not removed from ; nevertheless, the Lord Chancellor has a pleasure in conforming to Her Royal High- ness's wishes, and has the honour to enclose the attested copies of the Depositions, as he has receiv- ed them from Earl Spencer. To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. To the King. SIRE, IMPRESSED with the deepest sentiments of gra- titude, for the countenance and protection which I have hitherto uniformly received from your majes- ty, I approach you, with a heart undismayed, upon this occasion, so au ful and momentous to my cha- racter, my honour, and my happiness. I should indeed, (under charges such as have now been brought against me,) prove myself undeserving of the continuance of tha* countenance and protection, and altogether unworthy of the high station, which I hold in your Majesty's illustrious family, if I sought for any partiality, for any indulgence, for any thing more, than what is due to me in justice. My entire confidence in your Majesty's virtues as- sures me, that I cannot meet with less. The situation, which I have been so happy as to hold in your Majesty's good opinion and esteem ; iny station in your Majesty's august family ; my life, rny honour, and, through mine, the honour of your Majesty's family have been attacked. Sir John and Lady Douglas have attempted to support a direct and precise charge, by which they have dared to impute to me, the enormous guilt of High Treason, committed in the foul crime of Adultery. In this charge, the extravagance of their malice has defeated itself. The Report of the Lords Com- missioners, acting under your Majesty's warrant, has most fully cleared me of that charge. Cut there remain imputations, strangely sanctioned, and coun- tenanced by that Report, on which I cannot remain silent, without incurring the most fatal conse- quences to my honour and character. For it states to your Majesty, that " The circumstances detailed against me must be credited, till they are deci- sively contradicted." To contradict, with as much decision, as the contradiction of an accused can convey ; to expose the injustice and malice of my enemies ; to shew the utter impossibility of giving credit to their tes- timony ; and to vindicate my own innocence, will be the objects, Sire, of this letter. In the course of my pursuing these objects, I shall have much to complain of, in the substance of the Proceeding itself, and much in the manner of conducting it. That any of these charges should, ever, have been entertained, upon testimony so little worthy of belief, which betrayed, in every sentence, the malice in which it originated ; that, even if they were entertained at all, your Majesty should have been advised to pass by the ordinary legal modes of Inquiry into such high crimes, and to refer them to a Commission, open to all the objection, which I shall have to state to such a mode of Inquiry; that the Commissioners, after having negatived the principal charge of substantive crime, should have entertained considerations of matters, that amount- ed to no legal offence, and which were adduced, not as substantive charges in themselves, but as matters in support of the principal accusation ; That through the pressure and weight of their offi- cial occupations, they did not, perhaps, could not, bestow that attention on the case, which, if given to it, must have enabled them to detect the villany and falsehood of my accusers, and their foul con- spiracy against me ; and must have preserved my character from the weighty imputation which the 27 authority of the Commissioners, has, for a time, cast upon it; but, above all, that they should, upon this ex parie examination, without hearing one word that I could urge, have reported to your Majesty, an opinion on these matters, so prejudi- cial to my honour, and from which I can have no appeal, to the laws of the country, (because the charges, constituting no legal offence, cannot be made the ground of a judicial inquiry ;) These and many other circumstances, connected with the length of the Proceeding, which have cruelly aggra- vated, to my feelings, the pain necessarily atten- dant upon this Inquiry, I shall not be able to refrain from stating, and urging, as matters of se- rious lamentation at least, if not of well-grounded complaint. In commenting upon any part of the circum- stances, which have occurred in the course of this Inquiry, whatever observations I may be compel- led to make upon any of them, I trust, I never shall forget what is due to officers in high station and employment under your Majesty. No apolo- gy, therefore, can be required for any reserve in my expressions towards them. But if, in vindicating my innocence against the injustice and malice of my enemies, I should appear to your Majesty not to express myself with all the warmth and indigna- tion, which innocence, so foully calumniated, must feel, your Majesty will, I trust, not attribute my forbearance to any insensibility to the grievous in- juries I have sustained ; but will graciously be pleased to ascribe it to the restraint I have impos- ed upon myself, lest in endeavouring to describe in just terms, the motives, the conduct, the per- jury, and all the foul circumstances \vhich charac- terize, and establish the malice of my accusers, I might use language, which, though not unjustly ap- plied to them, might be improper to be used, by me, to any body, or unfit to be employed by any body, humbly, respectfully, and dutifully address- ing your Majesty. That a fit opportunity has occurred for laying open my heart to your Majesty, perhaps, I shall, hereafter, have no reason to lament. For more than two years, I had been informed, that, upon the presumption of some misconduct in me, my behaviour had been made the subject of investiga- tion, and my neighbours' servants had been exam- ined concerning it. Anil for some time, I had received mysterious and indistinct intimations, that some great miscliief was meditated towards me. And, in all the circumstances of my very pe- culiar situation, it will not be thought strange, that houerver conscious 1 \vas, that I had no just cause of fear, I should yet feel some uneasiness on this account. Yy ilh surprise certainly, (because the first tidings were of a kind to excite surprise,) but without alarm, I received the intelligence, that, for home reason, a formal investigation of some parts of my conduct had been advised, and had actually taken place. His Royal Highness the Duke of Jvent, on the 7th of June, announced it to me, ' * He announced to me, the Princess of Wales, in the first communication made to me, with respect to this proceeding, the near approach of two attornies (one of them, I since find, the solicitor employed by Sir John Douglas), claiming to enter my dwell- ing, with a warrant, to take away one half of my household, for immediate examination upon a charge against myself. Of the nature of that charge, I was then uninformed. It now appears, it was the charge of High Treason, committed in the infamous crime of adultery. His Royal Highness, I am sun 1 , will do me the justice to represent to your Majesty, that I betrayed no fear, that I ma- nifested no symptoms of conscious guilt, that I sought no excuses to prepare, or to tutor, rny ser- vants for the examination which they were to under- go. The only request which I made to his Royal Highness was, that he would have the goodness to remain with me till my servants were gone ; that he might bear witness, that I had no conversation with them before they went. In truth, Sire, my' anxieties, under a knowledge that some serious mischief was planning against me, and while I was ignorant of its quality and extent, had been so great, that I could not but rejoice at an event, which seemed to promise me an early opportunity of as- certaining what the malice of my enemies intended against me. It has not been, indeed, without impatience the most painful, that I have passed the interval, which lias since elapsed. When once it was not only known to me, but to the world (for it was known to the world) that Inquiry of the gravest nature had been instituted into my conduct, I looked to the conclusion, with all the eagerness that could belong to an absolute conviction, that my inno- eence, and my honour, to the disgrace and con- fusion of my accusers, would be established ; and that the groundless malice, and injustice of the whole charge would he manifested to the world, as widely as the calumny had been circulated. I knew that the result of an ex parte inquiry, from its very paturr, could not, unless it fully asserted my entire innocence, be in any degree just. And I had taught myself most firmly to believe, that it was utterly impossible, that any opinion, which could, in the smallest degree, \\ork a prejudice to my honour arid character, could ever be ex- pressed in any terms, by any persons, in a Report upon a solemn formal Inquiry, and more especially to your Majesty, without my having some notice, and some opportunity of being heard. And I was convinced, that, if the Proceeding allowed me, before an opinion was expressed^ the ordinary means, which accused persons have, of vindicating their honour and their innocence, my honour and my innocence must, in any opinion, which could then be expressed, be fully vindicated, and effec- tually established. What then, Sire, must have been my astonishment, and my dismay, when I saw, that notwithstanding the principal accusation found to be utterly false, yet some of the wit- 31 nesses to those charges which were brought in support of the principal accusation, witnesses, whom, any person, interested to have protected my character, would easily have shewn, out of their own mouths, to be utterly unworthy of credit, and confederates in foul conspiracy with my false accu- sers, are reported to be " free from all suspicion of unfavourable bias ;" their veracity, " in the judg- ment of the Commissioners, not to be questioned;" and their infamous stories, and insinuations against me, to be " such as deserve the most serious con- sideration, and as must be credited till decisively contradicted." The Inquiry, after I thus had notice of it, con- tinued for above* two months. I venture not to complain, as if it had been unnecessarily protract- ed. The important duties, and official avoca- tions of the Noble Lords, appointed to carry it on, may naturally account for, and excuse, some delay. But however excusable it may have been, your Majesty will easily conceive the pain and anxiety, which this interval of suspense, has occa- sioned ; and your Majesty will not be surprised, if I further represent, that I have found a great aggravation of my painful sufferings, in the delay which occurred in communicating the Report to me. For though it is dated on the 14th July, * The lime that the Inquiry was pending, after this notice of it, is here confounded with the time which elapsed before the Report was communicated to Her Royal Highness. The Inquiry itself only lasted to the 14th or l6th of July, which i but between five and six weeks from the 7th of June. I did not receive it, notwithstanding your Majes- ty's gracious commands, till the 1 1 th of August. It was due, unquestionably, to your Majesty, that the result of an Inquiry, commanded by your Majesty, upon advice which had been offered, touching matters of the highest import, should be first, and immediately, communicated to you. The respect and honour due to the Prince of Wales, the interest which he must necessarily have taken in J this Inquiry, combined to make it indisputably fit, that the result should be, forthwith, also stated to His Royal Highness. I complain not, therefore, that it was too early communicated to any one : I complain only, (and I complain most seriously, for I felt it most severely) of the delay in its com- munication to me. Rumour had informed the world, that the Re- port had been early communicated to your Ma- jesty, and to his Royal Highness. I did not receive the benefit, intended for me by your Majesty's gracious command, till a month after the Report was signed. But the same rumour had represented me, to my infinite prejudice, as in possession of the Report, during that month, and the malice of those, who wished to stain my honour, has not failed to suggest all that malice could infer, from its remaining in that possession, so long unrioticed. May I be permitted to say, that, if the Report acquits me, my innocence en- titled me to receive from those, to whom your Majesty's commands had been given, an immediate notification of the fact that it did acquit me. That, if it condemned me, the weight of such a sentence should not hare been left to settle, in any mind, much less upon your Majesty's, for a month, before I could even begin to prepare an answer, which, when begun, could not speedily be concluded ; and that, if the Report could be represented as both acquitting, and condemning me, the reasons, which suggested the propriety of an early communication in each of the former cases, combined to make it proper and necessary in the latter. And why all consideration of my feelings was thus cruelly neglected ; why I was kept upoa the rack, during all this time, ignorant of the result of a charge, which affected my honour and my life; and why, especially in a case, where such grave matters were to continue to be " credited, O ' to the prejudice of my honour," till they were " decidedly contracted," the means of knowing what it was, that 1 must, at least, endeavour to contradict, were withholden from me, a single unnecessary hour, I know not, and I will not trust myself, in the attempt, to conjecture. On the llth of August, however, I at length received from the Lord Chancellor, a packet con- taining copies of the Warrant or Commission au- thorizing the Inquiry; of the Report and of the Examinations on which the Report was founded. And your Majesty may be graciously pleased to F recollect, that on the 13th I returned my grateful thanks to your Majesty, for having ordered these papers to be sent to me. Your Majssty will readily imagine that, upon a subjectof such importance, I could not venture to trust only to my own advice; and those with whom I advised, suggested, that the written Declarati- ons or Charges upon which the Inquiry had pro- ceeded, and which the Commissioners refer to in their Report, and represent to be the essential foundation of the whole proceeding, did not ac- company the Examinations and Report; and also that the papers themselves were not authenticat- ed. I therefore ventured to address your Ma- jesty upon these supposed defects in the com- munication, and humbly requested that the copies of the papers, which I then returned, might, after being examined, and authenticated, be again transmitted to me; and that I might also be furnished with copies of the written, Declarations so referred to in the Report. And my humble thanks are due for your Majesty's gracious com- pliance with my request. On the 29th of August I received, in consequence, the attested copies of those Declarations, and of a Narrative of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent; and a few days after, on the 3d of September, the attested copies of the Examinations which were taken before the Commissioners. The Papers which I have received are as follow: * The Narrative of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, dated 2?th of December, 1805. A Copy of the written Declaration of Sir John .and Lady Douglas, dated December 3, 1805. A Paper containing the written Declarations, or Examinations, of the persons hereafter enu- merated ; The title to these Papers is, " For the purpose of confirming the Statement " made by Lady Douglas, of the circumstances een therefore true, as I most solemnly protest it is not, that I had in the confidence of private con- versation, so far forgot all sense of decency, loyal- ty, and gratitude, as to have expressed myself with that disrespect of your Majesty which is imputed * See Appendix, p. J)0. to me ; If I had been what I trust those who have lived with me, or ever have partaken of my society, would not confirm, of a mind so uninformed and uncultivated, without education or talents, or with- out any desire of improving myself, incapable of employment, of a temper so furious and violent, as altogether to form a character, which no one could bear to live with, who had the means of liv- ing elsewhere ; \Vbat possible progress would all this make towards proving that I was guilty of adultery ? These, and such like insinuations, as false as they are malicious, could never have proved crime in me, however manifestly they might display the malice of my accusers. Must it not, then, have occurred to any one, who had seen the whole of this Narrative, if the mo- tive of my accusers was, as they represent it, merely that of good patriots, of attached and loyal subjects, bound, in execution of a painful duty, imposed upon them by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, to disclose, in detail, all the facts which could establish my guilt, that these circumstances never would have made a part of their detail ? But on the other hand, if their object was to traduce me ; if, falsely, attributing to his Royal Highness, sen- timents which could belong to no generous bosom, but measuring his nature by their own, they thought, vainly and wickedly, to ingratiate them- selves with him, by being the instruments of ac- complishing my ruin; if aiming at depriving me of my rank and station, or of driving me from this country, they determined to bring forward a charge of Treason against me, which, though they knew in their consciences it was false, yet they might hope would serve at least as a cover, and a pre- tence, for such an imputation upon my character, as, rendering my life intolerable in this country, might drive me to seek a refuge in another ; if, the better to effectuate this purpose, they "had re- presented all my misfortunes as my faults, and my faults alone, drawn an odious and disgusting picture of me, to extinguish every sentiment of pity and compassion, which, in the generosity, not only of your Majesty's royal bosom, and of the members of your Royal Family, but of all the inhabitants of your kingdom, might arise to commiserate tae uu tart dilute situation of a stranger, perse- cuted under a charge originating in their malice; if, for this, they flung out, that I had justly for- feited my station in society, and that a separation from my husband was, what I myself had once wished, ancl what the Chancellor might now, per- haps, procure for me ; or, if in short, their object was to obtain my condemnation by prejudice, in flamed by falsehood, which never could be ob- tained by justice informed by truth, then the \\hole texture of the declaration is consistent, and it is well contrived and executed for its purpose. But it is strange, that its purpose should have escaped the detection of intelligent and impartial minds. There was enough, at least, to have made them pause before they gave such a degree of credit to informations of this description, as to have made them the foundations of so important and decisive a step, as that of advising them to be laid before your Majesty. And, indeed, such seems to have been the effect which this declaration at first produced. Because if it had been believed ; the only thing to have been done (according to the judgment of the Commis- sioners,) would have been to have laid it immedi- ately before your Majesty, to whom, upon every principle of duty, the communication was due. But the declaration was made, on the 3rd of December, in the last year, and the communication was not made to your Majesty till the very end of May. And that interval appears to have been employed, in collecting those other additional declarations, which are referred to in the Report, and which your Majesty has likewise been pleased, by your gra- cious commands, to have communicated to me. These additional declarations do not, I submit, appear to furnish much additional reason for be- lieving the incredible story. They were taken in- deed* " for the purpose," (for they are so des- cried, this is the title which is prefixed to them in the authentic copies, with which I have been furnished,) " for the purpose of confirming the " statement made by Lady Douglas, of the cir- " cumstanccs mentioned in her narrative," and they are the examinations of two persons, who ap- pear to have formerly lived in the family of Sir John and Lady Douglas, and of several servants of * See Appendix (B) No. 3. my own ; they are filled with the hearsay details of other servants' declarations. And one of them, W. Cole, seems to have been examined over and over again. No less than four of his examinations are given, and some of these evidently refer to other examinations of his, which are not given at all. These, I submit to your Majesty, are rendered, from this marked circumstance, particularly unde- serving of credit ; because in the only instance in which the hearsay statement, related to one ser- vant, was followed by the examination of the other, who was stated to have made it, (I mean an instance in which Cole relates what he had heard said by F. Lloyd)* F. Lloyd does not appear to have said any such thing, or even to have heard what she is, by him, related to have said, and she relates the fact that she really did hear, stripped of all the particulars with which Cole had coloured it, and which alone made it in any degree deserving to be mentioned. Besides this, the parents of the child, which is ascribed to me by Lady Douglas, are plainly pointed out, and a clue is afforded, by which, if followed, it would have been as easy to have ascertained, that that child was no child of mine, (if indeed it ever had been seriously believed to be so) and to have proved whose child it was, before the appointment of the Commissioners, as it has been found to be afterwards. * Appesdix (B.) No. 3. I So far, therefore, from concurring with the Com- missioners in approving the advice, under which His Royal Highness had acted, I conceive it to have been at least cruel and inconsiderate, to have advised the transmission of such a charge to your Majesty, till they had exhausted all the means which private inquiry could have afforded, to as- certain its falsehood or its truth. And when it appears that it was not thought necessary, upon the first statement of it, as the Commissioners seem to have imagined, forthwith to transmit it to your Majesty ; but it was retained for near six months, from the beginning of De- cember till near the end of May ; what is due to myself obliges me to state, that if there had but been, in that interval, half the industry employed to remove suspicions, which was exerted to raise them, there would never have existed a necessity for troubling your Majesty with this charge at all. I beg to be understood as imputing this solely to the advice given to his Royal Highness. He must, of necessity, have left the detail and the determina- tion upon this business to others. And it is evi- dent to me, from what I now know, that his Royal Highness was not fairly dealt with ; that material information was obtained, to disprove part of the case against me, which, not appearing in the decla- rations that were transmitted to your Majesty, I conclude was never communicated to his Royal Highness. S9 Feeling, Sire, strongly, that I have much to complain of, that this foul charge should have been so readily credited to my great prejudice, as to have occasioned that advice to be given, which re- commended the transmission of it to your Majesty, (who, once formally in possession of it, could not fail to subject it to some inquiry. I have dwelt, perhaps, at a tedious length, in disputing the pro- priety of the Commissioner's judgment, in thus approving the course which was pursued. And, looking to the event, and all the circumstances connected with it, perhaps I have reason to re- joice that the Inquiry has taken place. For, if three years concealment of my supposed crime, could not impeach the credit of my accusers, three times that period might, perhaps, be thought to have left that credit still unimpaired. And, had the false charge been delayed till death had taken away the real parents of the child, which Lady Douglas charges to be mine ; if time had deprived me of those servants and attendants who have been able so fully to disprove the fact of .my alleged preg- nancy, I know not where I could have found the means of disproving facts and charges, so falsely, so confidently, and positively sworn to, as those to which Lady Douglas has attested. Following, as I proposed, the course taken in the Report, I next come to that part of it, to which, unquestionably, I must recur with the greatest sa- tisfaction ; because it is that part, which so com- 60 pletely absolves me of every possibly suspicion, upon the two material charges, of pregnancy and childbirth. The Commissioners state in their Report,* that they began by examining " on oath the two prin- " cipal informants, Sir John and Lady Douglas, who " both positively swore, the former to his having " observed the fact of pregnancy, and the latter to " all the important particulars contained in her 11 former declaration, and above referred to.*j~ " Their examinations are annexed to the Report, " and are circumstantial and positive." The most material of " the allegations, into the truth of which " they had been directed to inquire, being thus far " supported by the oath of the parties from whom " they had proceeded," they state, " that they " felt it their duty to follow up the Inquiry by the " examination of such other persons, as they ht, goes his rounds, both inside and outside of my house. And this circumstance, which I should think would rather afford, to most winds, an iuleie ice that I was not preparing the Appendix (B) p. 93. ivay of planning facilities for secret midni-ht assig* nations, has, in my conscience, I believe, (if there is one word of truth in any part of this story, and the whole of it is not pure invention) afforded the handle, and suggested the idea, to this honest, trusty man, this witness, " who cannot be suspected of any unfavourable bias," " whose veracity in that re- spect the Commissioners saw no ground to ques- tion," and " who must be credited till he received decided contradiction.'' suggested, I say, the idea of the dark and vile insinuation contained in this part of his testimony. Whether I am right or wrong, however, in this conjecture, this appears to be evident, that his ex- amination is so left, that supposing an indictment for perjury or false swearing, would lie against any Avitness, examined by the Commissioners, and sup- posing this examination had been taken before the whole four. If Mr. Cole was indicted for perjury, in respect to this part of his deposition, the proof that he did see the watchman, would necessarily acquit him ; would establish the truth of what he said, and rescue him from the punishment of per- jury, though it would at the same time prove the falsehood and injustice of the inference, and the insinuation, for the establishment of which alone the fact itself was sworn. Mr. Cole chooses further to state, that he as- cribes his removal from Montague House to Lon- don, to the discovery be had made, and the notice he had taken of the improper situation of Sir Sid- Smith with me upon the sofa. To this I can oppose little more than my own assertions, a my motives can only be known to myself. But Mr. Cole was a very disagreeable servant to me ; he was a man, who, as I alvvays conceived, had been educated above his station. He talked French, and was a musician, playing well on the violin. By these qualifications he had got admitted occasi- onally, into better company, and this probably led to that forward and obtrusive conduct, which I thought extremely offensive and impertinent in a servant. 1 had long been extremely displeased with him ; I had discovered, that when I went out he would come into my drawing-room, and play on my harpsichord, or sit there reading nay books ; and, in short, there was a forwardness which would have led to my absolutely discharging him a long time before, if 1 had not made a sort of rule to my- self, to forbear, as long as possible, from removing any servant who had been placed about me by his Royal Highness. Before Mr. Cole lived with the Prince, he had lived with the Duke of Devon- shire, and I had reason to believe that he carried to Devonshire House all the observations he could make at mine. For these various reasons, just before the Duke of Kent was about to go out of the kingdom, I requested his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, who had been good enough to take the trouble of arranging many particulars in my establishment, to make the arrangement with re- to Mr. Cole; which was to leave him in town to wait upon me only when I went to Carlton House, and not to come to Montague House ex- cept when specially required. This arrangement, it seems, offended him. It certainly deprived him of some perquisites which he had when living at Blackheath ; but upon the whole, as it left him so much more of his time at his own disposal, I should not have thought it had been much to his preju- dice. It seems, however, that he did not like it; and I must leave this part of the case with this one observation more That your Majesty, I trust, will hardly believe, that, if Mr. Cole had, by any accident, discovered any improper conduct of mine, towards Sir Sidney Smith, or any one else, the way which I should have taken to suppress his information, to close his mouth, would have been by immediately adopting an arrangement in my family, with regard to him, which was either pre- judicial or disagreeable to him : or that the way to remove him from the opportunity and the tempta- tion of betraying my secret, whether through levity or design, in the quarter where it would be most fatal to me that it should be known, was by making an arrangement which, while all his resentment and anger were fresh and warm about him, would place him frequently, nay, almost daily, at Carl- ton House; would place him precisely at that place, from whence, unquestionably, it must have been my interest to have kept him as far removed as possible. There is little or nothing in the examinations of the other witnesses which is material for me to ob- serve upon, as far as respects this part of the case. It appears from them indeed, what I have had no difficulty in admitting, and have observed upon before, that Sir Sidney Smith was frequently at Montague House that they have known him to be alone with me in the morning, but that they never knew him alone with me in an evening, or staying later than my company or the ladies for what Mr. Stikermu says, with respect to his being alone with me in an evening, can only mean, and is only reconcileable with all the rest of the evi- dence on this part of the case, by its being under- stood to moan alone, in respect of other company, but not alone, in the absence of my Ladies. The deposition indeed of my servant, S. Roberts, is thus far material upon that point, th.it it exhibits Mr. Cole, not less than three years ago, endea- vouring to collect evidence upon these points to my prejudice. For Your Majesty will find that he says, " I recollect Mr. Cole* once asking me, I " think three years ago, whether there were any " favourites in the family. I remember saying, " that Captain M^nby and Sir Sidney Smith were " frequently .at Blackheath, and dined there " oftener than other persons." He then pro- " ceeds " I never knew Sir Sidney Smith stay " later than the Ladies ; I cannot exactly say at " what time he went, but I never remember his " staying alone with the Princess." As to what is contained in the written declara- * See Appendix (A) No. 8. lions of Mr. and Mrs. Lampert, tha old servants of Sir John and Lady Douglas (as from some cir- cumstances or other respecting, I conceive, either their credit or their supposed importance) the Commissioners have not thought proper to exa- mine them upon their oaths,* I do not imagine Your Majesty would expect that I should take any notice of them. And as to what is deposed by my Lady Douglas, if your Majesty will observe the gross and horrid indecencies with which she ushers in, and states my confessions to her, of my asserted criminal intercourse with Sir Sidney Smith, Your Majesty, I am coniident, will not be surprised that I do not descend to any particular observations on her deposition. One, and one only observation will I make, which, however, could not have escaped Your Majesty, if I had omilted it. That Your Majesty will have an excellent portraiture of the true female delicacy and purity of my Lady Dou- glas's mind, and character, when you will observe that she seems wholly insensible that what a sink of infamy she degrades herself by her testimony against me. It is not only that it appears, from her statement, that she was contented to live, in fami- liarity and apparent friendship with me, after the confession which I made of my adultery (for by the indulgence and liberality, as it is called, of modern manners, the company of adulteresses has ceased to reiiect that discredit upon the characters of other * For the same reason the} are not printed in Appendix (B). j women who admit of their society, which the best interests of female virtue may, perhaps, require ) But she was contented to live in familiarity with a woman, who, if Lady Doughs's evidence of me is true, was a most low, vulgar, and profligate dis- grace to her sex. The grossness of whose ideas and conversation, would add infamy to the lowest, most vulgar, and most infamous prostitute. It is not, however, upon this circumstance, that I rest as- sured no reliance can be placed on Lady Douglas's testimony ; but after what is proved, with regard to her evidence respecting my pregnancy and deli- very in 1802, I am certain that any observations upon her testimony, or her veracity, must be flung away. Your Majesty has therefore now before you the state of the charge against me, as far as it respects Sir Sidney Smith. And this is, as I understand the Report, one of the charges which, with its un- favourable interpretations, must, in the opinion of the Commissioners, be credited tilt decidedly con- tradicted. As to the facts of frequent visiting on terms of great intimacy, as I have said before, they cannot be contradicted at all. How inferences and un- favourable interpretations are to be decidedly con- tradicted, I wish the Commissioners had been so good as to explain. I know of no possible way but by the declarations of myself and Sir Sidney Smith. Yet we being the supposed guilty parties, our denial, probably, will be thought of no great 97 weight. As to my own, however, I tender it to your Majesty, in the most solemn manner, and if I knew what fact it was that I ought to contradict, to clear my innocence, I would precisely address myself to that fact, as I am confident, my con- science would enable me to do, to any, from which a criminal or an unbecoming inference could be drawn. I am sure^ however, your Majesty will feel for the humiliated and degraded situation, to which this Report has reduced your Daughter-in- law, the Princess of Wales ; when you see her reduced to the necessity of either risking the dan- ger, that the most unfavourable interpretations should be credited ; or else of stating, as I am now degraded to the necessity of stating, that not only no adulterous or criminal, but no indecent or im- proper intercourse whatever, ever subsisted be- tween Sir Sidney Smith and myself, or any thing which I should have objected that all the world should have seen. I say degraded to the necessity of stating it ; for your Majesty must feel that a woman's character is degraded when it is put upon her to make such statement, at the peril of the contrary being credited, unless she decidedly con- tradicts it. Sir Sidney Smith's absence from the country prevents my calling upon him to attest the same truth. But I trust \\hen your Majesty shall find, as you will find, that my declaration to a similar effect, with respect to the other gentle- men referred to in this Report, is confirmed bj their denial, that your Majesty will think that in a case, where nothing but my own word can be adduced, my own word alone may be opposed to whatever little remains of credit o'r weight may, after all the above observations, be supposed yet to belong to Mr. Cole, to his inferences, his insinua- tions, or his facts. Not indeed that I have yet fin- ished my observations on Mr. Cole's credit; but I must reserve the remainder, till I consider his evi- dence with respect to Mr. Lawrence ; and till I have occasion to comment upon the testimony of Fanny Lloyd. Then, indeed, I shall be under the necessity of exhibiting to your Majesty these wit- nesses, Fanny Lloyd and Mr. Cole, (both of whom are represented as so unbiassed, and so credible,) in fla>, decisive, and irreconcileable contradiction to each other. The next person, with whom my improper in- timacy is insinuated, is Mr. Lawrence the painter. The principal witness on this charge is also Mr. Cole. Mr. R. Bidgood says nothing about him. Fanny Lloyd says nothing about him ; and all that Mrs. Lisle says is perfectly true, and I am neither able, nor feel interested, to contradict it. " That she remembers my sitting to Mr. Lawrence for my picture at Blackheath ; and in London; that she lias left me at his house in town with him, but she thinks Mrs. Fitzgerald was with us; and that she thinks I sat alone with him at Blackheath/' But Mr. Cole speaks of Mr. I aurence in a manner that 99 calls for particular observation. He says* " Mr. Lawrence the painter used to go to Montague House about the latter end of 1801, when he was painting the Princess, and he has slept in the house two or three nights together. I have often seen him alone with the Princess at 1 1 or 1 2 o'clock at night. He has been there as late as one and two o'clock in the morning. One night I saw him with the Princess in the Blue Room, after the ladies had retired. Some time afterwards, when I supposed he had gone to his room, I went to see that all was safe, and I found the Blue Room door locked, and heard a whispering in it ; and I went away" Here, again, your Majesty ob- serves, that Mr. Cole deals his deadliest blows against my character by insinuation. And here, again, his insinuation is left unsifted and unex- plained. I here understand him to insinuate that, though he supposed Mr. Lawrence to have gone to his room, he was still where he had said he last left him ; and that the locked door prevented him from seeing me and Mr. Lawrence alone together, whose whispering, however, he, notwithstanding overheard. Before, Sire, I come to my own explanation of the fact of Mr. Lawrence's sleeping at Montague House, I must again refer to Mr. Cole's original declara- tions. I must again examine Mr. Cole, against Mr. Cole; which I cannot help lamenting it does * Appendix (A.) No. 5. 100 not seem to have occurred to others to have done ; as I am persuaded if it had, his prevarications, and his falsehood, could never have escaped them. They would then have been able to have traced, as your Majesty will now do, through my observations, by what degrees he hardened himself up to the in- famy (for I can use no other expression) of stating this fact, by which he means to insinuate that he heard me and Mr. Lawrence, locked up in this Blue Room, whispering together, and alone. I am sorrv to be obliged to drag your Majesty through so long a detail ; but J am confident your Majesty's goodness, and love of justice, will excuse it, as it is essential to the vindication ot my character, as well as to the illustration of Mr. Cole's. Mr. Cole's examination, as contained in his first written declaration of the llth of January, has ne- thing of this. I mean not to say that it has nothing concerning Mr. Lawrence, for it has much, which is calculated to occasion unfavourable interpretations, and given with a view to that object. But that circumstance, as I submit to your Majesty, increases the weight of my observation. Had there been nothing in his first declaration about Mr. Lawrence at all, it might have been imagined that perhaps Mr. Lawrence escaped his recollection altogether ; or that his declaration had been solely directed to other persons ; but as it does contain observations respecting Mr. Lawrence, but nothing of a locked door, or the whispering within it; how he happened at that time not to recollect, or if he recollected^ 101 ftot to mention so very striking and remarkable a circumstance, is not, I should imagine, very satis- factorily to be explained. His statement in that* first declaration stands thus, " In 1801, Lawrence " the painter was at Montague House, for four " or five days at a time, painting the Princess's " picture. That he was frequently alone late in " the night \vith the Princess, and much suspicion " was entertained of him." Mr. Cole's nextf de- claration, at least the next which appears among the written declarations, was taken on the 14th of Jan- uary ; it does not mention Mr. Lawrence's name, */ ' but it has this passage. " When Mr. Cole found the drawing-room, which led to the staircase to the Princess's apartments, locked (which your Majesty knows is the same which the witnesses call the Blue Room,) he does not know whether any person was with her ; but it appeared odd to him, as he had formed some suspicions." The striking and important observation on this passage is, that when he first talks of the door of the drawing-room being locked, so far from his mentioning any thing of whispering being overheard, he expressly says, that he did not know that any body was with me. The passage is likewise deserving your Majesty's most serious consideration on another ground. For it is one of those which shews that Mr. Cole, though we have four separate declarations made by him, has certainly made other statements which have not * See Appendix (B.) p. 160. f Appendix (B.) p. 100. been transmitted to your Majesty ; for it evidently refers to something, which he had said before, of hav- ing found the drawing-room door locked, and no trace of sach a statement is di3coverable in the previous axamination of Air. Cole, as I have re- ceived it, and 1 have no doubt that, in obedience to your Majesty's commands, I have at length been furnished with the whole. I don't know, indeed, that it should be matter of complaint from me, that your Majesty has not been furnished with all the statements of Mr. Cole, because from the sample I see of them, I cannot suppose that any of them could have furnished any thing favourable to me, except indeed that they might have furnished me with fresh means- of contradicting him by himself. But your Majesty will see that there have been other statements not communicated ; a circumstance of which both your Majesty and I have reason to complain. But it may be out of its place further to notice that fact at present. To return therefore to Mr. Cole ; in his third* declaration, dated the 30th of January, there is not a word about Mr. Lawrence. In his fourth and last,t which is dated on the 23rd of February, he says, " the person who was alone with the lady at 44 late hours of the night (twelve and one o'clock,) " and whom he left sitting up after he went to bed, " was Mr. Lawrence, which happened two diffe- " rent nights." Here is likewise another trace pf Appendix, (B) p. 102. t Appendix (B) p. 103. 103 a former statement which is not given ; for no such person is mentioned before in any that I have been furnished with. Your Majesty then here observes that, after hav- ing given evidence in two of his declarations, res- pecting Mr. Lawrence by name, in which he men- tions nothing of locked doors, and after having, in another declaration, given an account of a locked door, but expressly stated that he knew not whether any one was with me within it, and said nothing about whispering being overheard, but, impliedly, at least, negatived it; in the deposition before the Commissioners, he puts all these things together, and has the hardihood to add to them that remark- able circumstance, which could not have escaped his recollection, at the first, it it had been true, " of his " having, on the same night in which he found me " and Mr. Lawrence alone, after the ladies were " gone to bed, come again to the room when he " thought Mr. Lawrence must have been retired, " and found the door locked and heard the whisper- " ing ;" and then again he gives another instance of his honesty, and upon the same principle on which he took no notice of the man in the great coat, he finds the door locked, hears the whispering, and then he silently and contentedly retires. And this witness, who thus not only varies in his testimony, but contradicts himself in such impor- tant particulars, is one of those who cannot be sus- pected of unfavourable bias, and whose veracity is 104 not to be questioned, and whose evidence must be credited till decidedly contradicted. These observations might probably be deemed sufficient upon Mr. Cole's deposition, as tar as it respects Mr. Lawrence ; but I cannot be satisfied without explaining to your Majesty, all the truth, and the particulars respecting Mr. Lawrence, which I recollect. What I recollect then is as follows. He began a large picture of me, and of my daughter, towards the latter end of the year 1 800, or the beginning of 1801. Miss Garth and Miss Hayman were in the house with me at the time. The picture was paint- ed at Montague House. Mr. Lawrence mentioned to Miss Hayman his wish to be permitted to re- main some few nights in the house, that by rising early be might begin painting on the picture, be- fore Princess Charlotte (whose residence being at that time at Shooter's Hill was enabled to come early,) or myself, came to sit. It was a similar re- quest to that which had been made by Sir William Beechy, when he painted my picture. And I was sensible of no impropriety when I granted the re- quest to either of them. Mr. Lawrence occupied the same room which had been occupied by Sir William Beechy ; it was at the other end of the house from my apartment. At that time Mr. Lawrence did not dine with me ; his dinner was served in his own room. After dinner he came down to the room where I and my Ladies generally sat in an evening sometimes 105 there was music, in which he joined, and some- times he read poetry. Parts of Shakespeare's plays I particularly remember, from his reading them very well; and sometimes he played chess with me. It frequently mayhave happened that it was one or two o'clock before I dismissed Mr. Lawrence and my Ladies. They, together with Mr. Lawrence, went out of the same door, up the same stair-case, and at the same time. According to my own recol- lection I should have said, that, in no one in- stance, they had left Mr. Lawrence behind them, alone with me. But I su ppose it did happen once for a short time, since Mr. Lawrence so recollects it, as your Majesty will perceive from his deposi- tion, which I annex. He staid in my house two or three nights together ; but how many nights in the whole, I do not recollect^ The picture left my house by April, 1801, and Mr. Lawrence never slept in my house afterwards. That picture now belongs to Lady Townshend. He has since com- pleted another picture of me ; and, about a year and a half ago, he began another, which remains at present unfinished. I believe it is near a twelvemonth since I last sat to him. Mr. Lawrence lives upon a footing of the great- est intimacy with the neighbouring families of Mr. Lock and Mr. Angerstein ; and I have asked him sometimes to dine with me to meet them. While I was- sitting to him, at my own house, I have no doubt I must have often sat to him alone ; as tbe 106 necessity for the precaution of having an atten- dant, as a witness to protect my honour from sus- picion certainly never occurred to me. And upon the same principle, I do not doubt that I may have sometimes continued in conversation with him after he had finished painting. But when sitting in his own house, I have always been at- tended with one of my Ladies. And indeed no- thing in the examinations state the contrary. One part of Mrs. Lisle's examination seeins as if she had had a question put to her, upon the supposi- tion that I had been left alone with Mr. Law- rence at his own house ; to which she answers, that she indeed had left me there, but that she thinks she left Mrs. Fitzgerald with me. Ifaninference of an unfavourable nature could have been drawn from my having been left there alone ; was it, Sire, taking all that care which might be wished, to guard against such an infer- ence, on the part of the Commissioners, when they omitted to send for Mrs. Fitzgerald to ascertain what Mrs. Lisle may have left in doubt. The Com- missioners, I give them the fullest credit, were sa- tisfied, that Mrs. Lisle thought correctly upon this fact, and that Mrs. Fitzgerald, if she had been sent for again, would so have proved it, and there- fore tiiat it would have been troubling her to no purpose. But this it is, of which I conceive myself to have most reason to complain ; that the exa- mination in several instances, have not been fol- lowed up so as to remove unfavourable impressions. 107 I cannot but feel satisfied that the Commission- ers would have been glad to have been warranted in negativing all criminality, and all suspicion on this part of the charge, as completely, and ho- nourably as they have done on the principal charges of pregnancy and delivery. They traced that part of the charge with ability, sagacity, dili- gence, and perseverance; and the result was com- plete satisfaction of my innocence ; complete de- tection of the falsehood of my accusers. Encou- raged by their success in that part of their Inquiry, I lament that they did not, (as they thought pro- per to enter into the other part of it at all,) with similar industry pursue it. If they had, i am con- fident they would have pursued it with the same success ; but though they had convicted Sir John and Lady Douglas of falsehood, they seem to have thought it impossible to suspect of the same false- hood, any other of the witnesses, though produced by SirJohn and Lady Douglas. The most obvious means, therefore, of trying their credit, by com- paring their evidence with what they had said be fore, seems to me to have been omitted. Many facts are left upon surmise only and insinuation; obvious means of getting farther information on doubtful and suspicious circumstances are not re- sorted to ; and, as if the important maUer of the Inquiry (on which a satisfactory conclusion had been formed) was all that required any very atten- tive or accurate consideration ; the remainder of it was pursued in a manner which, as it seems to me, can only be accounted for by the pressure of 108 what may have been deemed more important du- ties and of this I should have made but little complaint, if this Inquiry, where it is imperfect, had not been followed by a Report, which the most accurate only could have justified, and which soch tin accurate Inquiry, I am confident, never could have produced. If any credit was given to Mr. Cole's story of the locked door, and the whispering; and to Mr. Lawrence having been left with me so frequently of a night when my ladies had left us, why were not all my ladies examined ? why were not all my servants examined as to their knowledge of that fact ? And if they had been so examined, and had contradicted the fact so sworn to by Mr. Cole, as they must have done, had they been examined to it; that alone would have been sufficient to have removed his name from the list of unsuspected and unquestionable witnesses, and relieved me from much of the suspicion which his evidence, till it was examined, was calculated to have raised in your Majesty's mind. And to close this state- ment, and these observations and in addition to them, I most solemnly assert to your Majesty, that Mr. Lawrence, neither at his own house, nor at mine, nor any where else, ever was for one mo- ment, by night or by day, in the same room with me when the door of it was locked ; that he never was in my company of an evening alone, except the momentary conversation which Mr. Lawrence speaks to, may be thought an exception; and that 109 nothing ever passed between him and me which all the world might not have witnessed. And, Sire, I have subjoined a deposition to the same effect from Mr. Lawrence. To satisfy myself, therefore, and your Majesty, I have shewn, I trust, by unanswerable observa- tions and arguments, that there is no colour for crediting Mr. Cole, or, consequently, any part of this charge, which rests solely on his evidence. But to satisfy the requisition of the Commissioners, I have brought my pride to submit, (though not without great pain, I can assure your Majesty) to add the only contradictions which I conceive can be given, those of Mr. Lawrence and myself. The next person with whom these examinations charge my improper familiarity, and with regard to which the Report represents the evidence as par- ticularly strong, is Captain Manby. With respect to him, Mr. Cole's examination is silent But the evidence, on which 'the Commissioners rely on this part of the case, is Mr. Bidgood's, Miss Fanny Lloyd's, and Mrs. Lisle's. It respects my conduct at three different places ; at Montague House, Southend, and at Ramsgate. I shall preserve the facts and my observations more distinct, if I con- sider the evidence, as applicable to these three places, separately, and in its order; and I prefer this mode of treating it, as it will enable me to consider the evidence of Mrs. Lisle in the first place, and consequently put it out of the reach of the harsher observations, which I may be under the necessity of making, upon the testimony of the other two. For though Mrs. Lisle, indeed, speaks to having seen Captain Manby at East Cliff, in Aug. 1803, to the best of her remembrance it was only once ; she speaks to his meeting her at Deal, in the same season ; that he landed there with some boys whom I took on charity, and who were under his care ; yet she speaks of nothing there that can require a single observation from me. *The material parts of her evidence respect her seeing him at Blackheath, the Christmas before she had seen him at East Cliff. Sne says, it was the Christmas after Mr. Austin's child came, con- sequently the Christinas 1H02-3. He used to come to dine there, she says, he always went away in her presence, and she had no reason to think he staid after the Ladies retired. He lodged on the Heath at that time ; his ship was fitting up at Deptford ; he came to dinner three or four times a week, or more. She supposes he might be alone with the Princess, but that she was in the habit of seeing Gentlemen and Tradesmen without her be- ing present. She (Mrs. Lisle) has seen him at luncheon and dinner both. The boys (two boys) came with him two or three times, but not to din- ner. Captain Manby always sat next the Princess at dinner. The constant company were Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald, and herself all retired with the Princess, and sat in the same room. Captain * Appendix (A.) No. 27. Ill Manby generally retired about eleven ; and sat with us all till then. Captain Manby and the Princess used, when we were together, to bespeak- ing together separately, conversing separately, but not in a room alone. He was a person with whom the Princess appeared to have greater pleasure in talking than with her Ladies. Her Royal High- ness behaved to him ONLY as any woman would who likes flirting. She (Mrs. Lisle) would not hare thought any married woman would have behaved property, who behaved as Her Royal Highness did to Captain Manby. She can't say whether the Princess was attached to Captain Manby, only that itwasa flirting conduct. She never saw any gallantries, as kissing her hand, or the like." I have cautiously stated the whole of Mrs. Lisle's evidence upon this part of the case; and I am sure Your Majesty in reading it, will not fail to keep the facts, which Mrs. Lisle speaks to, separate from the opinion, or judgment, which she forms upon them. I mean not to speak disrespectfully, or slightingly of Mrs. Lisle's opinion , or express myself as in any degree indifferent to it. But what- ever there was which she observed in my conduct, that did not become a married \voman, that " was ONLY like a woman who liked flirting," and " ONLY a flirting conduct'' I am convinced your Majesty must be satisfied that it must have been far distant from affording any evidence of crime, of vice . or of indecency, as it passed openly in the company of my Ladies, of whom Mrs. Lisle her- self \vas one. The facts she states are, that Captain Manby came very frequently to my house ; that he dined there three or four times a week in the latter end of the year 1802; that he sat next to me at din- ner; and that my conversation after dinner, in the evening used to be with Captain Manby, separate from my Ladies. These are the facts : and is it upon them that my character, I will not say, is to be taken away, but is to be affected ? Captain Manby had, in the autumn of the same 3 T ear, been introduced to me by Lady Townshend, when I was upon a visit to her at Rainham. I think he came there only the day before I left it. He was a naval officer, as I understood, and as 1 still believe, of great merit. What little expence, in the way of charity, I am able to afford, I .am best pleased to dedicate to the education of the children of poor, but honest persons ; and I most generally bring them up to the service of the Na- vy. I had at that time two boys at school, whom I thought of an age fit to be put to sea. I desired Lady Townshend to prevail upon Captain Manby to take them. He consented to it, and of course I was obliged to him. About this time, or shortly afterwards, he was appointed to the Africaine, a ship which was fitting up at Deptford. To be near his ship, as I under- stood and believe, he took lodgings at Blackheath ; and as to the mere fact of his being so frequently at my house, his intimacy and friendship with Lord and Lady Townshend, uhich of itself was assurance to me of his respectability and character my pleasure in shewing my respect to them, by notice and attention to a friend of theirs, his un- dertaking the care of my charity boys,- -and his accidental residence at Blackheath, will, I should trust, not unreasonably account for it. I have a similar account likewise to give of paying for the linen furniture, with which his cabin was furnished. Wishing to make him some return for his trouble with the boys, I desired that I might choose the pattern of his furniture. I not only chose it, but had it sent to him, and paid the bill ; rinding how- ever, that it did not corne to more than about twenty pounds, I thought H a shabby present, and therefore added some trifling present of plate. So I have frequently done, and I hope without offence may be permitted to do again to any Captain, on whom I impose such trouble. Sir Samuel Hood has now two of my charity boys with him ; and I have presented him with a silver Epergne. I should be ashamed to notice such things, but your Majesty perceives, that they are made the subject of Inquiry from Mrs. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Stikeman, and I was desirous that they should not appear to be particular in the case of Captain Manby. But to return to Mrs. Lisle's examination. Mrs. Lisle says, that Captain Manby, when he 8 114 dined with me, sat next to me at dinner. Be- fore any inference is drawn from that fact, I am sure your Majesty will observe that, in the next line ol Mrs. Lille's examination, she bays " that the constant company was Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald, and herself, Mrs. Li^-le.' 1 r J he only gentleman, the only person of the whole party who vvas not of my own family, was Captain Manby ; and his sitting next to me, under such circumstances, I should ap- prehend could not possibly afford any inference of any kind. In the evening we were never alone. The whole company sat together; nay even as to his be- ing with me alone of a morning, Mrs. Lisle seems to know nothing of the fact, but from a conjecture found- ed upon her knowledge of m) knoun usual habit, with respect to seeing gentleman uho might call upon me. Ai.d the very foundation of her conjecture demon- strates that this circumstance can be no evidence of any thing particular with regard to Captain Manby. As to my conversing with Captain Manby sepa- rately, I do not understand Mrs. Lisle as mean- ing to speak to the state of the conversation unin- terruptedly, during the whole of any of the several evenings when Captain Manby was with me; if I did so understand her, I should certainly most confidently assert that she was not correct. That in the course of the evening, as the ladies i\cit working, reading, or otherwise amusing them- selves, the conversation was sometimes more and sometimes less general; and that they sometimes took more, sometimes less part in it; that fre- 115 quently it was between Captain Man by and my- self' alone ; and lhat, when we were all together, we two might frequently be the only persons not otherwise engaged, and therefore be justly said to be speaking together separately. Besides Cap- tain Manby has been round the world with Cap- tain Vancovre. I have looked over prints in books of voyages with him ; he has explained them to me ; the ladies may or may not have been looking over them at the same time ; they may have been engaged with their own amusements. Here, again, we may be said to have been con- versing separately, and consequently that Mrs. Lisle, in this sense, is perfectly justified in saying lhat " I used to converse separately with Captain Manby," I have not the least difficulty in admit- ting. But have I not again reason to complain that this expression of Mrs- Lisle's was not more sifted, but left in a manner calculated to raise an impression that this separate conversation, was studiously sought for, was constant, uniform, and uninterrupted, though it by no means asserts any such thing? But whether I used a lie ays so to con- verse with him ; or generally, or only sometimes, or for what proportion of the evening I used -to be so engaged, is left unasked and unexplained. Have I not likewise just reason to complain, that though Mrs. Lisle states, that Mrs. Fitzgerald and Miss Fitzgerald were always of the party, they are not both examined to these circumstances ? But Miss Fitzgerald is not examined at ail; rani 116 Mrs. Fitzgerald, though examined, and examined too with respect to Captain Manby, does not ap- pear to have had a single question put to her with respect to any thing which passed concerning him at Montague House. May I not therefore complain that the examination, leaving the generality of Mrs. Lisle's expression unexplained by herself; and the scenes to which it relates unexamined into, by call- ing the other persons who were present, is leaving it precisely in that state, which is better calculated to raise a suspicion, than to ascertain the truth? But I am persuaded that the unfavourable im- pression which is most likely to be made by Mrs. .Lisle's examination, is not by her evidence to the facts, but by her opinion upon them. " I ap- peared," she says, " to like the conversation of Captain Manby better than that of my ladies. I behaved to him only as a woman who likes flirting ; my conduct was unbecoming a married woman; she cannot say whether I was attached to Cap- tain Manby or not ; " it was only a flirting con- duct." Now, Sire, I must here again most se- riously complain that the Commissioners should have called for, or received, and much more re- ported, in this manner, the opinion and judgment of Mrs. Lisle upon my conduct. Your Majesty's Warrant purpo ts to authorise them to collect the e\ /'lencc, and not the opinion of others; and to report it, with their own judgment, surely, and not Mrs. Lisle's. Mrs. Lisle's judgment was formed upon those tacts which she stated to the 117 Commissioners, or upon other facts. If upon those she stated, the Commissioners, and your Majesty, itre as well able to form the judgment upon them as she was. If upon other facts, the Commission- ers should have heard what those other facts were, and upon them have formed and reported their judgment. I am aware, indeed, that if I were to argue that the facts which Mrs. Lisle states, afford the ex- planation of what she means by " only flirting conduct," and by " behaviour unbecoming a married woman," namely, " that it consisted in having the same gentleman to dine with me three O O or four times a week ; letting him sit next me at dinner, when there were HO other strangers in com- pany ; conversing with him separately, and ap- pearing to prefer his conversation to that of the ladies, it would be observed probably, that this was not all ; that there was always a certain indes- cribable something in manner, \\hich gave the character to conduct, and must have entered mainly into such a judgment as Mrs. Lisle has here pronounced. To a certain extent I should be obliged to agree c* o to this ; but if I am to have any prejudice from this observation ; if it is to give a weight and authority to Mrs. Lisle's judgment, let me have the advantage of it also. If it justifies the conclu- sion that Mrs. Lisle's censure upon my conduct is right, it requires also that equal credit should be given to the qualification, the limit, and the res- 118 triction, which she herself puts upon that cen- sure. Mrs. Lisle, sewing all the facts which she re- lates, and observing much of manner, which per- haps she could not describe, limits the expression " flirting conduct" by calling it '* only flirting," and says (upon having the question asked to her, no doubt, whether from the whole she could col- lect that I was attached to Captain Manby) says " she could not say \\hether I was attached to him, my conduct was not of a nature that proved any attachment to him, it was only a flirting con- duct." Unjust, therefore, as I think it, that any such question should have been put to Mrs. Li&le, or that her judgment should have been taken at all ; yet what I fear from it, as pressing with peculiar hardship upon me, is, that though it is Mrs. Lisle's final and ultimate judgment upon the whole of my conduct, jet, when delivered to the Commissioners and your Majesty, it becomes evi- dence, which connected with all the facts on which Mrs. Lisle had formed it, may lead to still further and more unfavourable conclusions, in the minds of those who are afterwards to judge upon it; that her judgment will be the foundation of other judg- ments against me, much severer than her own ; and that though she evidently limits her opinion, and by saying "ONLY flirting" impliedly negatives it as affording any indication of any thing more im- proper, while she proceeds expressly to negative it as affording any proof of attachment ; yet it, 119 may be thought, by others, to justify their con- dering it as a species of conduct, which shewed an attachment to the man to whom it was addressed ; which in a married woman was criminal and wrong. What Mrs. Lisle exactly means by onlyjlirtmg conduct what degree of impropriety of conduct she would describe by it, it is extremely difficult, with any precision, to ascertain. How many women are there, most virtuous, most truly modest, incapable of any thing impure, vicious, or immoral, in deed or thought, who, from greater vivacity of spirits, from less natural reserve, from that want of caution, which the very consciousness of innocence betrays them into, conduct themselves in a manner, which a woman of a graver character, of more reserved disposition, but not with one par- ticle of superior virtue, thinks too incautious, too unreserved, too familiar; and which, if lorced upon her oath to give her opinion upon it, she might feel herself, as an honest woman, bound to say in that opi lion, was flirting ' But whatever sense Mrs. Lisle annexes to the word " flirting" it is evident, as 1 said before, that she cannot mean any thing criminal, vicious, or indecent, or any tiling with the least shade of deeper impropriety than what is necessarily express- ed in the word " flirting." She never would have added, as she does in both instances, that it was ONLY flirting; if she had tnought it of a quality to be recorded in a iorrnal JUt ort, amongst tircum- 120 stances which must occasion the most unfavourable interpretations, and which deserved the most serious consideration of your Majesty. To use it so, lam sure your Majesty must see, is to press it far beyond the meaning which she would assign to it herself. And as I have admitted that there may be much indescribable in the manner of doing any thing, so it must be admitted to me that there is much indescribable, and most material also, in the manner of saying any thing, and in the accent with which it is said. The whole context serves much to explain it; and if it is in answer to a question, the words of that question, the manner and the accent in which it is asked, are also most material to understand the precise meaning, which the ex- pressions are intended to convey ; and I must la- ment, therefore, extremely, if my character is to be affected by the opinion of any witness, that the questions by which that opinion was drawn from her, were not given too, as well as her answers, and if this inquiry had been prosecuted before your Majesty's Privy Council, the more solemn and usual course of proceeding there, would, as I am informed, have furnished, or enabled me to furnish, your Majesty with the questions as well as the answers. Mrs. Lisle, it should also be observed, was at the time of her examination, under the severe op- pression of having, but a few days before, heard of the death of her daughter ; a daughter, who had been happily married, and who had lived happily with her husband, in mutual attachment till her death. The very circumstance of her then situa- tion would naturally give a graver and severer cast to her opinions. When the question was proposed to her, as a general question, (and I presume it must have been so put to her) whether my con- duct was such as would become a married woman, possibly her own daughter's conduct, and what she would have expected of her, might present itself to her mind. And I confidently submit to your Majesty's better judgment, that such a ge- neral question ought not, in a fair and candid con- sideration of my case, to have been put to Mrs. Lisle, or any other woman. For, as to my con- duct being, or not being, becoming a married wo- man ; the same conduct, or any thing like it, which may occur in my case, could not occur in the case of a married woman, who was not living in my un- fortunate situation ; or, if it did occur, it must occur under circumstances which must give it, and most deservedly, a very different character. A married woman, living well and happily with her husband, could not be frequently having one gentleman at her table, with no other company but ladies of her family ; she could not be spending her eveningt frequently in the same society, and separately con- versing with that gentleman, unless either with the privity and consent of her husband, or by taking advantage, with some management, of his igno- ranee and his absence ; if it was with his privity and consent, that very circumstance alone would unquestionably alter the character of such conduct; if with management she avoided his knowledge, that very management would betray a bad motive. The cases therefore are not parallel ; the illustra- tion is not just; and the question, which called for such an answer from Mrs. Lisle, ought not, in can- dor and fairness, to have been put. I entreat your Majesty, however, not to misun- derstand me; I should be ashamed indeed to be suspected of pleading any peculiar or unfortunate circumstance, in my situation, as an excuse for any criminal or indecent act. With respect to such acts, most unquestionably such circumstance can make no difference ; can afford no excuse. They . must hear their own character of disgrace and infa- my, under all circumstances But there are acts, which are unbecoming a married woman, which ought to be avoided by her, from an apprehension lest they should render her husband uneasy, not be- cause they might give him any reason to distrust her chastity, her virtue, or her morals, but because they might wound his feelings, by indicating a prefer- ence to the society of another man, over his, in a case where she had the option of both. But surely, as to such acts, they must necessarily bear a very different character, and receive a very different construction, in a case where, unhappily, there can be no such apprehension, and where there is no such option. I must, therefore, be excused for 123 dwelling so much upon this part of the case ; and I am sure, your Majesty will feel me warranted in saying^ what I say with a confidence, exactly pro- portioned to the respectability of Mrs. Lisle's cha- racter, that, whatever she meant, by any of these expressions, she could not, by possibility, have meant to describe conduct, which to her mind af- forded evidence of crime, vice, or indecency. If she had, her regard to her own character, her own delicacy, her own honourable and virtuous feelings, would in less than the two years, which have since elapsed, have found some excuse for separating her- self from that intimate connection, which, by her situation in my household, subsists between us. She would not have remained exposed to the repetition of so gross an offence, and insult, to a modest, vir- tuous, and delicate woman, as that of being made, night by night, witness to scenes, openly acted in her presence, offensive to virtue and decorum. If your Majesty thinks I have dwelt too long, and tediously, on this part of the case, I entreat your Majesty to think what I must feel upon it. I feel it a great hardship, as I have frequently stated, that under the cover of a grave charge of High Treason, the proprieties, and decencies, of my pri- vate conduct and behaviour, have been made the subject, as I believe so unprecedently, of a formal investigation upon oath. And that, in consequence of it, I may, at this moment, be exposed to the dan- ger of forfeiting your Majesty's good opinion, and being degraded and disgraced, in reputation through the country, because what Mrs. Lisle has said of my conduct, that it was " only that of a woman who liked flirting," has become recorded in the Report on this formal Inquiry, made into matters of grave crimes, and of essential importance to the state. Let me conjure your Majesty, over and over again, before you suffer this circumstance to pre- judice me in your opinion, not only to weigh all the circumstances I have stated, but to look round the first ranks of kr.iaie virtue, in this country, and see. how many women there are of most unimpeach- ed reputation, of most unsullied and unsuspected honour, character and virtue, whose conduct, though living happily with their husbands, if sub- mitted to the judgment of persons of a severer cast of mind, especially if saddened, at the moment* by calamity, might be stiled to be " flirting." I would not, however, be understood as intending to represent Mrs. Lisle's judgment, as being likely to be marked with any improper austerity, and there- fore I am certain she must either have had no idea .that the expressions she has used, in the manner which she used them, were capable of being under- stood, in o serious a light as to be referred to, amongst circumstances deserving the most serious .consideration, and which must occasion most unfa- vourable interpretations; or she must by the impo- sing novelty of her situation, in private examination before four such grave characters, have been surpri- sed into the use of expressions, which, with a better Opportunity of weighing them, she would either not 125 have used at all, or have accompanied with still more of qualification than that, which she has, how- ever, in some degree, as it is, annexed to them. But my great complaint is tiie having, not, par- ticularly, Mrs. Lisle's opinion, but any person's opinion, set up, as it were, in judgment against the propriety of my private conduct. How would it be endured, that the judgment of one man should be asked, and recorded in a solemn Report, against the conduct of another, either with respect to his behaviour to his children, or to his wife, or to any other relative? How would it be endured, in ge- neral, and I trust, that my case ought not, in this respect, to form an exception, that one woman should in a similar manner be placed in judgment, upon the conduct of another ? And that judgment be reported, where her character was of most im- portance to her, as amongst things which must be credited till decidedly contradicted ? Let every one put these questions home to 'their own breasts, and before they impute blame to me, for protest- ing against the fairness and justice of this proce- dure, ask how they would feel upon it, if it were their own case ? But, perhaps, they cannot bring their imagina- tions to conceive that it could ever become their own case. A few months ago 1 could not have believed that it would have been mine. But the just ground of my complaint may, per- haps, be more easily appreciated and felt, by sup- posing a more familiar, but an analogous case. The 126 High Treason, with which I was charged, was sup- posed to be committed in the foul crime of adultery. What would be the impression of your Majesty, what would be the impression upon the mind of any one, acquainted with the excellent laws of your Majesty's kingdom, and the admirable adminis- tration of them, if upon a Commission of this kind, secretly to inquire into the conduct of any man, upon a charge of High Treason against the state, the Commissioners should not only proceed to inquire, whether in the judgment of the witness, the conduct of the accused was such as became a loyal subject; but, when the result of their Inquiry obliged them to report directly against the charge of Treason, they, nevertheless, should record an im- putation, or libel, against his character for loyalty, and reporting, as part of the evidence, the opinion of the witness, that the conduct of the accused was such as did not become a loyal subject, should fur- ther report, that the evidence of that witness, with- out specifying any part of it, must be credited till decidedly contradicted, and deserved the most se- rious consideration ? How could he appeal from that Report ? How could he decidedly contradict the opinion of the witness ? Sire, there is no dif- ference between this supposed case and mine, but this. That in the case of the man, a character for loyalty, however injured, could not be destroyed by such an insinuation. His future life might give him abundant opportunities of falsifying the justice of it. But a female character once so blasted, what hope or chance has it of recovery ? Your Majesty will not fail to perceive, that I have pressed this part of the case, with an earnestness which shews that I have felt it. I have no wish to disguise from your Majesty, that 1 have felt it, and felt it strongly. It is the only part of the case, which I conceive to be in the least degree against me, that rests upon a witness who is at all worthy of your Majesty's credit. How unfair it is, thai any thing she has said should be pressed against me, I trust I have sufficiently shewn. In canvas- sing, however, Mrs. Lisle's evidence, I hope I have never forgot what was due to Mrs. Lisle. I have been as anxious not to do her injustice, as to do justice to myself. I retain the same respect and regard for Mrs. Lisle now, as I ever had* If the unfavourable impressions, which the Commission- ers seem to suppose, fairly arise out of the expres- sions she has used, I am confident they will be understood, in a sense, which was never intended by her. And I should scorn to purchase any ad- vantage to myself, at the expence of the slightest imputation, unjustly cast upon Mrs. Lisle, or any one else. Leaving, therefore, with these observations, Mrs. Lisle's evidence, I must proceed to the evidence of Mr. Bidgood. The parts of it which apply to this part of the case, I mean my conduct to Captain Manby at Montague House, I shall detail. They are as follows.* " I first observed Captain Manby * Appendix (A.) p. 9. 128 cariie to Montague House either the end of J 803, or the beginning of 1804. I was waiting one day in the anti-room ; Captain Manby had his hat in his hand, and appeared to be going away ; he was a long time with the Princess, and, as I stood 'ou the steps waiting, I looked into the room in which they were, and in the reflection on the looking-glass I saw them salute each other. I mean that they kissed each other's lips. Captain Manby then went away. I then observed the Princess have her handkerchief in her hands, and wipe her eyes, as if she was crying, and went into the drawing-room." In his second deposition,* on the 3d July, talking of his suspicions of what passed at Southend, he says, they arose from seeing them kiss each other, as I mentioned before, like people fond of each other; a very close kiss." In these extracts from his depositions, there can undoubtedly be no complaint of any thing being left to inference. Here is a fact, which must un- questionably occasion almost as unfavourable inter- pretations, as any fact of the greatest impropriety and indecorum, short of the proof of actual crime. And this fact is positively and affirma- tively sworn to. And if this witness is truly repre- sented, as one who must be credited till he is deci- dedly contradicted; and the decided contradiction of the parties accused, should be considered as unavail- ing, it constitutes a charge which cannot possibly be answered. For the scene is so laid, that there is no eye to witness it, but his own ; and therefore there * See Appendix (A.) p. 40. 129 can be no one who can possibly contradict him, however false his story may be, but the persons whom he accused. As for me, Sire, there is no mode, the most solemn that can be devised, in which I shall not be anxious and happy to contra- dict it. And I do here most solemnly, in the face of Heaven, most directly and positively affirm, that it is as foul, malicious, and wicked a falsehood, as ever was invented by the malice of man. Cap- tain Manby, to whom 1 have been under the ne- cessity of applying, for that purpose, in the depo- sition which I annex, most expressly and positively denies it also. Beyond these our two denials, there is nothing which can by possibility be directly op- posed to Mr. Bidgood's evidence. All that re- mains to be done is to examine Mr. Bidgood's cre- dit, and to see how far he deserves the character which the Commissioners give to him. How un- foundedly they gave such a character to Mr. Cole, your Majesty, I am satisfied, must be fully con- vinced. I suppose there must be some mistake, I will not call it by any harsher name, for I think it can be no more than a mistake, in Mr. Bidgood's say- ing, that the first time he knew Captain Manby come to Montague House, was at the end of 1803, or beginning of 1804; for he first came at the end of the former year;* and the fact is, that Mr. Bid- good must have seen him then. But, however. * Before 1803. f 130 the date is comparatively immaterial, the fact it is, that is important. And here, Sire, surely I have the same com- plaint which I have so often urged. I would ask your Majesty, whether I, not as a Princess of Wales, but as a party accused, had not a right to be thought, and to be presumed, innocent, till I was proved to be guilty ? Let me ask, if there ever could exist a case, in which the credit of the wit- ness ought to have been more severely sifted and tried ? The fact rested solely upon his single asser- tion. However false, it could not possibly receive contradiction, but from the parties. The story itself surely is not very probable. My character cannot be considered as under inquiry ; it is already gone, and decided upon, by those, if there are any such, who think such a story probable. That in a room, with the door open, and a servant known to be waiting just by, we should have acted such a scene of gross indecency. The indiscretion at least might have rendered it improbable, even to those, whose prejudices against me, might be prepared to con- ceive nothing improbable in the indecency of it. Yet this seems to have been received as a fact that there was no reason to question. The witness is assumed, without hesitation, to be the witness of truth, of unquestionable veracity. Not the faintest trace is there to be found of a single question put to him, to try and sift the credit which was due to him, or to his story. Is he asked, as I suggested before should hare 131 been done with regard to Mr. Cole To whom he told this fact before ? When he told it ? What was done in consequence of this information ? If he never told it, till for the purpose of supporting Lady Douglas' statement, how could he in his si- tuation, as an old servant of the Prince, with whom as he swears, he had lived twenty-three years, cre- ditably to himself, account for having concealed it so long ? And how came Lady Douglas and Sir John to find out that he knew it, if he never had communicated it before ? If he had communicated it, it would then have been useful to have heard how far his present story was consistent with his former; and if it should have happened that this and other matters, which he may have stated, were, at that time, made the subject of any Inquiry ; then how far that Inquiry had tended to confirm or shake his credit. His first examination was, it is true, taken by Lord Grenville and Lord Spencer alone, without the aid of the experience of the Lord Chancellor, and Lord Chief Justice ; this undoubt- edly may account for the omission ; but the noble Lords will forgive me if I say, it does not excuse it, especially as Mr. Bidgood was examined again on the 3d of July, by all the Commissioners, and this fact is again. referred to then, as the foundation of the suspicion which he afterwards entertained of Captain Manby at Southend. Nay, that last de- position affords on my part, another ground of si- milar complaint of the strongest kind. It opens thus : " The Priacess tfsed to go out in her phaeton 132 " with coachman and helper, towards Long Reach, " eight or ten times, carrying luncheon and wine " with her, when Captain Manby's ship was at " Long Reach, always Mrs. Fitzgerald with her. " She would go out at one, and return about five " or six, sometimes sooner or later." The date when Captain Manby's ship was lying at Long Reach, is not given ; and therefore whe- ther this was before or after the scene of the sup- posed salute does not appear. But for what was this statement of Mr. Bidgood's made ? Why was it introduced? Why were these drives towards Long Reach with luncheon, connected with Cap- tain Manby's ship lying there at the time, examined to by the Commissioners ? The first point, the matter foremost in their minds, when they call back this witness for his re-examination, appears to have been these drives towards Long Reach. Can it have been for any purpose but to have the benefit of the insinuation, to leave it open to be in- ferred, that those drives were for the purpose of meeting Captain Manby ? If this fact was material, why in the name of justice was it so left ? Mrs. Fitzgerald was mentioned by name, as accompany- ing me in them all ; Why was- not she called ? She perhaps was my confidante ; no truth could have been hoped lor from her ; still there were my coachman and helper, who likewise accompanied, me; Why were they not called ? they are not surely confidants too. But it is, for what reason I cannot pretend to say, thought sufficient to leave 1S3 this fact, or i^ather this insinuation, upon the evi- dence of Mr. Bidgood, who only saw, or could see, the way I went when I set out upon my drive, in- stead of having the fact from the persons who could speak to the whole of it ; to the places I went to ; to the persons whom I met with. Your Alajesty will think me justified in dwelling upon this, the more from this circumstance, because I know, and will shew to your Majesty, on the tes- timony of Jonathan Partridge, which I annex, that these drives, or at least one of them, have been already the object of previous, and, I believe, nearly cotemporary investigation. The truth is,, that it did happen upon two of these drives that I met with Captain Manby ; IN ONE of them that he joined me, and went with me to Lord Eardley's, at Belvidere, and that he partook of something which we had to eat ; that some oi Lord Eardley's ser- vants were examined as to my conduct upon this occasion ; and I am confidently informed that the servants gave a most satisfactory account of all that passed ; nay, that they felt, and have expressed some honest indignation at the foul suspicion which the examination implied. On the other occasion, having the boys to go on board the Africaine, 1 went with one of my Ladies to see them on board,, and Captain Manby joined us in our walk round Mr. Calcraft's grounds at Ingress Park, opposite to Long Reach ; where we walked, while my horses were baiting. We went into no house, and on that occasion had nothing to eat. 134 Perfectly unable to account why these facts were not more fully inquired into, if thought proper to be inquired into at all, I return again to Mr. Bid- good's evidence. As far as it respects my conduct at Montague House, it is confined to the circum- stances which I have already mentioned. And, upon those circumstances, I have no further obser- vation, which may tend to illustrate Mr. Bidgood's credit, to offer. But I trust if, from other parts of his evidence, your Majesty sees traces ot the strong- est prejudices against me, and the most scandalous inferences drawn from circumstances, which can in no degree support them, your Majesty will then be able justly to appreciate the credit due to every part of Mr. Bidgood's Evidence. Under the other head into which I have divided this part of the case, I mean my conduct at South- end, as relative to Captain Man by, and Mr. Bidgood is more substantial and particular.* His statement on this head begins by shewing that I was at South- end about six weeks before the Africaine, Captain Manby's ship, . arrived. That Mr. Sicard was looking out for its arrival, as if she was expected. And as it is my practice to require as constant a correspondence to be kept up with my charity boys, when on board of ship, as the nature of then* situa- tion will admit of, and as Mr. Sicard is the person who manages all matters concerning them, and en- ters into their interests with the most friendly anx- * See Appendix (A.) p. 10. 135 iety, he certainly was apprised of the probability of the ship's arrival off Southend, before she came. And here I may as well, perhaps, by the way, re- mark, that as this correspondence with the boys is always under cover to the Captain; this circum- stance may account to your Majesty for the fact, which is stated by some of the witnesses, of several letters being put into the post by Sicard, some of which he may have received from me, which were directed to Captain Man by. Soon after the arrival of the Africaine, however, Bidgood says, the Captain put off in his boat. Sicard went to meet him, and immediately brought him up to me and my Ladies ; he dined there then, and came frequently to see me. It would have been as candid, if Mr. Bidgood had represent- ed the fact as it really was, though perhaps the cir- cumstance is not very material : that the Captain brought the two boys on shore with him to see me, and this, as well as many other circumstances con- nected with these boys, the existence of whom, as accounting in any degree for the intercourse be- tween me and Captain Manby, could never have been collected from out of Bidgood's depositions, Sicard would have stated, if the Commissioners had examined him to it. But though he is thus referred to, though his name is mentioned about the letters sent to Captain Manby, he does not appear to have been examined to any of them, and all that he ap- pears to have been asked is, as to his remembering Captain Manby visiting at Montague House, and to my paying the expense of the linen furniture for 136 his cabin. But Mr. Sicard was, i suppose, repre- sented by tny enemies to be a confidant, from whom no truth could be extracted, and therefore that it was idle waste of time to examine him to such points ; and so unquestionably lie, and every other honest servant in my family, who could be suppos- ed to know any thing upon the subject, were sure to be represented by those, whose conspiracy and falsehood, their honesty and truth were the best means of detecting. The conspirators, however, had the tirst word, and unfortunately their veracity was not questioned, nor their unfavourable bias sus- pected. Mr. Bidgood then proceeds to state the situation of the houses, two of which, with a part of a third, I had at Southend. He describes No. 9, as the house in which I slept; No. 8, as that in which we dined ; and No. 7, as containing a drawing- room, to which we retired after dinner. And he says, " I have several times seen the Princess, after " having gone to No. 7 with Captain Man by and " the rest of the company, retire with Captain " Manby from No. 7, through No. 8, to No. 9, " which was the house where the Princess slept. " I suspect that Captain Manby slept very fre- " quently in the house. Hints were given by the " servants, and I believe that others suspected it as " well as myself." What those hints were, by what servants given, are things which do not seem to have been thought necessary matters of inquiry. At least, there is no trace in Mr. Bidgood's, or any 137 other witness's examination, of any such inquiry having been made. In his second deposition, which applies to the same fact, after saying that we went away the day after the Africaine sailed from Southend, he says, f< Captain Manby was there three times a week at " the least, whilst his ship lay for six weeks off " Southend at the Nore ; he came as tide served " in a morning, and to dine, and drink tea. I " have seen him next morning by ten o'clock. " I suspected he slept at No. 3, the Princess's. " She always put out the candles herself in ft drawing-room at No, 9, and bid me not wait " to put them up. She gave me the orders as " soon as she went to Southend. I used to see lf water-jugs, basons, and towels, set out opposite . 181 The Deposition of Thomas Jllanby, Esquire, a Captain in the Royal Navy. Having had read to me the following passage, from the Copy of a Deposition of Robert Uidgood, sworn the 6th of Jane last, before Lords Spencer and Grenville, viz. " I was waiting 1 one day in the anti-room ; Captain *' Manby had his hat in his hand, and appeared to " be going away ; he was a long time with the " Princess, and, as I stood on the steps, waiting, I " looked into the room in which they were, and, in " the reflection on the looking-glass, I saw them sa- " lute each other I mean, that they kissed each " other's lips. Captain Manby then went away. which slue told me of what had happened at Lady Wil- Ipughby's. That Sander was a very good woman, and might be trutted, and that she must be with her at thela- bpur ; that Uie would send Miss Gouch to Brunswick ; mid Miss Millh'eld was too young to be trusted, and mu$t be sent out of the way. I was brought to bed on the Q3rd of July, 1802 ; the Princess insisted on being present; I determined that she should not, but I meant to avoid it without offending her. On the day on which 1 was brought to bed, she came to my house, and insist- ed on coming in ; Dr. Mackie, who attended me, locked tlit- door, and said she should not come in ; but there v>as another door on the opposite side of the room, which was not locked, and she came in atthat door, and was pre- se,t during the time of the labour, and took the child as $<>p.p as it was born, aitd said that she was very glad that ok bid >eu> iLe whole of it. The Princess's pregnancy to me to be very visible ; she wore a cushion and sue made Mis. Sander make one forme, lying-in the Princess came one day with Mrs. Fitzgerald; she sent Mrs. Eilzgerald away, and took a cljair aiul sat by my bedside. She said, "You will hear of my taking children in baskets, but you wont take any no- rice of it; I shall have them brought by a poor woman in a basket; I shall Ho it as a cover to have my own brought to we in that way," or, (< that is the way in which I must have my own brought \\henlhaveit." Very soon after this, two children, who were twins, were brought by a poor woman in a basket. The Princess took them and Ijad them carried up into her room, and the Princess washed them herself. The Princess told me this herself. The -father, a few days afterwards, came and insisted up- on having the children, and they were given to him. The Princess afterwards said to me, You see I took the chil- dren, and it answered very well ; the father had got them back, and she couhi not blame him ; that she should take other children, and should have quite a nursery. I saw the Princess on a Sunday, either the 30th or 3 1 st of October, 1802, walking before her door. She was dress- ed so as to conceal her pregnancy ; she had a Ipng cloak, and a very great muff. She had just returned from Greenwich Church ; she looked very ill, and I thought must be very near her time. About a week, or nine or ten days after this, 1 received a note from the Princess, to desire that I would not come to Montague House, for they weie apprehensive that the children she had taken had had the measles in their clothes, and that he was afraid my child might take it. When the Princess came to see me during my lying in. she told me that when she should be brought to bed, she wished I would not come to her for some time, for she might be confused in seeing me. A bout the end of December, I went to Gloucester- shire, and stayed there about a month. When I return- ed, which was in January, I went to Montague House, and was let in. The Princess was packing up something in a black box. Upon the sofa a child was lying, cover- ed with a piece of red cloth. -The Princess got up and 6 took me b v the hand ; she then led me to the sofa, and said, " There is the child, I had him only two days after I saw you." The words were, either, "I had him," or," 1 was brought to bed." The words were such as clearly import- ed that it was her own child. She said she got very well through it. She shewed me a mark on the child's hand ; it is a pink mark. The Princess said, " she has a mark like your little girl." I saw the child afterwards frequent- ly with the Princess, quite till Christmas, 1803, when I left Blackheath. I saw the mark upon the child's hand, and I am sure that it was the same child. I never saw any other child there. Princess Charlotte used to see the child, and play with him. The child used to call the Princess of Wales Mama. I saw the child looking at the window of the Princess's house about a month ago, be- fore the Princess went into Devonshire, and I am sure that it was the same child. Not long after I had first seen the child, the Princess said that she had the child at first to sleep with her for a few nights, but it made her ner- vous, and now they had got a regular nurse for her. 3he said, " We gave it a little milk at first, but it was too much for 4 me, and now we breed it by hand, and it does very well." I can swear positively that the child I saw at the window is the same child as the Princess told me she had two days after she parted with me. The child was called William. I never heard that it had any other name. When the child was in long clothes, we breakfasted one day with the Princess, and she said to Sir John Douglas, " This is the Deptford Boy." Independently of the Prin- cess's confessions to me, I can swear that she was preg- nant in 1802. In October, 1804, when we returned from Devonshire, 1 left my card at Montague House, and on the 4th of October I received a letter from Mrs.Vernon, desiring me not to come any more to Montague House. 1 had never at this time mentioned the Princess's being with child, or being delivered of a child, to any person, not even to Sir John Douglas. After receiving Mrs. Vernon's letter, I wrote to the Princess on the subject. The letter was sent back unopened. I then wrote to Mrs. Fitzgerald, saying, that I thought myself extremely ill- used. In two or three days after this I received an anony- mous letter, which I produce, and have marked with the letter A,* and signed with my name bom on the letter and the envelope. The Princess of Wales has told me that she got a bedfellow whenever she could ; that nothing was more wholesome. She said that nothing was more convenient than her room; " it stands at the head of the staircase which leads into the Park, and I have bolts in the inside, and have a bedfellow whenever I like. I wonder you can be satisfied only with Sir John." She has said this more than once. She has told me that Sir Sid- ney Smith had lain with her ; that she believed all men liked a bedfellow, but Sir Sidney better than any body else ; that the Prince was the most complaisant man in the world ; that she did what she liked, went where she liked, and had what bedfellows she liked, and the Prince paid for all. CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS. June 1, 1806. Sworn before us,"; June r l, 1806,'at Lord(Gren- ville's in Downing-street, Westminster. ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. No copy of this letter has beeu sent to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. (No. 3.) The Deposition of Sir Jolm Dvnglas, Kril. I HAD a house at Blacfcheath m 1801. Sir Sidney used to come to my house. I had a bed for him. The Princess of Wales formed an acquaintance with Lady Douglas, arid came frequently to our house. I thought she came more for Sir Sidney Smith than for us. After she had been some time acquainted with us, she appeared to me to be with child. One day she leaned on the so- tay And put her hand upon her stomach, and said, " Sir John, I shall never be Queen of England." I said, " Not if you don't deserve it." She teemed angry at fcr&. Iti 1804, on the 27th of October, I received tfar fetters by the two-penny post, one addressed to me, which 1 1 how produce, and haVe marked with the fetter <(B)* both on the envelope and the ineloSure, ami the" other letter addressed to Lady Douglas, and which I now prddute, and have marked with the letter (C)* fetrtfrdn the envelope and the iuclosure. (Signed) JOHN DOUGLAS. June 1st. Sworn fjefore us at Lord Grenville's house in Down- ing street, Westminster, June the first, 1806. ERSfclNE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. No copy of these letters, or either of them, has been lent te Her Royil HighneW the Princess of Wales. s (No. 4.) The Deposition of Robert Bidgood. I HAYE lived with the Prince twenty-three years in next September. I went to the Princess in March, 1798, and have lived with her Royal Highness ever since. About the year 1802, early in that year, I iirst observed Sir Sidney Smith come to Montague House. He used to stay very late at night. I have seen him early in the morning there, about ten or ele- ten o'clock. He was at Sir John Douglas's, and was in the habit, as well as Sir John and Lady Douglas, of dining or having luncheon, or supping there almost every day. I saw Sir Sidney Smith one day in 1302, in thje blue room, about eleven o'clock in the morning, which is full two hours before we expected ever to see company. I asked the servants why they did not Jet me know that he was there. The footmen inform- ed me that they had let no person in. There was a private door to the Park by which he might have come in if he had a key to it, and have got into the blue room without any of the servants perceiving him. I never observed any appearance of the Princess, which could lead me to suppose she was with- child. I first observed Captain Man by come to Montague House, either the end of 1803, or beginning of 1804. I was waiting one day in the anti-room, Captain Man- by had his hat in his hand, and appeared to be going away. He was a long time with the Princess, and as I stood on the steps waiting, I looked into the room in which they were, and in the reflection in the looking- glass I saw them salute each other. I mean that they kissed each other's lips. Captain Manby then went away. I then observed the Princess have her hand- 10 kerchief in her hands, and wipe her eyes as if she WM crying, and went into the draw'rng-room. The Prin- cess went to Southend in May, 1804. I went with her. We were there I believe about six weeks before the Africainecame in. Sicard was very often watching with a glass to see when the ship would arrive. One day he said he saw the Africaine, and soon after the Captain put off in a boat from the ship. Sicard went down the shrubbery to meet him. When the Captain came on shore, Sicard conducted him to the Princess's House, and he dined there with the Princess and her Ladies. After this he came very frequently to see the Princess. The Princess had two houses on the Cliff, Nos. 8 and 9. She afterwards took the drawing-room of No. 7, which communicated by the balcony with No. 8. The three houses being adjoining, the Princess used to dine in No. 8, and after dinner to remove with the company into No. 7, and I have several times seen the Princess, after having gone into No. 7, with Cap- tain Manby and the rest of the company, retire alone with Captain Manby from No. 7, through No. 8, into No. 9, which was the house in which the Princess slept. I suspected that Captain Manby slept frequently in the house. It was a subject of conversation in the house. Hints were given by the servants, and I be* lieve that others suspected it as well as myself. Thi Princess took a child, which I understand was brought into the house by Stikeman. I waited only one week in three, and I was not there at the time the child was brought, but I saw it there early in 1803. The child who is now with the Princess is the same as I saw there early in 1803. It has a mark in its left hand. Austin is the name of the man who was said to be the father. Austin's wife is, I believe, still alive. She has had another child, and has brought it sometimes to Mon- tague House. It it very like the child who lives with the Princess. Mrs. Gosden was employed as a nurse to the child, and she used to bring the child to the Princess as soon as the Princess woke, and the child used to stay with her Royal Highness the whole morn- ing. The Princess appeared to be extremely fond of the child, and still appears so. R. BIDGOOIX Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing- street, the sixth day of June, 180(5. A true Copy, SPENCER, J. Becket. GRENVJLLE. (No. 5.) v ' The Deposition of William Cole. \ HATE lived with the Princess of Wales ever since her marriage, Sir Sidney Smith first visited at Monta- gue House about 1802. I have observed the Princess too familiar with Sir Sidney Smith. One day, I think about February in that year, the Princess ordered some sandwiches, I carried them in the Blue Room to her. Sir Sidney Smith was there. I was surprised to see him there he must have come in from the Park. If he had been let in from Blackheath, he must have passed through the room in which I was waiting. When I had left the sandwiches, I returned after some time into the room, and Sir Sidney Smith was sitting very close to the Princess on the sofa. I looked at him, and at her Royal Highness. She caught my eye, and saw that I noticed the manner in which they were sitting together. They appeared both a little confused when I came into the room. A short time before this, one night about twelve o'clock, I saw a man go into the honse from the Park, wrapt up in a great coat, f did not give any alarm, for the impression on my mind was, that it was not a thief. Soon after I had seen the Princess and Sir Sidney Smith silting together on the sofa, the Duke of Kent sent for uae, and told me that the Princess woold be very glad if I would do the duty in town, because she had business to do in town, which she would rather trust to me than any body else. The Duke said that the Princess had thought it would be more agreeable to me to be told this by him than through Sicard. After this I never attended at Mon- tague House, but occasionally when the Princess sent for me. About July, 1802, I observed that the Prin- cess had grown very large j and in the latter end of the same year she appeared to be grown thin, and I observ- ed it to Miss Sander, who said that the Princess was much thinner than she had been. I had not any idea of the Princess being with child. Mr. Lawrence, the painter, used to go to Montague House about the lat- ter end of 1801, when he was painting the Princess, and he has slept in the house two or three nights to- gether, i haveoften seen him alone with the Princess at eleven and twelve o'clock at night. He has been there as late as one and two o'clock in the morning. One night I saw him with the Princess in the Blue Room, after the ladies bad retired. Some time afterwards, when I supposed that he had gone to his room, I went to see that all was safe, and i found the Blue Room door locked, and heard a whispering in it, and I went awav. V^M. COLE. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing- swect, the sixth; day of June, 1806, before us, A true Copy, SPENCER, J. Bucket. GRENVILLE. IS (No. 6.) The Deposition of Frances Lloyd. I HAVE lived twelve years with the Princess of Wales next October. I am in the Coffee-room. My ituation in the Coffee-room does not give me oppor- tunities of seeing the Princess. I don't see her some- times for months. Mr. Mills attended me for a cold. He asked me if the Prince came to Blackheath, back- wards and forwards, or something to that effect, for the Princess was with child, or looked if she was with child. This must have been three or four years ago. It may have been five years ago. I think it must have been some time before the child was brought to the Princess. I remember the child being brought. It was brought into my room. I had orders sent to me to give the mother arrow root, with directions how to make it, to wean the child, and I gave it to the mo- ther, and she took the child away. Afterwards the mother brought the child back again. Whether it was a week, ten days, or a fortnight, I cannot say, but it might be about that time. The second time the mother brought the child, she brought it into my room. I asked her, how a mother could part with her child. I am not sure which time I asked this. The mother cried, and said she could not afford to keep it. The child was said to be about four months old when it vras brought. I did not particularly observe it myself. FRANCES LLOYD. I was at Ramsgate with the Princess in 1803. One morning when we were in the house at East Cliff, some body, I don't recollect who, knocked at my door, and desired me to get up to prepare breakfast for the Princess. This was about six b'clock. I was asleep. During the whole time I was in the Princess's service, I had never been called up before to make breakfast 14 for the Princess. 1 slept in the housekeeper's room on the ground floor. I opened the shutters of the window for light. I knew at that time that Captain Manby's ship was in the Downs. When I opened the shatters, I saw the Princess walking down the garden with a gentleman. She was walking down the gravel walk towards the sea. No orders had been given me over night to prepare breakfast early. The gentleman the Princess was walking with, was a tall man. I was surprised to see the Princess walking with a gentle- man, at that time in the morning. I am sure it wa the Princess. While we were at Blackheatli, a wo- man at Charlton, of the name of Townley, told me that ahe had some linen to wash from the Princess's house. That the linqn was marked with the appearance of ###*#**# * f The woman has since left Charlton, but she has friends there. I think it must have been before the child was brought to the Prin- cess, that the woman told us this. I know all the wo- men in the Princess's house. I don't think that any of them were in a state of pregnancy, and if any had, I think 1 must have known it. I never told Cole that Mary Wilson, when she supposed the Princess to be in the library, had gone into the Princess's bedroom, and had found a man thereat breakfast with the Prin- cess; or that there was a great to-do about it, and that Mary Wilson was sworn to secresy, and threatened to be turned away if she divulged what she had seen. FRANCES LLOYD. Sworn at Lord. Grenville's House in Downing-stree( the seventh day of June, li.06, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true-Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. IS (No. 7.) The Deposition of Mary Ann Wilson. I BELIEVE it will be ten years next quarter, that I have lived with the Princess of Wales, as housemaid, \ wait on the ladies who attend the Princess. I re- member when the child who is now with the Princess, was brought there. Before it came I heard say it was to come. The mother brought the child. It appear- ed to be about four months old when it \va^ brought. I remember twins being brought to the Princess, be- fore this child was brought. I never noticed the Pria- cess's shape to be different in that year from- what it was before. I never had a thought that the Princess was with child. I have heard it reported. It is a good while ago. I never myself suspected her being with child. I think she could not have been with child, and have gone on to her time without my knowing it. I was at Southend with the Princes.- Captain Manby used to visit the Princess there-. I make the Princess's bed, and have been in the habit f making it ever since I lived with Her Royal High- ness. Another maid, whose name is Ann Bye, assist- ed with me in making the bed. From what I observ- ed, I never had any reason to believe that two persons had slept in the bed. I never saw any particular ap- pearance in it. The linen was washed by Stikeman'g wife. MARY WILSON. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-strstt, the seventh of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENV1LLE, /. Bcckd. ELLENBOROUG H . 16 (No. 8.) The Deposition of Samuel Roberts. I AM a footman to the Princess of Wales. I re- member the child being taken by the Princess. I never observed any particular appearance of the Prin- cess in that year nothing that led me to believe that she was with child. Sir Sidney Smith used to visit the Princess at Blackheath. I never saw him alone with the Princess. He never stayed after eleven o'clock. I recollect Mr. Cole once asking me, I I think three years ago, whether there were any fa- vourites in the family. I remember saying, that Captain Manby and Sir Sidney Smith were frequent- ly at Blackheath, and dined there oftener than other persons. I never knew Sir Sidney Smith stay later than the ladies. I cannot say exactly at what hour he went, but I never remember him staying alone witU the Princess. SAMUEL ROBERTS. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, /, Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. 17 (No. 0.) The Deposition of Thomas Stikeman. I HAVE been Page to the Princess of Wales ever since sSie has been in England. When I first saw the child who is with the Princess, it is about four years ago. Her Royal Highness had a strong desire to have an infant, which I and all the house knew. I heard there was a woman who had twins, one of which the Princess was desirous to have, but the parents would not part with it. A woman came to the door with a petition to get her husband replaced in the Dock Yard, who had been removed. She had a child with her. I took the child, I believe, and shewed it to Mrs. Sander. I then returned the child to the wo- man, and made inquiries after the father, and after- wards desired the woman to bring the child again to the house, which she did. The child was taken to the Princess. After the Princess had seen it, she de- sired the woman to take it again and bring it back in a few days, and Mrs. Sander was desired to provide linen for it. Within a few days the child was brought again by the mother, and was left, and has been with the Princess ever since. I don't recollect the child had any mark ; but upon reflection I do recollect the mo- ther said he was marked with elder wine on the hand. The father of the child, whose name is Austin, lives with me at Pimlico. My wife is a laundress, and washed the linen of the Prince. Austin is employed to turn a mangle for me. The child was born in Brown- low-street, and it was baptized there; but I only know this from the mother. The mother has since lain-iri a second time in Brownlow-street. I never saw the * n, 18 woman to my knowledge before she came with the petition to the door. I had no particular directions by the Princess to procure a child. I thought it bet- ter to take the child of persons of good character, than the child of a pauper. Nothing led me from the ap- pearance of the Princess, to suppose that she was with child, but from her shape it is difficult to judge when she is with child. When she was with child of the Princess Charlotte, I should not have known k when she was far advanced in her time, if I had not been told it. Sir Sidney Smith at one time visited very fre- quently at Montague House, two or three times a week. At the time the Princess was altering her rooms in the Turkish style, Sir Sidney Smith's visits were very fre- quent. The Princess consulted him upon them. Mr. Morell was the upholsterer. Sir Sidney Smith came frequently alone. He stayed alone with the Princess sometimes till eleven o'clock at night. He has been there till twelve o'clock, and after, I believe alone with the Princess. The Princess is of that lively vivacity, that she makes herself familiar with gentlemen, which prevented my being struck with his staying so late. I do not believe that at that time any other gentleman visited the Princess so frequently, or stayed so late. I have seen the Princess when they were alone sitting with Sir -Sidney Smith on the same sofa in the Blue Room. I had access to the Blue Room at all times. There was an inner room which opened into the Blue Room. When that room was not lighted up, I did not go into it, and did not consider that I had a right to go into it. I had no idea on what account I was brought here. I did not know that the Princess's conduct was questioned or questionable. I was with the Princess at Ramsgate. When she was at East 19 Cliff, Captain Manby was very frequently there; went away as late at night as eleven o'clock. I don't re- member Fanny Lloyd being called up any morning to make breakfast for the Princess. I did not like Capt. Manby coming so often, and staying so late, and I was uneasy at it. I remember a piece of plate, a silver lamp, being sent to Captain Manby. I saw it in Sicard's possession. He told me it was for Captain Manby, and he had a letter to send with it. I have never seen Captain Manby at the Princess's at Rams- Grate before nine o'clock in the morning, but I have heard he has been there earlier. I had never any sus- picions of there being any thing improper, either from the frequent visits of Captain Manby, or from his con- duct. I was at Catherington with the Princess. She used to go out generally in her own chaise. I think I have once or twice seen her go with Mr. Hood in his one-horse chaise. They have been out for two hours, or two hours and a half, together. I believe only a day or two elapsed between the time the child being first brought, and being then brought back again, and left with the Princess. I am sure the child was not weaned after it had been first brought. I don't re- collect any gentleman ever sleeping in the house. I don't remember Lawrence the painter ever sleeping there. The Princess seems very fond of the child. It is always called William Austin. THOMAS STIKEMAN. Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downingrstreet, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. SO (No. 10.) The Deposition of John Sicard. 1 HAVE lived seven years with the Princess of Wales, am house-steward, and have been in that situation from the end of six months after 1 first lived with Her Royal Highness. I remember the child who is HOW with the Princess of Wales being brough there. It was about five months old when it was brough). It is about four years ago, just before we went to Ramsgate. I had not the least suspicion of the object of my being brought here I had opportunity of seeing the Princess frequently. I waited on her at dinner and supper. I never observed that the Princess had the appearance of being with child. t think it was hardly possible that she should have been with child without my perceiving it. Sir Sidney Smith used to visit very frequently at Montague House in 1802, with Sir John and Lady Douglas. He vtas very often, I believe, aloue with the Princess, and so was Mr. Canning, and other gentlemen. I cannot say that I ever suspected Sir Sidney Smith of any improper conduct with the Prin- cess. I never had any suspicion of the Princess acting improperly with Sir Sidney Smith or any other gentleman I remember Captain Matiby visiting at Montague House. The Princess of Wales did not pay for the expence of fitting up his cabin, but the linen furnituie was ordered by me, by direction of the Princess, of >.Vu berry and Jones. It was put by Ncwberry and Jones in the Prin- cess's bill, and was paid for with the rest of the bill by Miss Heynian. JOHN SICARD. Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLEN BOROUGH. (No. 11.) The Deposition of Charlotte Sander. i HAVE lived with the Princess of Wales eleven years. I am a native of Brunswick, and came with the Princess from Brunswick. The Princess has a little boy living with her under her protection. He had a mark on his hand, but it is worn off. I first saw him four years ago, in the autumn. The father and mother of the child are still alive. I have seen them both. The father worked in the Dock Yard at Deptford, but has now lost the use of his limbs. The father's name is Austin. The mother brought the child to the Princess when he was four months old. I was present when the child was brought to the Princess. She was in her own room up stairs when the child was brought. She came out and took the child herself. I understood that the child was expected before it was brought. I am sure that I never saw the child in the house before it appeared to be four months old. The Princess was not ill or indisposed in the autumn of 1802. I was dresser to Her Royal Highness. She could not be ill or indisposed without my knowing it. I am sure that she was not confined to her room or to her bed in that autumn. There was not to my knowledge any other child in the house. It v\as hardly possible there could have been a child there without my knowing it. I have no re- collection that the Princess had grown bigger in the year 1802 than usual. I am sure the Princess was not preg- nant. Being her dresser, I must have seen if she was. I solemnly and positively swear I have no reason to know or believe that the Princess of Wales has been at any time pregnant during the lime I have lived with Her Royal Highness at Montague House. I may have said to Cole that the Princess was grown much thinner, but I don't recollect that I did. I never heard any body say any thing about the Princess being pregnant till I came here to-day. I did not expect to be asked any question to-day respecting the Princess being pregnant. Nobody came over to the Princess from Germany in the autumn of 1802 to my knowledge. Her Royal Highness was generally blooded twice in a year, but not lately. 1 ne- ver had any reason to suppose that the Princess received the visits of any gentlemen at improper hours. Sir Sid- ney Smith visited her frequently, and almost daily. He was there very late, sometimes till two o'clock in the morning. I never saw Sir Sidney Smith in a room alone with the Princess late at night. 1 never saw any thing which led me to suppose that Sir Sidney Smith was on a very familiar footing with the Princess of Wales. I at- tended the Princess of Wales to Southend. She had two houses, No 9. and No. 8. I knew Captain Manby. He commanded the Africaine. He visited the Princess. While his ship was there, he was frequently with the Princess. I don't know or believe, and I have no reason to believe, that Captain Manby staid till very late hours with the Princess. I never suspected that there was any- improper familiarity between them. I never expressed to any body a wish that Captain Manby 's visits were not so frequent. If the Princess had company, I was never present. The Princess was at Ramsgate in 1803. I have seen Captain Manby there frequently. He came to the Princess's house to dinner. He never stayed till late at night at the Princess's house. I was in Devonshire with the Princess lately. There was no one officer that she taw when she was in Devonshire more than the rest. I never heard from the Princess that she apprehended her conduct was questioned. When I was brought here I thought I might be questioned respecting the Princess's conduct, and I was sorry to come. I don't know why I S3 thought so. I never saw any thing in the conduct of the Princess while I lived with her, which would have made me uneasy if I had been her husband. When I was at Southend I dined in the Steward's room. I can't say whether I ever heard any body in the steward's room say any thing about the Captain, meaning Captain Manby. It is so long ago I may have forgot it. I have seen Cap- tain Manby alone with the Princess at No. 9> in the draw- ing-room at Southend. I have seen it only once or twice. It was at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, and ne- ver later. I slept in a room next to the Princess in the house No. 9, at Southend. I never saw Captain Manby in any part of that house but the drawing-room. I have no reason to believe he was in any other room in the house. I was at Catherington with the Princess. She was at Mr. Hood's house. I never saw any familiarity between her and Mr. Hood. I have seen her drive out in Mr. Hood's carriage with him alone. It was a gig. They used to be absent for several hours. A servant of the Princess attended them. 1 have delivered packets by the order of the Princess, which she gave me sealed up, to Sicard, to be by him forwarded to Captain Manby. The birth-day of the child who lives with the Princess is the llth of July, as his mother told me. She says that he was christened at Deptford. The child had a mark on the hand. The mother told me that it was from red wine. I believe the child came to the Princess in November. C. SANDER. Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806. ERSKINE, SPENCER, true Copy, GRENVILLE, /. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. (No. 12.) Deposition of Sophia Austin. I KNOW the child which is now with the Princess of Wales. I am the mother of it. I was delivered of it four years ago the 1 1th of July next, at Brownlow-street Hospital. I have lain in there three times. William, who is with the Princess, is the second child I laid in of there. It was marked in the right hand with red wine. My husband was a labourer in the Dock-yard at Depr- ford. When peace was proclaimed, a number of the workmen were discharged, and my husband was one who was discharged. I went to the Princess with a petition on a Saturday, to try to get my husband re- stored. I lived at that time at Deptford New-Row, No. 7, with a person of the name of Bearblock. He was a milkman. The day I went to the Princess with the petition, was a fortnight before the 6th of November. Mr. Bennet, a baker in New-street, was our dealer, and I took the child to Mr. Bennet's when 1 went to re- ceive my husband's wages every week from the time I left the Hospital till I carried the child to the Princess. I knew Mr. Stikeman only by having seen him once- before, when I went to apply for a letter to Brownlow- street Hospital. When I went to Montague House, I desired Mr. Stikeman to present my petition. He said they were denied to do such things, but seeing me with a baby he could do no less. He then took the child from me, and was a long time gone. He then brought me back the child, and brought half-a-guinea which the ladies sent me. He said if the child had been younger, he could have got it taken care of for me, but desired that I would come up again. I went 25 up again on the Mouday following, and I saw Mr. Stikeman. Mr. Stikeman afterwards came several times to us, and appointed tue to take the child to Montague House on the 5th of November, but it rained all day, and I did not take it. Mr. StikemAn came down to me on the Saturday the 6th of Novem- ber, and I took the child on that day to the Princess's house. The Princess was out. 1 waited till she re- turned. She saw the child, and asked its age. I went down into the coffee-room, and they gave me some arrow-root to wean the child ; ibr I was suckling the child at this time, and when I had weaned the child, I was to bring it and leave is with the Princess. I did wean the child, and brought it to the Princess's house on the 15th of November, and left it there, and it has been with the Princess ever since. 1 saw the child last Whit- Monday, and I swear that it is my child. SOPHIA AUSTIN. Sworn at Lord Grenviile's house in Downing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. (No. 13.) Earl Spencer to Lord Gwydir. 20th June, 1806. MY LORB, IN consequence of certain inquiries directed by his Majesty, Lady Douglas, wife of Sir John Douglas "of the Marines, has deposed upou oath that she was told by her m Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, that at a break- fast at Lady Willoughby's house in May or June, 1802, &c. [Extract from Lady Douglass Deposition."] It being material to ascertain, as far as possible, the truth of this fact, I am to request that your Lordship will have the goodness to desire Lady Willoughby to put down in writing every circamstance in any manner relative thereto (if any such there be) of which her Ladyship has any recollection ; and also to apprize me, for his Ma- jesty's information, ^fhether at any time, during the course of the abovementioned year, Lady Willoughby ob* served any such alteration in the Princess's shape, or any other circumstances, as might induce her Ladyship to believe that her Royal Highness was then pregnant. I am, &c. A true Copy, J. Becket. SPENCER. (No. 14.) Sidmouth, 2 1st June, 1806. MY DEAR LORD, IN obedience to your commands, I lost no time in com- municating to Lady Willoughby the important subject of your private letter, dated the 20th instant, and I have the honour of enclosing a letter to your Lordship from Lady Willoughby. , I have the honour, &c. A true Copy, J. Becket, GWYDIR, (No. 15.) MY LORD, IN obedience to the command contained in your Lord- ship's letter communicated to me by Lord Gwydir, I have the honour to inform you, that I have no recollec- tion whatever of the fact stated to have taken place, du- ring a breakfast at Whitehall in May or June 1802 ; nor do I bear in mind any particular circumstances relative to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, at the pe- riod to which you allude. I have the honour, &c. WILLOUGHBY. June 21, 1806. EARL SPENCER. A true Copy, J. Becket. . (No. 16.) Extract from the Register of the Births and Baptisms of Children born in the Brownlow- street Lying*in Hospital. Born 1802, Baptized, May, 8, Thomas, of Richard and Elizabeth Austin, 20 July, 11, William, of Samuel and Sophia Austin, 15. The above are the only two entries under the name of Austin, about the period in question, and were extracted by me. No description of the children is preserved. CHARLES WATKIN WILLIAMS WYNN. June 23, 1806. A true Copy, J. Becket. (No. 17.) The Deposition of Elizabeth Gosden. I AM the wife of Frnncis Gosden, who is a servant of the Princess of Wales, and has lived with her Royal Highness eleven years. In November, 1802, I was sent for lo the Princess's house to look after a little child ; I understood that he had been then nine days in the hon-c. I was nurse to the child. One of the ladies, 1 think Miss- Sander, delivered the child tome, and told rne her Royal Highness wished me to take care of him. The child never slept with the Princess. I sometimes used to take him to the Princess before she was up, and leave him with her on her bed. The child had a mark on the hand, it ap- peared to be a stain of wine, but is now worn out. I was about a year and three quarters with the child. The mother used to come often to see him. I never saw the Princess dress the child, or take off its things herself; but she has seen me do it. The child is not so much with the Princess now as he wa>. ELIZ GOSDEN. S"worn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street, the 23d day of Juno, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Bfcket. ELLENBOROUGH. (No. 18.) Deposition of Betty Townley. I LIVED at Chnrlton sixteen years, and till within the last two years. I was a laundress, and used to wash linen for the Princess of Wales 's family. Alter the Prin- ess left Charlton and went to Blackheath, I used to go over to Biackheath to fetch the linen to wash. I have had linen from the Princess's house the same as other ladies : 1 mean that there were such appearances on it as might arise from natural causes to which women are sub- ject. I never washed the Princess's own bed-linen, but once or twice occasionally. I recollect one bundle of linen once coming, which I thought rather more marked than usual. They told me that the Princess had been bleed with ieeche-, and it dirtied the linen more : the ser- vants told me so, but I don't remember who the servants were that told rne so. I recollect once, I came to town and left the linen with tny daughter to wash ; I looked at the clothes slowly before I went, and counted them, and my daughter, and a woman she employed with her, washed them while I was in town. I thought when 1 looked them over, that there might be something more than usual. My opinion was, that it was from * * * * * * The linen had the appearance of ******, I believed it at the time. They were fine damask napkins, and some of them marked with a little red crown in the corner, and some without marks. I might mention it to Fanny Lloyd. I don't recollect when this was, but it must be more than two years and a half ago; for I did not wash for the Princess's family but very little for the last six months. Mary Wilson used to give me the linen, and I believe it was she who told me that the Princess was bled with leeches ; but the appearance of the linen which I have spoken of before, was different so from that which it was said was stained by bleeding with leeches. I remember the child coming. I used to wash the linen for the child, and Mrs Gosden who nursed the child, used to pay me for ii. I kept a book, in which I entered the linen I washed. I am not sure whether I have it still : but if I have, it is in a chest at my daughters, at Cbarlton, and I will produce it if I can find it. B. TOWNLEY. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the 23d day of June, 1806, before us, ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH. Deposition of Thomas Edmeades, of Greenwich* Surgeon and Apothecary. I AM a surgeon and apothecary at Greenwich, and wa appointed the surgeon and apothecary of the Princess of Wales, in 1081. From that time I have attended her Royal Highness and her household. I knew Fanny Lloyd who attended in the coffee-room, at the Princess's. I frequently attended her for colds. I do not recollect that I ever said any thing to her respecting the Princess of Wales. It never once entered my thoughts while I attended the Princess, that she was pregnant. I never said that she was so to Fanny Lloyd. I have bled the Piincess twice; 31 the second bleeding was in 1802, and it was in the June quarter, as appears by the book I kept. I don't know what she was bled for it was at her own desire it was Hot by any medical advice. I was unwilling to do it, but she wished it. If I recollect, she complained of a pain in her chest, but I doa't remember that she had any illness. X did not use to bleed her twice a year. I certainly saw her Royal Highness in Nov. 1802L I saw her on the 16th of November, but I had not any idea of her being then with child. I did not attend her on the 16th November, but I ?aw her then ; I was visiting a child (a male child,) flora Deptfoid. I have no recollection of having seen the Princess in October, 1802\ The child must have been from three to five months old when I first saw it. I have no recollection of the Princess having been ill about the end of October, 1802. I have visited the child very often since, and I have always understood it to be the same child. The Princess used sometimes to send for leeches, and had them from me. I don't think that I attended the Princess, or saw her often, in the summer and autumn of 1802. I had not the sole care of the Princess's health during- the time I have spoken of. Sir Francis Millman attended her occasionally. THOMAS EDMEADES. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the 25th day of June, 1506, before us, ERSKtNE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becfot. ELLENBOROUGH. (No. 20.) Deposition of Samuel Gillian Mills, of Greenwich, Surgeon. I AM a surgeon at Greenwich ; have been in partnership with Mr. Edrneades since 1800. Before he was my part- ner I attended the Princess of Wales's Family from the time of her coming to Blackheath from Charlton. I was appointed by the Princess her surgeon, in April, 1801, by a written appointment, and from that time I never at- tended her Royal Highness, or any of the servants, in my medical capacity, except that 1 once attended Miss Gouch, and once Miss Millfield. There was a child brought to the Princess while I attended her. I was called upon to exa- mine the child. It was a girl. It must have been in 1801, or thereabouts. The child afterwards had the measles, and I attended her. When first 1 saw the child, I think it must have been about ten months old. It must have been prior to April, 1801. I understood that the child was taken through charity. 1 remember that there was a female ser- vant who attended in the coffee-room. I never said to that womam, or to any other person, that the Princess was with child, or looked as if she was with child, and I never thought so, or surmised any thing of the kind. \ I as once sent for by her Royal Highness to bleed her. I was not at home, and Mr. Edmeades bled her. I had bled her two or three times before ; it was by direction of Sir Fran- cis Millman. It was for an inflammation she had on the lungs. As much as I knew it was not usual for the Prin- cess to be bled twice a year. I don't know that any other medical person attended her at the time that I did, nor do I believe that there did. I don't know that Sir Francis Millman had advised that she should be blooded at the time that I was sent for and was not at home, nor what was the cause of her bei n then blooded. I do recollect 33 something of having attended the servant who was in the coffee-rooni, for a cold, but I am sure I never said to her that the Princess was with child, or looked as if she was so. I have known that the Princess has frequently sent to Mr. Edmeades for leeches. When I saw the female child, Mrs. Sander was in the room, and some other servants, but I don't recollect who. I was sent for to see whether there was any disease about the child to see whether it was a healthy child, as Her Royal Highness meant to take it under her patronage. The child could just walk alone. I saw the child frequently afterwards. It was at one time with Bidgood, and another time with Gosden and his wife. I don't recollect that the Princess was by at any time when 1 saw the child. I never saw the child in Mon- tague House when I attended it as a patient, but when I was first sent for to see if the child had any disease, it was in Montague House. SAMUEL GILLAM MILLS. Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the 25th day of June, 1806, before us, ERSK1NE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. F LLFA BOROUGH. (No. 21.) Deposition of Harriet Fitzgerald I CAME first to live with the Princess of Wales in 1801, merely as a friend and companion, and have continued to live with her Royal Highness to this time. I know Lady 34 Douglas. I remember her lying in. It happened by ac- cident that Her Royal Highness was in the honse at the time of Lady Douglas's delivery. I think it was in July, 1802. I was there myself. The Princess was not in the room at the time Lady Douglas was delivered. There was certainly no appearance of the Princess being pregnant at that time. I saw the Princess at that time every day, and at all hours. I believe it to be quite impossible that the Princess should have been with child without my observing it. I never was at a breakfast with the Princess at Lady Willoughby's. The Princess took a little girl into the house about nine years ago. I was not in the house at the trme. I was in the house when the boy, who is now there, was brought there. She had said before openly that she should like to have a child, and she had asked the servant who brought the child, if he knew of any persons who would part with a child. I was at Southend with the Prin- cess. I remember Captain Manby being there sometimes. He was not there very often. He used to come at different hours, as the tide served. He dined there, but never stayed late. I was at Southend all the time the Princess was there. I cannot recollect that I have seen Captain Manby there, or known him to be there, later than nine, or half after nine. I never knew of any correspondence by letter with him when he was abroad. I don't recollect to have seen him ever early in the morning at the Princess's- I was at Ramsgate with the Princess. Captain Manby may have dined there once. He never slept there to my knowledge, nor do I believe he did. The Princess rises at different hours, seldom before ten or eleven. I never knew her up at six o'clock in the morning. If she had been up o early I should not have known it, not being up so early myself. I remember the Princess giving Captain Manby an inkstand. He had the care of two boys whom she protected. I can't say that Captain Manby did not sleep at Southend. He may have slept in the village, but I be- 35 lieve he never slept in the Princess's house. I was at Ca- therington with the Princess. I remember Her Royal Highness going out in an open carriage with the present Lord Hood. I believe Lord Hood's servant attended them. There was only one servant, and no other carriage with them. I was at Dawlish this summer with the Prin- cess, and afterwards at Mount Edgcumbe. The Princess saw a great deal of company there. Sir Richard Strachan used to come there. I don't know what was the cause of his discontinuing his visits there. 1 remember Sir Sidney Smith being frequently at Montague House. He was sometimes there as late as twelve and one o'clock in the morning, but never alone that I know of. The Princess was not in the room when Lady Douglas was brought to bed. I know she was not, because I was in the room my- self when Lady Douglas was delivered. Dr. Mackie of Lewisham, was the accoucheur. I don't recollect Sir Sidney Smith ever being alone with the Princess in. the evening. It may have happened, but I don't know that it did. I used to sit with the Princess always in the even- ing, but not in the morning. I was with the Princess in the Isle of Wight. Mr. Hood and Lord Amelius Beau* clerc were there with her. She went there from Ports- mouth. HARRIET FITZGERALD. Sworn before us at Lord Grenville's house in Down- ing-street, the 2?th day of June, 1806, before u, ERSK1NE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. ELLENBO ROUGH. 36 (No. 22.) Whitehall, July 1, 1806. MY LORD, THE extreme importance of the business on which I have before troubled your Lordship and Lady Wil^ lougbby, makes it the indispensable duty of the persons to whom His Majesty has entrusted the Inquiry, fur- ther to request that her Ladyship will have the goodness to return in writing, distinct and separate answers to the enclosed Queries. They beg leave to add, that in the discharge of the trust committed to them, they have been obliged to examine upon oath the several persons to whose testimony they have thought it right to have recourse on this occasion. They have been unwilling to give Lady Willoughby the trouble of so long a journey for that pur- pose, well knowing the full reliance which may be placed on every thing which shall be stated by her Ladyship in this form. But on her return to town it may probably be judged necessary, for the sake of uniformity in this most important proceeding, that she should be so good as to confirm on oath, the truth of the written answers re- quested from her Ladyship. (No Signature in t/ie original*) 37 (No. 23.) Sidmouth, July 3, 1806. MY LORD, I IMMEDIATELY communicated to Lady Willoughby the Queries transmitted to me in the envelope of a letter dated July the first, which J had the honour to receive this day from your Lordship. I return the Queries with Lady Willoughby's Answers in her own hand-writing. We are both truly sensible of your Lordship's kind at- tention in not requiring Lady Willoughby's personal attendance. She will most readily obey the Order of the Council, should her presence become necessary. I have the honour, &c. GWYDIR. To Earl Spencer, fyc. fyc. fyc. A true Copy, J. Becket. (No. 24.) Queries. Answers. 1. Does Lady Willough- l. In the course of the by remember seeing the last ten years the Princess Princess of Wales at break- of Wales has frequently fasi or dinner at her house, done me the honour to either at Whitehall or Bee- breakfast and dine at White- 38 kenham, on or about the months of May or June, 1802 ? 2. Has her Ladyship any recollection of the circum- stance of Her Royal High- ness having retired from the company at such breakfast or dinner, on account, or under the pretence, of hav- ing spilt any thing over her handkerchief? And if so, did Lady Willoughby attend Her Royal Highness on that occasion ? and what then passed between them rela- tive to that circumstance : 3. Had Lady Willoughby frequent opportunities in the course of that year, to see Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and at what periods? And did she at any time during the year, observe any appear- ance, which led her to sus- pect that the Princess of Wales was pregnant ? hall, and Langley, in Kent. Her Royal Highness may have been at my house in the months of May or June, 1802, but of the periods at which I had the honour of receiving her, I have no precise recollection. 3. I do not remember Her Royal Highness hav- ing at any time retired from the company, either at Whitehall, or at Langley, under the pretence of hav- ing spilt any thing over her handkerchief. 3. To the best of my re- membrance I had few op- portunities of seeing the Princess of Wales in the year 1802, and I do not re- collect having observed any particular circumstances re- lative to Her Royal High- ness's appearance. 4. Is Lady Willoughby acquainted with any other cir- cumstances leading to the same conclusion, or tending to establish the fact of a criminal intercourse, or im- proper familiarity between Her Royal Highness and any other person whatever? and if so, what are they ? 4. During the ten years I have had the honour of knowing the Princess of Wales, I do not bear in mind a single instance of Her Royal Highness's con- duct in society towards any individual, tending to estab- lish the fact of a criminal intercourse, or improper fa- miliarity. WILLOUGHBY. (No. 25.) Robert Bidgood -further deposition. TH E Princess used to go out in her phaeton with coach- man and helper, towards Long Reach, eight or ten times, carrying luncheon and wine with her, when Cap- tain Manby's ship was at Long Reach always Mrs. Fitz- gerald with her She would go out at one, and return about five or six sometimes sooner or later. The day the Africaine sailed from Southend the Princess ordered us to pack up for Blackheath next morning. Captain Manby there three times a week at the least, whilst his ship lay for six weeks off Southend at the Nore he came as tide served used to come in a morning, and dine and drink tea. I have seen him next morning by ten o'clock. I suspected he slept at No. 9, the Princess's she always put out the candles herself in the drawing-room at No. 9, and bid me not wait to put them up ; she gave me the or- 40 ders as soon as she went to Southend. I used to see water-jugs, basons, and towels, set out opposite the Princess's door, in the passage, never saw them so left in the passage at any other time ; and I suspected he was there at those times. There was a general suspicion throughout the house. Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald there, and Miss Hamond (now Lady Hood) there. My sus- picions arose from seeing them in the glasses kiss each other, as I mentioned before, like -people fond of each other a very close kiss. Her behaviour like that of a woman attached to a man; used to be by themselves at luncheon at Southend when ladies not sent for a num- ber of times. There was a pouey which Captain Manb) used to ride ; it stood in the stable ready for him, and which Sicard used to ride. The servants used to talk and laugh about Captain Manby, it was matter of discourse amongst them. I lived there when Sir Sidney Smith came, her manner with him Appeared very familiar. She appeared very attentive to him but I did not suspect any thing farther. AH the up* per servants had keys of the doors to the Park to let hr Royal Highness in and out. I used to see Sicard receive letters from Mrs. Sander to put iu the post instead of the bag. This was after Captain Manby was gone to tea, 1 suspected this to be for Captain Manby, and others in the house suspected the same. (Signed) R. BIDGOOD. $worn before us in Downing-street, this third day of July. (Signed) ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE, J. Becket. EU.EN BOROUGH 41 (No. 26.) ; Sir Francis Millmarfs Deposition. I ATTENDED th* Princess of Wales in the Spring latter end of the year 1802; i, e. in March, and towards the autumn. Mr. Mills of Greenwich attended then as her Royal Highness's apothecary, and Mr. Mills and his partner Mr. Edmeades have attended since. I do not know that any other medical person attended at that time, either as apothecary or physician. In March 1802, I attended her for a sore throat and fever. In 1803, in April, I attended Her Royal Highness again, with Sir Walter Farquhar. I don't know whether she was blooded in 1802. She was with difficulty persuaded to be blooded in 1803, for a pain in her chest, saying she had not been blooded before ; that they could not find a vein in her arm. I saw no mark on her arm of her hating been blooded before. I observed her Royal Highness's person at the end of that year 1802. Never observed then, or at any other time, any thing which induced me to think her Royal Highness was in a pregnant situation. I think it is impossible she should, in that year, have been delivered of a child without my observing it. She during that year, rtnd at all times, was in the habit of receiving the visits of the Duke of Gloucester . I never attended Her Royal Highness but on extraordi- nary illnesses. Her Royal Highness has, for the last year and half, had her prescriptions made up at Walker and 's, St. Jaraes's-itreet. * 48 If she had been a pregnant woman in June 1S02, I could not have helped observing it. FR. MILLMAN. Sworn before us in Downing-street, July third, 1 806, by the said Sir Francis Millman. ERSK1NE, A true Copy, SPENCER, J. Becket. GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGtt. (No. 27.) The Deposition of Mrs. Lisle. I (HESTE* LISLE) am in the Princess of Wales's fa- mily ; have been so ever since Her Royal Highness's mar- riage. I was not at Southend with the Princess was at Blackheath with her in 1802, but am not perfectly eure as to date. I am generally a month at a time (three month* in the year) with Her Royal Highness ; in April, August, and December; was so in August, 1802. I did not ob- serve any alteration in Her Royal Highness's shape which gave me any idea that she was pregnant. 1 had no reason to know or believe that she was pregnant. During my at- tendance, hardly a day passes without my seeing her. She could not have been far advanced in pregnancy with- out my knowing it. I was at East Cliff with her Royal Highness in August, 1803. I saw Captain Manby only once at East Cliff, in August, 1803, to the best of my 45 recollection. He might have been oftener : and onee again at Deal Castle. Captain Manby landed there with some boys the Princess takes on charity. I saw Captain Manby at East Cliff one morning, not particularly early. I don't know of any presents which the Princess made Cap- tain Manby have seen Captain Manby at Blackheath one Christmas. He used to come to dine the Christmas before we were at Rauisgate it was the Christmas after Mrs. Austin's child came. He always went away in my presence ; I had no reason to think he staid after we, the ladies, retired. He lodged on the Heath at that time I believe rus ship was fitting up at Deptford. He was there frequently, I think not every day lie generally came to dinner three or four times a week, or more ]'$. suppose he might be alone with her, but the Princess is in the habit of seeing gentlemen and tradesmen without my being present. I have seen him at luncheon and din- ner both. The boys came with him, not to dinner, and not .generally; not above two or three times two boys; 1 think Sir Sidney Smith came also frequently the Christmas before that, to the best of my recollection. At dinner, when Captain Mauby dined, he always sat next her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The con- stant company were, Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald and my- self; we all retired with the Princess,, and sat in the same room. He generally retired about deve.n o'clock; he sat with us till then. This occurred three or four times a week, or more. Her Royal Highness, the Lady in wait- ing, and her Page> have each a key of the door from the Greenhouse to the Park. Captain Manby and the Prin- cess used, when we were together, to be speaking together separately con versing separately, but not in. a room alone together, to my knowledge. He was a person with whom she appeared to have greater pleasure in talking than to her Ladies. She behaved to him only as any woman would who likes flirting. I should not have thought any 44 married woman would hnve behaved properly who should have behaved as her Royal Highness did to Captain Man- by. I can't say whether she was attached to Captain Manby, only that it was a flirting conduct. Never saw any gallantries, as kissing her hand, or the like. I was with her^Royal Highness at Lady Sheffitlds's last Christmas, in Sussex. I inquired what company was there when I came. She said only Mr John Chester, who was there by Her Royal higeness's orders; that she could get no other company to meet her, on account of the roads and season of the year. He dined and slept there thai night. The next day other company came ; Mr Chester remained. I heard her Royal Highness say she had been ill in the night, and came and lighted her candle in her servant's room. I returned from Sheffield Place to Black- heath with the Princess Captain Moore dined there I left him and ihe Princess twice alone, tor a short time he might be alone half an hour with her in the room be low, in which we had been sitting I went to look for a book, to complete a set her Royal Highness was lending Captain Moore. She made him a present of an inkstand, to the best of my recollection. He was there one morn- ing in January last, on the Princess Charlotte's birth-day; he went away before the rest of the company : I might be absent about twenty minutes the second time I was away the night Captain Moore was there. At Lady Sheffield's, her Royal Highness paid more attention to Mr. Chester than to the rest of the company. I knew of her Royal Highness walking out alone twice wirh Mr. Chester in the morning alone once a short time ; it rained ; the other, not an hour; not long. Mr. Chester is a pretty young man. Her attentions to him were not uncommon ; not the same as to Captain Manby. I am not certain whether the Princess answered any letters of Lady Doug- 45 Us. I was at Gathering ton with the Princess. Remember Mr. now Lord Hood, there, and the Princess going out airing with him alone in Mr. Hood's little whiskey, and his servant was with them. Mr. Hood drove, and staid out two or three hours more than once. Three or four times. Mr. Hood dined with us several times. Once or twice he slept in an house in the garden. She ap- peared to pay no attention to him but that of common civility to an intimate acquaintance. Remember the Princess sitting to Mr. Lawrence for her picture at Black- heath, and in London. I have left her at his house in town with him, but I think Mrs. Fitzgerand was with 4ier ; and she sat alone with him, I think, at Blackheatft. I was never iu her Royal Highness's confidence, but jdiefeasi always been kind and good-natured to me. She never mentioned Captain Manby particularly to me. I remember her being blooded the day Lady Sheffield's child was christened. Not several times, that I recollect- nor any other time; nor believe she was in the habit "of being blooded twice a year. The Princess at one time appeared to like Lady Douglas. Sir John came fre- gueutly. Sir Sidney Smith visited abont the same" time with the Douglases. I have seen Sir Sidney there frmr .late iu the evening, but not alone with the Princess. 1 have no reason to suspect he had a key of the Park ate. f never heard of any body being found wandering abotit'-at BJackheath. I have heard of somebody being found wan- dering about latefltnight at Mount Edgcumbe, when the Princess [was) there. I heard that two women and a man were seen crossing the hall. Tlie Princess saw a fjreat deal of.company at Mount Edgcumbe. Sir Richard Strachan was reported to have spoken freely of the Princess, f did not hear that he had offered a rudeness to tier per- %pa. She told me she had heard he had spoken disrespect- 46 fully of her, and therefore I believe wrote to him by Sir Samuel Hood. (Signed) HESTER LISLE. Sworn before ns, in Downing-street, this third day of July, 1806. ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH. A true Copy, J. Becket. (No. 28.) Lower Brook-street, July 5, 1806. MY LOKD, Before your arrival in Downing-street last night, 1 be- spoke the indulgence of the Lords of his Majesty's Coun- cil for inaccuracy as to dates, respecting any attendance at Black heath, before 1803. Having only notice in the forenoon of an examination, I could not prepare myself for it to any period previous to that year, and I now hasten as fast as the examination of my papers will permit, to correct an error into which 1 fell, in stating to their Lord- ships, that I attended her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in the Spring of 1802, and tliat I then met his Royal Highness the late Duke of Gloucester at Black- heath. It was in the Spring of 1801, and not in 1802, that, after attending her] Royal Highness the Princess of Wales for ten or twelve dnys, I had the honour of seeing the Duke of Gloucester at her bouse. I have the honour, &c. A true Copy, JBecket. FR. MJLMAN, 47 (No. 29.) Earl Cholmondeley, sworn July \6th, 1806'. I HAVE seen the Princess of Wales write frequently, and I think I am perfectly acquainted with her manner of writing. A letter produced to his Lordship marked (A.) This letter is not of the Princess's hand-writing. A paper produced to his Lordship, marked (B) with a kind of drawing and the names of Sir Sidney Smith and Lady Douglas. This paper appears to me to be written in a disguised hand. Some of the letters remarkably resemble the Prin- cess's writing , but because of the disguise, I cannot say whether it be or be not her Royal Highness's writing. On the cover being shewa to his Lordship also marked (B), he gave the same answer. His Lordship was also shewn the cover marked (C), to which his Lordship answered, I do not see the same re- semblance to the Princess's writing in this paper. CBOLMONDELEY. Sworn before us, July 16th, 1806. ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLR. SPENCER, A true Copy, J. Becket. APPENDIX! Statement of Lady Douglas Ois Royal Highness the Prince of Wales havingjudged proper to order me to detail to him, as Heir Apparent, the whole circumstance of my acquaintance with Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, from the day I first spoke with her to the present time, I felt it my duty, as a subject, to comply, without hesitation, with his Royal Highness's commands; and I did so, because I conceived, even putting aside the rights of an Heir Apparent, his Royal Highness was justified in informing himself as to the actions of his wife, who, from all the information he had collected, seemed so likely to disturb the tranquillity of the country; and it appeared to me that, in so doing, his Royal Highness evinced his earnest regard for the real interest of the country, in endeavouring to prevent such a person from, perhaps, one day, placing a spurious Heir upon the English Throne, and which his Royal Highness has indeed a right to fear, and communicate to the Sovereign, as the Princess of Wales told me, " If she were discovered in bringing her son into the world " she would give the Prince of Wales the credit of it, for " that she had slept two nights in the year she was preg- " nant in Carlton House." 50 As an Englishwoman, educated in the highest respect- ful attachment to the Royal Family; as the daughter of an English Officer, who has all his life received the most gra- cious marks of approbation and protection from his Ma- jesty, and from his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales : and as the wife of an Officer whom our beloved King has honoured with a public mark of his approbation, and who is bound to the Royal Family by ties of respectful regard and attachment, which nothing can ever break, I feel it my duty to make known the Princess of Wales's senti- ments and conduct, now, and whensoever I may be called upon. For the information, therefore, of his Majesty and of the Heir Apparent, and by the desire of the Heir Ap- parent, I beg leave to state, that Sir John took a house upon Blackheath in the year 1801, because the air was better for him, after his Egyptian services, than London, and it was somewhat nearer Chatham, where his mili- tary duties occasionally called him. I had a daughter torn upon the 17th of February, and we took up our re- sidence there in April, living very happily and quietly ; but in the month of November, when the ground was co- vered with snow, as I was sitting in my parlour, which commanded a view of the Heath, I saw, to my surprise, the Princess of Wales, elegantly dressed in a lilac satin pelisse, primrose-coloured half boots, and a small lilac satin travelling cap, faced with sable, and a Lady, pacing up and down before the house, and sometimes stopping, as if desirous of opening the gate in the iron railing to come in. At first I had no conception her Royal High- ness really wished to come in, but must have mistaken the house for another person's, for I had never been made known to her, and I did not know that she knew where I lived. I stood at the window looking at her, and, as she looked very much, from respect courtesied (as I under- stood was customaiy); to my astonishment she returned my courtesy by a familiar nod, and stopped. Old Lady 51 Stuart, a West Indian Lady, who lived in my immediate neighbourhood, and who was in the habit of coming in to see me, was in the room, and said, "You should go out, her Royal Highness wants to come in out of the snow." Upon this I went out, and she came immediately to me and said, " I believe j'ou are Lady Douglas, and you have a very beautiful child ; [ should like to see it." I answered that I was Lady Douglas. Her Royal High- ness then si.id, " 1 should like of all things to see your little child." I answered, that I was very sorry I could not have the honour of presenting my little girl to her, as I and my family were spending the cold weather in town, and I was only come to pass an hour or two upon the Heath. I held open the gaie, and the Princess of Wales and her Lady, Miss Heyman (I believe) walked in and sat down, and stayed above an hour, laughing very much at Lady Stuart, who being a singular character, talked all kind of nonsense. After her Royal Highness had amused herself as long as she pleased, she inquired where Sir John Douglas and Sir Sidney Smith were, and went away, having shook hands with me, and expressed her pleasure at having found me out and made herself known. I concluded that Sir Sidney Smith had acquainted her Royal Highness that we resided upon the Heath, as he wasjust arrived in England, and having been in long ha- bits of friendship with Sir John, was often with us, and told us how kind he should think it if we could let him come to and fro without ceremony, and let him have an airy room appropriated to himself, as he was always ill in town, and from being asthmatic, suffered extremely when the weather was foggy in town. Sir John gave him that hospitable reception he was in the habit of doing by all his old friends, (for I understand they have been known to each other more than twenty years,) and he introduced him to me as a person, to whom he wished my friendly attention to be paid; as I had never seen Sir Sidney Smith in my life, until this period, when he became, as it were a part of the family. When I returned to town, I told Sir John Douglas the circumstance of the Piincess having visited me, and a few days after this, we received R note from Mrs. Lisle (who was in waiting) commanding us to dine at Montague House. We went, and mere were several persons at the dinner. |l remember Lord and Lady Dartmouth, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot,8tc. &c. From this time the Princess made me frequent visits, al- ways attended by her Ladies, or Mrs. Sander (her maid). When Sander came, she was sent back, or put in another room ; but when any of her Ladies were with her, we al- ways sat together. Her Royal Highness was never at- tended by any livery servants, but she always walked about Blackheath and the neighbourhood only with her female attendants. In a short time, the Princess became so ex- travagantly fond of me, that, however flattering it might be, it certainly was very troublesome. Leaving her at- tendants helow, she would push past my servant, and run up stairs irrto my bed-chamber, kiss me, take me in her arms, and tell me I was beautiful, saying she had never loved any woman so much ; that she would regulate my dress, for she delighted in setting off a pretty woman ; and such high-flown compliments that women are never used to pay to each other. J used to beg her Royal High- ness not to feed my self-love, as we had all enough of that, without encouraging one another. She would then stop me, and enumerate all my good points I had, saying she was determined to teach me to set them off. She would exclaim, Oh! believe me, you are quite beautiful, different from almost any English woman ; your arms are fine be- yond imagination, your bust is very good, and your eyes, Oh, I never saw such eyes all other women who have dark eyes look fierce, but yours (my {de.it Lady Douglas) are nothing but softness and sweetnees, and yet quite dark. In this manner she went on perpetually, even be- 5S fore strangers. I remember when I \vas one morning at her house, with her Royal Highness, Mrs. Harcourt and her Ladies, the Duke of Kent came to take leave before his Royal Highness went to Gibraltar. When we were sitting al table the Princess introduced me, and said Your Royal Highness must look at her eyes ; but now she has disguised herself in a large hat, you cannot see how handsome she is. The Duke of Kent was very polite and obliging, for he continued to talk with Mrs. Harcourt, and took little notice, for which I felt much obliged; but she persisted, and said Take off your hat. I did not do it, and she took it off; but his Royal Highness, I suppose, conceiving it could not be very pleasant to me, took little notice, and talked of something else. Whenever the Princess visited us, either Sir John, or I, returned home with her and her party quite to her door; and if he were out, I went with her Royal Highness, and took my footman ; for we soon saw that her Royal High- ness was a very singular and a very indiscreet woman, and we resolved to be always very careful and guarded with her; and when she visited us, if any visitor whosoever came to our house, they were put into another room, and they could not see the Princess, or be in her society, unless she positively desired it. However, her Royal Highnes* forgot her high station (and she was always forgetting it) j we trust, and hope, and feel satisfied, we never for a mo- ment lost sight of her being the wife of the Heir Apparent. We passed our time as Her Royal Highness chose when together, and the usual amusements were playing Freuch Proverbs, in which the Princess always cast the parts, and played; Musical Magic, forfeits of all kinds; sometimes dancing; and in this manner, cither the Princess and her Ladies with me, or we at Montague House, we passed our lime. Twice, after spending the morning with tne, she remained without giving me any previpps net ice, and would dine with us, and thus ended the year 1801. 54 In the month of February, before Miss Garth was to come into waiting in March 1802, the Princess, in one of her morning visits, after she had sent Sander home, said, " My dear Lady Douglas, I am come to see you this " morning to ask a great favour of you, which I hope you " wll grant me." I told her, " I wa sure she could not " make any unworthy request, and that I could only say, " I should have great pleasure in doing any thing to oblige " her, but I was really at a loss to guess how I possibly " could have it in my power to grant her a favour." Her Royal Highness replied, " what 1 have to ask is for you to come and spend a fortnight with me ; you shall not be se- parated from Sir John, for he may be with you whenever he pleases, and bring your little girl and maid. I mean you to come to the Round Tower, where there are a com- plete suite of rooms for a lady and her servant. When Mrs. Lisle was in waiting, and hurt her foot, she resided there: Miss Heymau always was there, and Lord and Lady Lavington have slept there. When I have any married people visiting me, it is better than their being in the house, and we are only separated by a small garden. I dislike Miss Garth, and she hates to be with me, more than what her duty demands, and I don't wish to trouble any of my ladies out of their turn. I shall require you, as lady in waiting, to attend me in my walks ; and when I drive out : write my notes and letters for me, and be in the way to speak to any one who may come on business. I seldom appear until about three o'clock, and you may go home before I want you after breakfast every day." I replied, that being a married woman, I could not promise for myself, and, as Sir John was much out of health, I should not like to leave him ; but he was always so kind and good-natured to me, that I dared venture to say he would allow me if he could ; and when he came home I asked him if I should go. Sir John agreed to the Prin- cess's desire, and I took the waiting. During my stay I 55 attended Her Royal Highness to the play and the opera, I think twice, and also to dine at Lord Dartmouth's and Mr. Windham's. At Mr. Windham's, in the evening, while one of the ladies was at the harpsichord, the Princess com- plained of being very warm, and called out for ale," which, by a mistake in the language, she always calls oil. Mrs. Windham was perfectly at a loss to comprehend her wishes, and came to me for an explanation. I told her I believed she meant ale. Mrs. Windham said she had none in the house ; was it any particular kind she required ? I told her I believed not ; that when the Princess thought proper to visit me, she always wanted it, and I gave her what I had, or could procure for her upon Blackheath, We could not always suddenly obtain what was wished. Mrs. Windham then proposed to have some sent for, and did so ; it was brought, and the Princess drank it all. When at Lord Daitmouth's, his Lordship asked me if 1 was the only lady in waiting, being, I suppose, surprised at my appearing in that situation, when, to his know- ledge, I had not known the Princess more than four months. I answered, I was at Montague House, acting as lady in waiting, until Mis Garth was well, as the Prin- cess told me she was ill. Lord Dartmouth looked sur- prised, and said he had not heard of Miss Garth being ill, and was surprised. I was struck with Lord Dartmouth's seeming doubt of Miss Garth's illness, and after, thought upon it. From the dinner we went at an early hour to the opera, and then returned to Blackheath. During this visit, I was greatly surprised at the whole style of the Prin- cess of Wales's conversation, which was constantly very loose, and such as I had not been accustomed to hear j such as, in many instances, I have not been able to repeat, even to Sir John, and such as made me hope I should cease to know her, before my daughter might be old enough to be corrupted by her. I confess. I went home, hoping and believing she was at times a good deal disor- 56 dered in her senses, or she never Would have gone on as she did. When she came to sup with me in the Tower (which she often did) she would arrive in a long red cloak, a silk handkerchief tied over her head under her chin, and a pair of slippers down at the heels. After supper I attended her to the house. I found her a person without education or talents, and without any de- sire of improving herself. Amongst other things which surprised me while there, was a plan she told me she had in hand ; that Prince William of Gloucester liked me, and that she had written to him, to tell him a fair lady was in her Tower, that she left it to his own heart to find out who it -was, but if he was the gallant Prince she thought him, he would fly and see. I was amazed at such a con- trivance, and said, Good God ! how could' your Royal Highness do so ? 1 really like Sir John better than any body, and am quite satisfied and happy. I Waited nine years for him, and never would marry any other person. The Princes* ridiculed this, and said, Nonsense, non- sense, my dear friend. In consequence of the Princess's note, Prince William actually rode the next morning to the Tower, but by good fortune Sir Sidney Smith had pre- viously called and been admitted, and as we were walking by the house, Her Royal Highness saw the Prince com- ing 1 , went immediately out of sight, and ran and told a teVvant to say she and I were gone walking, and we im- mediately walked away to Charlton, having first, unper- ceited; seen Prince William ride back again, (of course ndt'veYy'vrell pleased, and possibly believing I had a hand in his ridiculous adventure.) It seems he was angry ; for sOWaftef His Royal Highness, the late Duke of Glouces- teVJ ctrthe' 1 and desired to see the Princess, and told her, that his son William had represented to him how very free she permitted Sir Sidney Smith to be, and how con- tintlj he was visiting at Montague House ; that it rested keep her acquaintance at a proper distance, o? and as Sir Sidney was a lively, thoughtless man, and had not been accustomed to the society of ladies of her rank, he might forget himself, and she would then have herself to blame that as a father, and an earnest friend, he came to her, very sorry indeed to trouble her, but he conjured and begged her to recollect how very peculiar her situation was, and how doubly requisite it was she should be more cautious than other people. To end this lecture (as she called it) she rang the bell, and desired Mr. Cole to fetch me. I went into the drawing-room, where the Duke and Her Royal Highness were sitting, and she introduced me as an old friend of Prince Wil- liam's. His Royal Highness got up, and lookedfat me very much, and ihen said, "The Princess has been talk- ing a great deal about you, and tells me you have made one of the most delightful children in the world, and in- deed it might well be so, when the mother was so hand- some and good-natured-looking." By this time I was so used to these fine speeches, either from the Princess, or from her through others, that I was ready to laugh, and I only said, " We did not talk about much beauty, but my little girl was in good health, and Her Royal High- ness was very obliging." As soon as His Royal Highness was gone, the Princess sent again for me, told me every word he had said, and said, " He is a good man, and therefore I took it as it was meant ; but if Prince William had ventured to talk to me himself, I would certainly have boxed his ears: however, as he is so inquisitive, and watches me, I will cheat him, and throw the dust in his eyes, and make him believe Sir Sidney comes here to see you, and that you and he are the greatest possible friends. I delight of all things in cheating those clever people." Her speech and intentions made me serious, and my mind was forcibly struck with the great danger there would follow to myself, if she were this kind of per- *i 4k It son. I begged her not to think of doing such a thing, saying, Your Royal Highness knows it is not so, and although I would do much to oblige you, yet when my own character is at stake, I must stop. Good God, Ma'am, His Royal Highness would naturally repeat it, and what should I do ? Reputation will not bear being sported with. The Princess took me by the hand and said, Certainly my dear Lady Douglas, I know very well it is not so, and therefore it does not signify. I am sure it is not so, that \ am sure of. I have much too good an opinion of you, and too good an opinion of Sir Sidney Smith. It would be very bad in him, after Sir John's hospitality to him. I know him incapable of such a thing, for I have known him a long time ; but still I won- der too in the same house it does not happen. By thii time I was rather vexed, and said, Your Royal Highness and I think quite differently Sir Sidney Smith comes and goes as he pleases to his room in our house. I really sec little of him. He seems a very good-humoured, pleasant man, and I always think one may be upon very friendly terms with men who are friends of one's husbands, with- out being their humble servants. The Princess argued upon this for an hour, said, this is Miss Garth's argu- ment, but she was mistaken, and it was ridiculous. If ever a woman was upon friendly terms with any man, they were sure to become lovers. I said, I shall continue to think as Miss Garth did, and that it depended very much upon the lady. Upon the 2Qth of March, I left Montague House, and the Princess commanded me to be sent up to her bed-chamber. I went and found her in bed, and I took Mrs. Vansittart's note in my hand, an- nouncing the news of Peace. She desired me to sit down close to the bed, and then, taking my hand, she said, " You see, my dear friend, I have the most complaisant " husband in the world I have no one to convroul me I ice whom 1 like, 1 go where I like, I spend what I 59 " please, and His Royal Highness pays for all Other " English husbands plague their wives, but he never " plagues me at all, which is certainly being very polite " and complaisant, and I am better off than my sister, " who was heartily beat every day. How much happier " am I than the Duchess of York. Sne and the Duke " hate each other, and yet they will be two hypocrites, " and live together that I would never do. Now I'll " shew you a letter wherein the Prince of Wales gives " me full leave to follow my own plans." She then put ibe letter into my hands, the particulars of which I have mentioned. When I had finished,, I appeared affected, and she said, " You seem to think that a fine thing; now " I see nothing in it ; but I dare to say that when my be- " loved had finished it, he fancied it one of the finest " pieces of penmanship in the world. I should have " been the man, and he the woman. I am a real ft Bruuiswick, and do not know what the sensation Fear " is ; but as to him, he lives in eternal warm water, and " delights in it, if he can but have his slippers under " any old Dowager's table, and sit there scribbling notes; " that's his whole delight." She then told me every cir- cumstance relative to her marriage, and that she would be separated, and that she had invited the Chancellor very often lately, to try and accomplish it, but they were stupid, and told her it could not be done. It appeared to me that, at this time, Her Royal Highness's mind was bent upon the accomplishment of this purpose; and it would be found, I think, from Lord El-Jon and the others, that she pressed this subject close upon them, whenever they were at Montague House; for she told me more than once she had.* Her Royal Highness, before she put the letter by, said, " I always k?ep this, " for it is ever necessary, I will go into the House of The Chancellor may now, perhaps, be able to grant her request N. B. The passage contained in thi* Note w, in the authenticated Co*, transmitted to the Princess qf Wales, placed in the Margi*. 60 " Lords with it myself. The Prince of Wales desires nit'. " in that letter, to choose my own plan of life, and "amuse myself as 1 like, and also when I lived in Carl- " ton House, he often asked me why I did not select " some particular gentleman lor my friend, arid was sur- " prised I did not." She then added, " I *m not treated " at all as a Princess of Wales ought to be. As to the " friendship of the Duke of Gloucester's Family, 1 " understand that Prince William would like to many " either my daughter, or me, if he could. I now " therefore am desirous of forming a society of my " own choosing, and I beg you always to remember, " all your life, that I shall always be happy to see you. " I think you very discreet, and the best woman in tht: " world, and I beg you to consider the Tower always "as your own; there are offices, and you might almost " live there, and if Sir John is ever culled away, do not " go home to your family ; it is not pleasant after people " have childien, therefore always come to my Tower. " I hope to see you there very soon again. The Prince " has offered me sixty thousand if I'll go and live at " Hanover, but I never will; this is the only country in " the world to live in." She then kissed me, and I took my leave. While I had been in the round Tower in Montague House, which only consists of two rooms and a closet on a floor, I had always my maid and child slept within my room, and Sir John was generally with me. He and ail my friends having free permission to visit. Mr. Cole (the Page) -slept over my room, and u watchman went round the Tower all night Upon my return home, the same apparent friendship continued, and in one of Her Royal Bjghneet's evening visits she told me, she was come to have a long conversation with me, that she had been in a great agitation, and I must guess what had happened to her. I guessed a great many things, but she said No, to them all, and then said I gave it up, for I had no idea 61 what she could mean, and therefore might guess nry whole life without success. " Well then, I must tell you/' -aid Her Royal Highness, " but I am sure you know all " the while. I thought you had completely found me " out, and therefore I came to you, for you looked droll " when I called for ale and fried onions and potatoes, " and when I said I eat tongue and chickens at my break- " fasts; that I would sure as my life you suspected me; " tell me honestly did you not?" I siffected not to un- derstand the Princess at all, and did not really compre- hend her. She then said, " Well, I'll tell ; I am with " child, and the child came to life when I was breakfasl- " ing with Lady Wilioughby. The milk flowed up into " my breast so fast, that it came through my muslin " gown, and 1 was obliged to pretend that I had spilt " something, and go up-stairi to wipe my gown with " a napkin, and got up-stairs into Lady Willoughby's *' room, and did very well, but it was an unlucky adven- " ture." I was indeed most sincerely concerned for her, conceiving it impossible but she must be ruined, and 1 expressed my sorrow in the strongest terms, saying, what would she do ? she could never carry such an affair through, and I then said, I hoped she was mistaken. She said No, she was sure of it, and these sort of things only required a good courage, that she should manage very well ; but though she told me she would not employ me in the business, for I was like all the English women, so nery nervous, and she had observed me so frightened a few days past, when a horse galloped near me, that she would not let me have any thing to do for the world. The Princess added, " You will be surprised to see how " well I manage it, and I am determined to suckle the " child myself." I expressed my great apprehensions, and asked her what she would do if the Prince of Wales seized her person, when she was a wet-nurse ? She said she would never suffer any one to touch her person. She laughed at my fears, and added, "You know nothing * about these things ; if you had read Les Avantures " du Chevalier de Grammont, you would know better " what famous tricks Princesses and their Ladies played " then, and you shall and must read the story of Cathe- " rine Parr and a Lady Douglas of those times ; have " you never heard of it?" She then related it, but as I ne- ver had heard of it, I looked upon it as her own invention to reconcile my mind to these kind of things. After this we often met, and the Princess often alluded to her situation and to mine, and one day as we were sitting together upon the sofa, she put her hand upon her stomach, and said, laughing, " Well, here we sit like Mary and Elizabeth, * in the Bible." When she was bled, she used to press me always to be, and uvet! to be quite angry that I would not, and whatever she thought good for herself, always recommended to me. Her Royal Highness now took every occasion to estrange me from Sir John, by laughing at him, and wondering how I could be content with him \ urged me constantly to keep my own room, and not to continue to sleep with him, and said, If 1 had any more children, she would have nothing more to say to me. Her design was evident, and easily seen through, and consequently averted. She naturally wished to keep ug apart, Jest in a moment of confidence, I should repeat what she had divulged, and if she estranged me from my husband, she kept me to herself. 1 took especial care therefore, that my regard for him should not be under- mined. I never told him her situation, and contrary to her wishes, Sir John and I remained upon the same happy terms we always had. It will scarcely be credited, (nevertheless it is strictly true, and those who were present must avow it, or per- jure themselves) what liberty the Princess gave both to her thoughts and her tongue, in respect to every part of the Royal Family. It was disgusting to us, beyond the power of language to describe, and upon such occasion* we always believed and hoped she could not be aware of 63 what she was talking about, otherwise common famiij affection, common sense, and common policy, would have kept her silent. She said before the two Fitzgeralds, Sir Sidney Smith, and ourselves, that when Mr. Adding- ton had his house given him, His Majesty did not know what he was about, and waved her hand round and round her head, laughing, and saying, tf Certainly he did not; u but the Queen got .twenty thousand, so that was all " very well." We were all at a loss, and no one said any thing. This was at my house one morning; the rest f the morning passed in abusing Mr. Addington (now Lord Sidmouth,) and her critiques upon him closed by saying, " It was not much wonder a Peace was not last- " ing, when it was made by the son of a quack doctor." Before Miss Hamond, one evening at my house, she said, " Prince William is going to Russia, and there is to be " a grand alliance with a Russian Princess, but it is not " very likely a Russian Princess will marry the grandson " of a washerwoman." Sir Sidney Smith, who was pre- sent, begged her pardon, asserted it was not so, and wished to stop her, but she contradicted him, and en- tered into all she knew of the private history of the Du- chess's mother, saying, " she was literally a common " washerwoman, and the Duchess need not to take so " much pains and not expose her skin to the open air, " when her mother had been in it all day long." When she was gone, Sir John was very much disgusted, and said, her conversation had been so low and ill-judged, and so much below her, that he was perfectly ashamed of her, and she disgraced her station. Sir Sidney Smith agreed, and confessed he was astonished, for it must be confessed she was not deserving of her station. After the Duke of Kent had been so kind as to come and take leave of her, before he last left England, upon the day I men- tioned, she delivered her critique upon His Royal High- ness, saying, " He had the manners of a Prince, but was 04 " a disagreeable man, and not to be trusted, and that His? " Majesty had told him, ' Now, Sir, when you go t " Gibraltar, do not make such a trade of it as you did " when you went to Halifax' The Princess repeated, " Upon my honour it is true ; the King said, ' Do not " make such a trade of it.' She went on to say, " the " Prince al first ordered them all to keep away, but they " came now sometimes, however they were no loss, for " there is not a man among them all whom any one can " make their friend." As I was with the Princess one morning in her garden house, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland waited upon her. As soon as he was gone she said, " He was a foolish boy, and had been " asking her a thousand foolish questions." She then told me every word of his secrets, which he had been tell- ing her, in particular, a long story of Miss Keppel, and that he said, the old woman left them together, and wanted to take him in, and therefore he had cut the con- nection. She said, she liked his countenance best, but she could trace a little family likeness to herself; but for all the rest the}' were very ill made, and had plumb-pud- ding faces, which she could not bear. His Royal High- ness the Duke of Cambridge was next ridiculed. She said " he looked exactly like a serjeant, and so vulgar with " his ears full of powder." This was her Royal High- ness's usual and favorite mode of amusing herself and her company. The conversation was always about men, praising the English men, reviling all English women, as being the ugliest creatures in the world, and the worst, and always engaged in some project or another, as the impulse of the moment might prompt, without regard to consequences or appearances. Whether she amused other people in the same way, I know not, but she chose to relate to me every private circumstance she knew rela- tive to every part of the Royal Family, and also every thing relative to her own, with such strange anecdotes. 65 Hind circumstantial accounts of things that never are talked of, that [ again repeat, I hope I shall never hear again ; and I remember once in my lying-in-room, she gave such an account of Lady Anne Wyndham's marriage,, and all her hushand said on the occasion, that Mrs. Fitzgerald sent her daughter out of the room^ while Her Royal High- ness finished her story, Such was the person we found Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and as we continued to see her character and .faults, Sir John and my?elf more and more, daily and hourly, regretted that the world could not see her as we did, and that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales should have lost any popularity, when, from her own account (the only ac- count we everhaf.) she was the aggressor from thebegin-r qing, herself alone, and I, as an humble individual, de- clare, that from the most heartfelt and unfeigned con, vie-? tion, that 1 believe, if any other married woman had acted as Her Royal Highness had done, I never yet have known 9. man who could have endured it ; and her temper is so tyrannical, capricious, and furious, that no man on earth will ever bear it ; and, in private life, any woman who had thus played and sported with her husband's comfort and her husband's popularity, would have been turned out of her house, or left by herself in it, and would de- servedly have forfeited her place in society. I therefore again beg leave to repeat, from the conviction of my own unbiassed understanding, and the conviction of my own eyes, no human being could live with her, excepting her servants for their wages; and any poor unfortunate woman, like the Fitzgeralds, for their dinner ; and I trust and hope her real character will sometime or another be displayed, that Hie people of this country may not be imposed upon. The Princess was now sometimes kind and at others churlish, especially if I would not fall into her plans of ridiculing Sir John. About this time, one day at table * K 6<5 with her, she began abusing Lady Rumbold (whom she had invited to see her a few days before, to give her letters of recommendation if she went to Brunswick), and as the abuse was in the usual violent vulgar style, and I had never seen Lady Rumbold but that one morning when she was Her Royal Highness's guest, and cared nothing/about her, I did not join in reviling her and Miss Rumbold. Sir Sidney Smith was present, and as there appeared a great friendship between the Ruinbolds and him, I thought it not civil to him to say any thing, and one al- ways conceives, in being quite silent, one must be safe from offending any party. 1 was, -however, mistaken ; for, observing me silent, she looked at me in a dreadful passion, and said, " Why don't you speak, Lady Douglas, I know you think her ugly as well as usa vulgar common, milliner ; Lord Heavens ! that she was; and her daughter looks just like a girl that walk up the street." I suppose she expected, by this thundering appeal, to force me to join in the abuse ; but it had a contrary effect upon me. I chose to judge entirely for myself, and I was determined I would not; therefore, when she had ra\ed until she could go on no longer, I said I did not think her ugly ; it was a harsh term. I thought her manner very bad, and that she was very ill dressed : but, when young, I thought she must have been a pretty woman. This was past her power of enduring, which I really, did not know, or I would have remained silent. She fixed her eyes furiously upon me, and bawled out, " Then you a liar, you're a liar, ami the little child you're going to have will be a liar." I pushed my plate from me, eat no more, and remained silent, and my first impulse was to push back my chair and quit the house, but the idea that I should break up the party from table, and make a confusion, and also my not being able to walk home, and my carriage not being ordered until night, left me in my chair. The conversa- tion was changed ; at last, Sir Sidney said again, " Well, 67 these Ladies have had a severe trimming, they had better not have come to fclackheath, and there sits poor Lady Douglas, looking as if she were going to he executed.' As I was very faradvanced in my pregnancy, it agitated me greatly, and I remained aloof and very shy all the even- ing. When I afterwards wrote to Sir Sidney Smith for Sir John, upon some common occurrence, I said, I do not like the Princess of Wales's mode of treating her guests ; her calling me a liar was an unpardonable thing, and if she ever speaks upon the subject to you, pray tell her I did not like it, and that, if 1 had been a man, I would have rather died than endured it; that it is a thing which never, by any chance, occurs to a Lady ; on a repetition of it I will give up her acquaintance. It seems Sir Sidney Smith spoke to the Princess upon the subject ; for two days before was confined, she made me a morning visit with the two Fitzgeralds, and, after having sat a short time; siid, " I find you were very much affronted the other day at my house, when I called you a liar ; I de- clare I did not mean it as an affront ; Lord Heavens ! in any other language it is considered a joke ; is it not Mrs. Fitzgerald :" meaning that in Germany it is a very good joke to call people liars (for Mrs. Fitzgerald does pot know any language but German and English) ; Mrs. Fitzgerald absolutely said, Yes. They made me very ner- TOUS, and I burst into tears, and told the Princess I only wished her to understand such a thing was never $lone, and was far from desiring her to apologize to me ; that I had now forgiven and forgotten it, though I confess, at the time, I was very much hurt, and very much wounded ; that as I never heard of its being thought a joke in any country, I was not the least prepared to receive it in that light ; for lhat, in this country, ladies never used the ex- pression, and men only to shew their greatest contempt ; that I never bore malice twelve hours in my life, and there was an end of the matter. The Fitzgeralds sat by, 68 Sometimes as audience, approving by looks ; sometimes as orators, begging me not to cry, (after they had all mad ine), and praising Her Royal Highness as the most mag- nanimous, amiable, good, beautiful, and gracious Prin- cess in the world. In short, th^y tormented me till they made me quite hysterical, and the Princess began then to be frightened, and they all got up to look about the room for hartshorn, or something of that kind to give me the Princess crying, " Give her something, give her some- thing ; she is very much shook, and her nerve* agitated ; she will be taken ill." They gave me some wati;r, 1 be- lieve, and I did all I could to recover my spirits; but I felt in pain, and Sir John came in soon after, and as I knew it would hurry him if he saw me ill, I appeared as cheerful as could, and they all went away, the Princess taking no notice to him. Her Royal Highness had always said, she would be at my lying-in from the beginning to the end, and commanded me constantly to Jet her know, say- ing, " I have no fear about me, and I would as soon come over the Heath in the middle of the night as in the day ; I shall have a bottle of port-wine on a table to keep up your spirits, a tambourine, and I'll make sing." 1 was unwell all the night after Her Royal Highness had been \vithme, and remained so all the next day; and next morn- ing, by six o'clock, xvas so ill, that Doctor Mackie, of Lewishatn, who was to attend me, was sent for. In the forenoon I begged Sir John to write a note to Montague House, where it so happened I was to have dined with the jparty. He wrote that I had a head-ache, and begged leave to remain at home, and the Princess believed it, and went to town ; but upon her return, at five o'clock in the afternoon, she called before she went home to dress, to ask after me, and finding how it was, wanted to run up into the room, but Doctor Mackie said positively she should not come, and locked the door nearest him to keep her otn. MissCholmondeley and Miss Fitzgerald were drove home, 69 and Her Royal Highness and Mrs. Fitzgerald stopped; Upon my giving a load shriek she flew in at the other door, and came to me, doing every thing she possibly could to assist ine, and held my eyes and head. The mo- ment she heard the child's voice she left me, flew round to Doctor Mackie, pushed the nurse aw ay, and received the child from Doctor Mackie, kissed it, and said no one should touch it until she had shewn it to me. Doctor Mackie was so confused and astonished, that, although an old practitioner he left the room, without giving me any thing to recruit my strength and avert fainting, as is tlu custom, and the nurse gave me what she thought best ; by which omission,, however, I was not subject to faint away, but it was certainly a new mode of proceeding where life is at stake, and shewed more curiosity than ten- derness for me. Before my little girl was brought to me, I observed her Royal Highness stood holding it, that Mrs. Fitzgerald, the Nurse, and herself, were all intent,, and speaking together, as if there was something peculiar iaits appearance $ the circumstance alarmed me, fearing it was born with some defect, and I asked eagerly to see i^ and if all v\as right. The Princess upon this brought it to me, and said it was a remarkable large fine child, and they were only looking at a mark it had upon its left breast, certainly a very large one, and a little on its eyes, but it would go off. i recollected that, although I never, when in a pregnant state, was subject to whims, longing, as thinking it very troublesome and foolish, yet I felt obliged, in this instance, to believe the old-received opi- nion to be correct ; for it happened, that during my visit at Montague House io March, I was one Sunday morn- ing very much incommoded by pains in my chest and sto- mach, and Her Royal Highness made Mrs. Sander give me some warm peppermint-water ; there was raspberry- ice in the desert the same day, and I had jusi began to eat ifline, when the Princess looked at me, and said, My dear 70 Lady Douglas, you have forgotten the pain you were in this morning < and, turning to her page, ordered him to take away my plate. (Signed; CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS. JOHN DOUGLAS. In the presence of me, (Signed) AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, Dec. 3, 1805. A true Copy, (Signed) jB. Bloomfield. Mr. Cole, the page, removed, and I can never describe my disappointment ; L vva^ almost inclined to re- monstrate, although there was a large party of strangers, and I did express a desire to retain it, but the Princess would not allow of it : and as she had appointed herself to the sole management of me, I was obliged to be quiet j My uneasiness, however became extreme, and forgetting every thing but the ice in question, 1 asked a Mr. Hamer, who sal next to me, to be so good as to ask for some ice, and, by dint of asking him to do so, I at length induced him, and at last he asked Lady Townshend for some more ice, I immediately took my spoon, and stooping a little, so that the flowers upon the plateau concealed me in part from the Princess, eat all Mr. Hamer's ice, while he looked on laughing, and put his plate a little nearer to me, that it might not look so odd. The following day I eat eight glasses of raspberry-ice at once, and was very well after it ; and from that time sought it every where, and eat of it voraciously; and I cannot help attributing the marks of my little girl to the circumstance. Her Royal Highness then kissed me, begged me to send for her whenever I liked, and she would come ; desired I might have plenty of flannel about me, of which she had gent 71 me some by Mrs. Fitzgerald, and then went home to dinner. I know not what she said or did among her party at home, but Miss Cholmondeley often said she should never forget the Princess on that day. All the month of August the Princess visited me daily ; in one of these visits, after she had sent Mrs. Fitzgerald away, she drew her chair close to the bed, and said, " 1 am delighted to see how well and easily you have got through this affair ; I, who am not the least nervous, shall make nothing at all of it. When you hear of my having taken children in baskets from poor people, take no notice: that is the way I mean to manage : I shall take any that offer, and the one I have will be presented in the same way, which, as I have taken others, will never be thought any thing about." I asked her, how she would ever get it out of the house ? but she said, Oh, very easily. I said it was a perilous bu- siness ; I would go abroad, if I were her: but she laughed at my fears, and said she had no doubt but of managing it all very well I was very glad she did not ask me to assist her, for I was determined in my own mind never to do so, and she never did make any request of me, for which I was very thankful. I put the question to her, Who she would get to deliver her? but she did dot answer for a minute, and then said, I shall get a person over ; I'll manage it, but never ask me about it ; Sander was a good creature, and. being immediately about her person and sleeping near her room, must be told ; but Miss Ghaunt must be sent to Germany, and the third maid, a voung girl, kept out of the way as well as they could. I sug- gested, I was afraid her appearance at St. James's could not fail to be observed, and she would have to encounter all the Roy il lam.Iy. Her reply was, That she knew how to manage her dress, and by continually increasing large cushions behind, no one would observe, nnd fortu- ap.tely the Birth-days were over, until she should have got rid of her appearance. In this manner passed all the time 72 of my confinement, at the end of which she sent Mrs. Fi'.zo;era!d to attend me to Church, and when I went to pay my duty to Her Royal Highness, after I went abroad again, she told me, whenever I was quite stout, she would have the child christened, that she meant to stand in per- son, and I must find ano : her godmother; Sir Sfdney Smith would be the godfather. I named the Duchess of Atholl, as a very amiable woman, of suitable rank, and said, that as there had been a long friendship betwixt Sir John's family and the Atholl family, I knew it would be very agreeable to him. Finding they were gone to Scot- land, we wrote to ask her Grace ; and she wrote word she would stand godmother with great pleasure, and enclosed ten guineas for the nurse. The Princess invited Sir Sidney Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Smith, and Baron Her- bert, and Sir John Douglas, to dine with her. Miss Cholmondeley and the two Fitzgeralds were with Her Royal Highness, and in the evening they all came ; I staid at home to receive her. The Clergyman from Lewisham christened the child; the Princess named it Caroline Sidney. As soon as he was gone (which was shortly after the ceremony was over), the Princess sat down upon the carpet a thing she was very fond of doing, in preference to sitting upon the chairs, saying, it was the pleasantest lively affair altogether she had ever known. She chose to sit upon the carpet the whole even- ing, while we all sat upon the chairs. Her Royal High- ness was dressed in the lace dress which, I think, she trore at Frogmore fete pearl necklace, bracelets, and armbands, a pearl bandeau round her head, and a long lace veil. When supper was announced, her Royal High- ness went in and took the head of the table, and eat an amazing supper of chicken and potted lamprey, which she would have served to her on the same plate, and eat them together. After supper she called the attention of the party to my good looks, and saying, I was as lively 73 and espiegle as ever ; said, that I had such sharp eyes, I found her out in every thing, adding, Oh ! she found me out one day in such a thing when 1 was at luncheon, and gave me a look which was so expressive, that I was sure be knew. This speech, which she, between herself and me, was algebra to the party. I did not know what to do, but I saw the secret cost her dear to keep, and she was ready to betray it to any one she met, by the strange things she said and did : I laughed and said, if my eyes have been too observing I am sorry, I never intended them to be ; I cannot be quite so polite as to say, " if my sight offends I will put it out," because I think with Sheridan, that the prejudice is strongly in favour of two ; but depend upon it, at all future luncheons I will do nothing but eat. She was in great spirits, staid until two o'clock in the morning, and then, attended by Miss Cholmondeley and the Fitzgeralds, went home. Her Royal Highness's civi- lities continued; she desired me constantly to bring my children to Montague House, and also the infant; and when i wou Id have retired to suckle it, she would not suffer me, but commanded me to do it in the drawing-room where she was ; and she came with her ladies visiting me both mornings and evenings, and nursing little Caroline for hours together. I saw now the Princess had told Mrs. Sander, who, 1 believe, was a very quiet good kind of wo- man, and her countenance was full of concern and anxiety. She appeared desirous of speaking to me, and was un- usually obsequious ; but the Princess always watched us both close ; if Sander came into a room, and I went to- wards her, the Princess came close, or sent one or another away, so that I could never speak to her. The Princess had now quarrelled with Sir Sidney Smith, to whom she had been so partial, and to every part of whose family she had been so kind, telling us constantly that she liked therp all, because old Mr. Smith had saved the Duke of 74 Brunswick's life. As Sir John was Sir Sidney's friend, she therefore was shy of us all, and we saw little of her., but on the SOth of October I went to call upon her before I left Blackheath, and met her Royal Highness just re- turned from church, walking before her own house with Mrs. Fitzgerald and her daughter, dressed in a long Spa- nish velvet cloak and an enormous muff, but which toge- ther could not conceal the state she was in, for I saw di- rectly she was very near her time, and think I must have seen it if I had not known her situation. She appeared morose, and talked a little, but did not ask to go in, ead after taking a few turns returned home. In about a fort- night we received a note, the Princess requesting neither Sir John or I to go to Montague House, as he* servants were afraid some of the children she had taken had the measles, and if any infection remained about tbe house, we might carry it to our child. We wrote a note expres- sive of our thanks for her obliging precautions, and that we would not go to Montague House, until we had the honor of receiving Her Royal Highness's commands. Th Princes never sent for us, and when I left uiy card before I went to pass Christmas in Gloucestershire. I was not admitted, so that / never sate her after the SOth of Octo- ber ; but I heard the report of her having adopted an in- fant, and Miss Fitzgerald toJd it me as she rode past my house, but would not come in, forftar s/ie should bring the measles. Upon my return to Blackheath in January, I called to pay my duty. I found her packing a small black box, and an infant sleeping on the sofa, with a piece of scarlet cloth thrown over it. She appeared con- fused, and hesitated whether she should be rude or kind, but recovering herself, chose to be the latter ; said, she was happy to see me, and then taking me by the hand led me to the sofa, and uncovering the child, said, Here i the little boy, I had him two days after I saw you last ; is not it a nice little child ? the upper part of his face is very 75 fine. She was going to have said more, when Mrs. Fit2 gerald opened the door and came in. The Princess con- suited what I had better have, what would be good for me. I declined any thing, but she insisted npon it I should have some soup, and said, my dear Fitzgerald, pray go out and order some nice brown soup to be brought here for Lady Douglas. I saw from this the Princess wished to have spoken to me more fully, and Mrs. Fitz- gerald saw it likewise, for instead of obeying, she rung the bell for the soup, and then sat down to tell me the whole fable of the child having been brought by a poor woman from Deptford, whose husband had left her, that Mr. Stikeman the Page, had the honour of bringing it in, that it was a poor little ill-looking thing when first brought, bat now, with such great care, was growing very pretty, and that as Her Royal Highness was so good, and had tafeen the twins (whose father would not let them remain) and had taken this, all the poor people would be bringing children. The Princess now took the child up, and I was entertained the whole morning by seeing it fed, and every service of every kind performed for it by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Mrs. Fitzgerald aired the napkins, and the Princess put them on; and from this time the drawing-rooms at Montague House, were lite- rally in the stile of a common nursery. The tables were covered with spoons, plates, feeding-boats, and clothes, round the fire ; napkins were hung to air, and the marble hearths were strewed with napkins which zeere taken from the child', for, very extraordinary to relate, this wa a part of the ceremony Her Royal Highness was particu- larly tenacious of always performing herself, let the com- pany be who they might. At first the child slept with her she told me, but it made her nervous, and therefore a nurse was hired to assist in taking charge of it, and for him to sleep with. The Princess said one day to me as she was nursing him, he had a little milk for two or three 76 days, but it did not do, se we bring him up by hand with all kind of nourishing things, and you see how well h thrives ; so that I really always supposed she had attempt- ed to suckle it. Another time she shewed me his hand, which has a pink mark upon it, and said, it was very sin- gular both our children should be marked, and she thought her child's came from her having some wine thrown on her hand, for she did not look much at little Caroline's mark. The Princess now adopted a new mode of inviting us to see her. She would invite either Sir John or I, but never both together as formerly. I conclu- ded from this, that as she found it so difficult to keep even her own secret, she could ill imagine I had been abl to keep hers, and therefore under the impression that by that time 1 must have told Sir John, did not like to meet both our eyes ; and if she saw Sir John without me, could better judge by his looks and manner whether I had di- vulged or not. I conclude she was at length satisfied that I had not ; for we were one morning both invited again in, the former manner, to a breakfast, and as it was a very curiously arranged party, I will put down the names, for to the person who is to peruse this detail, it \\ill confirm (he idea that Her Royal Highness cannot always know correctly what she is about. When we entered, the Prin- cess was silting upon the sofa, elegantly dressed in a white and silver drapery, which covered her head and fell all over her person, and she had her little boy upon her knee elegantly dressed likewise. The guests were, Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Wales, with Miss Hunt, lur Govcrnes.-, Captain Manby, of the Navy, Mr. Spencer Smith, the Fitzgeralds, and ourselves. She got up and nursed the child, and carrying it to Sir John, said, " Here, Sir John, this is the Deptford boy, 1 suppose " you liave heard I have taken a little child." Sir John only said, Yes, he had, and it seemed a fine baby. She seemed pleased and satisfied that I had not told him, arid 77 the* sat down to table, putting a chair for Princess Charlotte on her right hand, taking me by the hand and putting uae on her left hand, told Captain Manby to sit at tbe top, and- Mr. Spencer Smith at the bottom, and Sir John and the Fitzgeralds faced us. Princess Charlotte had a plain dinner prepared for her in another room, ac- cording to custom, and came in when our desert was placed, when we all sat down again as we were sitting, except Miss Hunt, who was never ordered to sit, but stood a few yards from Princess Charlotte. About five o'clock Her Royal Highness rose from table, the little boy was brought in again, Princess Charlotte played with it, and the Princess of Wales wished all of us a good morning, and we broke up, totally at a loss to conceive what amusement it could be to collect us together. This breakfast was a kind of 'finale. We had very little inter- course. Her Royal Highness would walk past our house, for the express purpose of shewing she did not mean to couae in, and when we did see her, she always abused Sir Sidney Smith. Often said, she wondered I liked t6 live at such a dull place as Blackheath, and in short gave us hints we could not misunderstand, that she wanted us away. At this time Sir John received a letter from his division, expressive of the General's wish that lie would go to Plymouth, and therefore (without an Admiralty Order) he determined to go to emancipate ourselves from tHe Princess of Wales, and as soon as we could dispose of : 1 2 V* .._ the furniture, I followed him, leaving the house empty, which was ours three months after I quitted it. The day Sir John was to set off, the Princess walked to our house, - and though his trunks were in the room, and he was oc- , . . cupied, would have him sit down and talk to her, over- powering him and myself now with kindness, and said, she could eat something. She did so, staid four hours in the house, and at parting, took Sir John by both hands, wished him every good wish, and begged him alway* to 73 recollect how happy she should be to see him again, and that she would be very kind to me in his absence ; however, after he was gone, she never came near me, or offered me any kind of civility whatsoever. When I was upon the eve of departure, called upon her and took her god- daughter and my other little girl with me. She was al- most uncivil, and paid little or no attention if I spoke. I said the children were with me, hut she did not answer, and after spending four or five hours very unpleasantly, Buffering all the unpleasant feeling of being where I had been courted and idolized, I begged permission at last to go away. When I went out, to my surprize, I found the children had been kept in the passage near the front door, with the door open to Blackheath, in a December day, with four opposite doors opened and shut upon them, in- stead of being taken to the housekeeper's room, as they always had been. My maid had at length begged the footman to go to a fire, as 'the children cried dreadfully tmd were very cold. 1 understand the man was a foot- Man, of the name ofGaskin, I think, and his answer was, if the children are cold, you can put them back into the carriage and warm them. I took them home immedi- ately, and was inclined to return and ask why they had been thus all of a sudden treated with this brutality and impertinence, and which was doubly cruel in Sir John's absence : but I deferred going until I meant to take my final leave, which I did on the following Sunday. Doctor Burnaby was standing in the hall with every thing pre- pared for the Princess to receive the sacrament. I was ushered through notwithstanding, and the footmen seemed to go to and fro as much at their ease, as if no such thing was preparing. She was standing in the draw- ing-room, and received me with Mrs. Lisle and Mrs Fitzgerald. 1 said I should have been gone before, had it been in my power, and in compliance with her com- mands, had come to take my leave. She did not ask me to sit down, but said God bless you ; good bye. I then said, I was much concerned I had brought my little girls a few days past, and that I should never have done so, but from her Royal Highness's repeated desire. She said, she was sorry ; and asked, who used them so. I told her, one of her livery servants, and Sir John would not like to hear of it. Her Royal Highnes said, stop a moment ; flew past me through the hall where Doctor Burnaby stood waiting for her, up to her own room, and returned with a white-paper box, pushing it into my hand God bless you, my dear Lady Douglas. I said, I wished to decline taking any thing, that my object in coming there was to offer her my duty, and tell her how ill my children has been used. I could not conceive how any footmaa could use the freedom of treating Sir John's children so, unless he had been desired. She oniy answered, " Oh ! no, indeed ; good bye." I attempted to put the box into her hands, saying, I had rather not have it ; but she drooped her hands and turned away. I therefore wished Mrs. Lisle and Miss Fitzgerald good morning, and went away. Doctor Burnaby spoke to me as I passed him, and, looking back, I saw her Royal Highness's head ; she was lookiug out after me, to see if she had fairly got rid of me, and laughing immoderately at Dr. Burnaby in his gown, I quitted her house, re- solved never to re-enter it but for forms sake, and wrote her word, that as T had long been treated rudely, and my children, whom she courted to her house, were now in- sulted there, I felt a dislike to accepting a present thrown at me, as it were, under such unpleasant circumstances ; that I had not untied the box, and requested she wold,- permit me to return it ; and that as I wa&an English Gen- tlewoman, and defied her to say she had ever seea a single impropriety in my conduct, I would never suffer myself lo be ill used without a clear explanation. The Princess wote back a most haughty imperious reply, desiring mete so keep the box, stiled herself Princess of Wales in almost every line, and insulted me to such a degree, that I re- turned an answer insisting upon her explaining herself. This she returned me unopened, saying, she would not open my second letter, and had therefore sent it to me to put in the fire, and that she was ready to put the matter in oblivion, as she desired me to do, wished me and my dear little children well, and should at all times be glad to see her former neighbour. I did as she desired, and went away at Christmas without ever seeing or hearing more of her Royal Highness, and found in the paper box a gold necklace, with a medallion suspended from it of a mock. Thus ended my intercourse, for the present, with the Princess of Wales, and the year 1803. When we resided in Devonshire, seeing by the papers that her Royal Highness was ill, we sent a note of en- quiry to the lady in waiting, which was answered very po- litely, and even in a friendly manner by her Royal High- ness's orders. Upon the arrival of the Duke of Sussex from abroad, Sir John returned to town to attend him, and when we drove to Blackheath to see our friends, I left my card for her Royal Highness, who was visiting Mr. Can- ning ; the moment she returned home she commanded Mrs. Vernon to send me word never to repeat my visits to Blackheath. I gave Sir John the note, and must con- fess, accustomed as I had been to her haughty verbearing caprice, yet this exceeded my belief of what she was ca- pable of, being so inconsistent with her two last letters ; but the fact was, she thought we were gone above 00 miles from her, and should be there for many years, and she never calculated upon the return of his Royal High-> ness the Duke of Sussex, having very often told me hi* Royal Highness would never live in England, in his Ma- jesty's life-time ; that she was certain of that, and had reasons for knowing it; and Sir John would never have him here. I suppose she had taken this into her head, be- 81 cause she wished it ; and, therefore, the return of his Royal Highness was a mortal death-blow to all her hopes on tin's sore; and when she found that his ""Royal Highness was not only returned, but that Sir John was in at- tendance, and that his Royal Highness was in Carlton House, where Sir John might see, and have the honour of being made known to the Prince of Wales, \\erfear and rage got the better of every prudent consideration, and she commanded Mrs. Vernon to dismiss me as I have men- tioned. Had the Princess of Wales written to me herself, and told me, in a civil manner, that she would thank me to keep away, f should have acquainted her, that I wished and desired to do so, and had only called for the sake of appearances, and there the matter would have ended ; un- less I- had ever been* called upon (as I am now) by His Ma- jesty, or the Heir Apparent. In that case, as in this, I should have made it my sacred duty to have answered, as upon my oath ; but the. circumstance of being driven out of her house by the hands of the lady in waiting, as if 1 had deserved it, and as if 1 were a culprit, was wounding one with a poisoned arrow, which left the wound to fester after it had torn and stabbed me; it was a refinement in insult, for the Princess had always been in the habit of writing to me herself, and had commanded me never to hold intercourse with her through her ladies, but always directly to herself; and ro particular were her directions and permission upon this head, that she told me never to put 'my letters under cover, but always direct them to her- seff. I feit so miserable, that Mrs. Vernon, to whi m I was -kndwn, and for whom Sir John and mystlf had an esteem, should think ill of me, and I therefore wrote to the Princess, saying, " From the moment she judged proper to come into my family, I had always conducted myself towards her Royal Highness with the respect her high station demanded ; and that when she forced her *M secrets upon me, I had (whatsoever my sentiments were) kept them most honourably for her, never yet having even told Sir John, although I gave him my full confidence in all other things ; nor had I even, under my present aggra- vation, imparted it, or meant ; that after such generou conduct on my part, I was at a loss to conceive what she proposed to herself by persecuting me ; that I was afflicted at being so placed in the opinion of a good woman, like Mrs. Vernon, and who was free to say what she pleased upon the subject every whera; that it was half as bad to be thought ill of as to deserve it ; and that I would wait upon Mrs. Vernon, and detail to her a circumstantial account of every thing which had occurred since I had known her Royal Highness ; and I would acquaint my husband and family with the same, and leave them, and the circle of my friends, to judge betwixt her Royal Highness and myself; that I would not lie under an imputation of hav- ing done wrong; and I took my leave of her Royal Highness for ever, only first regretting 1 had ever known her, and thankful to be emancipated from Montague House, and that she owed it to me to have, at least, dis- missed me in a civil manner, by her own hands" This letter her Royal Highness returned unopened ; but, from its appearance, I had strong reason to believe she had read it. I was resolved, however, if she had not, she should be taught better, as she might not treat any other person so ill as she had me, and my mind was bent upon speaking to Mrs. Vernon; I was nearly certain, if I wrote to Mrs. Vernon, the Princess would make her send ray letter back, and therefore I wrote Mrs. Fitzgerald nearly a copy of what I sent her Royal Highness, and called upon her, as she had been always present, to say, if she ever saw any thing in my behaviour to justify any rude- ness towards me : that I was precisely what the Princess found me, \vhen the Princess walked up to her knees in snow to seek my acquaintance, and precisely the same in- dividual whom she had thought worthy of the strongest proofs of her friendship, and whose lying-in she had at- tended in so particular a manner, and had thought worthy of shedding tears over ; that her Royal Highness had thought proper to confide in me a secret, of very serious importance to herself; and I would not, after acting in the most honourable manner to her, be dismissed by a lady in waiting ; and I meant to be at Montague House, and have a satisfactory conversation with "Mrs. Vernon; and therefore she would be so good as acquaint her Royal Highness with the contents of my letter, or lay it before her Royal Highness. Mrs. Fitzgerald sent back a con- fused note, saying, she could not shew the Princess my letter, unless she was called upon ; and when she opened it her disappointment was great, for she expected to have found respectful inquiries after her Royal Highness's finger (which was hurt when she went to see Mr. Canning), and that I might make my mind easy, as ladies in waiting never repeated any thing; and she was astonished I had thrown out such a hint. A day or two after, a note was sent to Sir John, as if nothing had happened, requesting him to go to Montague House. The servant who brought it drove Mrs. Vernon from Blaekheath home to her own house in town, and I have no doubt it will be found (if inquiry is made) that Mrs. Vernon was put prematurely out of her waiting, lest I should explain with her. Sir John obeyed her Royal Highness's summons, and she received him in the most gracious pleasant manner, tak- ing as much pains to please and flatter him now as she had formerly done by me, and began a conversation with him relative to a General Innes, of the Marines, whom the Admiralty thought proper, with many others, to put upon the retired list; she exprest an ardent desire to get that officer reinstated, and consulted Sir John, as belonging to the same corps, how she could accomplish such an under- taking. Sir John listened to her attentively, and made 84 her short and very polite answers, acquainting her no such thin" was ever done. She then said she must speak to Lord Melville about it, as it was a hard case. The lun- cheon was then announced, and she ordered Sir John to attend herself and the ladies. Sir John found Mrs. Ver- non was sent off, and a lady was there whom he did not know, but thought was Lady Carnarvon. When they were all seated Sir John remained on his legs, and she looked anxiously at him, and said, " My dear Sir John, sit down and eat." He bowed, with distant respect, and said, he could not eat ; that he was desirous of returning to town; and if her Royal Highness had no further business with him, he would beg leave to go. The Princess looked quite disconcerted, and said, What not eat any thing, not sit down ; pray take a glass of wine then. He bowed again as before, and repeated that he could neither eat nor drink. Well then, she said, " Come again soon, my dear Sir John ; always glad to see you." Sir John made no reply, bowed, and left the room. I now received, by the twopenny post, a long anonymous letter, written by this restless mischievous person, the Princess of Wales, in which, in language which any one who had ever heard her speak, would have known to be hers, she called me all kind of names, impudent, silly, wretched, ungrateful, and illiteral (meaning illiterate), she tells me to take that, and it will mend my ill temper, &c. &c. &c. and says, she is a person high in this government, and has often an oppor- tunity of * freely with His Majesty, and she thinks my conduct authorizes her to tell him off, and that she is my only, true and integer friend. Such is the spirit of this fo- reigner, which would have disgraced a house-maid to have written, and it encloses a fabricated anonymous letter, which she pretends to have received, and upon which she built her doubts and disapprobation of me as it advises her not ttrtrust me, for that I am indiscreet, and tell every body that the child she took from Deptford, was her own. So in the authenticated copy; some word seems omitted' The whole construction of both these epistles, from be- ginning to end, are evidently that of a foreigner, and a very ignorant one, and the vulgarity of it is altogether quite shocking. In one part she exclaims that she did not think I should have had the impudence to coine on- her door again, and tells me 'tis for my being indiscreet, and not having allowed her to call me a liar, that she treats me thus, and that I would do well to remember the story of Iknry the Eighth's Queen, and Lady Douglas. I was in- stantly satisfied it was from her Royal Highness the Prin- cess of Wales, and that Mrs. Fitzgerald had shewn her my letter, and this was her answer to it. I immediately carried it to Sir John Douglas, who said he was sure it came from the Princess, and he shewed it to Sir Sidney Smith, who said, every word and expression in it were those which the Princess of Wales constantly used. Sir John desired me now to give him a full explanation of what her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales had con- fided to me, and whether I had ever mentioned it. I gave him my solemn word of honour it had never passed my lips, and I was only now going to utter it at his posi- tive desire. That her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales told me she was with child, and that it came to life at Lady Willoughby's, that if she was discovered,' she would give the Prince of Wales the credit, for she slept at Carlton House twice the year she was pregnant; that she often spoke of her situation, compared herself and me to Mary and Elizabeth, and told me when she shewed me the child, that it was the little boy she had two davs after I last saw her, that was the 30th of October; there- fore her son was born upon the 1 st of November, and I take a retrospect view of things after I knew the day of his birth, and found her Royal Highness must have gone down stairs and dined with all the Chancellors about the fourth day after she was delivered, with the intention, if discovered, of having them all to say they dined with her 86 in perfect health so early in November, that it could not be. Sir John recollected all her whims, and went over her whole conduct, and he firmly believes her to be the mother of the reputed Deptford child. I then acquainted him of the pains she had taken to estrange my mind and affections from him, and he saw her pursuit of now chang- ing sides, and endeavouring to estrange him from me, lest if we lived in a happy state of confidence, 1 might make known her situation to him ; and we agreed, that as we had no means of communicating at present with His Majesty, or the Heir Apparent, we must wait patiently until called upon to bring forward her conduct, as there seemed little doubt we should one day be. Finding that Sir John Douglas did not choose to visit where his wife was discarded and hurt in the estimation of her acquain- tance, her fury became so unbounded, that she sought what she could do most atrocious, wicked, and inhuman, she reached her it would seem, and the result was, she made two drawings with a pen and ink, and sent them to us by the twopenny post, representing me as having disgraced myself with his old friend Sir Sidney Smith. They are of the most indecent nature, drawn with her own hand, and words upon them in her own hand-writing. Sir John, Sir Sidney, and myself, can all swear point blank without a moment's hesitation ; and if her Royal Highness is a subject, and amenable to the laws of this country (and I conceive her to be so) she ought to be tried and judged by those laws for doing thus, to throw firebrands into the bosom of a quiet family. My hus- band, with thdt cool good sense which has ever marked his character, and with a belief in my innocence, which nothing but facts can stagger (for it is founded upon my having been faithful to him nine years before we were married, and seven years since,) as well as his long ac- quaintance with Sir Sidney Smith's character and disposi- tion, and having seen the Princess of Wales's loose aud 87 vicious character, put the letters in his pocket, and went instantly to Sir Sidney Smith. Sir Sidney was as much astonished as we had been. Sir John then told him, he pat the question to him, and expected an answer such as an officer and gentleman ought to give to his friend : Sir Sidney Smith gave Sir John his hand, as his old friend and companion, and assured him in the most solemn manner, as an officer and gentleman, that the whole was the most audacious and wicked calumny ; and he would swear to its being the hand-writing of the Princess of Wales ; and that he believed Lady Douglas to be the same virtuous domestic woman he thought her, when Sir John first made him known to her. Sir Sidney added, " 1 never said a word to your wife, but what you might have heard ; and had I been so base as to attempt any thing of the kind under your roof, I should deserve for you to shoot me like a mad dog. I am ready to go with Lady Douglas and yourself, and let us ask her what she means by it confront her." Accordingly, Sir John wrote a note to the lady in waiting, which was to this effect : " Sir John and Lady Douglas, and Sir Sidney Smith, present their compliments to the lady in waiting, and request she will have the goodness to say to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, that they are desirous of having an au- dience of Her Royal Highness immediately." We re- ceived no answer to this note ; but, in a few days, an answer was sent to Sir Sidney Smith, stating, that her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was much indis- posed, and could not see any one at present. This was di- rected to Sir Sidney Smith > at our house, although he did not live there. This was an acknowledgment of her guilt : she could not face us; it was satisfactory to us all, for it said I am the Author, let me off; but to make one's satisfaction upon this the more perfect, and to warn her of the danger she runs of discovery, when she did such 88 flagrant things, I wrote the under-written note, aiul put it into the Post Office, directed to herself'. " MADAM, " I received your former anonymous letter safe ; al*o " your two last, with drawings. " I am, Madam, " Your obedient servant, (Signed) " CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS." It appears evident that her Royal Highness received this safe, and felt how she had committed herself* for, in- stead of returning it in the old style, she sent for his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, and requested him to send f'pr Sir Sidney, and by the post Sir Sidney received an ano- nymous letter, saying, the writer of that wished for no civil dissentions, and that there seldom vras a difference, where, if the parties wished it, they could not arrange mailers. Sir Sidney Smith brought this curious letter to shew Sir John, and we. were all satisfied it was from Her Royal Highness, who, thinking Sir Sidney and Sir John might, by this time, be cutting each other's throats, sent very gra- ciously to stop them ; in short, she calied them civil dis- sentions.* His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, being employed to negotiate, sent fur Sidney Smith, and ac- quainted him, that he was desired by her Royal High- ness to say, that she would see Sir Sidney Smith in die course of a few days, provided, when ho came to her, he avoided all disagreeable discussions whatsoever. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent then sought from Sir Sidney an explanation of the matter; Sir Sidney Smith then gave the Duke of Kent a full detail of circumstances, and ended by saying, " We ail could, and would, swear the drawings and words contained in those covers, were written by the Princess of Wales; for, as if she were fully 89 to convict herself, she had sealed one of the covers with the identical seal she had used upon the cover, \vhen she summoned Sir John to luncheon at Montague House. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, finding what a scrape she had entangled herself in, exclaimed " Abomi- nable ! foolish ! to be sure ; but Sir Sidney Smith, as this matter, if it makes a r.oise, may distress His Majesty, and be injurious to his health, I wish Sir John and Lady Douglas would (at least for the present) try to forget it ; and if my making them a visit would be agreeable, and soothe their minds, I will go with all my heart, though I am not yet acquainted with them, and I will speak fully to the Princess of Wales, and point out to her the danger of doing such things ; but, at all events, it would be very injurious to His Majesty's health, if it came to his ears just now." Sir Sidney Smith came from His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent to us, and delivered His Royal High- ness's message. Sir John declined all negociation ; but told Sir Sidney Smith, that he was empowered to say to the Duke of Kent from him, that of whatsoever extent he might* his injuries, and however anxious he might be to seek justice, yet when he received such an intimation from one of the Royal Family, he would cer- tainly pause before he took any of those measures he meant to take ; and if that was the case, and His Royal High- ness the Duke of Kent was desirous of his being quiet, lest His Majesty's health or peace might be disturbed by it, his duty, and his attachment to his Sovereign were so sin- cere, that he would bury (for the present) his private ca- lamity, for the sake of His Majesty's repose and the pub- lic good ; but he begged to be clearly understood, that he did not mean to bind himself hereafter, but reserve to him- self a full right of exposing the Princess of Wales, when he judged it might be done with greatest effect, and when it was not likely to disturb the repose of this country. * So in the authenticated copy. 90 Sir Sidney Smith told us that he had delivered Sir John's message, verbatim, to the Duke of Kent; and, a short time afterwards, His Royal Highness commanded Sir John and Sir Sidney to dine with him at Kensington Pa- lace ; but the Duke of Kent did not speak to Sir John upon the subject, and the matter rested there, and would have slept for a time, had not the Princess of Wales re- commenced a fresh torrent of outrage against Sir John; and had he not discovered, that she was attempting to undermine his and Lady Douglas's character. Sir John, therefore, was compelled to communicate his situation to his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, in order that he might acquaint the Royal Family of the manner the Princess of Wales was proceeding in, and to claim His Majesty's and the Heir Apparent's protection. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, with that goodness and con- sideration Sir [John expected from him, has informed his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who sent Sir John word that " He desired to have a full detail of all that passed during their acquaintance with her Royal High- ness the Princess of Wales, and how they became known to her, it appearing to the Heir Apparent, from the re- presentation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, that his Majesty's dearest interests, and those of this country, were very deeply involved in the question ; His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has commanded them to be vey circumstantial in their detail respecting all they may know relative to the child the Princess of Wales affected to adopt. Sir John and Lady Douglas re- peat, that, being so called upon, they feel it their duty tt> detail what they know, for the information of His Ma- jesty and the Prince of Wales, and they have so done, as upon oath, after having very seriously considered the matter, and are ready to authenticate whatever they have said, if it should be required, for His Majesty's further information. I have drawn up this detail in the best man- 91 ner I could ; and fear, from my never having before it- tempted a thing of the kind, it will be full of errors, and being much fatigued from writing of it, from the original, in eight and forty hours, of the facts contained therein, I believe they are correct : I am ready to assert, in the most solemn manner, that I know them all to be true. (Signed) CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS. JOHN DOUGLAS. In the presence of AUGUSTUS FREDERICK. Greenwich Park, Dec. 3, 18O5. Copies of all the Papers alluded to in this detail are in the hands of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. (Signed) JOHN DOUGLAS. In the presence of AUGUSTUS FREDERICK. eiH A true Copy, B. Bloomfield. A true Copy, J. Becket. Whitehall, 2Qth August, J806. (No. 2.) Narrative of the Duke of Kent. TO introduce the following relation, it is necessary for me to premise that, on entering the Prince of Wales 's bed.- room, where our interview took plaoe 4 my Brother, after dismissing his attendants, said to me, that some circum- stances had come to his knowledge, with respect to a transaction with the Princess of Wales, in which ho found that /had been a party concerned; that if he had not placed the most entire reliance on my attachment to him, and, be was pleased to add, on the well-known upright- ness of my character and principles, he should certainly have felt himself in no small degree offended, at having learnt tta facts alluded to from others, and not, in the first instance, from me, which he conceived himself every way entitled to expect but more especially from that foot- ing of confidence oa which be had ever treated me through life; but, that being fully satisfied my explanation of the matter would prove, that he was not wrong in the opinion he had formed of the honourable motives that had ac- tuated me in observing a silence with regard to him upon tbe subject; he then was anxiously waiting for me to pro- ceed with a narrative, his wish to hear which, he was sure he had only to express, to ensure my immediate acqui- escence with it. The Prince then gave me his hand, assuring me he did not feel the smallest degree of displea- sure towards me, and proceeded to introduce the sub- ject upon which he required information; when, feeling it a duty I owed him, to withhold from his knowledge no part of the circumstances connected with it that I could bring back to my recollection, I related the facts to him, as nearly as I can remember in the following words : " About a twelvemonth since, or thereabouts, (for 'I " cannot speak positively to the exact date,) I received a " note from the Princess of Wales, by which she requested " in to come over to Black heath, in order to assist her " in arranging a disagreeable matter between her, SifSid- " ney Smith, Sir John and Lady Douglas, the particulars HAVE GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF FOR HER ; she observed to him that she thought it a better age to be taken from the mother, than if it were younger ; he answered, "Ah, true" He then turned up the child's clothes and looked at its legs, saying, "J/'sa fine child, give it to me." He accordingly tock the child into the house, and as he went along the passage, danced it up and down, talking to it. During the time Mr. STIKEMAN was in possession of the child, Mrs. Austin remained at the door of Montague House, on the Heath. Having waited his return with her child for more than half an hour, she began to be apprehensive that her son would be taken from her, and that she should not behold him again. These fears she 119 eomnuuiicated to some persons passing at the time, as she stood weeping at the gate ; but they encouraged her to hope for the best, saying there was no doubt but that the child would be safely restored to her. Mr. STIKEMAN now brought, the child to her, and said that he had been a very good boy, and desired her to give him the shilling again, that he might make it up HALF-A-GUINEA ; and this, he said, was a present from the ladies. She then asked Mr. STIKEMAN if he thought he could get the child taken care of for her : he said he would try what he could do, and desired that she would come again on Monday. He thea desired her to go round to the Cookery, and he would give her some- thing. On her way thither, she met him in the yard, and he gave her some broken meat, telling her to be sure to bring the child again on Monday, by eleven o'clock in the morning. On her return, Mrs. Austin found-,^ husband hud packed up all his clothes, and had gone off by the coach to London ; leaving the other child with a woman in the house. She, afterwards, discover- ed that he had engaged himself with a Mrs. Nichols, u furrier in Oxford Road. r ^ On Monday October 25, Mrs. Austin again went to Montague House, according to appointment; but the day being very foggy, she wandered about for some time, not being able to find her way, and was near falling down a precipice on the Heath, called Sot's-hqle. Meeting, however, with a baker who was crossing the Heath, he directed her to her ROYAL HIGHNESS'* house. When she arrived, she inquired for Mr, STIKEMAN, who came out to her., and exclaimed, " JB/ess me ! I did not expect to see you such a morning as this!' 1 He now inquired for her husband ; she told him, that he was from home, seeking employment. He 13(3 then asked if she conld come the next morning; and bring her husband with her, as he particularly wished to see him ; and observed, if they were not at Montague House by 10 or II o'clock, he would call on them at Deptford, at twelve. He then gave her some broken meat, and she went away. Austin and his wife lived, at this time, at A T o. 7, Depfford, New Rozc, with a per- son of the name of Bearbfock, a milkman. When she reached her home, supposing that some- thing advantageous was intended to be done for them, &he resolved to go immediately to London, in quest of her husband ; whom, after a considerable time spent in the search, she found at a relation's. Mrs. Austin then related to her husband the success she had met with at MONTAGUE HOUSE, and told him that Mr. STIKEMAN wished very particularly to see him; and that he had better return with her by the coach. To this he readily consented, being too unwell to fulfil the engagement into which he had entered. Austin and his wife arrived at Deptford about 11 o'clock that night. In consequence of his disorder in- creasing, Austin was so ill, that he found himself inca- pable of rising in the morning faud was, of coutse, pre- vented from going to Montague House. At 12 o'clock, however, Mr. STIKEMAN called on them, and made particular inquiries into their circumstances and cha- racter ; promising to do what he could for them, in the way of getting the child taken care of. A few days afterwards, Mrs. Austin went to MOM- f AGE HOUSE, and seeing Mr. STIKEMAN at th door, she asked him whether he would be able to do any thing for her child. He said, he would try and let her know. On Thursday the 4th of Novem- ber, Mr. STIKEMAN came to Deptford, and said he had spoken to Arthur the gardener, to employ her bus- 121 band. Austin, however, being introduced to the gar- dener, was told, that he could not have any employment ; but the gardener promised to recommend him as a la- bourer to a master bricklayer! But, as Austin did not possess even a labourer's tools, this prospect of employ- ment vanished. Mr. STIKEMAN, at this lime, directed Mrs. Austin to' bring her child to Montague House, the nest day being the oth of November, and gave her particular in- structions in what manner she was to act on the occa- sion. He directed her to come to Blackheath at a cer- tain hour, and to place herself near the door of Mon- tague House; to lay the child on her arms, in the same manner as she would, if it were to be christened ; in full view, so that HER ROYAL HIGHNESS might see it as she was getting into her carriage. It happened, however, that the day was very unfavourable, raining almost incessantly from morning till night ; and Mrs. Austin was prevented from going. This circumstance rendered her peculiarly uneasy, and she hesitated, whe- ther (as she had been unable to attend the appointment) .she should go any more to Montague House, until she receive d further instructions. On the next day, being the 6th of November, about onco'clock, Mr. STIKEMAN came to Deptford to inquire the reason of her not bringing the child according to appointment. She urged the unfavourable state of the weather as the only cause of her absence ; and express- ed the sorrow she felt on the occasion ; but said, that she was fearful of endangering her own and the child's health, by going so far (heing about two miles) in a pouring rain. Mr. STIKEMAN appeared much displeased, and at last became quite angry ; telling her she must leave what she was about imn ediatelv, dress herself and the . ' 122 child, and hasten, with all possible speed, to Montague House, as the Princess was anxious to see it immediate- ly ; that \vhcn she came she must inquire for him, and not speak to any of the servants, or take the least no- tice of the circumstance to any person whatever. He farther observed, that he could ill spare the time to call upon her, and that he must return without delay; or he should be too late for dinner. She instantly gave the child to a Mrs. Davis, who lived in the next loom, to dress it, while she changed her own apparel. Mrs. Austin made all possible haste,, and arrived at MONTAGUE HOUSE about two o'clock. In her way thither she met her husband, who accompa- nied her, and assisted in carrying the child. He re- mained at the door, and Mrs. Austin entered and in- quired for Mr. STIKEMAN, who being called from the steward's room, and came to her went up the stair- case, and desired her to follow him. Mr. STIKEMAN then shewed her into a room, called the Blue-room, ob- tained some refreshment for her and the child, and told her that she was now to be introduced TO HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, who was then taking a walk, but that she would soon return. Mrs. Austin rcaited for about tKO hours. During [this time, she felt much ngitatcd, fearing that she should not conduct herself with propriety in her Royal Highness's presence. These facts she communicated to Mr. STIKEMAN who told her she had nothing to apprehend; "that HER ROYAL HIGHNESS was a very affable, good sort of a lady, and that she would say all for her." At length, HER ROYAI, HIGHNESS made her ap- pearance, coming into the room where Mrs. Austin was, from an adjoining one, accompanied by two ladies; but r>f these ladies Mrs. Austin has no knowledge. HEU ROYAL HIGHNESS came to her as she stood with the child in her arms, and touching the child under the chin, said, " O what a nice one ; koto old is it?" Mrs. Austin replied, about three mouths. Her Royal High- ness then, without saying another word, turned to her ladies, and conversed with them in French; but of the purport of this conversation Mrs. Austin could form no idea. Immediately afterwards her Royal Highness re- tired, with one of the ladies, into the same room from whence she came, leaving the other lady and Mr. STIKEMAN, with her and the child. Mr. STIKEMAN and this lady also, retired for a few minutes into an ad- joining room ; and as they were shutting the door, she heard the lady say to Mr. STIKEMAN, " What do you know of this woman ?" the door closing, she heard no more. The lady then returned and asked her whether she thought she could make up her mind to part from the child, and leave it with her Royal Highness, observing " what a fortunate woman she would be to have her child taken under the protection of so illustrious a per- sonage, and that the child would, in all respects, be brought up and treated as a young prince ; and if he should behave properly as he grew up, what an excel- lent thing it would be for him." Mrs. Austin replied, that she thought she could part from it to such a person as her Royal Highness, rather than keep it, and suffer it to want. The lady then gave her a pound note, and desired her to go into the coffee-room, and get some arrow-root and other necessaries, for the purpose of weaning the child ; as she then suckled it. Mrs. Lloyd, the woman who superintended the coffee-room, was directed by Mr. Stikeman, to give the arrow-root to her, with instructions how to mix it ; and Mrs. Austin was ordered to begin weaning the child that night, but if the 1'24- weaning appeared to hurt the child, she uus not 1:0 per- severe, but to inform them. She then went with Mr. STIKEMAN into the coffee- room, where he ordered Mrs. Lluud to give her the ne- cessary articles. After she had received them, Mr. STIKEMAN accompanied her out of the house, between four and five o'clock. As they were going out, a carriage stood at the front door, and a lady who came from the house was getting into it. Mr. Stikeman accompanied her to the carriage-door, and said to the lady, " This is the little boy which her Royal Highness is going to take, " Oh, is it/' she replied, and what is his name? He an- swered WILLIAM; "why, that is the very name to which her Royal Highness is so partial." Who this lady was she does not know. The carriage driving off, they proceeded, and were joined by Austin, who had waited all the time on the Heath. Mr. STIKEMAN walked some distance with them, conversing verv freelv x o / * as they walked along; and her husband spoke to him of his afflicted state of body. Mrs. Austin said, " I be- lieve her Royal Highness is going to take the child," to which Mr. STIKEMAM observed, " Yes, I believe she will;" but requested them not to say any thing about it to any. person for the present, as they could not be certain that .this would be the case. She then asked him what answer she should give to any person who might inquire about it; he replied, " say nothing for the present, but when the, child is finally left zciih her Royal Highness, tell t/ie truth, and say that she has taken the child under her protection." Mr. STIKEMAN then left them, and returned, charging her to inform him how the child took its weaning, or if she could not do this he promised to call on them ; ordered her to come when she wanted more arrow-root, and wished them & good 125 ^ Mrs. Austin went again to Montague Hou^e on the Thursday following, and saw Mr. Stikeman. He said he expected her before, as they were anxious to know how the child took its weaning. Mr. STIKEMAN called at Dept- ford, twice afterwards, in the course of that week, and observed, that the child appeared to be doing very well, and looked quite as healthy as when she suckled it. Mrs. Austin called at Montague House again on the Sunday morning, and inquired for Mr. Stikeman, who was not then stirring ; but she waited at the door till he came. He gave her more arrow-root, and desired her to wait, and he would inquire of the ladies on whet day Her Royal Highness would want the child. He soon returned, and said, that she must bring it on the next day, (Monday the loth of November) by eleven o'clock in the forenoon ; and observed, that he had asked for a day or two more for her, but Her Royal Highness said, " No : she could not wait any longer, and must have him by that time." On Monday, about 11 o'clock, Mrs. Austin left home, calling on a Mrs. Jones in Butt Lane, an acquaintance, that she might take leave of the child before she filially parted from it. In her way to Montague House, she met Mr. STIKEMAN, near the sign of the Green Man, talking to a gentleman. When be saw her he crossed over the way to her, and said she was rather behind her time; that the ladies had been looking "out for her to see which way she would come ; and that the house- maid had been twice to the gate looking for her. He said he was going to Greenwich to purchase a night lamp for the child. Observing her cry, he inquired the cause of her grief; she told him they were the mingled tears of joy and grief at parting from her child. He said, " Make haste up, and make free and ash for any thing you rcant, and the ladies will not think the zcorse of yon by seeing you in trouble at parting from your child T He told her when she arrived at Montague House to ask for Miss SANDER, which she immediately did. MARY WILSON shewed her into MissSANDEK's room, which is on the same floor with and next to her Royal Highness's sleeping-room. Miss SANDER was not in the room at the time, but MARY WILSON went to inform her of Mrs. Austin's arrival. Miss SAN- DER came from her Royal Highness's room, and seeing her much distressed at parting from the infant, she said, " It is still your option zchether to have it or not with her Royal Highness." Mrs. Austin replied, "she would certain- ly let her Royal Highness have it, as she knew it would be taken care oj." Miss SANDER then took the child, saying, " Take a kiss of your mother, my dear, at part- ing," and conveyed it to HER ROYAL HIGHNESS. Mrs. Austin waited for a considerable time before Miss SANDER returned, who (as she was told) was dressing the child ; new clothes having been provided for it by her Royal Highness's orders. Miss SANBER then brought the clothes which the child wore, when it was brought, even to the very pins. She now signified to Miss SANDER a desire to see the child once more be- fore she finally left it, but ihis favour was denied her. Mrs. Austin was now desired to go into the Coffee- room, and get some refreshment, where she waited Mr. Stikeman'd return from Greenwich. During her stay in the Coffee-room, Mrs. Lloyd said to her with apparent displeasure, " I don't suppose the child will be kept in the house; 1 don't know what we shall do with it here; we have enough to do to wait on her Royal Highness." It appeared evident that much confusion prevailed among the servants on this occasion. Mrs. Austin then asked her where she thought the child would be placed. Mrs. Lloyd said, she supposed " it would be put across the Heath, where her Royal Highness HAD SOMB OTHER CHILDREN 127 AT NUESE, under ihe cure nf the Steward's wife." This unlooked-for And unwelcome information added consi- derably to her distress, as she understood that the child was to be brought up IN THE HOUSE, under the imme- diate inspection of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS. Just at this moment, HER ROYAL HIGUNESS'S bell rang, and the footman caaie in for soire arrow-root, which Mrs. Lloyd mixed, and he took it with him. By this time Mr. STIKEMAN had returned from Greenwich, and Mrs. Austin immediately told him what Mrs. Lloyd had said respecting the child's being put out of the house. He desired her to pay no atten- tion to any thing that was said by any of the servants, as they knew nothing about the business ; and requested her when she came again, to go into the steward's room. She also now stated to him how they were situated; that her husband was ill with the rheumatism ; that they had nothing to subsist upon ; and that she thought of going into service. This, however, Mr. STIKE- MAN appeared not to approve, saying that she would by that means be giving up her home, and that he thought she had better wait, and see what might turn up ; she then took her leave of them, and departed. The next day Mr. STIKEMAN came to Deptford, to inform Mrs. Austin that the child was very well; that her Royal Highness had done every thing for it her- self; and that she appeared to be very fond of it. She asked him when it would be agreeable for her to see her child ; and he said if she would come on Wednes- day evening, he would then endeavour to procure an in- terview for her. She accordingly went at the time ap- pointed, but was informed by Mr. STIKEMAN, that her Royal Highness was engaged with the child, that she did not like to be disturbed, and that she must come some other time. 118 Mrs. Austin then said, that several persons at Deptford had been telling her that she would never see the child again ; that they blamed her very much for parting from it, saying that they would not let the KING have a child of theirs, and many other observations of the like nature, which contributed to render her very uneasy. Mr. Stike- man then observed, " If you will come with me, I will satisfy you, by shewing you the child with her Royal High- ness. He then took her to the door of the Princess's room and desired her to look through the keyhole ; and having obeyed Mr. Stikeman's directions, she distinctly observed her ROYAL HIGHNESS passing to and fro, nursing the child and chatting to it. Mrs. Austin was now better satis- fied. Mr. S;ikeman desired her to come again on Sa- turday evening, when he promised that she should see the child. Mrs. Austin accordingly went to Montague House on the day appointed, and saw MARY WILSON, who told her that the child was asleep, and that HER ROYAI. HIGHNESS was faking a walk. Upon her ROYAL HIGH- NESS'S return, Mrs. Austin was ordered up into the BLUE- ROOM, where thePrincess was, with the child laying in her lap; and she ran and kissed the child as he lay. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS said it had been a very good child; but that it had a little cough, and sucked its thumb ; but that she had consulted a physician, and he was of opinion that its suck- ing its thumb would not hurt him. Mrs. Austin observed some phials there, and on the label was written, " Fo R THE INFANT AT MONTAGUE BoWER." Her RoYAL HIGHNESS desired her to come again on Sunday morning and she should nurse the child. This she did, and waited a considerable time, the child not being dressed. She was, at length, introduced into Miss Sander's room, where the Princess was, who he: self gave her the child. Here Mrs. Austin remained, nursing the child ; her Royal Highness 129 being present, during the whole of the time, with Miss Sander. No particukr conversation took place at this meeting. Mrs. Austin having told the Princess that her little boy Samuel was ill at home, her Royal Highness inquired the nature of the child's complaint; and she replied that she did not know : her Royal Highness said she would send a doctor to see it, and Mr. EDMEADES, her Royal Highness's apothecary called at Deptford, in Mrs. Austin's absence, for this purpose. A person who lived in the next room told Mr. EDMEADES that she was ap- prehensive that the child had the measles. This infor- mation Mr. EDMEADES communicated to HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, at which she appeared displeased, sup- posing that Mrs. Austin knew the cause of the child's illness, though she forbore to mention it. But HER ROYAL HKSHNESS, desired Mr. Edmeades not to be- have harshly to Mrs. Austin, as it was possible that she might not have been aware of the nature of her son's illness at that time. Mr. Edmeades however, having called ?.t Deptford, to see Mrs. Austin and the child, he began to chide her for not informing her Royal Highness with the fact. She told him that it was impossible for her to do so, as she was not acquainted with the nature of the child's disorder. Upon farther examination, indeed, it appeared that the measles was not the disorder with which the child was afflicted, Mr. Edmeades then desired her not to say any thing to the Princess on the subject of his speaking harshly to her, as he was in the habit of attending her. He also observed that if the child had been ill with the measles, it might have produced very serious consequences, as her Royal Highness had not, * that time, had the disorder herself. *. Mr. STIKEMAN called on Mrs. Austin a day or two afterwards, and desired her not to come to MONTAOUB HOUSE, till Mr. Edmeades should be of opinion that there was no danger to be apprehended. Mrs. Austin intimated to Mr. Stikeman, at this time, her intention of going into service as a nurse. He said he had asked permission of her Royal Highness, that she might be engaged as a nurse for the child; but she answered, " No !" Mr. Stikeman seeing an advertise- ment in one of the papers, of a situation which he thought would suit Mrs, Austin, he called and left some money to enable her to take the coach to London, and make the requisite inquiries. The reference was to a Mrs. Garrard, in Panton-street. To this place she went on the 28th of January, 1803, on the recommendation of Mr. Stikeman, and continued with Mrs. Garrard till the June following ; her child she entrusted to the care of a friend, her ROYAL HIGHNESS contributing to- wards its support. Mrs. Austin's husband being still out of employ, Mr. Stikeman engaged him at his own house, at Pimlico, for the purpose of turning a mangle, cleaning shoes, and going on errands. There he con- tinued nearly five years. When Mrs. Austin left Mrs. Garrard's she became a servant of all work, in the family of a Mr. Edwards, a Wine-merchant, in Crutched Friars ; in which place she continued till the Christmas following. Mrs. Austin now entered into the service of a Mr. Millard of St. Dun' stan's-hi/l, and remained with him till the following March twelvemonth. On her quitting this last situation she returned to her husband, who lived at this time in Eaton-lane, Pimlico, in the vicinity of Mr. Stikeman's residence. On Friday the 19th of April 1805, Mrs. Austin was admitted, a third time, into ihe Brownlow-street Hospi- 131 tal, on the recommendation of Mr. Hoare, the banker, her friend on a former occasion. She was, on the 20th of the same month, delivered of another son, who was named Job. She left the Hospital three weeks after- wards ; returned to Pimlico, and took in a child to wet nurse. Mrs. Austin continued at Pimlico about three years. About this period, the " Delicate Investigation" took place, and Mrs. Austin was brought forward for exami- nation. Her deposition will be found in APPENDIX (A), p. 124. During the time Mrs. Austin lived at Pimlico, she oc- casionally visited Blackheath, and was always permitted to see her child, for whom a regular nurse had been pro- vided, about nine or ten days after it had been left with her Royal Highness. A Mrs. GOSDEN was engaged for the purpose, and continued, in this capacity, for about two years. As the subject of this memoir (William Austin) grew up, he was constantly taken about with the Princess i and was treated, in every respect, as a child of her own. Her Royal Highness, indeed, appeared to be very much at- tached to the boy. William was, at an early age, placed at a day-school, on Blackheath ; and when about nine years old, he was sent to a boarding-school at Greenwich kept by Dr. BURNEY. William, however, has been lately taken from this seminary, and placed at another school at Blackheath, where he still remains. For the last five or six years, Mrs. AUSTIN has seen HER ROYAL HIGHNESS but seldom, though she goes regularly, once a quarter, to visit her son, and to re- ceive a quarterly allowance for the education of a younger child, which is paid to her by Miss SANDER; and, she has reason to believe, on her own account.. In August 1808, AUSTIN was appointed a pet- manent locker in the LONDON DOCKS, a situation which her Royal Highness obtained for him, through the in- terest of the late Mr. PERCEVAL. This post he still retains, at a salary of about six guineas per month, when able to attend; but in case of illness, his pay is reduced. And this frequently occurs, as he is much afflicted witty the rheumatism. Such are the " short and simple annals" of these poot but industrious people, SAMUEL and SOPHIA AUSTIN ; such is the plain and unvarnished history of WILLIAM AUSTIN, their fortunate son; and such is the State- ment of Facts relative to the conduct of her ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES, and of her agents, throughout the whole of this singular, and al- most unparalleled transaction. The evidence respecting WILLIAM AUSTIN, the child now under the protection of her Royal Highness, seems to be of the most conclusive nature. Scarcely a doubt c,an, indeed, exist on this subject. The testimo- ny of Mrs. AUSTIN (connected with the various concur- ring circumstances detailed in this statement) is, the writer conceives, entirely unimpeachable, and of such a nature, as for ever to set at rest the fears of Englishmen respecting the future SUCCESSION to these kingdoms ; so far, at }ea$t, as it concerns the subject of the present narrative. As the name of WILLIAM AUSTIN will, most pro- Imbly, be transmitted to posterity, in connection with that of her ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALKS, the writer feels some degree of satisfaction in having collected (with no small labour) materials for a document, which may, perhaps, at some future time x 133 occupy no unimportant place in the annals of English History. In the present state of the public mind, it would be improper to offer any farther comment up,n this affair; the writer, therefore, will leave it to every person to form hij own opinion : assuring the public that he has fully enabled them to do so, by giving a succinct but, faithful statement of FACTS ONLY, unaccompanied by arguments or any remarks which should at all tend to bias their opinion on this subject. Finally, the writer delivers this statement to the public under the strongest conviction of its veracity and in the fullest persuasion of its importance to the nation at large to her ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES to Mrs. AUSTIN, the mother of the child now under the protection of her Royal Highness and to WILLIAM AUSTIN, the subject of this short and, as the writer conceives, interesting memoir. FINIS. Pi luted bv It. Edwards, Orne-ourt. Fleet-street, London. A VINDICATION f OF THE CONDUCT OF LADY DOUGLAS, \ DURING HER INTERCOURSE WITH HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES: TOGETHER WITH REMARKS ON l)t UflOlij AND OX THE CONSEQUENCES OF ITS PUBLICATION. ALSO, A NARRATIVE OF AND COMMENTARIES UPON SOME EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTIONS; INCLUDING ANECDOTES OF NUMEROUS HIGH AND DISTINGyiSHED PERSONAGES. Innocence finds not near so much protection as guilt. LA RoCHEFOLCAtLl. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY EFFINGHAM WILSON, 88, ROYAL EX- CHANGE, CORNHILL, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. 1814. (Price 5s. 6d.) 3ntmfc at jfctationm ?i?aU. Maurice, Printer, Howford-buildings, Fenchurch-street. VINDICATION OF THE CONDUCT OF LADY DOUGLAS, &o. THE unhappy and lamentable differences between a certain illustrious couple, having so long been made a topic of universal discussion, it may, at first view, appear extraordinary that any more remarks should be published upon the subject. A little reflection, however, may lead to the belief, that illustrations of the to- B pic are by no means exhausted ; and that to- wards SOME of the parties concerned justice has hitherto been but partially administered. Time, however, as it seldom fails to elucidate the most mysterious transactions, may yet af- ford means to decide whether the late over- strained sensibilities of the British people were not of that generous though thoughtless nature which might have been qualified by the exer- cise of discretion.* If the sentiments delivered a few months ago at the numerous meetings, called for the purpose of addressing the Princess of Wales, should be mistaken by the rest of Europe for the general opinion of Englishmen, what infer- ences must be drawn by the rest of Europe, as to the wickedness of British Statesmen, and in what a deplorable light would appear the * This tract was written last summer. It was, however, thought proper to withhold its publication till the present period; as at this time its contents are likely to be re- garded with more dispassionate attention than they would then have received. conduct of the- Person age who is placed at the head of this empire ! In case the different na- tions should have formed a prejudiced judg- ment on the late transactions, how necessary it is that they should be undeceived ! For, unfor- tunately, the desperate leaders of the lowest political faction in this country never had so specious an opportunity for the degradation of the throne ; nor was there ever a period when their operations so fairly promised that result which has been the incessant object of their wishes. That the Princess of Wales should have had the cruel misfortune to fall into the snares of persons whose motives, one might think, could never have been for a moment mistaken by her, is a circumstance that must always be lamented. It is an event truly distressing to that respected portion of British subjects who are anxious to transmit the blessings of the Constitution unimpaired to their posterity. It is an axiom not to be disputed, that anarchy can never take place in a state till insolence B2 4 towards the reigning powers has settled into permanent disrespect; and what could be more likely to excite a general and indignant feeling of this nature against the PRINCE RE- GENT, than such infamous assertions as were uttered at the public assemblies? Such libels (for to this appellation are most of the address- es entitled) must be supposed to receive the sanction of ali who stand recorded as their framers and patrons ; but the stigma must not be suffered to disgrace those who would preserve their reputation for loyalty and dis- cernment. The addressers have been profuse in their de- clamations about a conspiracy ; but themselves have turned out to be the only true conspira- tors! Their manoeuvres of the last winter too fatally succeeded in fanning the dormant sparks of chagrin into a blaze of vindictive- ness : but reason, driven for the moment from her seat, defeated their designs by the resump- tion of her empire. If that illustrious personage, the Princess of Wales, instead of allowing her conscience and confidence to be moulded to the purposes of those pretended but treacherous friends who have dragged her forth into an unpropitious notoriety, had displayed a degree of prudence and firmness consistent with her dignified si- tuation, she would have insisted on being left in tranquil retirement. It is astonishing that she had no discreet adviser, who might have pointed out the gross impropriety of letting such a document as her Letter relative to the Princess Charlotte be thrown before the pub- lic : for, had any reflection been exercised, it might have been foreseen that this proceeding was. likely to produce very serious consequen- ces, without the remotest probability of benefit to the complainant; while, if it had not taken place, the world would not have been supplied with a topic for scandalising small-talk and blush-exciting sarcasm, through the publication of a most obnoxious mass of indelicate de- tails ! As the matter now presents itself, a certain turn appears to have taken place in the public mind. Now that the printed proceeding's of 1800 are on every person's table, unprejudiced and reflecting men are at a loss to discover the grounds on which the illustrious female can be congratulated on her escape from destruction ! What they had thought before they possessed the means of forming a correct opinion, ap- ' pears, therefore, an "error of judgment:" they cannot now discover any shadow of such a wicked design; they se'e^no frustration of a conspiracy against the Princess of Wales, be- cause they are not supplied with reasons for believing that such baseness ever existed in any mind : but they do exult in the exposure of a plot to degrade royalty altogether; and they commiserate the lady who could descend to act the heroine in such a despicable drama of political mountebanks. These never had any partiality for the Princess of Wales, nor any feeling for the peculiarity of her situation: they would never, at another time, have moved a finger to vindicate her honour or preserve her life! But the opportunity of reviling the Re- gent, and aiming a deadly blow at his reputa- tion, through the pretended injuries inflicted upon his wife, was too inspiring to be neglect- ed. They entered, however, upon their schemes with too much audacity to procure success. They had all the malignity and arro- gance of the Titans, without any of their cou- rage or skill. They attacked the throne on its invulnerable side, and their forlorn hope has become a monument of their impudence and folly ! If, as a most able writer has asserted, private vices are public benefits, we have, in the late transactions, a proof, that public ivicJcedness is likewise attended with general advantage. Had a sort of national credibility been given to the charges and insinuations thrown out against the head of the empire and certain mem* bers of his august family, by the democratical orators, who is there that does not perceive the disesteem into which they would have irrevocably fallen ! Perhaps the evident differ- 8 ence of opinion which now prevails, may be at- tributed more to the universal perusal of THE BOOK than to any contingent circumstance ; while any attempt, at the beginning of the present year, to stem the torrent of gene- rous sympathy, rather than letting it be self- exhausted, would have been regarded as the re- sult of apprehension. Many a dispassionate person, after sedately perusing that extraordi- nary publication, has laid it down with a sig- nificant shake of the head, and a confirmed opinion, that no man ought to become a par- tisan till he has heard all that can be said on both sides of a question ! From these preliminary observations, it may be imagined that the writer is about to pursue the very extreme Avhich has been condemned, and to become a champion of that personage against whom the late popular disrespect and clamour have been so conspicuously directed. Nothing however is farther from the author's intention. A calm observer can perceive the errors which all the parties have run into; 9 / but it requires only a moderate portion of understanding to discover on which side they are ordinary, and least offensive to the moral * *-/ organization of society. Peace and praise be to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, to the full extent that she merits tranquillity and popularity. She has long been placed in a predicament which has excited universal sympathy, and she has enjoyed all the consolation that can be derived from popular testimonies of condolence! But, if she possess a stomach capable of digest- ing the immeasurable and fulsome adula- tion which has lately been poured upon her from every quarter, the truth of Lord CHES- TERFIELD'S assertion, that a woman " will greedily swallow the highest and gratefully ac- cept of the lowest; while she may be safely flattered, from her understanding down to the exquisite taste of her fan," will appear as in- contestible as the passages of scripture. We have, however, said, and it shall be here repeated, that those eulogies were only the media, or vehicles, to direct as many insults against the Prince: but the public do not en- tertain so poor an opinion of that great Per- sonage, as to believe that such outrages for a moment annoyed him. And still more disre- spectful would be their ideas of the under- standing of the Princess of Wales, if they could suppose that she derived the smallest gratification from hearing the inflammatory in- sinuations of these king-haters against the lead- ing members of her family. The supposition is, indeed, forbidden by decency and morality : but it would have redounded to the honour of the Princess of Wales, and have afforded a trait of her magnanimity, for the admiration of poste- rity, if, in her answers to the seditious address- ers, she had expressed her indignation at their conduct, in approaching her with protestations of sympathy, only the more directly to vent their calumnies against the father of BRITAIN'S HEIRESS ! Without disparagement to the men- tal intelligence of the Princess of Wales, we may lament the imbecility of those confidential 11 associates who must have counselled the line that was adopted. Even a side- wind hint of disapprobation at the language of the address- ers and Jacobin-orators would have afforded a salutary check to subsequent and similar impertinence; and how delicately appropri- ate would have been an intimation, that fa- mily misunderstandings were never yet re- conciled by the abrupt and officious obtrusi- ons of a mob; who, by volunteering their cen- sures against either disputant, have ultimately acquired the contempt of both. Supposing, as we are bound to do, that there is only a moderate portion of truth in what has been said and sung about her Royal Highness' s intellectual accomplishments, we are convinced that many instances must have presented them- selves to her mind, as recorded in history both sacred and profane, where wives, however great may have been the injuries and persecutions which they have sustained, have nobly sacri- ficed all private feelings of animosity, to repel assaults on the reputation of their husbands ; 12 while it cannot be denied that such examples are at all times laudable and worthy of imi- tation. An extraordinary and unfortunate es- trangement from connubial affection must not be urged to justify a different line of conduct. We could say much more on the topic of the late addresses, if farther disquisition had any relation to the principal subject of this pre- face ; but it is unnecessary. The rage has had its day ; the attempt to insult the Regent on his throne has been defeated by the good sense of the public, and thinking people have frequently observed, that " all has been done which is neces- sary for the protection of innocence and the ends of justice " This fine and liberal language, however, is not strictly correct; for we would ask such persons, what sort of justice has been done, or what human compensation can be made, to those individuals whose reputation has been invaded, whose conduct has been pre- judged, whose fortunes have been ruined, and whose peace of mind has been destroyed, by the furious and unreasonable spirit which has 13 possessed the whole nation? These persons are indisputably SIR JOHN and LADY DOUG- LAS ! Never has this country witnessed such a league on the part of its population, to run doivn a family, not only without positive proof of their culpability, but in defiance of every principle of justice, reason, and humanity! It has been very truly observed, that when the passions of a people have been roused against any particular object, their brutality displays itself in the exact inverse proportion of their civilization. This was exemplified in the case of the DUKE OF YORK, and also, in the conduct of the London populace, on their return from Kensington-palace; but it has been much farther illustrate^ by the cruel treatment of SIR JOHN and LADY DOUGLAS. For the last seven years, these individuals have been subjected to every kind of abuse and in- dignity which human prejudice could imagine: they have been held up to public odium and execration by such artifices as the British peo- ple at any former period would have dis- 14 darned to practise; and if their persons have hitherto escaped from gross assault, this ap- pears to be rather owing to their own fortitude and consistency ', than to any considerations of decency on the part of the public. And yet, let it not be supposed, that these individuals are immaculate. They have been guilty of some signal and censurable indiscretions, which shall be fully pointed out in the course of this publication; but they shall not be hunted out of society, like rabid animals, without a bar being thrown, by one hand at least, in the way of their infuriate pursuers ! It is a fact equally surprising as lamentable, that persons of all descriptions, sects, and principles, have united to censure this couple, and expose them to universal obloquy; the only contest appearing to be, which party should be most profuse in the epithets of defa- mation and abhorrence. The accusations of the public writers against Lady Douglas, were, that " she insinuated herself into the good graces of the Princess ; that she was dis- 15 charged from the presence of the latter for improper behaviour, which so enraged her, that, in conjunction with her husband, she plotted the DESTRUCTION of the Princess; an object which she might suppose would be agreeable to a high personage ! With this view, she con- trived, by insinuations and inuendoes, to cast that degree of suspicion upon the- character of the Princess which produced the miscalled delicate investigation,"* &c. This piece of critical condemnation is a fair specimen of the late general tenor of editorial sensibility throughout the country. Other writers, equally candid and liberal, called the Douglases " infamous individuals, leagued against the life of a Princess, and sup- porting their charges by evident perjury ."f And, not to multiply instances, we may say at once, that the English language was ransacked for similar terms, to give a zest to the political rejections of almost every newspaper in the * Nottingham Review, March, 1813. t WestmoVeland Advertiser, April 3, 1813. ^ 1(5 kingdom ; while the street-orators, those wor- thy advocates of justice and tranquillity, de- scribed the Deposition of Lady Douglas as " the ravings of a disordered imagination, transferring its own impure suggestions to the bosom of innocence! !! * Thus the public were instructed to reconcile absurdities, by considering Lady Douglas in the compound character of mad-woman, knave, and fool/ And it was really amusing to hear the arguments advanced in private companies, to prove her right to all these creditable quali- fications ! Against such a torrent of senseless calumny and prejudice, what human being could stand ? Sir John and Lady Douglas had been found guilty, according to the system at Algiers, with- out being heard in their defence. They were universally asserted to have condemned them- selves, though no one could tell when or how this had happened. It was sufficient that the people * Alderman Wood's Speech at the Westminster Meet- ing, as reported in the Morning Chronicle. 17 of England had taken it into their heaos that they were malicious, plodding, crafty, mad, foolish, envious, immoral, ungrateful, base, wick- ed, slanderous, false, perjured, infamous, and consequently detestable!!! Such a string of damnatory epithets w6uld have been powerful enough to suffocate a couple of Saints, if such could be found in our profane and diabolical aera ! But the time of retribution may arrive, and perhaps sooner than many persons appre- hend. As to the modest and liberal remarks of ma- ny public writers, they are deserving of as much consideration as is due to the vehicles in which they have appeared. The editors are sensible people : their property is of consider- able value ; but it would be so no longer than their owners would continue to coincide with the popular opinion upon such a topic as this. What degree of truth there is in the charges they have disseminated whether Lady Doug- las " insinuated herself into the Princess's fa- vour," " was dismissed for improper behaviour" c 18 &c. &c. may be Relieved or disbelieved, after the annexed NARRATIVE has been attentively perused. We shall merely observe, en-passant, that, though such abundance of words and pa- per has been sent forth in defence of the Princess of Wales, no writer has yet ventured to rebut a single assertion of Lady Douglas, which appear- ed in her Deposition on Oath. But the fact is, that it is more convenient to believe than to reflect upfyii any subject whatever; and Scandal herself would at any time be famished, if the food on which she subsists were to be purified by the rays of reason. We are convinced, that if an un- prejudiced jury could be formed, the Douglases might obtain verdicts for defamation against every newspaper-editor in the kingdom who has thus dared to assassinate their reputation! It is very remarkable, and the fact ought to make a general impression, that all the scrib- blers and orators of the democratic stamp, were the most vulgar and virulent enemies of the Princess of Wales, from the time of her first immersion into obscurity, till, in 1813, they had 19 REASONS for turning their attacks on a higher object of hostility /* On assuming a new cha- racter, it was necessary for these high priests of sedition to devote some victim or other to their sacriiicial orgies. It was not enough* that they who had for years been employed in disseminating all manner of indecent inuen- does, sneers, and sarcasms, against the Prin- cess of Wales should suddenly become the loud- est declaimers about her innocence and her suf- ferings. This, we say, was not enough ! Over- whelmed with sympathy, as the tender souls affected to be, they could not start up as the champions of the Princess of Wales, without falling, like a gang of cannibals, upon Lady * In that loyal and truly respectable paper, the Morn- ing Post, of September 11, 1806, and other periods of that year, some liberal writing appeared in defence of a branch . of the Royal Family, against the unmanly assaults of certain seditious characters ; and in the same article, their slander- ous attacks upon a defenceless female (the Princess of Wales) are pointedly execrated. c 2 20 Douglas, and tearing her reputation piece- meal ! And what, after all, is the sum and substance of Lady Douglas's offending? It would, we are bold enough to insist, in defiance of all the base crew of sycophants, be extremely difficult to make out a case less criminal, or even, on the whole, less censurable, than that of this female. Those who choose to believe that the statement which she has given in the following pages is not totally false, or completely manufactured, will also believe, that the treatment she experienced at Monta- gue-house wns most unhandsome, capricious, and insulting. They may puzzle themselves in vain to discover what improper conduct La- dy Douglas was guiljy of, except that of ever again setting her foot in Montague-house, after the conversation she says she was insulted by hearing on two or three occasions ! She was evi- dently treated with disrespect, by one certainly of a much higher rank than herself, but who ap- pears to iiave courted her acquaintance; and 21 * disrespect, without any plausible reason for it, towards a person of character and educa- tion, ought never to be overlooked, but ought, on the contrary, under peculiar circumstances, always to be followed by indignation!* For, after all that can be said by parasites, how insignificant is the glare of inflated rank, when opposed to the enviable brilliancy of natural or acquired talents. But we must abstain from digression. The poet justly says, " Hell has no fury like a woman scorn'd. " Such conduct as that of Lady Douglas might therefore naturally be expected from any one; for the causes which are asserted to have led to it would have stimulated the most generous disposition to resentment. In short, the only circumstance which her public ene- mies advance, as derogatory to her character, appears, in the opinion of the unprejudiced, a point materially in her favour. " She did not (say her revilers) make any stir in the busi- * Verbum satis sapient i bus ! HOR. 32 ness for FOUR YEARS after the occurrences took place." This, then, instead of demanding censure, ought to be viewed as a remarkable proof of her forbearance. She had buried in oblivion her resentment at the treatment she experienced : she wrote no Book on the sub- ject, nor did she transmit any comments on it, in her correspondence with her friends, other- wise the investigation could not have been delayed for a single quarter of a year ! ! But, however prudent might be her own conduct, she could not lay an injunction on the tongues of others! It was, of course, at Montague- house that the buzzing first commenced, and not at the peaceful retreat of Lady Douglas. At the former mansion, the subject was cer- tainly a constant topic of conversation, (we make no allusion to the child, we speak only of the "flirting"} and the ribaldry of Robert Bidgood, Fanny Lloyd, t/te delicate-nerved, fainting virgin, Mary Wilson, and the domestics in general, was the real cause of the proceedings that were deemed necessary ; not the " insinu- 23 ations" of Lady Douglas, who really appears to have insinuated nothing whatever, till she was COMMANDED to speak out. As to Bid- good, it will be seen* that he deposed to cir- cumstances, (only on hearsay evidence, to be sure) which were calculated to satisfy the most curious ; and which would undoubtedly have caused this person or his informants to be visited by prosecution and exemplary punishment, if some very cogent reasons (such, perhaps, as the difficulty of proving the slan- der against those who first set it afloat) had not operated to prevent a pursuance of the matter to extremities! When, however, the reported transactions at Montague-house had become a theme of fashionable notoriety, and an inquiry" in to their truth or falsehood was indispensable, Lady Douglas was applied to^ because the servants had frequently spoken of her intimacy there, and of the rupture of the feeble partiality rais- * In Edwards's edition of The Book, p. 104. 24 called friendship. It was not supposed, that she would fabricate base reports ; but she might either corroborate or overturn the insinu- ations of others, by deposing to circumstances of which she had been an eye-witness. Placed, then, in a situation which compelled her to disclose the nature and all the circum- stances of her intercourse witK the Princess of Wales, she evidently seeuas to have entered, with distressing repugnance to her feelings, into such details as have been arranged in the ! following narrative. But the subject was far too important to allow of its illustrations rest- ing upon mere assertions. The sacred formal- ity of an oath was therefore wanting, to give effect to her communications. Thus, when an examination was deemed necessary, before the members of the privy council, she was brought forward, to confirm the matters which she had previously transmitted in writing; and those who will take the trouble of comparing her DEPOSITION UPON OATH, as it appears in all the numerous editions of the Book, with 25 the NARRATIVE which follows these re- marks, will find that there is not the least in- consistency or contradiction between the one and the other; but, in the account here pre- sented to the public, whatever could be remem- bered as bearing upon the subject, has been introduced. And we would here ask the reader, whether, in the whole course of the persecution, any disposition has been manifested, on the part of Lady Douglas or her husband, to recant or extenuate any part of those statements which she has thought proper to make at her dif- ferent examinations? There has not even been a rumour of such an inclination. Thev soli- V cited, on the contrary, to be allowed, to prove the truth of certain matters which they had as- serted, as far at least as these could be proved by the indirect evidence they might offer ; but they sought in vain for permission to re-estab.- lish that reputation o/ which a senseless cla- mour had deprived them ; for this attempt, they received only a new portion of contume- 26 ly; and they retired in disgust from a contest, in which their earnest protestations were repro- bated with a scurrility worthy of St. Giles's ! Is this justice is this reason is this human- ity nay, is it decency? What right has any person, on such common place and ex-parte grounds as are alone before him, to impeach Lady Douglas's veracity, or to question the integrity of her motives ? But the fact is, that her character has been immolated to satiate party prejudice, and the high rank of the Per- sonage whose conduct she scrutinized has O . , formed the altar of sacrifice! But Lady Douglas may still have hopes of receiving justice from the British people : they possess the same manly feelings as ever, and their natural abhorrence of oppression will, at no remote time, cause them to believe, that this female has been injured by their prema- ture opinion. Their returning sense of justice will begin by the reflection, that her assevera- tions have been sanctioned by that most so- lemn of moral obligations which gives to the 27 transactions of mankind the seal and stamp of veracity ! And unless this sacred form of re- ligion were to be credited in a far higher de- gree than mere assertions, there must be an end of all trust and confidence in the world. Let her enemies therefore remember, that when she was forced to give her deposition, she made a solemn appeal to GOD to witness the truth of all which it contained ; hence, if mankind refuse to believe, the Almighty is a judge of her sincerity; and the least that can be said of those who presume to arraign the truth of her testimony, is, that they are guilty of a gross act of wickedness and immorality. But we have no objection to waive this pow- erful auxiliary, this sheet-anchor on which the reputation of the Douglas family may be sup- posed to rely. The public have already had time to try the merits of the topic by the balance of common-sense, * There are certain acts in this life which re- quire no illustration, because they carry their own evidence along with them. Nobody, for 28 example, can deny, that there were certain extravagancies committed at Montague-house, which would have called forth the suspicions and ridicule of the most purblind dolts that ever filled domestic situations. The servants, however, at that petty palace, were by no means of this description. It was made a complaint by the Princess herself, that Mr. Bidgood had had too good an education for his place; and even in the remarks of Fanny Lloyd, and most of the other females, we dis- cover a habit of 'Observation which bespeaks intelligent minds, who, at only a false alarm of dishonour, feel the blush of shame and indig- nation mantle in their cheeks ! Such people, if not capable of logical disputation, can at least assimilate causes with effects, and draw inferences in the ordinary language which car- ries on the human intercourse. They can ar- gue, that grass cannot sprout up without seed being sown, or that a house cannot be built without bricks and a foundation ; and, from similar antecedentia and consequentia, they 29 agree, that, as Lady Douglas was once upon terms of extreme intimacy with the Princess of Wales, their misunderstanding could not have originated in nothing; and theij* friendship, as it is called, could not have terminated without something outrt having occurred on one side or the other. But as, in this blessed piece of bu- siness, they cannot rake up even a rumour of misconduct on the part of Lady Douglas, their ultimate inference is evident. Such is the reasoning of nature, which " needs not the aid of foreign ornament!" But it is not Sir John and Lady Douglas alone, who have been subjected to a severe moral injury through this precious affair. We do in our conscience believe, that the conduct of a certain set towards the illustrious" Regent was meant to be most disrespectful, disloyal, and infamous. For the last seven years, the Personage in question has, on this account, been assailed by all the repulsive contumely and insinuations of malice and impudence. To give an additional colour to their condemnation of his 30 domestic resolutions, all his juvenile errors and indiscretions were raked up from the ob- livion into which time and liberality had cast them, to be hurled at his devoted head, in fur- therance of the long-existing project for de- stroying the attachment between people and prince! And here we cannot but digress, to lament that the cry of reprobation was first issued by the staunch and veteran advocates of church and king. On this occasion, the persons in question laboured under the influ- ence of that " dreadful termagant," excessive zeal, -which certainly outran their discretion, and left them no time to reflect on the conse- quences of the line they were pursuing. Look- ing only at the moral influence of example, in the separation of the royal pair; forgetting that a similar example existed in a preceding reign of the house of Brunswick ; and being, even down to the present moment, in total ignorance of the real CAUSES which induced a separate establishment, they ran into ex- tremes ; they could see nothing but a blaze 31 of virtue, ability, innocence, and injury, on one side, and a mass of vice, apathy, and cruelty, on the other! Yet here, as Voltaire says, " they were in error;" for they would have come nearer to the fact, if they had be- lieved, with' that Sir John in the play, that " indeed there are faults on both sides!" The very idea of an unfortunate stranger being in England, married, persecuted, and aban- doned, is at any time, and we hope will ever be, sufficient to raise for her a phalanx of indig- nant and sympathetic defenders. So it hap- pened with the Princess of Wales. All those well-meaning persons who pique themselves on their excessive LOYALTY, took the part of this unfortunate Personage, because they pre- supposed her injured, in the evidence of her living apart from her husband ; while such a supposition was not only disloyalty itself, as believing the husband to possess a heart capable of inflicting injury on the wife, but, as it indicated a willingness on the part of other eminent characters to sanction illiberality, it be- came a libel on the honour and integrity of the whole of the Court and the Cabinet. We know many of these persons who have lately thought proper materially to alter their sentiments ! They have regretted their premature and par- tial interference, and their error must find excuse in the negative merit of good intentions! Their sensations, on discovering that their re- prehensions have afforded a machine for the enemies of legitimate monarchy to degrade and calumniate the Heir to the Throne, may be unpleasant; they will operate as an ex- ample, and under its influence we leave them, with sentiments of perfect charity; observ- ing by the way, that neither the Prince nor Lady Douglas owes any more to their liberal- ity than they owe to that of the prejudiced mob! It is, however, by no means the object of this essay to justify the conduct of one per- sonage, or to stigmatize the indiscretions of another; but it is our opinion, that, as the public cannot correctly know the causes of a 33 certain lamentable family dissention, an over- strained zeal, on either side, must be unser- viceable and officious; and heaven knows, if zeal and officiousness- be ever so elastic, they have been strained beyond all reason on a late occasion. In future, (although we sin- cerely hope that this matter is set at rest for ever) the public will do credit to their character for impartiality, not to be too pre- cipitate in their judgment ; for, priests may preach and philosophers may reason ; but, after all, they will find it a hard task to make black appear white, or to reconcile deep-rooted antipathies! As to the general conduct of one great character, it is certainly capable of much extenuation. All, however, that shall be said here on this delicate topic is, that if he may have been in the habit of wandering with So- lomon, he can at least plead in defence that he never had the advantage of a body-guard of such grave lecturers as David ! ! The obloquy thrown upon the noblemen and gentlemen who formed the late and pre- D 34 sent administration is only another link to the chain of Jacobinical prejudice and injustice. It is true, that the proceedings relative to the " In- quiry took place when the Cabinet was formed of certain characters known by the appella- tion of " the Princes friends;" yet nobody can doubt that some inquiry was absolutely necessary, and it must have taken place un- der any ministry. This, indeed, is proved by the contents of the cabinet minute, of April 21, 1807; and it is equally clear, now the nature of the evidence is known to all Europe,- that no commissioners could have produced a Report more delicately worded, 'or more decisive as to the innocence of the Princess respecting the principal charge; the sentiments contained in it were the sound- est declarations of justice, blended with the language of delicate reprehension. All, indeed, that we have been astonished at, is, that a clamour should be raised by one set of parti- sans, because the Report contained even a sin- gle passage that could be construed into cen- 35 sure! as if, because the main suspicion was completely falsified, all the subordinate inci- dents should have been passed over with silence, which might have been rnjsconstrued into a sanc- tion for their repetition ! A very pretty precedent this would have been, indeed; for, afterwards, who would have a right to complain, if the re- sidences of hi'h characters should have re- *^ sembled those of Messalina or Sardanapalus ? That the conduct, however, of the noble Com- missioners was perfectly independent, dignified, and free from every shade of party feeling, is evident, from the coincidence with their ob- servations, of that administration of which Mr. Perceval was the head ; which, in Ja- nuary, 1807, declared that they " agree in the opinions submitted to his Majesty in the ori- ginal report!" * So far, then, the Tory ministry declare, that had they been in power, they would have acted precisely the same as the Whigs. Does it not therefore appear inconsistent, nay, even cruel, for the first mentioned characters to say, in the D 2 36 same document, that " they do not warrant ad- vising that any farther steps should be taken in the business, except only such as his Majes- ty's law servants may, on reference to them, think n't to recommend, for the prosecution of Lady Douglas, on those parts of her Deposi- tion which may appear to them to be justly liable thereto?" Thus, it seems as if the ministry of 1807 were loth to let the subject pass away without the eclat of a sacrifice! The appearance of Lady Douglas, moving in a circle, for an hour in Palace-yard, would have been a spectacle novel and interesting to John Bull ; and it re- ally does appear to have been by a chance that she escaped some kind of persecution, for com- plying with the express commands of the Heir Apparent. However, we know that neither the late nor the present statesmen have thought proper to direct any prosecution against her ; and thus her character remains unvindicated ; in short, she has no redress. What a singu- lar and shameful situation for an individual to 37 be reduced to, in this boasted laii'l of liberty! But it is farther remarkable, that the noble Commissioners did not, in their Report, even hint at the propriety of a prosecution. It was left f6r the Princess's quondam friends, in coun- cil assembled, to talk upon the subject, and then to let it " vanish into air, thin air!" It will be recollected, that, by the reported proceedings in Parliament, on the 6th of March last, the public were given to under- stand, that no criminality was irnpti table to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales ; that no case was made out, and that, therefore, the House was of opinion, that miy farther inquiry, for which Mr. Jolmslone moved, was superflu- ous. This gentleman is also reported to have said, that, " if he were rightly informed, Sir John and Lady Douglas still persisted in the same story ; and he asked, if all they maintain- ed were so notoriously false, WHY WERE THEY NOT PROS&CUTED?" This is, indeed, a very plausible question. If a//, all, is so notoriously false, why not in- 38 diet them at least fora, libel; seeing that, ac- cording to the notions of some profound sage* of the law, it would be difficult to prove a CON- SPIRACY against them ! But it seems, from all that has appeared on the subject, that these persons are not t6 be intimidated \ by threats of a prosecution, into a recantation of what they have so solemnly sworn, and thus to put them- selves in a condition to be prosecuted, by standing self-convicted of perjury and detrac- tion. This, however, is what seemed to be de- sired by some shallow-headed parasites. But it appears far more likely, that, after so much perseverance, they will persist in the " same story " for the remainder of their lives. We have already alluded to the disgraceful V O misrepresentations of the conduct of the four noble Commissioners who drew up the Re- port. Although we acknowledge them to be as much above the effects of the calumny as its propagators are beneath contempt, we feel an honest pride in paying our humble tribute to their character. They are shielded by the 39 panoply of conscious rectitude ; and posterity will justify the firmness with which they ful- filled a most ob'noxious task, t!:e execution of which it was impossible for them to decline. Nor will any sophistry convince the reasonable portion of the world, that the "serious admoni- tion" recommended in the Report was not an imperative duty on their part. The publication of the Book has certainly been favorable rather than disadvantageous to the Douglases ; inasmuch as it puts a limit to the previous exaggerations of their conduct. In every other respect, its appearance is a cir- cumstance deeply to be deplored. Many a heavy sacrifice had been made to prevent the contents of the Book from ever meeting the public view ; and certainly the great Personage, who was so anxious to prevent them from ex- posure, was influenced by a feeling of repug- nance at the universal publicity of the evi- dence of Cole, Bidgood, and others ; at the idea of which (in the words of the Times on the llth of February last,) every sensitive mind must shrink! Deaf, however, to the suggestions of policy and reason, and wilfully blind to all the Consequences of an inevitable RE-ACTION of the public sentiment, the despe- rate advisers of the Princess of Wales, by the production of her memorable Letter, forced from the sacred pigeon-holes of office the pre- cious documents which they had so long con- cealed. And now, like unskilful PhUetons, they have excited a flame which cannot but be unpleasant in the very quarter that, but for their officious obtrusion, might have been for ever screened from its effects ! At all events, the Princess of Wales lias gained not/ting . whatever by these disclosures. She has, on the contrary, been compelled to submit to the indignity of receiving and hear- ing from the Pariahs" of Britain, such libels * Pariahs, as perhaps all our readers may know, are those outcasts of India, whose very touch is considered as pollu- tion, and who are consequently excommunicated, shunned, and dt spised, by all persons who have the least pretensions to character or respectability. The application will doubt- 41 against her illustrious family as they could not have dared to utter without the opportunity which she so unhappily afforded them ; while etiquette required that she should repeat to each gang, a different lesson of thanks and gratitude ! ! ! As to the conduct of those by whom that il- lustrious female is immediately surrounded those " Rash, inconsiderate, fiery, voluntaries, With ladies' faces, but fierce dragons' spleens," we forbear to dilate upon it; because, by their disreputable and absurd endeavours, they have made themselves sufficiently ridiculous, and marred the cause they attempted to support; besides, let it be remembered, that OUR ob- ject is NOT " to sting and venom!" If such unworthy views could ever enter our contem- plation, we possess the means of more completely lessly be deemed appropriate for those far more infamous and audacious reprobates at home, who are designated by sedate land sensible people as Jacobins or seditious demagogues ! effecting that purpose than themselves, or, perhaps, than any other persons who have yet interfered with the subject. But, no! the mind which dictates this effusion never yet lent its energies to a deed of dishonour, nor ever will. If it may assist in bringing Lady Doug- las over the whirlpool of popular indignation, enough will be attained. For the rest, it shall be added, that, however great may have been her indiscretions, she is an extremely injured person. Nothing that rank can offer or respectability accept, can compensate for the unjust and cruel obloquy to which she and her family have been subjected through the honest performance of an impe- rative duty towards the throne. It is from the public that they have met their injuries: from them, if they wait with fortitude and patience, they may one day have retribu- tion ! With a few words more we shall close these preliminary remarks. The people of Eng- land are egregiously disappointed as to the 43 contents of the 13ook. They persist in a be- lief that all the facts which could have been printed on this important and indelicate subject have not appeared in it. THEY ARE COR- RECT IN THEIR CONJECTURE! Yet what right had ,the public to expect gratifica- tion, at the expense of private peace and sensi- bility? But they have only to recollect by whom, and for what purpose, the said Book was prepared; and, however greatly they may be disappointed, they surely cannot be surprised! The long suspense in which they were kept, a suspense heightened by a thousand prepos- terous exaggerations, excited a curiosity which the Book has been very far from allaying: time, however, may effect wonders ! We shall now r proceed to the narrative of oc- currences, from the pen of Lady Douglas, which will at least render more complete, by forming a counterpart to, those numerous edi- tions of the Book with which the world has been inundated, but which only contain Lady Douglas's DEPOSITION UPON OATH, - 44 and not one syllable of the contents of the fol- lowing pages!* The notes which are added may be considered as so many rational obser- vations, by a different hand, which the reader can of course agree with, or dissent from, according to the bent of his predisposed opi- nions. For ourselves, we feel so deeply for the situ- ation of a certain illustrious female, that we la- ment the necessity we have been under of mak- ing 1 so many allusions to past and unpleasant transactions. But the case in question is like one in a court of law, where RANK with 'the whole ^orld at its back is plaintiff, and unpro- tected OBSCURITY is defendant. We have cho- sen to become voluntary counsel for the latter, and our attempt must find its excuse in the libe- rality of the motive. * It is not meant that the contents of the narrative ha\*e never before appeared in print. To those who have read one edition of the Book, it will not be new. A NARRATIVE or CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS WHICH TOOK PLACE AT MONTAGUE-HOUSE. <> BY LADY DOUGLAS. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales having judged proper to order me to detail to him, as heir ap- parent, the whole circumstance of my acquaintance with her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, from the day I first spoke with her to the present time, I felt it my duty as a subject to comply without hesitation with his royal highness's commands : and I did so, because I conceived, even putting aside the rights of an heir apparent, his royal highness was justified in informing himself as to the ac- tions of his wife, who, from all the information he had collected, seemed so likely to disturb the tranquility of the country ; and it appeared to me that, in so doing, his royal highness evinced his earnest regard for the real in- terest of the country, in endeavouring to prevent such a 46 person from, perhaps, one day, placing a spurious heir upon the English throne, and which his royal highness has indeed a right to fear, and communicate to the sovereign ; as the Princess of Wales told me, " If she were disco- vered in bringing her son into the world, she would give the Prince of Wales the credit of it, for that she had slept two nights in the year she was pregnant in Carl ton House." (A.) As an Englishwoman educated in the highest respect- ful attachment to the royal family : as the daughter of an English Officer, who has all his life received the most gracious marks of approbation and protection from his Majesty, and from his royal highness the Prince of Wales ; and as the wife of an Officer, whom our beloved King has honoured with a public mark of his approbation, and who is bound to the royal family by ties of respectful re- gard and attachment, which nothing can ever break, I feel it my duty to make known the Princess of Wales's sentiments and conduct, now, and whensoever I may be called upon. (B.) For the information, therefore, of his Majesty and of the heir apparent, I beg leave to state, that Sir John took a house upon Blackheath in the year 1801, because the air was better for him, after his Egyptian services, than London, and it was somewhat nearer Chatham, where * his % military duties occasionally called him. I had a 47 daughter born upon the l?th of February, and we took up our residence there in April, living very happily and quietly ; but in the month of November, when the ground was covered with snow, as I was sitting in my parlour* which commanded a view of the Heath, I saw to my sur- prise, the Princess of Wales, elegantly dressed in a lilac satin pelise, primrose coloured half boots, and a small lilac satin travelling cap, faced with sable, and a lady, pacing up and down before the house, and sometimes stopping, as if desirous of opening the gate in the iron railing to come in. At first 1 had no conception her royal highness reaily wished to come in, but must have mistaken the house tor another person's, for I had never been made known *o her, and 1 did not know that she knew where I lived. I stood at the window looking at her ; and. as she looked very much, from respect, court- sied (as I understood wa- j customary); to my astonish- ment she returned my courtsey by a familar nod, aud stopped. Old Lady Stuart, a West Indian lady, who lived in my immediate neighbourhood, and who Mas in the habit of coming to see me, was in the room, and said, " You should go out, her royal highness Vvants to come in out of the snow." Upon this I went out, and she came imme- diately to me and said, " I believe you are Lady Douglas, and you have a very beautiful child; I should like to see 48 it." I answered that I was Lady Douglas. Her royal highness then said, " I should like of all things to see your iittle child." I answered 'hut I was very sorry 1 could not have the honour of presenting my little girl to her, as I and my family were spending the cold weather in town, and I was only come to pass an hour or two upon the Heath. I held open the gate, and the Princess of Wales and her lady, Miss Heyman (I believe) walked in and sat down, and stayed above an hour, laughing very much at Lady Stuart, who, being a singular character, talked all kind of nonsense. After her royal highness had amused herself as long as she pleased, she inquired where Sir John Douglas and Sir Sydney Smith were, and went away, having shook hands with me, and expressed her pleasure at having found me out and made herself known : I con- cluded that Sir Sydney Smith had acquainted her royal highness that we resided upon the Heath, as he was just arrived in England, and, having been in long habits of friendship with Sir John, was often with us, and told us how kind he should think it if we could let him come to and fro without ceremony, and let him hate an airy room appropriated to himself, as he was always ill in town, and, frpm being asthmatic, suffered extremely when the wea- ther was foggy in town. Sir John gave him that hospita- ble reception he was in the habit of doing by all his friends, (for I understand they have been known to each 49 other more than twenty years), and he introduced him to me as a person, to \\hom he wished my friendly attentioa to be paid; as I had never seen sir Sydney S:nith in my life, until this period, when he became, as it were, a part jof the family. vVhen I returned to town, I told sir John Douglas the circumstance of the Princess having visited ine, and a few days after this, we received a note from Mrs. Lisle (who was in waiting) commanding us to dine at Montague-house. (D.) We went, and there were several persons at the dinner. I remember Lord and Lady Dart- mouth, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot, &c. &c. From this time the Princess made me frequent visits, al- ways attended by her Ladies, or Mrs. Sander (her maid). When Sander came, she was sent back or put in another room ; but when any of her Ladies w r ere with her, we always sat together. Her royal highness was never attend- ed by any livery servants, but she always walked about Blackheath and the neighbourhood only with her female attendants. In a short time, the Princess became so ex- travagantly fond of me, that, however flattering it might be, it certainly was very troublesome. Leaving her attend- ants below, she would push past my servant, and run up r\ stairs into my bed-chamber, kiss me, take me in her arms, and tell me I was beautiful, saying she had never loved any woman so much ; that she would regulate my dress, for she delighted in setting off a pretty woman : and such 50 high-flown compliments that women are never used to pay to each other.(E.) I used to beg her royal highness not to feed my self-love, as \ve had all enough of that, with- out encouraging one another. She would then stop me, and enumerate all my good points I had, saying she was determined to teach me to set them off. She would e claim, " Oh ! believe me, you are quite beautiful, different from almost any English woman ; your arms are fine beyond imagination, your bust is very good, and your eyes, Oh, I never saw such eyes all other women who have dark eyes look lierce, but your's (my dear Lady Douglas) are nothing but softness and sweetness, and yet quite dark." In this manner she went on perpetually, even before strangers. (F.) I remember when I was one morn- ing at her house, with her royal highness, Mrs. Harcourt, and her ladies, the Duke of Kent came to take leave be- fore his royal highness went to Gibraltar. When we were sitting at table, the Princess introduced me, and said " Your royal highness must look at her eyes ; but now she has disguised herself in a large hat, you cannot see how handsome she is." The Duke of Kent was very polite and obliging, for he continued to talk with Mrs. Harcourt, and took little notice, for which I felt much obliged; but she persisted, and said a Take off your hat." I did not do it, and she took it off; but lib royal - highness, I suppose, conceiving it would not be very 51 pleasant to me, took little notice, and talked ef some thing else. (G.) Whenever the Princess visited us, either sir John, or I, returned home with her and her party quite to the door; and if he were out, I went with her royal highness, and took my footman ; for we soon saw that her royal highness was a very singular and a very indiscreet woman, (H.) and we resolved to be always very careful and guarded with her; and when she visited us, if any visitor whosoever came to our house, they were put into another room, and they could not see the Princess, or be in her society, unless she positively desired it. However her royal high- ness forgot her high station, (and she was always forget- ting it), we trust, and hope, and feel satisfied, we never for a moment lost sight of her being the wife of the heir apparent. We passed our time as her royal highness chose when together, and the usual amusements were playing French proverbs, in which the Princess always cast the parts and played ; musical magic, forfeits of all kinds ; sometimes dancing ; and in this manner, either the Prin- cess and her ladies with me, or we at Montague-house, we passed our time. Twice, after spending the morn- ing with me, she remained without giving me any pre- vious notice, and would dine with us ; and thus ended the year 1801. 52 In tlie month of February, before Miss Garth was to come into waiting in March, 1802, the Princess, in on of her morning visits, after she had sent Sander home, said, " My dear Lady Douglas, I am come to see you this morning to ask a great favour of you, which I hope you will grant me." I told her, I was sure she could not make any unworthy request, and that I could only say, I should have great pleasure in doing any thing to oblige her, but I was really at a loss to guess how I possibly could have it in my power to grant her a favour. Her royal highness replied, " what 1 have to ask is for you to come and spend a fortnight with me ; you shall not be se- parated from sir John, for he may be with you whenever he pleases, and bring your little girl and maid. I mean you to come to the round tower, where there are a com- plete suit of rooms for a lady and her servant. When Mrs. Lisle was in waiting, and hurt her foot, she resided there; Miss Heyinan always was there, and Lord and Lady Lavington have slept there. When I have any married people visiting me, it is better than their being in tbe house, and we are only separated by a small garden. I dislike Miss Gai ih, and she hates to be with me, more than what her duty demands, and I don't -wish to trouble any of my ladies out of their turn. I shall require you, as lady in waiting, to attend ine in my walks, and when I drive out ; v\ rite my notes and letters for me, and be 53 in the way to speak to any one\vho may come on business. I seldom appear until about three o'clock, and >ou may go home before I want you after breakfast every day." I replied, that, being a married woman, I could not promise ibr myself; and, as Sir John was much out of health, I should not like to leave him ; but he was always so kind and good-natured to me, that I dared venture to say he would ailow me if he could; and when he came home I asked him if I should go. Sir John agreed to the Prin- cess's desire, and I took the waiting. During my stay 1 attended her royal highness to the play and the opera, 1 think twice, and also to dine at Lord Dartmouth's and Mr. Windham's. (I.) At Mr/Windham's, in the evening, while one of the ladies was at the harpsichord, the Prin- cess complained of being very warm, and called out for ale, which, by a mistake in the language, she always calls oil. Mrs. Windham was perfectly at a loss to compre- hend her wishes, and came to me for an explanation. I told her I believed she meant ale. Mrs. Windham said she had none in the house ; was it any particular kind she required r I told her I believed not ; that when the Prin- cess thought proper to visit me, she always wanted it, and I gave her what 1 had, or could procure for her upon Blackheath. We could not always suddenly obtain what was wished. Mrs. Windham then proposed to have some sent for, and did o ; it was brought, and . the Princess drank it all. 54 When at Lord Dartmouth's, his lordship asked me if I was the only lady in waiting, being, I supposed, surprised at my appearing in that situation, when, to his know ledge, I had not known the Princess more than four mouths. I answered, I was at Montague-house, acting as lady in waiting, until Miss Garth was well, as the Princess told me she was ill. Lord Dartmouth looked surprised, and said he had not heard of Miss Garth being ill, and was surprised. I was struck with Lord Dartmouth's seeming doubt of Miss Garth's illness, and after-thought upon it. From the dinner we went at an early hour to the opera, and then returned to lilackheath. During this visit I was greatly surprised at the whole stile of the Princess of Waless conversation, u'hich teas constantly very loose and such as I had not been accustomed to hear ; such as, in many instances, I have not been able to repeat, even to sir John, and such as made me hope I should cease to know her, before my daughter might be old enough to be corrupted by her. I confess I went home hoping and be- lieving .she was at times a good deal disordered in her senses, or she never would have gone on as she did. (K.) When she came to sup with me in the Tower, (which she often did) she would arrive in a long red cloak, a silk handkerchief tied over her head under her chin, and a pai r of slippers down at the heels. 55 After supper I attended her to the house. I found her a person without education or talents, and without any de- sire of improving herself. (L.) Amongst other things which surprised me while there, was a plan she told me she had in hand ; that Prince William of Gloucester liked me, and that she had written to him, to tell him a fair lady was in her Tower, that she left it to his own heart to find out who it was, but if he was the gallant prince that sire thought him, he would fly and see. I was amazed at such a contrivance, and said, Good God! how could your royal highness do so ? I really like Sir John better than any body, and am quite satisfied and happy. I waited nine years for him, and never would marry any other person. The Princess ridiculed this, and said " Non- sense, nonsense, my dear friend." In consequence of the Princess's note, Prince William actually rode the next morning to the Tower, but by good fortune Sir Sydney Smith had previously called, and had been admitted, and as we were walking by the house, her royal highness saw the Prince coming, went immediately out of sight, and ran and told a servant to say she and I were gone walking, and we immediately walked away to Charlton, having first, unperceived, seen Prince William ride back again, (of course not very welt pleased, and possibly believing I had a hand in his ridiculous adventure.) It seems he was an- jry, for soon after his royal highness, the late duke of Gloucester, came and desired to see the Princess, and told her, that his son William had represented to him how very free she permitted sir Sydney Smith to be, and how constantly he \\as visiting at Montague-house ; that it rested with herself to keep her acquaintance at a proper distance; and as sir Sydney was a lively thoughtless man, and had not been accustomed to the company of ladies of her rank, he might forget himself, and she would then have herself to blame that as a father and an earnest friend he came to her, very sorry indeed to trouble her, but he conjured and begged her to recollect how very pe- culiar her situation was, and how doubly requisite it was she should be more cautious than other people. To end this lecture (as she called it) she rang the bell, and desired Mr. Cole to fetch me. (M.) I went into the drawing-room, where the Duke and her royal highness were sitting, and she introduced me as an old friend of Prince William's. His royal highness got up, and looked at me very much, and then said, " The Princess has been talking a great deal about you, and tells me you have made (N.) one of the most delightful children in the world ; and indeed it might be so, when the mother was so handsome aiid good- uatured-looking." By this time I was so used to these fine speeches, either from the Princess, or from her through others, that I was ready to laugh, and only said, '' \Ve did not talk about much beauty, but my little girl was iu good health, and her royal highness was very oblig- ing." As soon as his royal highness \vas gone, the Princess sent again for me, told me every word he had said, and said, " he is a good man, and therefore. I took it as it was meant ; but if Prince William had ventured to talk to me himself, I would certainly have boxed his ears ; however, as he is so inquisitive, and watches me, I will cheat him | and throw the dust in his eyes, and make him believe sir Sydney comes here to see you, and that you and he are the greatest possible friends. I delight of all things in cheating those clever people." Her speech and intentions made me serious, and my miud was forcibly struck with the great danger there would follow to myself, if she was this kind of person. I begged her not to think of such a thing, saying, your royal highness knows it is not so, and although I would do much to oblige you, yet, when my own character is at stake, I must stop. Good God, Ma'am, his royal highness would .naturally repeat it, and what should I do? Reputation will not bear being sported with. The Princess took me by the hand, and said, " cer- tainly, my dear Lady Douglas, I know very well it is not so, and therefore it does not signify. I am sure it is not so, that I am sure of. I have much too good an opinion of you, and too good an opinion of sir Sydney Smith. It would be very bad in him, after sir John's hospi- 68 tality to him. I know him incapable of such a thing, foi I have known him a long time ; but still I wonder too in the samehouse it does nothappeu." (O.) By this time I was rather vexed, and said, your royal highness and I think differently Sir Sydney Smith comes and does as he pleases to his room in our house. 1 really see little of him. He seems a very good humoured, pleasant man, and I always think one may be upon very friendly terms with men who are friends of one's husbands, without being their humble servants. The Princess argued upon this for an hour; said, this is Miss Garth's argument, but she was mistaken, and it was ridiculous. If ever a woman was upon friendly terms with any man, they were sure to become lovers. (P.) I said, I shall continue to think as Miss Garth did, and that it depended very much upon the lady. Upon the 2Qth of March, I left Montague House, and the Princess commanded me to be sent up to her bed- chamber. I went and found her in bed, and I took Mrs. i m Vansittart's note in my hand, announcing the news of Peace. She desired me to sit down close to the bed, and then, taking my hand, she said, " You see, my dear friend, I have the most complaisant husband in the world I have no one to controul me. I see whom I like, I go where I like, I spend what 1 please, and his royal highness pays for all other husbands plague their wives, but he never plagues me at all, which is certainly being very polite and 59 coinplaisaut, and I am better off than my sister, who was heartily beat every day. How much happier am I than the Duchess of York ! She and the Duke hate each other, and yet they will be two hypocrites, and live together, that I would never do. Now I'll shew you a letter wherein the Prince of Wales gives me full leave to fol- low my own plans." She then put the letter into my hands, the particulars of which I have mentioned. (Q.) When 1 had finished, I appeared affected, and she said, " You seem to think that a fine thing ; now I see nothing in it ; but I dare to say that when my beloved had finished it, he fancied it one of the finest pieces of penmanship in the work!. I should have been the man, and he the woman. I am a real Brunswick, and do not know what the sensa- tion of fear is ; but as to him he lives in eternal warm water, and delights in it, if he can but have his slippers under any old Dowager's table, and sit there scribbling notes ; that's his whole delight." SLe then told every circum- stance relative to her marriage, and that she would be se- parated, and that she had invited the Chancellor very often lately, to try and accomplish it, but they were stupid, and told her it could not be done. It appeared to me that at this time her royal highness's mind was bent upon the accomplishment of this purpose ; and it would be found, I think, from Lord Eldon and the others, that she pressed this subject close upon them, whenever they 00 were at. "Montague House; for she told me more than once she had. Her royal highness before she put the letter by, said, " I always keep this, for it is ever neces- sary. I will go into tho House of Lords with it myself. The Prince of Wales desires me, in that letter, to choose my own plan of life, and amuse myself as I like ; and also, when I lived at Carlton House, he often asked me why I did not select some particular gentleman for my friend, and was surprised I did not." She then added, " I am not treated at all as a Princess of Wales ought to be- As to the friendship of the Duke of Gloucester's family, I understand that Prince William would like to marry either my daughter or me, if he could. I now therefore am desirous of forming a society of my own choosing, and I beg yon always to remember, all your life, that I shall always be hap^ to see you. I Uiiak you very discreet, and the best woman in the world, and I beg you to con- sider the Tower always as your own ; there are offices, and you might almost live there ; and if Sir John is ever called away, do not go home to your family ; it is not pleasant after people have children, therefore always come to my Tower. I hope to see you there very soon again. The Prince has offered me sixty thousand if I'll go and live at Hanover, but I never will; this is the only country in the world to live in," (R,) She then kissed me, and I took my leave. 61 While I had been in the round tower in Montague O I louse, which only consists of two rooms and a closet on a floor, I had always my maid and child slept within jiy room, and sir John was generally with me : he and all my friends having free permission to visit. Mr. Cole (the Page) slept over my room, and a watchman went round the Tower all night. Upon my return home, the same apparent friendship continued, and in one of her royal highness's evening visits she told me, she was come to have a long conversation with me, that she had been in a great agitation, and I must guess what had happened to her. I guessed a great many things, but she said No, to them all, and then said I gave it up, for I had no idea what she could mean, and therefore might guess my whole life without success. " Well then, I must tell you," said her royal highness, " but I am sure you know all the while. I thought you had completely found me out, and therefore I came to you, for you looked droll when I called for ale and fried onions and potatoes, and when I said I eat tongue and chickens at my breakfasts ; that I would sure as my life you suspected me ; tell me honestly, did you not?" J affected not to understand the Princess at all, and did not really comprehend her. She then said, " well, I'll tell; I am with child, and the child came to life whe I was breakfasting with Lady Willoughby. The milk flowed up into my breast so fast, that it came through 62 my muslin gown, and I was obliged to pretend that I had spilt something, and go up stairs into Lady Willoughby's room, and did very well, but it was an unlucky adventure." I was, indeed, most sincerely concerned for her, conceiv- ing ^t impossible but she must be ruined, and I expressed my sorrow in the strongest terms, saying, what would she do ? she could never carry such an affair through, and I then said I hoped she was mistaken. She said no, she was sure of it, and these sort of things only required a good courage, that she should manage very well ; but though she told me she would not employ me in the busi- ness, for I was like all the English women, so very nervous ; and she had observed me so frightened a few days past, when a horse galloped near me, that she would not let me have any thing to do for the world. The Princess added, " You will be surpiised to see how well I manage it, and I am determined to suckle the child myself." I expressed my great apprehensions, and asked her what she would do if the Prince of Wales seized her person, when she was a w r et uurse ? (S.) She said shew r ould never suffer any one to touch her person : she laughed at my fears, and added, " You know nothing about these things ; if you had read Les Avantures da Chevalier de Grammont, yoit would know better what famous tricks Princesses and their ladies played then, and you shall and must read the story of Catherine Parr and a Lady t>3 Douglas of those times ; have you never heard of it ?" I looked upon it as her own invention to reconcile my mind to these kind of things. After this we often met, and the Princess often alluded to her situation and to mine, and one day as we were sitting together upon the sofa, she put her hand upon her stomach, and said, laughing, " Well, here we sit like Mary and Elizabeth, in the Bible." When she was bl$d, she used to press me always to be, and used to be quite angry that I would not, and whatever she thought good for herself, always recommended to me. Her royal highness now took every occasion to estrange me from sir John, by laughing at him, and wondering how I could be content with him > urged me constantly tf> keep my own room, and not to continue to sleep with him, and said, if I had any more children, she would have nothing more to say to me. Her design was evident, and easily seen through, and conse- quently averted : she naturally wished to keep us apart, lest, in a moment of confidence, I should repeat what she had divulged, and if she estranged me from my husband, she kept me to herself.(T.) I took especial care therefore, that my regard for him x should not be under- mined. I never told him her situation, and contrary to her wishes, sir John and I remained upon the same happy terms we always had. 64 It will scarcely be credited, (nevertheless it is strictly true, and those who were, present must avow it, or perjure themselves) i&hat liberty the Princess gate both to her thoughts and her tongue, in respect to every part of tJie royal family. (V .) It was disgusting to us beyond the power of language to describe, and upon sach occasions we always believed and hoped she could not be aware of what she was talking about, otherwise common family affection, common sense, and common policy, would "have kept her silent. She said, before the two Fitzgeralds, sir Sydney Smith and ourselves, that when Mr. Adding- ton had his house given him, his Majesty did not know what he was about, and waved her hand round and round her head, laughing, and saying " certainly he did not; but the Queen got twenty thousand, so that was all very well." We were all at a loss, and no one said any thing. This was at my house one morning; the rest of the morning passed in abusing Mr. Addington (now Lord Sidmouth), and her critiques upon him closed by saying " It was not much wonder a Peace was not lasting, when it was niade by the son of a quack doctor." (U.) Before Miss Hamond, one evening at my house, she said, " Prince William is going to Russia, and there is to be a grand alliance with a Russian Princess, but it is no very / . likely, a Russian Princess will marry the grandson of a washerwoman." Sir Sydney Smith, who was present, 65 begged her pardon, asserted it was not so, and wished to stop her, but she contradicted him, and entered into all she knew of the private history of the Duchess's mother, saying, " she was literally a common washerwoman, and the Duchess need not to take so much pains and not to expose her skin to the open air, when her mother had been in it all day long." When she was gone, sir John was vtry much disgusted, and said, her conversation had been so low, and ill judged, and so much below her, tkat he was perfectly ashamed of her, and she disgraced her station : sir Sidney Smith agreed, and confessed he was astonished, for it must be confessed she was not deserving of her station. After the Duke of Kent had been so kind as to come and take leave of her, before he last left England, upon the day I mentioned, she delivered her critique upon his royal highness, saying, " He had the manners of a Prince, but was a disagreeable man, and not to be trusted, and that his Majesty had told him. l Now, sir, when you go to Gibraltar, do not make such a trade of it as you did when you went to Halifax.' The Princess repeated, upon my honour it is true ; the King said, ' Do not make such a trade of it.' She went on to say, " the Prince at first ordered them all to keep away, but they came now some- times : however they were no loss, for there is not a man among them all, whom any one can make their friend." 66 As I was with the Princess one morning in her garden house, his royal highness the Duke of Cumberland waited upon her. As soon as he was gone, she said, " he was a foolish boy, and had been asking her a thousand foolish questions." She then told me every word of his secrets, which he had been telling her ; in particular, a long story of Miss Keppel, and that he said, the old woman left them together, and wanted ^o take him in, and therefore he had cut the connection. She said she liked his coun- tenance best, but she could trace a little family likeness to herself; but for all the rest they were very ill made, and had plum-pudding faces, which she could not bear. His royal highness the Duke of Cambridge was next ridiculed. She said, " he looked exactly like a Serjeant, and so vulgar with his ears full of powder." This was her royal highness's usual and favorite mode of amusing herself and her company. The conversation was always about men, praising the Englishmen, reviling all English women, as being the ugliest creatures in the world, and the worst, and always engaged in some pro- ject or another, as the impulses of the moment might prompt, without regard to consequences or appearances. Whether she amused other people in the same way, I know not, but she chose to relate to me every private circumstance she knew relative to every part of the royal family, and also every thing relative to her own, with 67 such strange anecdotes, and circumstantial accounts of things that are never talked of, that I again repeat, I hope I si. all never hear again ; and I remember once in my lying-in-room, she gave such an account of Lady Ann Windham's marriage, and all her husband said on the occasion, that Mrs. Fitzgerald sent her daughter out of the room, while tar royal highness finished her story. Such was the person we found her royal highness the Princess of Wales, and as we continued to see her cha- racter and faults, sir John and myself more and more, daily and hourly, regretted that the world could not see her as we did,, and that his royal highness the Prince of Wales should have lost any popularity, when, from her own account (the only account we ever had) she was the aggressor from the beginning ; herself, alone ; and I as an humble individual, declare, that from the most heartfelt and unfeigned conviction, that I believe if any other married woman had acted as her royal highness has done, I never yet have known a man who could have endured it; and her temper is so tyrannical, capricious, and fu- rious, that no man on earth will ever bear it ; and, in pri- vate life, any woman who had thus played and sported with her husband's comfort and her husband's popularity, would have been turned out of her house, or left by her* slf in it, and would deservedly have forfeited her place in society. I therefore again beg leave to repeat, from the F 2 68 conviction of my own unbiassed understanding, and the conviction of my own eyes, no human being could live with her, excepting her servants for their wages ; and any poor unfortunate woman like the Fitzgeralds, for their dinner; (W.) and I trust and hope her real character will sometime or another be displayed, that the people of this country may not be imposed upon. The Princess was now sometimes kind, and at others churlish, especially if I would not fall into her plans of ridiculing sir John. About this time, one day at table with her, she began abusing Lady Rumbold (whom she had invited to see her a few days before, to give her letters of recommendation if she went to Brunswick), and as the abuse was in the usual violent vulgar stile, and I had never seen Lady Rumbold but that one morning, when she was her royal highness's guest, and cared nothing about her, I did not join in reviling her and Miss Rumbold. Sir Sidney Smith was present, and as there appeared a great friend- ship between the Rumbolds and him, I thought it nor civil to him to say any thing, and one always conceives, in being quite silent, one must be safe from offending any party. I was, however, mistaken: for, observing me quite silent, she looked at me in a dreadful passion, and said, " why don't you speak, Lady Douglas? I know you think her ugly as well as us a vulgar common milliner ; Lord Heavens ! that she was ; and her daughter looks 69 just like a girl that walks up the street." I suppose she expected, by this thundering appeal, to force me to join IK the abuse ; but it had a contrary effect upon me. I chose to judge entirely for myself, and I was determined I would not ; therefore, when she had raved until she could go on no longer, I said I did not think her ugly : it was a harsh term I thought her manner very bad, and that she was very ill-dressed ; but when young, I thought she must have been a pretty woman. This was past her power of enduring, which I really did not know, or I would have remained silent. She fixed her eyes furiously upon me, and bawled out, " then you're a liar, you're a Jiar, and the child you're going to have will be a liar." I pushed my plate from me, eat no more, and remained si- lent, and my first impulse was to push back my chair and quit the house, but the idea that I should break up the party from table, and make a confusion, and also my not being able to walk home, and my carriage not being ordered until night, left me in the chair. The conver- sation was changed ; at last, sir Sidney said again, " Well, these ladies have had a severe trimming, they had better not come to Blackheath ; and, there sits poor Lady Doug- las, looking as if she were going to be executed." As I was very far advanced in pregnancy, it agitated me greatly, and I remained aloof and very shy all the evening. When I afterwards wrote to sir Sidney Smith for sir John 70 upon some common occurrence, I said, I do not like the Princess of Wales's mode of treating her guests: her calling me a liar was an unpardonable thing, and if she ever speaks upon the subject to you, pray tell her I did not like it, and that, if I had been a man, I would have rather died than endured it ; that it is a thing which never 4 on any account occurs to a lady ; on a repetition of it I will give up her acquaintance. It seems sir Sidney Smith spoke to the Princess upon the subject; for two days before I was confined, she made me a morning visit with the two Fitzgeralds, and, after having sat a short time, said, " I find you were very much affronted the other day at my house, when I called you a liar ; I de- clare I did not mean it as an affront ; Lord heavens ! in any other language it is considered a joke ; is it not, Mrs. Fitzgerald?" meaning that in Germany it is a very good joke to call people liars, (for Mrs. Fitzgerald does not know any language but German and English) ; Mrg. Fitz- gerald absolutely said, yes. They made me very nervous, and I burst into tears ; and told the Princess I only wished her to understand such a thing was never done, and was far from desiring her to apologize to me; that I had now forgiven and forgotten it, though I confess, at the time, I was very much hurt, and very much wounded ; that as I iie- verheard of its bung thought a joke in any country, (W.W.) I was not in the least prepared to receive it in that light; 71 for that, in this country, ladies never used the expression and men only to shew their greatest contempt; that I never bore malice twelve hours in my life, and there was an end of the matter. The Fitzgeralds sat by, sometimes as audience, approving by looks; sometimes as orators, begging me not to cry, (after they had made me), and praising her royal highness as the most magnanimous, amiable, good, beautiful, and gracious Princess in the world. In short they tormented me till they made me quite hysterical; and the Princess began then to be frightened, and they all got up to look about the room for hartshorn, or something of that kind, to give me the Princess crying, " Give her something, give her some- thing ; she is very much shook, and her nerves agitated; she will be taken ill." They gave me some water, I be- lieve, and I did all I could to recover my spirits; but I felt in pain, and sir John came in soon after, and as I knew it would hurry him if he saw me ill, I appeared as cheerful as I could, and they all went away, the Princess taking no notice to him. Her royal highness had always said, she would be at my lying-in from the beginning to the end, ,and commanded me constantly to let her know, saying, " I have no fear about me, and 1 would as soon come over the heath in the middle of the night as in the day ; I shall have a bottle of port wine on a table to keep up your spirits, a tambourine, and I'll make sing" (X.) 1 was unwell all the night after her royal highness had been with me, and remained so all next day ; and next morning by six o'clock was so ill, that Dr. Mackie, of Lewisham, who was to attend me, was sent for. In the forenoon I begged sir John to write a note for Montague-house, where it so happened 1 was to have dined with the party. He wrote that I had the head-ache, and begged leave to remain at home, and the Princess be- lieved it, and went to town ; but upon her return, at five o'clock in the afternoon, she called before she went home to dress, to ask after me, and finding how it was, wanted to run up into the room, but Dr. Mackie said positively she should not come, and locked the door nearest him to keep her out. Miss Cholmondely and Miss Fitzgerald were drove home, and her royal highness and Mrs. Fitz- gerald stopped. Upon my giving a loud shriek, she flew in at the other door, and came to me, doing every thing she possibly could to assist me, and held my eyes and head. The moment she heard the child's voice she left me, flew round to Dr. Mackie, pushed the nurse away, and received the child from Doctor Mackie, kissed it, and said no one should touch it until she had shewn it to me. Doctor Mackie was so confused and astonished, that, al- though an old practitioner, he left the room without giving me any thing to recruit my strength and avert fainting as is the custom, and the nurse gave me what she thought 73 best; by which omission, however, I was not subject to faint away, but it was certainly a new mode of proceed- ing where life is at stake, and shewed more curiosity than tenderness for me. Before my little girl was brought to me, I observed, as her royal highness stood holding it, that Mrs. Fitzgerald, the Nurse, and herself, were all intent, and speaking toge- ther, as if there was something peculiar in its appear- ance ; the circumstance alarmed me, fearing it was born with some defect, and I asked eagerly to see it, and if all was right. The Princess upon this brought it to me, and said it was a remarkable large fine child, and they were only looking at a mark it had upon its left breast, certainly a very large one, and a little on its eyes, but it would go off. (Y.) I recollected that, although I never, when in a pregnant state, was subject to whims or longing, as thinking it very troublesome and foolish, yet I felt obliged, in this instance, to believe the old received opi- nion to be correct ; for it happened, that during my visit at Montague-house, in March, I was one Sunday morn- ing very much incommoded by pains in my chest and sto- mach, and her royal highness made Mrs, Sander give me some warm peppermint-water ; there was raspberry- ice in the desert the same day, and I had just begun to eat mine, when the Princess looked at me and said, " My dear Lady Douglas, you have forgotten the pain you were 74 in this morning ; and, turning to her page, ordered him to take away my plate. Mr. Cole, the page, removed it, and I can never describe my disappointment. I was almost inclined to re- monstrate, although there was a large party of strangers, and I did express a desire to retain it, but the Princess would not allow of it : and as she had appointed herself to the sole management of me, I was obliged to be quiet : my uneasiness, however, became extreme, and for- getting every thing but the ice in question, I asked a Mr. Hamer, who sat next to me, to be so good as to ask for some ice, and, by dint of asking him to do so, I at length induced him, and at last he asked Lady Townsend for some more ice. I immediately took my spoou, and stooping a little, so that the flowers upon the plateau con- cealed me in part from the Princess, eat all Mr. Hamer's ice, while he looked on laughing, and put his plate a little nearer to me that it might not look so odd. The follow- ing day, I eat eight glasses of raspberry ice at once, and was very well after it ; and from that time sought it every where, and eat of it voraciously ; and I cannot help attri- buting the marks of my little girl to the circumstance. Her royal highness then kissed me, begged me to send for her whenever I liked, and she would come ; desired 1 might have plenty of flannel about me, of which she ha< ! sent me some by Mrs. Fitzgerald, and then went home to 75 dinner. I know not what she said or did among her par- ty at home, but Miss Cholmondely often said she should never forget the Princess on that day. All the month of August the Princess visited me daily ; in one of these vi- sits, after she had sent Mrs. Fitzgerald away, she drew her chair close to the bed, and said, " I am delighted to see how well and easily you have got through this affair; I, who am not the least nervous, shall make nothing at all of it. When you hear of ray having taken children in baskets from poor people, take no notice; that is the way I mean to manage : I shall take any that offer, and the one I have will be presented in the same way, which, as I have taken others, will never be thought any thing about." I asked her how she would ever get it out of the house ? but she said, " Oh, very easily." I said it was a perilous business ; I would go abroad if I were her ; but she laughed at my fears, and said "she had no doubt but of managing it all very well. I was very glad she did not ask me to assist her, for I was determined in my own mind never to do so, and she never did make any request of me, for which I was very thankful. I put the question to her, Who she would get to deliver her? but she did not answer for a minute, and then said, I shall get a person over ; I'll manage it, but never ask me about it ; " Sander was a good creature, and being immediately about her person and sleeping near her room, must be told ; but 76 Miss Ghaunt must be sent to Germany, and the third maid, a young girl, kept out of the way as well as they could. I suggested, I was afraid her appearance at St. James's could not fail to be observed, and she would have to encounter all the royal family. Her reply was, that she knew how to manage her dress, and by continually in- creasing large cushions behind, no one would observe, and fortunately birth-days were over, until she should have got rid of her appearance. In this manner passed all the time of my confinement, at the end of which she sent Mrs. Fitzgerald to the church, and when I went to pay my duty to her royal highness, after I went abroad again, she told me, whenever I was quite stout, she would have the child christened, that she meant to stand in person, and I must find another godmother ; Sir Sidney Smith would be the godfather. I named the Duchess of Athol, as a very able woman, of suitable rank, and said, that as there had been a long friendship betwixt Sir John's fami- ly and the Athol family, I knew it would be very agree- able to him. Finding they were gone to Scotland, we wrote to ask her Grace ; and she wrote word she would stand godmother with great pleasure, and enclosed ten guineas for the nurse. The Princess invited sir Sidney Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Smith, and Baron Herbert, and sir John Douglas, to dine with her. Miss Cholmondeley and the two Fitzgeralds were with her roy- 77 al highness, and in the evening they all came ; I staid at home to receive her. The clergyman from Lewisham christened the child ; the Princess named it Caroline Sid- ney. As soon as he was gone, (which was shortly after the ceremony was over,) the Princess sat down upon the carpet a thing she was very fond of doing, in preference to sitting upon the chairs, saying, it was the pleasantest lively affair altogether she had ever known : she chose to sit upon the carpet the whole of the evening, while we all sat upon the chairs. Her royal highness was dressed in the lace dress which, I think, she wore at Frogmore fete ; pearl necklace, bracelets, and arm-bands, a pearl bandeau round her head, and a long lace veil. When supper was announced, her royal highness went in and took the head of the table, and eat an amazing supper of chicken and potted lamprey, which she would have served to her on the same plate, and eat them together. (Z.) Af- ter supper, she called the attention of the party to my good looks, and saying, I was as lively and as espiegle as ever ; said, that I had such sharp eyes, I found her out in every thing, adding, " Oh! she found me out one day in such a thing when I was at luncheon, and gave me a look which was so expressive, that I was sure she knew." This speech, which passed between herself and me, was algebra to the party. I did not know what to do, but I *aw the secret cost her dear to keep, and she was ready to 78 betray it to any one she met, by the strange things she aid and did ; I laughed and said, if my eyes have been too observing I am sorry, I never intended them to be ; I cannot be quite so polite as to say, " if my sight offends I will put it out," because I think with Sheridan, that the prejudice is strongly in favour of two ; but depend upon it, at all future luncheons, I will do nothing but eat. (A. A.) She was in great spirits, staid until two o'clock in the morning, aud then, attended by Miss Cholmondeley and the Fitzgeralds, went home. Her royal highness's civili- ties continued; she desired me constantly to bring my children to Montague-house, and also the infant; and when I would have retired to suckle it, she would not suf- fer me, but commanded me to do it in the drawing-room where she was ; and she came with her ladies visiting me both mornings and evenings, and nursing little Caroline for hours together. I saw now the Princess had told Mrs. Sander, who I believe was a very quiet good kind of wo- man, and her countenance was full of concern and anxiety. She appeared desirous of speaking to me, and was unu- sually obsequious : but the Princess always watched us both close ; if Sander came into a room, and I went to- wards her, the Princess came close or sent one or ano- ther away, so that I could never speak to her. The Prin- cess had now quarelled with sir Sidney Smith, to whom she had been so partial, and to every part of whose fami- 79 ly she had been so kind, telling us constantly that she liked them all, because old Mr. Smith had saved the Duke of Brunswick's life. (B.B.) As sir John was sir Sidney's friend, she therefore was shy of us all, and we saw little of her but on the 30th of October, I went to call upon her before I left Blackheath, and met her royal highness just returned from church, walking before her own house with Mrs. Fitzgerald and her daughter, dressed in a long Spa- nish velvet cloak and an enormous muff, but which toge- ther could not conceal the state she was in, for I saw di- rectly she was very near her time, and think I must have seen it if 1 had not known her situation. She appeared morose, and talked a little, but did not ask us to go in, and after taking a few turns returned home. In about a fort- night, we received a note, the Princess requesting neither sir John or I to go to Montague-house, as her servants were afraid some of the children she had taken had the measles, and if any infection remained about the house, we might carry it to our child. We wrote a note expres- sive of our thanks for her obliging precautions, and that we would not go to Montague-house, until we had the honor of receiving her royal highness's commands. The Princess never sent for us, and when I left my card be- fore I went to pass Christmas in Gloucestershire, I was not admitted ; so that / never saw her after the 13tk* of 30th. 80 October; but I heard the report of her having adopted an infant, and Miss Fitzgerald told it me as she rode past my house, but would not come in, for fear she should bring the measles. Upon my return to Blackheath in January, T called to pay my duty. I found her packing a small black box, and an infant sleeping on a sofa, with a piece" of scarlet cloth thrown over it. She appeared confused, and hesitated whether she should be rude or kind, (C.C.) but re- covering herself, chose to be the latter; said, she was hap- py to see me, and then taking me by the hand led me to the sofa, and uncovering the child, said, " Here is the little boy, I had him two days after I saw you last; is not it a nice little child ? the upper part of his face is very fine." She was going to have said more, when Mrs. Fitzgerald opened the door and came in. The Princess consulted what I had better have, what would be good for me. I declined any thing, but she insisted upon it I I should have some soup, and said, " my dear Fitzgerald, pray go out and order some nice brown soup to be brought here for Lady Douglas." I saw from this the Princess wished to have spoken to me more fully, and Mrs. Fitzgerald saw it likewise, for instead of obeying, she rung the bell for the soup, and then sat down to tell me the whole fable of the child having been brought by a poor woman from Deptford, whose husband kad left her; that Mr. Stikeman, the page, had the honour of bringing 81 it in, that it was a poor little ill-looking thing when first brought, but now, \\iih such great care, was growing very pretty, and that as her royal highness was so good, and had taken the twins (\\hose father would not let them re- main) and taken this, all the poor people would be bring- ing children. The Princess now took the child up, and I was entertained the whole morning by seeing it fed, and every service of every kind performed for it by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Mrs. Fitzgerald aired the napkins, and the Princess put them on; and from this time the drawing-rooms at Montague-house were literal- ly in the stile of a common nursery. The tables were covered with spoons, plates, feeding-boats, and clothes; round the fire were napkins hung to air ; and the marble hearths were strewed icith napkins taken from the child; for, very extraordinary to relate, this was a part of the cere- mony her royal highness was particularly tenacious of ul- &ayj performing herself, let the company be who they might. At first the child slept with her, she told me, but it made her nervous, and therefore a nurse was hired to assist in taking charge of it, and for him to sleep with. The Princess said one day to me as she was nursing him, he had a little milk for two or three daysy but it did not do, so we bring him up by hand with all kind of nourish- ing things, and you see how well he thrives ; so that I re- ally always supposed she had attempted to suckle "It. o 82 Another time she showed me his hand, which has a pink mark upon it, and said, it was very singular both our chil- dren should be marked, and she thought her child's came from having some wine thrown on her hand, for she did not look much at little Caroline's mark. The Princess now adopted a new mode of inviting us to see her. She . ' would .either invite Sir John or I, but never both toge- ther as formerly, I concluded from this, that as she found it so difficult to keep even her own secret, she could ill imagine I had been able to keep hers, and therefore un- der the impression that by that time I must have told Sir John, did not like to meet both our eyes ; and if she saw Sir John without me, could better judge by his looks and manner whether I had divulged or not. I conclude she was at length satisfied I had not; for we were one morning both invited again in the former manner, to a breakfast, and as it was a very curious arranged party, J will put down the names ; for, to the person who is to pe- ruse this detail, it will confirm the idea, that her royal highness cannot always know correctly what she is about. When we entered, the Princess was sitting on the sofa, elegantly dressed in white and silver drapery, which co- rered her head and fell all over her person, and she had trer little boy upon her knee elegantly dressed likewise. The guests were, Her Royal Highness Princess Char- lotte of Wales, with Miss Hunt her Governess, Captain 83 Manby of the Navy, Mr. Spencer Smith, the Fitzgeralds, and ourselves. She got up and nursed the child, and car- rying it to Sir John, said, " here, Sir John, this is the Deptford boy, I suppose you have heard [ have taken a little child." Sir John only said, yes, he had, and it seemed a fine baby. She seemed pleased and satisfied that I had not told him, and then sat down to table, put- ting a chair for Princess Charlotte on' her right hand, tak- ing me by the hand and putting me on her left hand, told Captain Manby to sit at the : top, and' Mr. Spencer Smith at the bottom, and Sir John and the Fitzgeralds faced as. Princess Charlotte had a plain dinner prepared for her in another room, according in custom, and came in when our desert was placed, when \ve all sat down again as we were sitting, except Miss Hunt, who was ne- -ver' ordered to sit, but stood a few yards from Princess Charlotte. About five o'clock, her royal highress rose from table, the little boy was brought in again, Princess Charlotte played with it, and the Princess of Wales wished all of us a good morning, and we broke up, total- ly at a loss to conceive what amusement it could be to collect us together. This breakfast was a kiud of Jinale. We had very little intercourse. Her royal highness would walk past our house, for the express purpose of i shewing she did not mean to come in, and when we did see her she always abused Sir Sidney Smith. Often 84 said, she wondered I liked to live in such a dull place as Blackheath, and, in short, gave us hints we could not misunderstand, that she wanted us away. At this time, sir John received a letter from his division, expressive of the General's wish, that he would go to Plymouth, and therefore, (without an Admiralty Order) he determined to go, to emancipate ourselves from the Princess of Wales, and as soon as we could dispose of the furniture, I fol- lowed him, leaving the house empty which was onrs ; three months after, I quitted it. The day sir John was to set off, the Princess walked to our house, and though his trunks were in the room, and he was occupied, would have him sit down and talk to her; overpoteering him and myself noro with kindness, and said, she could eat something. She did so, staid four hours in the house, and at parting, took sir John by both hands, wished him every good wish, and begged him always to recollect how happy she should be to see him again, and that she would be very kind to me during his absence; however, after he was gone, she never came near me, or offered me any kind of civility whatsoever. When I was on the eve of departure, I called upon her and took her god-daughter and my other little girl with me. She was almost uncivil, and paid little or no atten- tion if I spoke. I said the children were with me, but she did hot answer, and after spending four or five hour? X 85 very unpleasantly, suffering all the unpleasant feeling of being where I had been courted and idolized, I begged permission at last to go away. When I went out, to my surprise, I found the children had been kept in the pas- sage near the front door, with the door open to Black- heath, in a December day, with four opposite doors opened and shut upon them, instead of being taken to the housekeeper's room, as they always had been. My maid had at length begged the footman to go to a fire, as the children cried dreadfully, and were very cold. I under- stand the man was a footman of the name of Gaskin, I think, and his answer was, if the children are cold, you can put them back into the carriage, and warm them. I took them home immediately, and was inclined to return and ask why they had been thus all of a sudden treated with this brutality and impertinence, and which was doubly cruel in sir John's absence; but I deferred going until I meant to take my final leave, which I did on the follow- ing Sunday. Doctor Burnaby was standing in the hall with every thing prepared for the Princess to receive the sacrament. I was ushered through notwithstanding, and the footmen seemed to go to and fro as much at their ease, as if no such thing was preparing. She was stand- ing in the drawing-room, and received me with Mrs. Lisle and Mrs. Fitzgerald. I said I should have been gone before, had it been in my power, and in compliance 86 with her commands, had come to take my leave. She did not ask me to sit down, but said God bless you ; good bye. I then said, I was much concerned I had brought my little girls a few days past, and that I should never have done so, but from her royal highness's re- peated desire. She said, she was sorry ; and asked, who used them so. I told her, one of her livery servants, and sir John would not like to hear it. Her royal highness said, stop a moment; flew past me through the hall where Doctor Burnaby stood waiting for her, up to her own room, and returned with a white-paper box, push- ing it into my hand God bless you, my dear Lady Doug- las. I said, I vfished to decline taking any thing, that my object in coming there was to offer her my duty, and tell her how ill my children had been used. I could not conceive how any footman could use the freedom of treat- ing sir John's children so, unless he had been desired. She only answered, " Oh ! no, indeed : good bye." I attempted to put the box into her hands, saying I had ra- ther not have it ; but she dropped her hands and turned away. I therefore wished Mrs. Lisle and Miss Fitzge- rald good morning and went away. Doctoi Burnaby spoke to me as I passed him, and, looking back, I saw her royal highness's head; she was looking out after me to see if she had fairly got rid of me, and laughing im- moderately at Dr. Burnaby in his gown I quitted her 87 house, resolved never to re-enter it but for form-sake, and wrote her word, that as I had long been treated rudely and my children whom she courted to her house, were now nsulted there, I felt a dislike to accepting a present thrown at me, as it were, under such unpleasant circum- stances ; that I had not untied the box, and requested she would permit me to return it ; and that as I \vas an Eng- lish gentlewoman, and defied her to say she had ever seen a single impropriety in my conduct, I would never suffer myself to be ill used without a clear explanation. The Princess wrote back a most haughty imperious reply, de- siring me to keep the box, stiled herself Princess of Wales, in almost every line, and insulted me to such a degree, that I returned an answer insisting upon her explaining her- self. (D.D.) This she returned me unopened, saying, she would not open my second letter, and had therefore sent it to me to put in the fire, and that she was ready to put the matter in oblivion, as she desired me to do, wished me and my dear little children well, and should at all times be glad to see her former neighbour. I did as she de- sired, and went away at Christmas without ever seeing or hearing more of her royal highness, and found in the paper box a gold necklace, with a medallion suspended from it. Thus ended my intercourse, for the present, with the Princess of Wales, and the year 1 803. 88 When tve resided in Devonshire, seeing by the papers that her royal highness was ill, we sent a note of enquiry to the lady in waiting, which was answered very politely, and eveu in a friendly manner, by her royal highness's orders. Upon the arrival of the Duke of Sussex from abroad, sir John returned to town to attend him, and when we drove to Blackheath to see our friends, I left my card for her royal highness, who was visiting Mr. Canning ; the moment she returned home she commanded Mrs. Vernori to send me word never to repeat my visits to Blackheath. I gave sir John the note, and must con- fess, accustomed as I had been to her haughty overbear- ing caprice, yet this exceeded my belief of what she was capable of, being so inconsistent with her two last letters ; but the fact was, she thought we were gone above 200 miles from her, and should be there for many years, and she never calculated upon the return of his royal highness the Duke of Sussex, having very often told me his royal highness would never live in England, in his majesty's life- time ; that she was certain of that, and had reasons for knowing it ; and sir John would never have him here.(E.E.) I suppose she had taken this into her head, because she wished it; and, therefore, the return of his royal highness was a mortal death-blow to all her hopes on this score ; and when she found that his royal highness vras not only returned, but that sir John was in attendance, and that 89 his royal highness was at Carlton-house, where sir John might see and have the honour of being made known to the Prince of Wales, her^eflr and rage got the better of every prudent consideration, and she commanded Mrs. Vernon to dismiss me as I have mentioned. Had the Princess of Wales written to me herself, and told me, in a civil manner, that she would thank me to keep away, I should have acquainted her, that I wished to do so, and had only called for the sake of appearances, and there the matter would have ended ; unless I had ever been called upon (as I am now) by his Majesty, or the heir apparent. In that case, as in this, I should have made it my sacred duty to have answered, as upon my oath : but the circum- stance of being driven out of her house by the hands of the lady in waiting, as if I had deserved it, and as if I were a culprit, was wounding one with a poisoned arrow, which left the wound to fester after it had torn and stab- bed me; it was a refinement in insult, for the Princess had always been in the habit of writing to me herself, and had commanded me never to hold intercourse with her through her ladies, but always directly to herself; and so particular were her directions and permission upon this head, that she told me never to put my letters under cover, but always direct them to herself.(FF.) I felt so miserable, that Mrs. Vernon, to whom I was known, and for whom sir John and myself had an esteem, should think ill of me, 90 and I therefore wrote to the Princess, saying, " From the moment she judged proper to come into my family, I always conducted myself to her royal highness with the respect her high station demanded ; and that when she forced her secrets upon me, I had (whatsoever my senti- ments were) kept them most honourably for her, never yet having told sir John, although I gave him my full confidence in all other things ; nor had I even, under my present aggravation, imparted it, or meant : that after such generous conduct on my part, I was at a loss to con- ceive what she proposed to herself by persecuting me ; that I was afflicted at being so placed in the opinion of a good woman, like Mrs. Vernon, and who was free to say what she pleased upon the subject every where; that it was half as bad to be thought ill of as to deserve it; and that I would wait upon Mrs. Vernon, and detail to her a cir- cumstantial account of every thing which had occurred since I had known her royal highness ; and I would ac- quaint my husband and family with the same, and leave them, and the circle of my friends, to judge betwixt her royal highness and myself; that I would not lie under an imputation of having done wrong ; and I took my leave of her royal highness for ever, only first regretting I had ever known her, and thankful to be emancipated from Montagues-house, and that she owed it to me to have, 91 at least dismissed me in a civil manner, by her own hands." This letter her royal highness returned unopened ; but from its appearances, I had strong reason to believe she had read it. I was resolved, however, if she had not, she should be taught belter, as she might not treat any other person so ill as she had me, and my mind was bent upon speaking to Mrs. Vernon. I was nearly certain, if I wrote to Mrs. Vernon, the Princess would make her send my letter back, and therefore I wrote Mrs. Fitzgerald nearly a copy of what I sent her royal highness, and called upon her, as she had been always present, to say, if she ever saw any thing in my behaviour to justify any rudeness towards me ; that I was precisely what the Princess found me, when the Princess walked up to her knees in SHOW to seek my acquaintance, and precisely the same individual whom she had thought worthy of the strongest proofs of her friendship, and whose lying-in she had attended in so particular a manner, and had thought worthy of shedding tears over ; that her royal highness had thought proper to confide in me a secret, of very serious importance to her- self; and 1 would not, after acting in the most honourable manner to her, be dismissed by a lady in waiting ; and I meant to be at Montague-house, and have a satisfactory conversation with Mrs. Vernon ; arid therefore she would be so good as acquaint her royal highness with the contents 92 of my letter, or lay it before her royal highness. (G.G.) Mrs. Fitzgerald sent back a confused note, saying, she could not shew the Princess my letter, unless she was called upon; and when she opened it her disappointment was great, for she expected to have found respectful in- quiries after her royal highness's finger (which was hurt when she went to see Mr. Canning), and that I might make my mind easy, as ladies in waiting never repeated any thing ; and she was astonished I had thrown out such a hint. A day or two after a note was sent to sir John, as if nothing had happened, requesting him to go to Mon- tague-house. The servant "who brought it, drove Mrs. Vernon from Blackheath home to her own house in town, and I have no doubt it will be found (if inquiry is made) that Mrs. Vernon was put prematurely out of her waiting, lest I should explain with her. Sir John obeyed her royal highness's summons, and she received him in the most gracious pleasant manner, taking as much pains to please and flatter him now as she had formerly done by me, and began a conversation with him relating to a General Innes, of the Marines, whom the Admiralty thought proper, with many others, to put upon the retired list ; she ex- pressed an ardent desire to get that officer reinstated, and consulted sir John, as belonging to the same corps, how she could accomplish such an undertaking. Sir John listened to her attentively, and made her short and very 93 polite answers, acquainting her no such thing was ever done. She then said she must speak to Lord Melville about it, as it was a hard case. The luncheon was then announced, and she ordered sir John to attend herself and the ladies. Sir John found Mrs. Venion w : as sent off, and a lady was there whom he did not know, but thought was lady Carnarvon. When they were all seated Mi- John remained on his legs, and she looked anxiously on him, and said, " My dear sir John, sit down and eat." He bowed with distant respect, and said he could not eat; that he was desirous of returning to town, and if her royal highness had no further business with him he would beg leave to go. The Princess looked quite disconcerted, and said, " what not eat any thing, not sit down : pray take a glass of wine then." He bowed again as before and repeated that he could neither eat nor drink. " Well then," she said, " come again soon, my dear sir John ; always glad to see you." Sir John made no reply, bowed and left the room. I now received, by the twopenny post, a long anonymous letter, written by this restless mischievous person, the Princess of Wales, in which, in language, which any one who had ever heard her speak, would have know'n to be hers, she called me all kind of names, impudent, silly, wretched, ungrateful, and illiteral (meaning illiterate), she tells me to take that, and it will mend my ill-temper, &c. &c. &c. and says, she is a person 94 high in this government, and has often an opportunity of *freely with His Majesty, and she thinks my conduct au- thorises her to td! him ojf] and that she is my onjy true and integer friend. Such -is the spirit of this foreigner, which would have disgraced a house-maid to have written, and it encloses a fabricated anonymous letter, which she pretends to have received, and upon which she built her doubts and disapprobation of me, as it advises her not to trust me, for that I am indiscreet, and tell every body that the child she took from Deptford, was her own. The whole construction of both these epistles, from be- ginning to end, are evidently that of a foreigner, and a very ignorant one, and the vulgarity of it is altogether quite shocking. In one part she exclaims that she did not think that I should have had the impudence to come on her door again, and tells me 'tis for my being indiscreet and not having attozeed her to call me a liar, that she treats me thus, and that I would do well to remember the story of Henry the Eighth's Queen, and Lady Douglas. I was instantly satisfied it was from her royal highness the Princess of Wales, and that Mrs. Fitzgerald had shewn her my letter, and this was the answer to it. I immedi- ately carried it to sir John Douglas, who said he was sure it came from the Princess, and he shewed it to sir Sidney So ia the authenticated copy ; some words seem omitted. 95 Smith, who said, every word and expression in it were those which the Princess of Wales constantly used.(H.H.) Sir John desired me now to give him a full explanation of what her royal highness the Princess of Wales had con- fided to me, and whether I had ever mentioned it. I gave him my solemn word of honour it had never passed my lips, and I was only now going to utter it at his posi- tive desire. (I.I.) That her royal highness the Princess of Wales told me she was with child, and that it came to life at Lady Willough- by's, that if she was discovered she would give the Prince of Wales the credit, for she slept at Carlton-house twice the year she was pregnant ; that she often spoke of her situation, compared herself and me to Mary and Elizabeth, and told me, when she shewed me the child, that it was the little boy she had two days after I last saw her, that was the 30th of October ; therefore her sou was born upon the 1st of November, and I took a retrospect view of things after I knew the day of his birth, aud found her royal highness must have gone down stairs and dined with all the Chancellors about the 4th day after she was de- livered, with the intention, if discovered, of having them all to say they dined with her in perfect health so early in November, that it could not be. Sir John recollected all her whims, and went over her whole conduct, and he firmly believes her to be the mother of the reputed Dept- 9(J ford child. (K.K.) I then acquainted him of the pains she had taken to estrange my mind and affections from him, and he saw her pursuit of now changing sides, and endeavour- ing to estrange him from me, lest, if we lived in a happy state of confidence, I might make known her situation to him : and we agreed, that as we had no means of commu- nicating at present with his Majesty, or the heir apparent, we must wait patiently until called upon to bring for- ward her conduct, as there seemed little doubt we should ? one day be. Finding that sir John Douglas did not choose to visit where his wife was discarded and hurt in the estimation of her acquaintance, her fury became so unbounded that she sought what she could do most atro- cious, wicked, and inhuman; she reached her* it would seem, and the result was, she made two drawings with a pen and ink, and sent them to us by the twopenny post, representing me as having disgraced myself with his old friend sir Sidney Smith. They are of the most inde- cent nature, drawn with her own hand, and words upon them in her own hand-writing.(L.L.) Sir John, sir Sidney, and myself, can all swear point blank, w ithout a moment's hesitation ; and if her royal highness is a subject and amena- ble to the laws of this country (and I conceive her to be so,) she ought to be tried and judged by those laws for A blank in the authenticated copy, 97 doing thus, to throw firebrands into the bosom of a quiet family. My husband, with that cool good sense which has ever marked his character, and with a belief in my innocence, which nothing but facts can stagger (for it is founded upon my having been faithful to him nine years before we were married, and seven years since), as well as his long ac- quaintance with sir Sidney Smith's character and dispo- sition, and having seen the Princess of Wales's loose and vicious character, put the letters in his pocket, and went instantly to sir Sidney Smith. Sir Sidney was as much astonished as we had been. Sir John then told him, he put the question to him, and expected an answer such as an officer and gentleman ought to give to his friend; sir Sidney Smith gave sir John his hand, as his old friend and companion, and assured him, in the most solemn manner, as an officer and gentleman, that the whole was the most audacious and wicked calumny; and he would swear to its being the hand-writing of the Princess of Wales ; and that he believed Lady Douglas to be the same virtuous domestic woman he thought her, when sir John first made him known to her. Sir Sidney added, " I never said a word to your wife, but what you might have heard ; and had I been so base as to attempt any thing of the kind under your roof, I should deserve for you to shoot me like a mad dog. I am ready to go with Lad/ 98 Douglas and yourself, and let us ask her what she means by it; confront her." Accordingly Sir John wrote a note to the lady in waiting, which was to this effect; "sir John and Lady Douglas, and sir Sidney Smith, present their compliments to the lady in waiting, and request she will have the goodness to say to her royal highness the Prin- cess of Wales, that they are desirous of having an audience of her royal highness immediately." We received no answer to this note, but in a few days, an answer was sent to sir Sidney Smith, stating, that her royal highness the Princess of Wales was much indisposed and could not see any one at present. This was directed to sir Sidney Smith, at our house, although he did not live there. This was an acknowledgement of her guilt : she could not face us ; it was satisfactory to us all, for it said I am the author, let me off; but to make one's satisfaction upon this the more perfect, and to warn her of the danger she run of discovery, when she did such flagrant things, I wrote the under-written note and put it into the Post- office, directed to herself. " MADAM, " I received your former anonymous letter safe; also, your two last, with drawings. i am, Madam, Your obedient servant, CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS." 99 It appears evident that her royal highness received this safe, and felt how she had committed herself, for, instead of returning it in the old style, she sent for his royal high- ness the Duke of Kent, and requested him to send for sir Sidney, and by the post sir Sidney received an anony- mous letter, saying, the writer of that wished for no civil dissensions, and that there seldom was a difference where, if the parties wished it, they could not arrange matters. Sir Sidney Smith brought this curious letter to shew sir John, and we were all satisfied it was from her royal high- ness, who, thinking sir Sidney and sir John might, by this time, be cutting each other's throats, sent very graciously to stop them ; in short, she called them civil dissensions. His royal highness the Duke of Kent, being employed to negotiate, sent for sir Sidney Smith, and acquainted him, that he was desired by her royal highness to say, that she would see sir Sidney Smith in the course of a few days, provided, when he came to her, he avoided all disagree- able discussions whatsoever. His royal highness the Duke of Kent then sought from sir Sidney an explanation of the matter : sir Sidney Smith then gave the Duke of Kent a full detail of circumstances, and ended by saying, " We all could, and would, swear the drawings and words contained in those covers were written by the Princess of Wales ; for, as if she were fully to convict herself, she had sealed one of the covers with the identical 100 seal she had used upon the cover, when she summoned sir John to luncheon at Montague-house." His royal highness the Duke of Kent, finding what a scrape she had entangled herself in, exclaimed; "Abominable! foolish, to be sure ; but sir Sidney Smith, as this matter, if it makes a noise, may distress his Majesty, and be injurious to his health, I wish sir John and Lady Douglas would (at least for the present) try to forget it; and if my making them a visit would be agreeable, and soothe their minds, I will go with all my heart, though I am not yet acquainted with them, and I will speak fully to the Prin- cess of Wales, and point out to her the danger of doing such things ; but, at all events, it would be very injurious to his Majesty's health, if it came to his ears just now." Sir Sidney Smith came from his royal highness the Duke of Kent to us, and delivered his royal highness's message. Sir John declined all negociation : but told sir Sidney Smith, that he was empowered to say to the Duke of Kent from him, that of whatsoever extent he might his injuries, and however anxious he might be to seek justice, yet when he received such an in- timation from one of the royal family, he would certainly pause before he took any of those measures he meant to take ; and if that was the case, and his royal highness the * So in the authenticated copy. 101 Duke of Kent \vas desirous of his being quiet, lest his Majesty's health or peace might be disturbed by it, his duty and his attachment to his Sovereign were so sincere, that he would bury (for the present) his private calamity, for the sake of his Majesty's repose and the public good; but he begged te be clearly understood, that he did not mean to bind himself hereafter, but reserve to himself a full right of exposing the Princess of Wales, when he judged it might be done with the greatest effect, and when it was not likely to disturb the repose of this country .(M.M.) Sir Sidney Smith told us that he had delivered sir John's message, verbatim, to the Duke of Kent ; and a short time afterwards, his royal highness commanded Sir John and sir Sidney to dine with him at Kensington Pa- lace; but the Duke of Kent did not speak to sir John upon the subject, and the matter rested there, and would have slept for a time, had not the Princess of Wales re- commenced a fresh torrent of outrage against sir John ; and had he not discovered, that she was attempting to undermine his and Lady Douglas's character. Sir John, therefore, was compelled to communicate his situation to his royal highness the Duke of Sussex, in order that he might acquaint the royal family of the manner the Princess of Wales was proceeding in, and to claim his Majesty's and tke heir apparent's protection. His royal highness the Duke of Sussex, with that goodness and 102 \ consideration sir John expected from him, has informed his royal highness the Prince of Wales, who sent sir J ohu word, that " He desired to have a full detail of all that passed during their acquaintance with her royal highness the Princess of Wales, and how they became known to her, it appearing to the heir apparent, from the repre- sentation of his royal highness the duke of Sussex, that his Majesty's dearest interests, and those of this country, were very deeply involved in the question; his royal highness the Prince of Wales has commanded them to be very circumstantial in their detail respecting all they may know relative to the child the Princess of Wales affected to adopt. Sir John and Lady Douglas repeat, that, being so called upon, they feel it their duty to detail what they know, for the information of his Majesty and the Prince of Wales, and they have so done, as upon oath, after having very seriously considered the matter, and are ready to authenticate whatever they have said, if it should be required, for his Majesty's further information. I have drawn up this detail in the best manner I could; and fear, from my never having before attempted a thing of the kind, it will be full of errors, and being much fatigued from writing of it, from the original, in eight and forty hours ; of the facts contained therein, I believe they are correct ; I am ready to assert, in the most solemn manner, that I know 1 them all to be true. CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS. 103 ON THE PRECEDING NARRATIVE. (A.) Page 46. It ought not to be here a question, whether this assertion be true or false. Notwithstanding all that can be advanced by interest or partiality, the pub- lic will exercise a discretionary opinion, that is to say, they will argue on the probability or improbability of cer- tain parts of the narrative, from the apparent consistency of the whole. One question however may be asked; did the Princess, or did she not, sleep two nights at Carlton- house? The commencing sentences of the narrative 104 show, that the demand made upon Lady D. for informa- tion, was of a nature not to be evaded. What she says about her sense of duty, must be acknowledged to be mo- ral, sensible, and proper. (B.) Page 46. Are not these very creditable and jus- tifiable reasons for her interference ? Any person so edu- cated and connected, must have felt a similar inclination to make the exposure ; but few would have had sufficient resolution to place themselves in a condition for encoun- tering those dangers and that obloquy, which might have been anticipated as the result of the investigation, pro- vided that it should terminate in the way it has done. It could have required no penetration on the part of Lady Douglas to forsee that she would inevitably become an object of general indignation and injustice, as long as any part of her exposition were not implicitly believed. On the other hand, if it happened (as in fact it did) that her ipsa dixit had not been deemed sufficient evidence to authorise any public proceedings, she would nevertheless have been regarded by the public as a malignant calumniator, and the prejudice would even have been stronger against her, from the very circumstance of her details having apparently received no credence. Even the pretended friends of the Princess of Wales would not have failed to seize on this circumstance to blast the unfortunate Lady's reputation and 105 destroy her peace. We therefore repeat and insist, that an evident proof of fortitude, on the part of Lady Douglas, is, her making such a statement. Besides, her assertion, that she entered upon these particulars by de- sire of the Heir Apparent, (who could not feel otherwise than deeply interested in acquiring a just knowledge of the facts,) is sufficient to inspire the opinion that she was actuated by no other motive in this exposure, than her loyalty, or attachment to the Royal Family, to whom it appears her husband was devoted, not only as a public servant, but from motives of grateful attachment for private patronage. This person, however, and his lady, are by no means solitary instances of the instability of royal friendships. There is, perhaps, nothing more inju- rious to individual prosperity, than zealous attachment to the great from principle alone ; as such earnest at- tachments scarcely ever meet with other recompense than apathy, neglect, and callous ingratitude, and are therefore at best but a thankless waste of talents and integrity. (C.) Page 48, line 10 from the bottom. Nothing can be more likely than the preceding passages. It was ex- tremely probable that sir Sidney Smith was the informant. He is an enthusiastic sort of character; though we believe, that, sailor-like) his virtues may be assimilated with those 106 of the African negroes, which, according to the investi- gations of President Jefferson, of America, lie more in the heart than the head ! Reverting however to the sen- tence on which this note depends, who knows that sir Sidney's eulogies on the beauty and accomplishments of Lady Douglas may not have been the first excitations of that female curiosity which led to the intercourse be- tween her and the Princess f Wales ! This said female curiosity is a deuce of a thing ! A little touch of it must, we think, have operated upon that buxom demirep, Mary Wilson, who told Fanny Lloyd, that one day she saw something going forwards, at Montague-house, that " har- rowed up her soul," and made " each particular hair to stand on end, like quills upon the fretful porcupine !"* As to sir Sidney, he is a hero, alike victorious in the fields of Mars and Venus ; and his well-known prowess, like that of Mark Antony and Caesar, cannot but be a carte-blanche of introduction to the notice of the softer sex ! If report say true, it is not only at Montague-house that this fortunate admiral has made a figure. The little tyrant, Cupid, is reported to have tipped the point of his dirk with that subtle, insinuating poison, which, when aided by the imposing auxiliaries of an uniform, and fame for deeds of arms, does so much mischief in the world! In- deed, fame and externals will at any time impart to a * See Edwards's Edition of the Book, p. 104. 107 brawny, broad-shouldered waggoner, the graces of an Adonis, and level all distinctions to one common rank, with more effect than all the patriotism on earth! But it is known that the Knight of Jerusalem is equi-distant in pretensions, between the two extreme characters which we have coupled by way of contrast. We must, however, say a word or two more concerning this gal- lant admiral. Most of our readers may recollect, that sometime ago, it was asserted in all the newspapers, that " at an interview with a certain eminent character, he had entered into SMC// explanations of the occurrences at Montague-house as were deemed perfectly satisfactory, as far as related to himself, and that he had, in conse- quence, the honour of dining with the Personage in, question." Now, suppose, that by one of those extraor- dinary means, which are not to be accounted for, the whole of his precious table-talk should be known to those who could, if they should think fit, give it publicity! Would it not be a sort of a treat, to enliven the dull routine of insipidity which prevails at the winter card-tables ? This and much more certainly is known to those who can go on with the subject as long as they think proper; and afterwards the Devil, or any one else, may furnish the supplement! (D.) Page 49. This circumstance, trifling as it seems, 108 is nevertheless of great consequence to our illustrations. It shows that the Princess forced the intercourse. Her curiosity, as we have already hinted, seems to have been powerfully excited by the unqualified eulogiums of sir Sidney Smith, and this passion was not satiated with a single interview. With the natural and justifiable propen- sity of the sex, she wished to know more of the female in whose praise the men spoke so loudly. She, therefore* not only invites her to her house, but introduces her, as a chosen associate, to her select and noble friends ! This much at least, we are authorised to infer, from the part of the narrative now under consideration. (E.) Page 50. In this as well as some other parts of the narrative, there certainly does seem something ex- tremely capricious, and it might be said, even fulsome, on the part of the Princess of Wales. We are certain, that any English lady must be disgusted with such nauseating liberties, if such were ever taken with her, by one of her own sex : they remind us of the " Memoirs of Antonina, Queen of Abo /" The only palliation which can be offered for such freedoms is the loose and perhaps harmless, but certainly indelicate, customs of the continent! Without any inclination to place implicit confidence in this part of the narrative, we shall nevertheless here take occasion to say, that whatever may be the prejudice against Lady 109 Douglas on account of the contents of the whole of her remarks, there are some parts which bear such evident marks of probability, that sophistry itself would be lost hi attempting to enter the mazes of justification! (F.) Page 50. It is very likely, admitting this not to be totally destitute of truth, that many of the associates of the Princess of Wales, who were then present, must have been struck with this absurd conduct ; and it may have become the subject of their subsequent observa- tions. Indeed, if various sinister remarks were not well known to have been current on this very topic, long be- fore the appearance of the Book, one might the more easily suppose it to be altogether a fabrication. But every person connected with the fashionable world, knows such matters to have been the theme of constant con- versation in all high associations. (G.) Page 51. Now, suppose the question of the ve- racity of Lady Douglas were to be put at issue on the truth or falsehood of this very passage. Could the Duke of Kent not recollect whether any thing so ridiculously gallant did or did not take place? Suppose the cen- surable indiscretions of the end of last year should- be re- newed in the present season, how easily might recourse be had to such evidence as would rebut the charges of the 110 " stingers and venomers !" Certainly the Duke of Kent could either give an unequivocal denial of the occur- rence, or he must admit the statement to be literally cor- rect ; for it is too brief and pointed to be frittered down or modified. (H.) Page 51. Enough has already been said (that is, presupposing anj veracity in the narrative) to justify this opinion of Lady Douglas; the term might have been more strong without any violation of propriety. (I.) Page 53. In the whole of the preceding passages, there is described a degree of kindness on the part of the Princess towards Lady Douglas which indicates a forma- tion of the strongest partiality. The offer was of that generous and condescending nature which never fails to excite gratitude in the breast of parties so honoured, pro- vided they have any pretensions to decency or sentiment. Could it then be any trifle, any insignificant or pitiful pique, which could have induced Lady Douglas to invent gross and scandalous falsehoods and calumnies? There may be such baseness in the world ; but it must appear to us in a " tangible shape," before we can give credit to it! Consistency, leaving decency out of the question, is at variance with the 'supposition that this story is the " mere invention of an enemy." We are, therefore, on Ill the whole, more than ever inclined to believe in the asser- tion at page 45, respecting the only motives that induced Lady D. to make the exposure. (K.) Page 54. This is really a very strong and bold as- sertion. It is one of those which have drawn down so much contumely upon the head of the unfortunate au- thor; and we may be certain, that it is either an infamous libel, or it must have some foundation in fact. All who have been acquainted with that personage must know well enough, whether her general conversation could be at all liable to the construction here put upon it. The con- cluding inference of Lady Douglas may be deemed se- vere ; but, if the previous assertions have the least founda- tion, then is the conclusion liberal, inasmuch as it seeks to find a natural justification for what is morally inde- fensible ! (L.) Page 55. This is a mere matter of opinion, which the public have no more right to believe than they have to censure the author for asserting it. It has been said, and most truly, that women are no judges of each others' beauty. Talents, however, may be estimated by an unerring scale; and such is 'their attraction, when pos- sessed by females in high or genteel life, that one hour's conversation affords sufficient scope to discover the full 112 extent of them. We should be sorry to believe that Lady Douglas has not here been influenced by some por- tion of prejudice. (M.) Page 06. The whole of this story is ludicrous, nay, ridiculous ; and its accuracy appears less question- able than several of the other assertions in the narrative. It would make a good scene in a modern novel. (N.) Page 56. This and other parts of some sentences, in the narrative, though marked in italic letters by Lady Douglas, are no farther worthy of notice than because they are German idioms. Persons unacquainted with this fact, may be apt to put an indelicate construction upon the phrase, as it appears in print. We may, however, observe, en passant, that foreigners, even when well ac- quainted with our language, find nothing so difficult as to get rid of these idioms. It is evident, that Lady Douglas has recorded them in a way which she could not have done, unless accustomed to the talk of persons wh& do not speak English correctly. (O.) Page 58. There is certainly nothing criminal in this expression of astonishment; for we have la- mentable proofs that such things are always happening. Alas ! many a baneful, slippery, serpent insinuates itself 113 into the Eden of domestic happiness, and gluts upon FORBIDDEN FRUIT: hence, when hospitality is so fre- quently invaded by the infamy of false friends, th* finding of exceptions in high life is as surprising as it is creditable to those ladies who are less licentious than their neigh- bours! (P.) Page 38. This is, indeed, the true philosophy of the German school ; and, if the opinion in question were really that of the Personage alluded to, she must be a pro- found admirer of the works of that school, which would have made dreadful havoc on the foundations of our mo- rality, if British good sense had not consigned them to merited contempt and oblivion. (Q.) Page 59. There has been by far too much con- sequence attached to this Letter. Every body who had heard it mentioned before the appearance of the Book, believed it to be a carte blanche, for the Princess to fill up, in what manner she pleased ! We surely need not enlarge upon the fact, that it is nothing of the kind; nor can the most splenetic critic torture it into a document which allows the smallest liberty to the Lady, beyond a conduct of strict propriety. There is no other part of the Book, at the publicity of which the illustrious Letter- writer has so much reason to be gratified ; as it vindicates i 114 his character from a groundless, though reputed stain, to whir.h it had for years 'been subjected. (R.) Page 60. Her Royal Highness's subsequent expe- rience must have amply convinced her of what she might here have meant to say. The Addressers, amidst all their fulsome flattery, took care to remind her, that this is the only country in which justice can be obtained by persons of every rank. We trust the melancholy fate of her il- lustrious and unfortunate aunt, the late Queen of Den- mark, was present in her mind's eye, when she paid this feeling tribute to British liberty. (S.) Page 62. A very, natural apprehension of Lady Douglas: though the same question might have been asked by any other female, on hearing so preposterous an exposition. (T.) Page 63. We cannot admit this inference to be correct. Has Lady Douglas ever known such an instance as she here pr-e-supposes ? We think not. But we have more to say on this subject, which may not be very pleasing to Lady Douglas herself, though it will be one farther proof of our own independence of all parties > or persons, named in this, publication. There is.a blunt old Kn^lish proverb, which is here very apposite; it runs 115 thus : " Give even unto tJie Devil his due !" Now we cannot for a moment persuade ourselves that the passages which precede tiiis note have a just foundation. We have, all through this our pamphlet, defended Lady D. on the ground of her having sworn to the principal points in this statement ; and we repeat, that till proofs of perjury be offered, the world is bound to believe her. Still there is something so unnaturally improbable in this part of her narrative, that we would fain persuade ourselves it is alto- gether a gross misconstruction of certain ideas expressed in imperfect English ! But if this liberal supposition were to be contested, how greatly must the character of Lady Douglas sink, through her conduct on the occasion, if not in point of morality, at least in the scale of intellectual firmness. If it were possible that she could have been so grossly insulted, it ought not to have required a moment's hesitation on her part, to resolve to quit, for ever,'a man- sion, in which so great an outrage had been offered to her sense of modesty and decency ! Even if she were a timid woman, she might at least have summoned sufficient fortitude to inform her husband of the disgusting particu- lars ; for not even Royalty, or any thing that bears its semblance, should ever be suffered to abase the dignity of female virtue. If it could be said, that a proper retort and abrupt departure might have been taken as insult, we answer, let it have been so ; and it would have been be- 11(5 yond all comparison inferior to the insult which, accord- ing to her own account, she herself had received. How different was the conduct of PUBLIUS RUTILIUS, as re- corded by VALERIUS! but he, to be sure, was not a woman, but a spirited Roman : being requested by his Prince and companion to do something inconsistent with the dignity of his character, he sharply refused; on which the Prince asked him what the belter he was for his friendship, if he would hesitate at such a trifling proposi- tion as was made to him ? Stop, said RUTJLIUS, and tell me what the better / am for such a friend as you, who would wish me to compromise my morality ! But we see how it was with Lady Douglas; she was, throughout her intercourse at Montague-house, afraid of giving offence! (V.) Page 64. Why has not Lady Douglas published the names of all the persons who were present on such occasions, as witnesses of such disreputable conversation, if it really did take place, for here again we cannot persuade ourselves that Lady Douglas has not fallen into some un- intentional error. It is very d : fficult to recollect the par- ticulars of a desultory conversation. We have ourselves heard strange sayings in private, by several persons, who we know were, at the time in question, constant visitors at Montague-house. We could even insert the names of some ten or twelve distinguished characters, who used to 117 amuse themselves and their friends with a series of delect- able anecdotes ! But we are too charitable to draw the eyes of the public upon many fashionable persons, whose characters would not receive the smallest benefit from the elucidation's which we could throw upon them. (U.) Page ()4. We do not think that Lord Sidmouth has ever, by his conduct as a Minister, merited the abuse or even the satire of any person, although he has met with a tolerable share of both. In his political station, he is polite and unassuming, and totally divested of that official sang-froid, or those cold repulsive manners, which have their origin only in family or national pride, and shallowness of intellect. Has any high personage yet to learn, that talents are not the constant appendage of those who are " born to greatness," and that many a brainless head and callous heart can support the weight of a coronet ! We can assure the Princess of Wales, that there are many persons who owe nothing to birth, but who- are, nevertheless, quali- fied for all the duties of modern Statesmen, to be found in places where she has never once thought of looking for them ! Lord Sidmouth, probably, never heard the high opinion which was entertained of him in a certain quarter, till he observed it last March, at the Board of the Privy Coun- cil; and on that occasion, we have been told, that the sedate assemblage found it impossible to preserve their gravity ! 118 Respecting the whole of the stuff, which fills pages 64 and 65, we do not think that its publicity is of the least consequence whatever, and that it ought nof. to have excited a moment's chagrin in the breasts of any of the persons who are exposed in it : though it certainly ex- ceeds all the gossiping satires of old-maidism, that ever have been brought forward at the tea-table. Yet we know that it was this part of the Book, more than any part, which caused the memorable struggle and artifices to keep the whole for ever from the public eye ! We, however, regard the observations as equally silly, laugh- able, and contemptible ; and it may be said of them, with nearly as much truth as the remark was made on the works of a noted modern Poet, that they will be remem- bered by the world (only) when those of Shakspeare are forgotten ! (W.W.) Page 70. It is certainly less a joke in this country than in any other ; for here many a noble hearted fellow has paid for such fun the forfeit of his life. We think there must have been some basis for this detail. It surely could not have been ALL fabricated! (W.) Page 68. This is a most indecent and illibe- ral remark of Lady DOUGLAS. It has no relation what- ever to the subject of her narrative; and we are, in fact, 119 totally at a loss to discover a motive which she could have had, for \vouudiug the feelings of ladies who have the misfortune to be in a dependant situation (for dependence of any sort is a misfortune to persons who have beeu liberally brought up.) That they must be truly respecta- ble persons we are bound to infer, from the situations to which they were appointed. (X.) Page 77- We really see nothing to censure iu this lively condescension of the illustrious female. It shows at least, that she is totally destitute of pride that obnoxious though too frequent attendant on stiff, starched rank. It is a pity, however, that her Royal Highness had not learned how to qualify her condescension, so as to draw the line between thai familiarity which leads to disrespect, while it compromises true dignity, and that repulsive and despicable hauteur which seems to acknowledge no created equal. (Y.) Page 73. There must, in all probability, have been several other persons in the room, besides Doctor Mackie some four or Jive. Perhaps some of these are yet amongst the living, and have seen these assertions in the Book. What then F says the reader. Why, what we mean to say is, that they cannot but know whether these assertions of Lady Douglas are true or false. 120 (Z.) Page 77. This is merely a. matter of taste, in which great personages have all possible right to indulge, and which John Bull, who sticks to his beef and pudding, has no right to condemn. DIOCLETIAN, when clothed in the imperial purple, caused lampreys to be raised for his own eating ; and we have even heard that fried sprats have sometimes been considered as a dainty at a Royal table. As to sitting upon the carpet, and taking supper in that position, there is nothing in this but the same good humoured eccentricity we have already been pleased with. In Turkey such conduct would be thought no- thing of! (A. A.) Page 78. This really does seem too absurd for credibility. It is liable to those objections which have been started against other passages. v (B.B.) Page 79- A reason is here given for the illus- trious female's partiality to the Smith family, which is as affecting as it is natural. Gratitude for service of any kind/ is a sentiment so rarely to be found in high life, that when it does occur, the solitary instance ought to be hailed with all possible exultation. (C.C.) Page 80. Lady Douglas is here not correct in the idea which she would express. She could not tell 121 what was passing in her Royal Highness's mind: what she meant to say doubtlessly vt as, that, in her opinion, the Prin- cess appeared to hesitate, 8cc. 8cc. (D.D.) Page 87. This correspondence, we have strong reasons for thinking, will at no remote time be published. (E.E.) Page 88. Respecting the Duke of Sussex and Sir John Douglas, we should like to ask a very plain ques- tion of those who can answer it. It is well known, not merely from what is stated in the Book, that Sir John held a confidential and honourable post in this Prince's establishment. He was not merely in this employ at the time of the delicate misunderstanding; but he continued in it tiH the spring of the present year, 1813. Just after the late explosion, however, and not before, (that is to say eight years after Lady Douglas w as called upon for her testimony,) Sir John was said to have been dismissed from his situation. The Pilot Newspaper, at the time in ques- tion, contained the following paragraph: " We are in- formed, from good authority, that the Duke of Sussex has auspended sir John Douglas from attendance upon his Royal Highness in the capacity of equerry." Now we would wish to ask why sir John was dismissed from at tendance at this particular time, and not before ? It looks 122 as if either his past conduct had increased in enormity (if there' were ever any thing improper in it) with the increase of time, or else that the illustrious Du.k * ;vas complaisant enough to make, in the dismission of the Knight, a sort of solemn offering to the V ox Populi ! (F.F.) Page 89- " Barium et mutabile semper Famitia !" (G. G.) Page 92. If the reader can divest himself of the idea of the vast difference between the rank these ladies respectively hold in society, he will see, in this part of the business, nothing but an ordinary and ridiculous squabble between two females ; one of whom, having received a pique, exercises her natural r^ght of resentment. (H. H.) Page '95. There appears no doubt that this rupture took place with all the acrimony here exposed ; as the same fact is mentioned by his Royal Highness of Kent, in the Book. (I. 1.) Ibid. From this we may draw the general in- ference, that some women can keep the secrets of others better than they can themselves. (K. K.) Page 96. It ought to be recollected, in justice 123 to sir John, that this belief was expressed before the inves- tigation, so happily and completely proved he was mis- taken. (L. L.) Ibid. If Lady Douglas had doubts about the author or designer of such a precioiis article, she should have handed it over to those puritanical mounte- banks, the Society for the Suppression of Vice! But we forget these godly quacks, no doiibt, would not have dared to interfere ; they seem, in their operations, to ack- nowledge, with our immortal bard, that, when vice is plated with gold, it is invulnerable. (M. M.) Page 101. From this we may conjecture what is yet likely to happen. If sir John Douglas owed as much to his own feelings when all this took place, what does he not owe to them now*? Is it to be supposed that he will sit down tamely, for the rest of his life, under such a load of open outrage, insult, and cruel injustice, as he has experienced? If he do, vre think there will be no doubt, in the Court of Honour, that he merits all he has received. We are, in our own mind, convinced of the contrary. The press is said (how truly we cannot declare) to be already at work on a new Book, which is expected to contain an unreserved detail of every mat- ter which has arisen out of, and had any bearing upon, the 124 remarkable and unfortunate intercourse between the Princess of Wales and Lady Douglas. The reader of the preceding passages readily perceive, that the Commentaries on the Narrative might have been extended to a much greater length, if there had been any necessity for such enlargement ; as there is scarcely a sentence of that document which does n*ot afford strong ground for observation. It was not, however, the object of the author to make a Book; in proof of which, the reader is de- sired to observe, that two-thirds of the whole contents of the present tract are printed with small types ; and in consequence, it contains about half as much more matter than is usu- ally sold for its price. The principal object of the author, as has been already observed, is, to vindicate Lady Douglas against the prejudices of the public at large; but it must have ben discovered, that the Defence has been written in the perfect spirit of independence ; for Lady Douglas has not been spared on such points of her conduct 125 as the writer has chosen to think demanded animadversion. It may, however, be supposed by many, that Lady Douglas herself has had some con- cern in the production of this tract ; that she or her friends have solicited the author to pre- pare it; that hints have been communicated for its contents; in short, that this lady herself may have been the author of more than what therein appears with her name ! The writer knows too well the perfect use- lessness of attempting to overcome prejudice or prepossession. If it were in this place to be solemnly declared, that neither sir John nor Lady Douglas could possibly have known any thing of this publication till they saiv it adver- tised; and that its author (whose sex is not > declared, because that is of no consequence to the public) NEVER either saw them or either of them ; never corresponded with them, or had the least communication , directly or in- directly , on their behalf; and farther, that all possible means have been taken to prevent the name 126 of the said writer from becoming known to them or to any one else, except to the persons neces- sarily concerned in the production of the tract If these assertions, we say, were ever so so- lemnly made, it is evident, that nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand readers would not believe one word of them : all declarations on this head shall therefore be withheld : it is useless to waste words, in attempting to remove incredulity. The pub- lic, therefore, well satisfied as they , must be with the quantity of matter here presented- to them, and equally gratified as it is hoped that most of them (but not all!) will be with its quality y are at liberty to draw, respecting the Author, whatever inferences they may think proper ! PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION, IN ONE VOLUME, OCTAVO, A COMPLETE REVIEW of the Work generally known by the Title of .THE BOOK; in which the Parts forming the EVIDENCE and the DEFENCE, will be critically and analytically e THE IMPORTANT TRIAL OP JOHNM1TFORD, Esq. ON THE PROSECUTION OF J,ADY VISCOUNTESS JFor AT GUILDHALL, ON THURSDAY, FEE. 24, 1814, BEFORE LORD ELLENBOROUGH, Forming a Clue to the Discussions which took place relative to the djfairs of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, in the beginning of the Year 1813. ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. BY THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A NUMBER OF ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM LADY PERCEVAL AND JOHN MiTFORP, ESd. NEVER YET PUBLISHED. " Nobility with us is an object of contempt when the action corresponds not with the rank ; and high birth or exalted stations, so far, in our home-spun ideas, from forming an excuse for mean and dirty actions, is their great- est aggravation." THE NEWS, June 6, 1813. LONDON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY T. A. FHIPPS, NEWS OFFICE, 28, BHYDGES-STREET, COVENT-GARDEN. JND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS IN THE VHITED KINGDOM. 1814. JUOU'I 1H . V.I 3/{ /: \i - ' TO THE PUBLIC. STANDING as I do under the charge of a Libeller * of a libeller of Lady Viscountess Perceval, it would be 1 both in- decent and improper in me, on this occasion, to make any comments on her ladyship's conduct. I am accused of stating in my paper (The JVeivsJ, that I gave credit to the solemn oath of Mr. Mitford, when he affirmed, that he had re- ceived the forged letters in question from Lady Perceval. Had I not done so, I never should have published them. * This circumstance was amply commented upon by Mr. Holt, in the late Trial, and was urged by him to the Jury, as an impeachment of my evidence in favour of Mitford. How unjustly, will appear from the two following circumstances : 1st. I was not subpoenaed as a witness by Mit- ford's, but by Lady Perceval's attorney, and attended the Trial not as his but as her evidence. If I was supposed to be a partial witness, why did she subpoana me ? 2d. I do lay under the imputation of a libeller of Lady Perceval ; and have lain under that imputation ever since July 1813, when she tendered a bill against me at Hick's Hall. But it has not been my fault ; and Mr. Holt, when he made Ins speech, knew that it had not been my fault, that the imputation was not long since either justified or done away. The cause was expected to come on at the September Quarter Sessions ; and I then publicly declared my readiness to meet it, but Lady Perceval removed it by certiorari into the Court of King's Bench. In that Court it was set down for Trial last Michaelmas Term ; and again I declared my readiness to answer the accusation ; but again Lady Perceval put it off. It was expected to come on last Hilary Term, and a third time I attended with my legal defenders. But a third time it was put off, at Lady Perce- val's suggestion. Am I then not justified in saying, that had her ladyship been half as eager to wipe off the imputation on her name, as I have been to erase it from mine, her counsel (Mr. Holt) would never have had the opportunity of throwing a doubt on my evidence, on account of my lying under the charge of being a libeller? Edit. IV 1 do so still, and now am borne out in my credence by the fiat of a Jury and the dictum of a Judge. I am also accused of having imputed to Lady Perceval a knowledge of the letters, previous to the moment Mr. Mitford delivered them for publication into my hands. In other words, I am accused of saying, that her Ladyship either forged the letters, or uttered them knowing them to be forged. Such " is the head and front of my offending." As this point is still unsettled, I shall there- fore at present decline entering into any remarks on her ladyship's conduct towards me. A plain narrative of fajts, is however necessary, as a key to the following trial; and this I shall transcribe principally from statements made in my defence, from time to time, in The News, adding to them such circumstances of an important nature, as have, Miice their insertion, come to my knowledge ; and which 1 have hud opportunities of verifying. C.vrp.ACT FR, :M THE KFAVS OF APRIL HTH, 1813 THE Su&bAY A1TKR THE PUBLICATION- OT THE FORGED LET- TKRS, BEING THE EXPLANATION I HAD INTOBMED LADY PEKCEVAL, I FELT MYSELF BOUND IN* HONOR TO MAKE TO THE PUBLIC. The Editor of the Neivs to the Public. " I am well aware, that in the appeal I am about ta ji;al-;e to the Public, 1 should state a very strong case, to justify the disclosure of documents and circumstances of the nature of those which follow. Not all the abuse poured upon me by my brother Editors, in which they have not been sparing, for having published what they have been pleased to call ' a gross imposition and forgery' not all the reflec- tions which have been put forth upon the weakness of my un- derstanding, and upon my fitness to conduct a newspaper, for suffering myself to be imposed upon by what Mr. PERRY, of The Chronicle, and others, have presumed to term, ' so * palpable and at the same tirtie so audacious a forgery'- V nothing of this kind would have made the least impression upon me*. I have been too many years the Conductor of a newspaper, not to be well aware of the little jealousies uni- formly shewn towards any journal, distinguished by the con- fidence of a party which may happen to stand high in the popular estimation. 1 know too well how prone many of us are to run down another, whom they suspect enjoys a con- fidence from which they are excluded, to suffer the scvn> rility of a host of public writers to give me a moment's un- easiness. Had I been called a dupe, had I been accused of being associated with an impostor, had every provocation been given me to speak out, which the English language is capable of, my defence should have rested upon mysimple asseveration ; and I would have trusted to the general cha- racter of my newspaper, to have convinced the public, that 1 was not likely to become the one, or capable of associating myself with the other. Something else than the undeserved abuse of my contemporaries was wanting, to induce me to break the charm which bound me to secrecy. That some* thing) I regret to say, has been applied, and that charm, which bound me to secrecy, is broken, by the very hand which originally formed it. It is a painful task I have imposed upon myself; but I feel I owe it to the public, from whom I derive a liberal competency, I feel I owe it to my character and reputation, as a man of integrity, and as a man pretend- ing to some discernment, to prove that I have not been im- posed upon: and that 1 have not published, wilfully or in- tentionally (what has been since pronounced to be) a forged document. " To the regular Readers of The News, it is unnecessary to expatiate on the enthusiasm with which 1 have advocated, * M> brethren were however by no means sparing of me on this oc- casion. . I was like the wounded deer, almost run down by the herd. Oiir w;i- amazed at my stupidity; another was astonished at my Friday, March 26, Mr. Mitford came about four o'clock to my house, accompanied by Mr. Speech- ley*, a relative of Lady Perceval, and delivered to me for pub- lication a statement of two occurrences which had taken place at Montague-house on that morning. The following is a cor- rect copy of the paper he gave to me, now in my possession, all in the hand-writing of Lady Viscountess Perceval, The day afterwards, Mr. Mitford informed me, in the presence of Mr. Speechley, that this statement was copied by Lady * This young man is, I have since learned, not a relative of Lady Per- ceval, but the nephew of a woman who has lived many years in her lady- ship's family, and who was her nurse. On the Trial, Lady Perceval de- nied having sent any articles, particularly to The Netes, for insertion ; and yet Speechley, more than once, accompanied Mitford to my house, and, it is natural to suppose, with the knowledge of Lady Perceval, with whom he constantly resided. Edit, IX Perceval, from a letter in the hand-writing of her Royal Highness, addressed to her ladyship. See Appendix t No. VII. " Mr. Mitford requested me to write some remarks on these two occurrences, and from the same authority, he de- sired I would publish the particular- of f the New Secret In- 'qniryj and the circumstance of the offer of 20,000/. being made to Captain Manby, which I published in The News, of Sunday, March 28. ' Mr. Mitford came again to my house on the Saturday, March 2/, and having read my manuscript observations on the two occurrence?, he expressed his entire approbation of them. Learning from me, that he might have a proof -sheet of the next day's paper as early as seven o'clock on that evening, he said he should call to see it, and about eight o'clock he returned, accompanied by Mr. Speechley ; when be read over what 1 had written, on the ' -New Inquiry,' on the offer made to Captain Manby, and on the two occurrences relative to the two-penny post letters, and the delivery of the Duchess of Brunswick's Will ; which had on the day before taken place at Montague-house. Of all he was pleased to express his great approbation ; observ- ing (in Mr. Speechley 's presence), that he had no doubt they would afford much pleasure at Blackheath*. " On the following Monday, March 29, Mr. Mitford again called ; he spoke in the warmest terms of the satisfac- tion The News of the preceding day had given at Black- heath, and said, he expected a packet to arrive at my house, between the hours of four and six, addressed to himself. This packet, he said, was to contain the letters which passed between her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales, and her Royal Father, respecting the visit of the former to her illustrious mother. These letters, Mr. Mitford informed me, were to be published in The Neivs of the ensuing Sun- * By " Blackheath," I always understood Mitford to mean Lady Per- eval, whose residence is in Dartmouth-row, Blackheath. Edit. b day. During the time he remained with me, and whilst waiting for the arrival of the packet alluded to, he wrote, in my presence, a letter to Mr. Walter, of The Times office, authenticating the intelligence in The News, of the preced- ing 1 day, respecting the two-penny post letters, the Duchess of Brunswick's Will, Captain Manby, and the Ne\v In- quiry: informing him it would oblige her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, if lie would, in The Times, take some notice of these circumstances, which were all correct. . After remaining some time, waiting with much anxiety for the packet he had spoken of, he went away, first writing and de- livering to me, open, the following letter*, to be given to the servant, who was expected to bring it: See ^tppeftdbfo No. V11I. " It is here necessary to remark, that on my shewing this letter to Lady Anne Hamilton, to whom it is addressed, on Sunday last, Lady Anne assured me she never saw A/ir. Mitford! I liave no reason to doubt the word of her lady- ship. The candour which 1 experienced from her, in a long 1 audience with which she honoured me on that day, convinces me I may implicitly rely on every word she uttered f. Her ladyship, however, at the same time referred to what she had before informed me respecting the carte blanche, which Lady Perceval possessed, of using her name, and expressed po other sentiment than surprise, at the familiar manner in which this note was couched. " I now arrive at another interesting epoch of this curious business, to which I request my readers' particular attention. * Some use was endeavoured to Le made of this letter against Mitford, on the Trial, as having addressed a letter to a lady, who swore slie knew nothing of him. But it was proved from her own letters, that Lady Perceva.1 desired him occasionally to write to her under the cover of Lady Anne Hamilton's name. Edit. f Her ladyship has, hov.ever, since undeceived me as to this comic- lion ; for on the Trial her oath and mine, as to the circumstances which 1 ajsed at this interview, were directly opposed to each other. Edit, XI On Mr. Mitford leaving me on the Monday evening, March 29, he promised to return early on the following morning. At some inconvenience to my private concerns, 1 waited at home for him the whole of Tuesday, he never came near me j the same on Wednesday ; still he absented himself, On the evening of that day, weary of giving up my time to a man who appeared so inattentive to the business intrusted to him, I addressed a letter to * John Mitford, Esq. at Vis- countess Perceval's, Curzon-street, Mayfair;' and, consist- ent with my idea of the delicacy proper on such an occasion, I delivered it myself at her ladyship's house, to a servant, who said Mr. Mitford was not there, but that he should quickly be in possession of it. Of this letter I preserved no copy, but as far as my recollection carries me, it was written in rather an angry manner, at his suffering me to remain so long in a state of anxious expectation ; and it concluded by re- questing to let me see him as soon as possible, on account of the advanced state of the week. I naturally expected to hear from him on the following day ; but having waited with- out effect until seven o'clock, I left home for the purpose of passing the evening in Greek-street, Soho. In the interim he called at my house about ten o'clock, and having learned where I was, he came to me, and between ten and eleven I was called from my friends by a servant, and introduced to the long-expected Mr. Mitford. He commenced by apolo- gizing for his apparent inattention* and then produced a paper, which contained the letters 1 published in The News of last Sunday: these letters I again publish this day, and I leave it to the public to decide, from what I have already stated, and shall further state, whether they are or are nof genuine ; and whether, coming from the respectable source they did, I could or ought to have entertained any suspicion of their being fabricated documents. It is certainly not in my power to prove their authenticity, nor have I seen the originals ; and if I had, I should not stand better as to proof^ ill not even knowing the hand-writing of the noble lords whose correspondence they purport to be. But, if they are forge- ries, it is easy for the noble lords to declare them such : aind the silence, oi these noble lords respecting this correspondence *is.,well worthy of remark and consideration. This, however, 1 boldly aver: I received these documents from Mr. John Mitford, fr.mi the same person ..who,, on Sunday the 21st oi* March, called and delivered to me a letter in answer to one I had written to Lady Anne Hamilton, a circumstance known only to Lady Anne and myself, unless, as I presume, and I confidently appeal to her ladyship to contradict it, if I am ia an error. .she sent my letter to Lady Viscountess Perceval for consideration and for reply. At any rate, I am able to prove the answer this gentleman brought me is in the hand-- writing of Lady Perceval. I therefore repeat, I received these documents from him, from the same person who, on Friday the iZGth of March, brought me the statement of two occurrences which had that morning taken place at Montague- house, respecting the receipt of two two-penny post letters, and the disrespectful delivery of the ivill of the late Duchess of Brunswick; a statement now in my possession, and which I am able to prove is all in the hand-writing of Lady Vis- countess Perceval. Thus did I come into possession of these letters which have been pronounced forgeries ; but which I must, until contradicted by one of the noble lords, believe to be, with the exception of some verbal inaccuracies, strictly genuine *. " On delivering to me these letters, Mr. Mitford stated that he was directed by the Princess of Wales to give them t;> me for the purpose of publication f, and that they were to ""_ - : * Such undoubtedly was my conviction at the time I wrote this article, HI, (lit was a good deal .strengthened by the forbearance of the noblemen in quistjoii, iu not brinpn me up to the bar of the House of .Lords. 1 need II >t add, my opinion wn. this subject is now reversed. Edit. f On the Trial I was sharj'ly questioned by Mr. Holt, as to the ground liii appear in The News of the Sunday following, I lamented the advanced state of the week j observing,, that it afforded me a very small scope of time for previously informing the public, that I was about to publish such important documents. To this he replied, that I should print hand-bills, &c. &c. which I agreed to clo. He staid with me nearly an hour; and in the course of conversation, took occasion to repeat the very favourable commendations the Princess of Wales had been pleased to bestow upon my exertions in her behalf ; and to confirm his words, he took from his pocket a letter, which he informed me was written by her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and presented it to me to read *. Having requested me to make some remarks on the documents he left icith me t he took his leave, promising to call the next day, when he said he should be able to bring me the last letter of Lord on v.'iieh I made tlic above assertion, it being deemed by him incompati- ble with Mitford's oath, that he had received these letters from Lady Per- ceval ; and with my e>idnre to the same effect. Mr. Mitford certainly did puce inform me, that he received directions from the Princess of \\alrg i:> U.V.L- me the forged letters lor publication; but he always said, that he Ii.id them from the hands of Lady Perceval, with similar orders. I then deemed his information, as to the Princess, an embellishment of an actual fact 5 and the circumstance of his oath not confirming it, makes me still suppose it.so. Edit, * Fora copy of this letter see Appendix, No. IX. As to its authenti- city, I have had several opinions. Her Royal Highness's Vice Chamber- lain, Sir. St. Leger, .it once pronounced it a forgery. Lady Anne Hamil- .inioii of it I have given in my evidence on the Trial. One remark- able circumstance \vhicli attends this letter, may produce conviction in the minds of many, that it is a genuine production. ( shall therefore mention it. Her Royal Highness generally signs C. P. in the manner of a cypher or anagram, the two letters in one. The signature to this note ig nut so the letters are separate, C. P. Now a person intending to forge the hand-writing of another would, it is probable at least, endeavour to copy such a peculiarity as that here named. The outward signs of imita- tion, it is natural to suppose would, at least, appear in a forgery-. Whether" or not it be a forgery, it d,-it--, not, in the least, impeach Mr. Mitfcrd'g cre- ililility ; for he always asserted, thnt the letter \vas given to him by Lady Perceval. Edit, 7>lverpool, which had not arrived when he left Blackheatb. that morning, but the contents of which they knew. He returned to me on the Friday, April 2, according to his pro- mise, and having read the observations I had written on the documents, he expressed a great inclination that I would suffer him to take them to Blackheath, promising to return them to me the same evening. This I agreed to. He then expressed a wish to have the manuscript he had given me returned to him that he might make such corrections as it required, having before told me that he copied it in the presence of the Princess of Wales ; but that " her Royal Highness talking to him during the time, confused him, and he was fearful there might be a verbal error or two in it." I gave him his manuscript, which he almost immediately re- turned into my hands, saying, " I must not deprive you of this, for you will want it to print by during my absence" Having, however, informed him, that I had taken a fair and correct copy, he again took it, and put it, with my manu- script remarks, in his pocket. Before he left me, I asked whether I was taking too great a liberty in requesting of him to give me the note he had shewn me the evening before from her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, observing, that it would afford me considerable gratification to be in possession of a letter in which my humble exertions were noticed by so illustrious an individual ? he gave it me imme- diately. We then parted ; Mr. Mitford repeating his promise of returning in the evening with my manuscript remarks, a corrected copy of the document, and the last letter of Lord Liverpool. As I did not see this gentleman again until Sun- day last, when I met him coming out of Lady Perceval's house, in Dartmouth Row, Blacklwath. I must here make a few observations on this his last visit to me." I lay claim to no other discernment in distinguishing a Togue.from an honest man, than that which an active life and some knowledge of the world of necessity confer on every one. XV The conduct of Mr. Mitford in concealing himself, and in tamely submitting to be called opprobrious names, stamp no credit upon his character. Still I acquit, wholly acquit him of any premeditated design in taking the two manuscripts with him on Friday, as I have described. I am sure that had I expressed the smallest objection to his having either of them, he would directly have admitted it. In point of fact, I rather gave them him than he took them. Besides, if he then en- tertained an idea either of imposing upon me, or afterwards of disavowing me, why give me the Princess of Wales's letter, in which I was so honourably mentioned ? why provide me with this weapon ? her Royal Highness's letter was not neces- sary to make me confide in him more than I did. Why, I repeat, then give me such an important document, if lie meant to rob me of my own manuscript, and never sec me again ? J knew him as the man, who had brought me important in- formation information which I had published, and which, if not correct, I knew myself amenable to the law for having so done. I knew him as the man who had brought me in- formation in the hand-writing of Lady Perceval ; information which, in the presence of a friend of mine, Mr. Speechley stated to be copied by her ladyship, from a letter in the hand- writing- of the Princess of Wales. What reason, therefore, had I to mistrust him, and what reason had he to give me a letter as from her Royal Highness, if he then intended to de- ceive me ? I now resume my narrative. " Having waited with anxiety the return of Mitford the whole of Friday night, and great part of Saturday, I imagined some accident had befallen him. He had left me with strict orders to publish the documents, and he knew that I had an authentic copy of them. I therefore conceived I was right in proceeding, more especially as I was in some degree pledged to the public ; having, by Mr. Mitford's directions, fssued hand-bills, advertisements, &c. &c. Still., two words XVI from him would have stopped me, a consideration whfcfi much influenced me in publishing them. I, therefore, ad well as I was able, from recollection, re-wrote the remarkf Mr. Mi t ford hud, on the previous day, taken away with him, and submitted the whole to the public in The News of Sun- day last*. Deeming it however respectful to Lady Per that she should be informed of the hasty manner in which Mr. Mitford 's extraordinary conduct had compelled me to write my remarks on the important documents I published, I wrote her Ladyship the following letter, which was delivered fct Perceval Lodge, Blackhcath, with a newspaper, about eight o'clock last Sunday morning : See Appendix, No. X. " In consequence of this letter, I was, about 1 "2 o'clock last Sunday morning, waited upon by Mr. Speechley, the gen- tleman who had twice accompanied Mr. Mitford to my house. He said he came from Lady Perceval, that she knew nothing^ of the letters, and that she feared there was some mistake. This surprised me, and 1 determined to wait on Lady Anne Hamilton. On sending up my card, I was immediately ad- mitted, and my first question was (: Whether her ladyship believed the letters authentic ?" She replied, she knew no- thing of them. I then entered into an explanation of all that had passed between Mr. Mitford and myself, on which her ladyship said, " She never saw Mr. Mitford ; but be- lieved him to be a distant relative of Lady Perceval, and that if I luas sure I received them Jrom him (Mr. Mitfo.-dJ, she saw nothing on the face of the letters, which gave her * This extraordinary conduct of Mr. Mitford occasioned all the sub- cqucut occurrences respecting these letters. It was, 1 really believe,, " # mistake," that the letters were j>u':ii:-'.ied on the day they weir. The );l"t then, was not properly prepared; the agent ll-en, was n-.t |>i-o;;i rly dis- posed of at the Tiger's llcml, at Lea ; or at Mother Hardeastle's, at Wool- wich, as originally intended. In another week all these minor arrange* ments mijjht have been made ; and the Editor of The A'eas kit to hunt his quondam acquaintance, Mitford, without effect, through all the mad- houses in the kingdom. Edit, XVII reason to doubt their authenticity. That her name being to one of them, a little surprised her, as it was the usual eti- quette to affix the signature of the lady in waiting to all such documents, and that Lady Charlotte Lyndsay was then in waiting. But still referring to the carle blanche she had given Lady Perceval as to using her name, she was unable decisively to pronounce them forgeries. On the whole, I quitted her ladyship with my mind much relieved from the idea of having imposed a spurious statement on the public*. On my return home, I found Lady Perceval had sent a servant from Blackheath, express, with the following letter, in her ladyship's hand-writing : See Appendix, No. XT. I must, at present, decline entering into any particulars of my long interview with Lady Viscountess Perceval f. Suffice it to say, she declared she knew nothing of the let- ters ; that Mr. Mitford was subject to fits of insanity, in one of which she supposed he had given me them, and that she hoped I would contradict them, and declare them forgeries. I had met Mr. Mitford on my entrance into the house, but he ran from me. I left her ladyship in a state of mind that convinced me some person's reputation was to be sacrificed ; but having directly on my arrival in town disclosed the whole to a confidential friend, with a view of taking advice what steps I should pursue, I wrote the following letter to her ladyship, * It is proper here to remark, that on the Trial, Lady Anne Hamilton roundly denied every word of the statement here made. 1 may observe, in defence of my veracity, that I wrote the above account and published it six days only after the interview took place. Lady Anne Hamilton knew at the time, that I had made such a statement, and yet she then contra* dieted but one part of it, that respecting the carte blanche. On the Trial, however, she denied it in toto.Edit. f- The particulars of this interview are however very fully explained in my evidence on the Trial. Edit. J How correct I was in this presentiment th Trial will abundantly . J5&7. C XV111 which, late as it was, I delivered that night at Perceval Lodge : See Appendix, No. XII. Here ends my part in this mysterious affair. I have had applications made to me during the week from Lady Perceval, to induce me to withhold what I now publish j hut I have uniformly rejected them. I, therefore., with confi- dence, throw myself on the public, to judge between me and those who have employed me. I call on Mr. John Mit- ford to come forward, and avow the part he has had in this transaction. If the documents I published last Sunday, and which I re-publish this day, are forgeries, who gave him those forgeries ? come forward I again say, Mr. Mitibrd, iu a manly manner, and reply to ray questions. I now conclude my narrative. Every circumstance not strictly within the line of my justification, I have withheld, and it remains for the same power which has called forth this my defence, to draw them from their present state of dark- ness. T ? A. PHIPPS." . "News' Office, Brydges-street." ' THE above is a verbatim Copy of the explanation I gav to the public, the Sunday after I inserted the forged letters in The News ; an explanation which Lady Perceval at that time took so much pains to prevent appearing, In conse- quence of it, I was the same week assailed from various quarters. Lady Anne Hamilton published a statement, denying that she ever said that Lady Perceval had received a carte blanche from her to use her name. Lady Perceval also opened, but from a masked battery. She put Mr. Holt, the barrister, in front j and he (I must suppose by her authority), published the two XIX following letters in the Morning Chronicle : See Appendix, No. XIII. and XIV. How Mr. Holt, with all his special pleading, can reconcile these letters with the evidence he produced on the late Trial, I am at a loss to conceive. In both of them he assert?, that Mitford was a lunatic at the time he gave me the forced let^ ters, and he brings a mad-house keeper of the name of War- burton to my house to corroborate his assertion. For some reason or another, however, this ground was abandoned on Mitford's trial. No attempt was then made to make him in- sane, no Warburton was then called to prove it. Mr. Holt, who could in April 1813, so readily give it under his own hand, that Mr. Mitford's " unfortunate situation was such as to divest him of all responsibility for his own actions," in February 1814, never once touches on that point : was it not tenable, Mr. Holt } surely, sir, before you had put your hand and seal to such an assertion, you should have had the best, the very best of medical testimony to have supported you in it. The zeal, " without knowledge," with which this t( legal counsel" took the part of his noble client, was at that time evidently productive of much injury to her. Un- qualified and bold assertions, when not founded in fact, are fatal to the party making use of them in a disputed case. In the letter (No. XIV.) Mr. Holt had the daring folly, to assert, that all the papers, " said to be in my posses- sion by me? ni of Mr. Mitford," \vereforgeries; and this he scrupled not to say, before he had seen one of them. This was improving on his employer with a vengeance. Her lady- ship, when I told her on Sunday, April the 4th (as appears in my evidence), " that I had other papers and letters in my possession given me by Mr. Mitford, some of which I had reason to suppose were in her hand- writing ;" without asking to see them, at once informed me they were all forgeries. Mr. Holt, however goes further. He publishes the assertion to the world, and thereby shews himself either the assertor of XX a direct falsehood, or a very careless searcher after the truth. Lady Anne Hamilton and Mr. Holt were however not the only persons who noticed my first appeal to the public. It rousi'd Mr. Mitford, and J believe awakened in him a proper sense of the unmanly, dishonourable line of conduct he had, in a moment of weakness, consented to pursue. On the en- suing Thursday, the 14th of April, I received from him the following letter : See slppendi.v, X T o. XV. The receipt of this letter gave me some hopes, that Mr. Mitford began to feel what he owed to his own character to me, and to the public. I did not, however, see him until the next Monday, when he called at my house. I was from home, and he sent me the following letter : See Appendix, No. XVI. -fjjl should here observe, that the last time I had &een this gentleman was, when he ran from me at Perceval Lodge, on Sunday, April 4th. Fifteen days had therefore elapsed iinci; the publication of the forged letters. Fifteen days, as he has described them to me, of threatening!-, of entreaties, and of continual persecutions*. Of Mr. Mitford 's conduct I would wish to speak tenderly ; because, though slow in ' ' * I have reason to know, that during these fifteen days much havoc was m.nde by burning a considerable quantity of Lady Perceval's letters to Mr. Mitford. Such was the influence she retained over the mind of tbi* infatuated man, that he was prevailtd upon i/i that period to destroy every letter of hers, which could be found at his lodgings in Crawford-street. Thus making himself the instrument, as far as lay in his power, of his own destruction. Providentially, however, both for himself and me, the letters I insert in the Appendix were not at his lodgings in Crawford-street; but h;v.l, from time to time, been emptied from his pocke'ts, and thrown care- lessly into a drimer, at the house of a relation at Little Chelsea, nhere be sometimes slept; and where they lay neglected and forgotten. This ac- counts for the comparative meagre ness of my selection. Had all the letters from Lady Perceval to Mr. Mitford been preserved, instead of a pamphlet I must have put forth a thick quarto; for her ladyship possessed, during her connection with him, m.u-e of the " cacoethes scribendi" than I be- lieve ever before fell to the lot of one woman. Edit. XXI performing, he ultimately acted as became a man of honour and integrity. An idea of the life he underwent in this pe- riod may be collected from the evidences of Messrs. Per- ceval, Speechify, and Hardcastle, on the late trial. As some excuse for his delay in giving the explanation lie owed to mr, I should mention, that for a long time previous, Lady Per- ceval had buoyed him up with hopes of procuring him some place, as a reward for his services in the newspaper business she employed him in. He had therefore been accustomed to consider her as a kind of patroness as the person who had engaged to provide for himself and his family. Independent of these considerations, he had, notwithstanding her late treat- ment of him, a personal regard for her ladyship, the effect, it is probable, of a long and intimate connection. I mean not here to insinuate aught against the moral character of Lady Perceval. I simply mention the fact, that in his first inter- views with me, after the publication of the forged letters, his remarks on her ladyship's behaviour towards him partook more of the wrathful ebullitions of disappointed affection, than of indignant resentment at the line of conduct, he said, she had prescribed for him. I have digressed thus far in justice to Mr. Mitford, purposely to excuse his delaying to do that which every man of principle would have performed immedi- ately it was in his power. 1 now resume my narrative. The moment I saw him I demanded an explanation of his con- duct. Almost my first words were, " Mitford, are you what you always represented yourself to me to be, or are you an impostor ?" He disavowed, with indignation, the latter term; and offered the next day to put into my hands certain letters from Lady Perceval, addressed to him as proofs that he was her authorized agent, and that in every thing he had done he had acted by her desire and directions. I accepted his offer, accompanied him to Little Chelsea, where he said the letters were, and received from his hands those which I insert in the Appendix. Few as they are, they afford abundant proof XXII of the origin of the late discussion of the affairs of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. These letters prove, heyond the possibility of a doubt, that Lady Perceval and her agent Mitlord raised the whole storm. In the progress of their praiseworthy undertaking, they were joined hy many well- meaning persons, who had no idea of the latent spring which moved the entire machine. Amongst these I followed at a humble distance. In this proceeding I acknowledge I was not without blame. I suffered the warmth of my feelings to over- come my judgment, and gave a too hasty confidence to per- sons whose rank in life formed their only title to credit. My punishment has been one Chancery suit, an action com- menced against me at the Middlesex Quarter Sessions, and two suits at law in the Court of King's Bench, one of which is now depending. My ambition of connecting myself with persons in the elevated walks of life was never very great ; I therefore trust, that four law-suits in eight months will reduce it within proper bounds*. T. A. PHIPPS. * I have omitted here to mention, that influenced by the same spirit which induced Mr. Mitford to put into my possession the letters here al- luded to, he voluntarily offered, on Lady Perceval filing a bill against me, to make the affidavit which formed the ground of the late indictment. 9(/j ol .m COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Guildhall, Feb. 24, 1814. BEFORE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE ELLENBOROUGH. The KING (on the Prosecution of Viscount Perceval, and Bridget, his Wife) versus JOHN MITFORD, Esq. MR. W. RAY OPENED THE PLEADINGS. GENTLEMEN OK THE JURY, THIS is an Indictment for Perjury', against John ,Mitford, Esq. on the Prosecution of Lord and Lady Per- ceval. The Indictment sets forth, that in the 53d Year of the King, a Conditional Rule of the Court of King's Bench was granted, whereby it was ordered, that, on the Monday then next ensuing, Thomas Adderley Phipps should shew cause, why a Criminal Information should not be filed against him for a Libel. And the Defendant, Mitford, intending to procure, by false, wicked, and corrupt means, the said Rule to be discharged, went before Sir John Bayley, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Court of King's Bench, and A ( 3 ) did swear, "That, on or about the 31st of March, he was sent for by Lady Perceval, to Perceval Lodge, Blaekheath j when she stated, that she had letters of great consequence to publish ; and, that Mr. Phipps, the Editor of The Ar.v, appeared to her the most likely person to do them justice. That the experiment was a dangerous one, but something should be done to give satisfaction to the Princess of Wales ; by which Deponent understood, that these letters would compel them (Government) to give a greater establishment to the Princess of Wales. That Lady Perceval then shewed Deponent three letters, signed by the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Liverpool, Lord Castlereagh, and Lady Ann Hamil- ton ; observing, that the spirit of John Bull was declining, or dying away, but that the said letters would make him clamorous. That, when they were published, it would be necessary for Deponent to be out of the way, for a few days ; and she had thoughts of him and his wife remaining at the Tiger's Head, at Lea ; but, on reflection, that seemed to h^ too near Blackheath ; she had, therefore, settled, that they were to go to the mother of her friend, Hardcastle, at Wool- wich : and she asked, whether, if the worst happened, he would consent to be confined at Whitmore House, meaning Dr. Warburton's, at Hoxton; stating, that it would be ^?2000 in his way. Deponent, not thinking the letters for- geries, expressed his surprise at Lady Perceval's apprehen- sions ; when she observed, that perhaps they might bring him to the bar of the House. He, having copied the letters, hastened to town to find out Mr. Phipps, to get them pub- lished in his newspaper. He had no apprehension that they were forgeries, although he thought her conduct extraor- dinary." The Indictment goes on to deny, that Lady Per- ceval ever had any such letters, and that no such conference ever took place. To this the Defendant pleads, that lie is not guilty of the perjury thus alleged. ( 3 ) MR. HOLT My Lord, and Gentlemen of the Juiy, MY learned Friend having stated the nature of this Indictment, and the principal points upon which the perjury Is assigned, and thus put you in possession of the matters of fact which you are to try, it is uo\v my duty to bring the case before you, in detail, but with all that brevity which the valuable time of the Court requires. Gentlemen, the Prosecutors of this Indictment are Lord and Lady Perceval ; his lordship, though not immediately .connected with it, being introduced, in addition, in compli- ance with a necessary form. Lady Perceval is a woman of the most eminent rank and of the most irreproachable worth. She does not come forward to solicit the strict justice of the Court against the Defendant j she does not prosecute him from any particle of revenge, from any feeling of anger, but she conies forward to set herself right in a point of character ; to which, in common with all honourable minds, she is moat sensibly alive. The person prosecuted is Mr. Mitford, who became acquainted with Lady Perceval, from bearing the name of a family which she intimately knew, and to which she was allied. He took refuge in her family when he was discountenanced by his own relatives ; and her ladyship, with that amiable goodness of heart, which she is known to possess, endeavoured to put him in some situation by which he might procure an honourable subsistence for himself and his family. The public mind was, at this time, agitated by the affairs of an illustrious personage ; and, as Mr. Mitford occasionally saw Lady Perceval at Curzon -street and at Blackheath, he had, of course, an opportunity of -hearing her opinions on the subject. In the month of April last, some letters relative to this topic were published in a Paper called The News. They purported to be signed by three noble lords, on the one part, and by Lady Anne Hamil- ton on the other, On the morning of the publication, the Paper containing them, accompanied by a letter, was sent to Lady Perceval, at Blackheath. The letter informed her, that these documents came into the proprietor's possession, through the medium of the Defendant. Lady Perceval knowing nothing about the fabrication of the letters, but convinced that they were forged, (as well from the nature of the subject, as from the circumstance of the name of the lady in waiting subscribed not being that of the person wlio was actually in attendance on the Princess of Wales), imme- diately sent a gentleman of the name of Speechley to Mr. Phipps, for the purpose of stating that they were forgeries ; and this gentleman was also the bearer of a letter, requiring Mr. Phipps to wait on Lady Perceval at Blackheath. She also dispatched her son, Mr. John James Perceval, for Mr. Mitford, with directions to bring him down to Perceval Lodge, that the parties might be confronted together, and that the forgery might be investigated. Notwithstanding this, Gentlemen, you will find, that the Defendant has charged Lady Perceval with forging these letters. He has sworn, that on or about the 31st of March, he received the documents from Lady Perceval, who expressed a desire that they should be published. But, you shall presently see how he acted on the morning of the publication. And here, Gen- tlemen, before I proceed farther, I wish to make a few re- marks on the evidence. Evidence must always be guided by the rules of possibility; and in no case can you demand more evidence than it is possible to give. Where, therefore, there are two parties connected with a fact, and one has sworn that he only did that which the other required of him, we can have no direct evidence against the deposition, but the uncontradicted oath of the other, leaving it to you to judge of the criminality, by the degree of Credibility due to the respective parties. Gentlemen, if this principle were not allowed, every per- son of character, and virtue, and innocence^ in society, how- ( 5 ) ever unstained his life, however upright his life, might be thrown at the feet, might be left at the mercy of the most base and profligate individual in the community. In other words, Gentlemen, you will, in deciding upon this case, look to the tenor of the Defendant's conduct, and compare it with what he has alleged; and if, in addition to the solemn oath of Lady Perceval, which you shall this day have, you find a long train of circumstances in the conduct of Mr. Mitford, confirming Lady Perceval's statement, and not agreeing with any thing that would shew his story to be true, you will then have all the evidence which the case will admit, and it would be contrary to common sense if you refused to give it its proper weight and importance. Gentlemen, I have said, that on the day of publication, the paper containing the letters was sent to Lady Perceval; that she stated them to be forgeries, and required Mr. Phipps to come to Blackheath. I have also told you, that she sent her son for Mr. Mitford, that she might confront them toge- ther, she having learned from the letter which accompanied the paper, that the documents had come through the hands of the Defendant. In consequence of this proceeding, Mit- ford arrived at Blackheath about four o'clock on the Sunday evening, and was shewn into a room belonging to Mr. Per- ceval. Two gentlemen, Messrs. Hardcastle and Speechley, who shall be produced before you, were present. While the Defendant remained in the room, Lady Perceval entered, with the letter and paper she had received, in her hand She put the letter into the hand of the Defendant, and said, " Good God! Mitford, what have you been doing?" She gives him the letter, where Mr. Phipps accused Defendant with having given him the forged documents, and he reads it ; he next reads the paragraphs in the paper, and then most solemnly protests that he knows nothing about the documents, that he never saw them before, that he never gave them to Phipps, adding " D-mn the fellow, I never saw him more ( 6 ) than twice in my life !" and expressed a wish to seek for Mr* Phipps. This passed in the presence of Mr. J. J. Perceval, Mr. Hardcastle, and Mr. Speeehley. Lady Perceval then tell> him, that he must wait, as she had sent for Mr. Phipps, to confront them together, and expected him immediately. The Defendant manifests a wisli to go, observing, that it was not possible for Mr. Phipps to cofne down, because he had to prepare his paper for publication on the following day. Lady Perceval, however, persisted in requiring him to stay. At this moment, her ladyship saw Mr. J. J. Perceval cross the yard, who immediately announces Mr. Phipps ! Mitford im- mediately leaves the room, passes over the court-yard, greets Mr. Phipps with a shake of the hand, and, as the latter enters the house, the former absconds and disappears. It is unnecessary to say, what passed between Lady Perceval and Mr. Phipps, which will be fully detailed in evidence. But I may be allowed to state, that her ladyship received a denial of the authenticity of those documents, from Mr. Phipps, which Mr. Hardcastle afterwards published in the other pa- pers. Gentlemen, Lady Perceval's object now was, to learn where Mr. Mitford got these papers, and to find out what view he had in publishing them. For this purpose, Mr. Hardcastle went to his lodging, where he was denied. At different times, different pretences were resorted to, to account for his absence. At one time it was said, he had gone to Windsor with Colonel Bloomfield ; but he could not be found there. Lady Perceval then sends her son, who, Iraving seen De- fendant at the window of his lodging, with great difficulty .got admittance to him. On seeing Mr. Perceval, Mitford .says, " I hope you are come to comfort me." " I come," answered the other, f( to take you down to Blackheath, to know the reason why you have committed these forgeries." .Mitford said, he could not bear the interview, having com- mitted an act which he would repent all his life - 3 he added, ( 7 ) that he had long possessed the countenance and protection of Lady Perceval, and could not bear her frown. Mr. Speechley, who accompanied Mr. Perceval, then said, " What could induce you to put forged documents into the hands of the Editor of The News ?" Gentlemen of the Jury, he does not deny the fact. He answers, "The distress of my family forced me to do it ; I was offered a bribe, and could not withstand it." He added, " D-mn the rascals ! I will publish their names." Here was a confession of crime, voluntarily made by the De- fendant himself. He then said he would make a confession to Lady Perceval ; and, with that intention, proceeded with these two gentlemen to Blackheath. They arrived there about twelve o'clock at night, but did not see Lady Perceval. The two gentlemen sat up with the Defendant, lest he should again escape. Sleep, however, overtook the one, and the other left the room on a temporary occasion. Of this the Defendant takes advantage ; he escapes out of the win- dow, and is never seen by Lady Perceval after that time. This is the substance of the evidence that I shall lay before you. The charge against Lady Perceval is, that she forged these letters ; she will be produced before you, and she will contradict, paragraph by paragraph, the statements contained in the Defendant's Affidavit. The three other witnesses, Mr. Perceval, Mr. Har,clcatle, and Mr. Speechley, will give you an account of what took place at Blackheath, on the 4th of April, and of the conversation which subsequently occurred at Mitford's lodgings. You will thus, Gentlemen, be put in possession of all the circumstances which I have mentioned ; and a case will thus be made out in evidence, which it will be almost impossible to doubt. Gentlemen, cases of this nature can have nothing to prop them besides the oath of the Prosecutor, except circumstances in the conduct of the person prosecuted. Both of these will appear on the present trial. Three kinds of evidence only can be admitted in courts of justice, 1st, The po- sitive oath of a party ; 2d, Circumstantial evidence ; in which a variety of circumstances are found to correspond : and, 3d, which is best of all, The confession of a party himself. In the present case, Gentlemen, these three spe- cies of evidence will be found to concur. You shall have the positive oath of Lady Perceval gentlemen will be called, who will state a number of corroborating circumstances : and, lastly, you shall hear the confession of the Defendant himself, Mr. ALLEY (of Counsel for the Defendant) As you speak of a confession, all the witnesses must go out of Court, mine as well as your own. The witnesses were accordingly ordered to withdraw. . Mr. S. VINES, Solicitor for the Prosecution, was tJie. first witness called; he ivas examined by Mr. E. LAWS. Q. Have you the Rule Nisi obtained in the Court of King's Bench, in June last A. Yes, sir. Produce it. Mr. Vines here exhibited the rule. Q. Is this the original rule : A. Yes, sir. Q. Is the Defendant in this prosecution the person named in that rule ? A. The rule was obtained against Mr. Phipps the affidavit or Mr. Mifcford was sworn 'for the purpose of having it discharged. Q. Is Mr. Mitford, the present Defendant, the man named in' that rule r A. Not in the first rule but in the order for dis- charging the first rule. The Rule was here put in and read. MONDAY, next after the Octave of the Holy Trinity, in the Fifty- third Year of King George the Third. Middlesex. UPON reading the Affidavit of The Right Honour- able John Lord Perceval and another, and parts of two printed Newspapers, intituled " The News, Sun- day, April 4, 1813," and " The News, Sunday, Junefi, 1813 5" It is ordered that Monday next be given to ( 9 ) Thomas Adderley Phipps to shew Cause why an Information should not he exhibited a^iiinst him for certain Misdemeanours in Printing and Publishing certain Scandalous Libels upon notice of this Rule to be given to bim in the mean time. On the motion of Mr. Holt. By the Court. Mr. Richard Gnde, examined by Mr. E. LAWS. Q. Are you a clerk in the Crown Office ? A. Yes. Q. Have you the affidavit of the Defendant, mentioned in the indictment r A. Yes. Q. (By Lord ELI.EXBOHOUGH), You bring it from the Crown Office r A. Yes, my Lord. The affidavit was handed in. Mr. Daniel Tobin, examined fy Mr. E. LAWS. Q. You are clerk to Mr. Justice BAYLEY ? A. I am. Q. Was tbis affidavit sworn by the Defendant Mitford, before Mr. Justice BAYLEY ? A. It was. Q. And signed by him ? A. Yes. Q. (By Lord ELLENBOROUGH), Do you know the person swearing it ? A. Yes, my Lord. Mr. ALLEY. We admit it to be sworn by Mitford. The affidavit was then read, as follows : THAT for many months prior to last March, he, Mitford, was employed by Lady Perceval to convey articles or intelligence, relative to the affairs of the Princess of Wales, to different news- papers. That on or about Wednesday, March 31, be was sent for to Lady Perceval, at her house at Blackheath, who informed him that she had letters of great consequence indeed to publish; and that Mr. Phipps appeared to her the man most likely to do them justice. That in the course of the same (lay Lady Perceval, in reference to the said letters, said to him, " That the experiment they were going to make was a dangerous one ; but that something must be done to compel them to give a proper establishment fo her Uoyal Highness the Princess of Wales." That shortly after, lie, at the desire of Lady Perceval, and in her presence, copied, from a manuscript ia the hand- writing of Lady Perceval, three letters as follow. No. I. " WE are Instructed by his lloyal Highness the Prince of WALES, to make known to your Royal Highness, that a propo- sition, comprehending the extension of your Royal Highness's es- tablishment o/i a larger scale, will he submitted to your Royal Highness's consideration on Thursday next. We are, &c. &c. " ELDOX, " LIVERPOOL, " Carltou House, Tuesday. " CASTLEEEAGH. " To her Royal Highness the Princess of H'aies." No. II. " Montague Home, Wednesday. " I AM commanded to acknowledge the receipt of a letter, signed ELDON, LivEKPOoL,and CASTLEBEAGH, by her Royal High- ness the Piincessof WALES, and to desire you to acquaint the authority from whom it originated, that nothing short of THE FULL ESTABLISHMENT IN HER RIGHTS will satisfy her Royal Highness, as that is the only means of convincing the people of England, beyond a doubt fichuh some have dared to express}, of her full and perfect innocence. " Her Royal Highness also commands me to add, that she pe- remptorily insists, as the first step towards her long withheld dig- nities, that her apartments in Carlton House be assigned over to the care of her Royal Highness's own proper servants. " Finally, Her Royal Highness will not return any reply to any question or proposition that may he made hereafter, until her Royal Highness is assured, that the secret and illegal examinations, now For at time suspended, are put to a conclusion, never again to be revived. " I am, &c. &c. ANNE HAMILTON." " To LordEldon," Ssc. No. III. " Thursday Morning. " Lord LIVERPOOL is commanded to acquaint her Royal High- ness the Princess of WALES, that her Royal Highness's Letter has been received is now under consideration and will be replied to early this evening." That during the time he was copying these letters, Lady Perce- val said to him, " that the spirit of John Bull was declining or dying away, but this would render him clamorous." Lady Perceval also said to him, " that it would be absolutely requisite for him to be out of the way for a few weeks after the publication of these Utter*; and that she had at first thought of lodging him and his ( 11 ) wife (who must also not he seen) at the Tiger's Head, at Lea "but, upon reflection, that was too near 1'lackheath, and she had settled that they should go to the mother of her friend Hardcastle, at Woolwich, where they would he perfectly safe." He was then asked hy Lady Perceval, " whether, if the worst happened, he would submit to he confined in Whitmore House (meaning Mr. Warburton's mad-house at Iloxton) till all was settled, as it would be at least 20001. in his way when it was over ? to which he consented ; but not supposing the letters to he forgeries, he expres- sed his surprise at her ladyship's apprehensions. Lady Perceval then informed him that the danger was in his being brought to the Bar of the House, which, as he knew so much, would be very unpleasant. He then, having conufd the aforesaid letters from a manuscript in the hand-writing of Lady Perceval, received her directions to hasten to town to rind out Mr. Phipps, and to desire him to publish them in his newspaper. He did so : but Mr. Phipps being from home, he did not deliver them to him until Thursday, the 1st of April. On that day he delivered the said copies into th hands of Mr. Phipps, informing him he did so by orders from Lady Perceval. He also in brined Mr. Phipps, that Lady Perceval de- sired he would publish the said letters in the next number of hit newspaper, being Sunday, the 4th of April last ; and he believet that Mr. Phipps did so. He also swears, that he had not at any time any reason to believe the letters to he forgeries although the appre- hensions of Lady Perceval struck him as being singular and unac- countable. He also says, that in the whole affair relative to the said letters, he acted by the direction of Lady Perceval ; and that he ha at this time no other reason to suppose them forgeries than the assertion of Lady Perceval." Mr. S. ffnes again called, and examined by Mr. E. LAWS. Q. Are you the Solicitor that instructed Counsel to obtain thi* Rule Am 9 A. Yes. Q. Was it afterwards opposed in Court ? A. It was, Sir. Q. You have heard the affidavit read? A. Yes. Q. ]s the matter contained in it, relative and material to that Rule ": A. It is very much so. Lord ELLENBOROUGH. This is the first time I ever heard such a question asked. It is for the Court to judge whether it is, or it is not relevant. Q. Was that affidavit used in shewing cause against the Rul Nisi'? A. Yes. Q. Was it in consequence of that affidavit that it was dis- charged ? ( 12 ) Mr. ALLEY. You cannot ask that question. Lord ELLENBOROUGH. The Rule must speak for itself. It lies in the breast of the Court, whether it was dis- cluuged on that affidavit^ or not*. . - Q. Was the Rule discharged ? A. It was. <*d .hevo The Order for that purpose was here put in and read. -r, -, , jwwg&r viscountess Perceval, sivorn y and examined ly Mr. E. Q. Did you, on or about Thursday, the 1st of April hsf, send to the Defoiulnnt John Mitford : A. Not to the hest of my re- ... . ' i A . 1\.~ collection -ctrta inly not. Q. Was it on Wednesday, the 31st of March IA. Neither of i I . \ those days, certainly. Q. 1 dout ask, whether you saw him ; hut whether you sent for him ? A To the hest of my recollection, certainly nor. Q. When did YOU last see him in the month of March last A. 0,nI,e*Gtli of March. Q. When next, after the <2u'th of March, did you see hiiii?ry A. On the evening of April the 3d. Q. Did you, at any time, hetween these two days see him A. Positively not. Q. Did vour ladyship see him on the 2d of April at B!;ick- , , , T 1- 1 1 heath '. A. 1 did in the evening. Q. At that time, when you saw him, or at any other time, did you ever mention to him, that you had letters of great consequence to pnhlish : A. Never. Q. Did you ever jay to him, that Mr. Phinps nppoimd to you a man most likely to do justice to the Princess ot Wales A. I never recollect to have used the expression. Q. Did you ever speak to him of a dangerous experiment,, with respect to certain letters ? A. Certainly never. Q. But that something must he done to compel them to give a proper establishment to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales: A. Never. - - , , - . - i . * * I li we reason to Iv iieve that the rulith hiui confidentially about its ixetilication. Set* Appendix. ( 13 ) Lord ELLENBOROUGH Repeat the question. Q. Did you ever say, that the experiment yon and the De- fendant were going to make, was a dangerous one : but that some- thing must be done to compel them to give a proper establishment to the Princess of Wales ? A. I never did. ' 9 Mr. E. LAWS Lady Perceval, be so good as to look at the three letters in this paper. The News, of the 4th of April. i i r Q. Did the Defendant, Mitford, ever, by your ladyship's desire, and in your presence, make a copy of these letters r A. Never. Q. Had your ladyship any manuscript of these letters ? A. None whatever. Q. When, and how, did your Ladyship first hear of, or see, those letters r A. The first time 1 heard of these letters was from Mr. Phipz.s, who sent me his paper of the 4th of April, accom- panied !,y a letter. Q. \Vas Mr. Phipps in the habit of sending you that paper? A. I had ordered that paper previous to the 4th of April. Q. Was that paper taken in by you ? A. It was regularly de- livered at Perceval House previous to the 4th of April. Q. Did your Ladyship ever make use of this expression to the Defendant, " That the spirit of John Bull was dying away ; but that these letters would renew his clamours r" A. I never used that expression. Q. D.d your ladyship ever tell Defendant, that it would be ab- solutely necessary for him to be out of the way for a few weeks, after the publication of these letters ? A. Never. Lord ELLENBOROUGH You will pursue that mode most convenient to yourself, Mr. Laws; but, as your present course makes it necessary for me to take down every word contained in the Indictment, would it not be better to read it over slowly, and ask the witness whether the whole or any part of it is true ? Q. I ask you, whether you ever used these expressions to De- fendant, That you had thoughts, tit first, of lodging him and his wife at the Tiger's Head, at Lea ; but that, upon recollection, it was too near Blackheatb ; and that you had settled th:;t he and his wife should go to your friend, Mr. Hardcastle's ? A. In conse- quence of representations made by Mr. Mitford, previous to the 26tb of March, that he was watched and pursued, and his house ( 14 ) beset by inquiries from these with whom lie pretended to have hart communications ; and that Mrs. JMitfonl, in consequence of her alarms, was seriously indisposed, I did advice Mr. Mil ford to re- move her out of town for a little time ; and, I believe, the first idea might have been for them to have remained at Lea, for that period. Q. But was that communication with reference to these letters ? A. Certainly not. It was previous to the 26'tb of March. Q. Was that before your ladyship had any knowledge or idea that such letters were in existence ? A. Assuredly it was. Q. Did your ladyship ever ask Mitford, with reference to these letters, whether, if the worst happened, he would submit to be con- fined in Whitmore House? A. Certainly not. Q. Did your ladyship ever say to Mitford, that these letters would be at least X2000 in his way ? A. I never uttered the ex- press ion. Q. Did your ladyship ever express to Mitford any apprehension with respect to these letters ? A. Never. Q. Did your ladyship, on any occasion whatever, say, that there was a danger of Defendant being brought to the bar of the House of Commons or Lords ? A. Never. Q. Lady Perceval, did you ever give Mrs. Mitford any direc- tions respecting these letters *< A. Never. Q. Was you in any way whatever privy to their publication ? A. Not in the least. Q. Did you ever tell the Defendant to go to Mr. Phipps with them ? A. Certainly not. Q. Or give any direction at all respecting them? A. None whatever. Q. I think your ladyship has said, the first you knew of them was, by seeing them in that paper of the 4th of April ? A. Yes. Q. Upon seeing them in The News of that day, what did you jlo ? A. I immediately sent up Mr. Speechley. Q. To whom did you send Mr. Speechley A. To Mr. Phipps. Q. Who is Mr. Phipps : A. The Editor of The News. Q. For what purpose did you send Mr. Speechley to Mr. Phipps ? A. To inform Mr. Phipps that J knew nothing of the forged letters. Lord ELLENBOROUGH Her name is not mentioned in the letters. Mr. LAWS No, my lord ; she had seen them in conse- quence of the newspaper heing sent by Mr. Phipps. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROVGH' Was it not a part of th terffl* f your message, that the letters w-jre forged ?A. I said I knevr nothing or the letters in The News of the 4th of April. Q. Have you the letter which you received with the newspaper from Mr. Phipps ? A. Yes. That is the letter. . Mr. ALLEY Though it is evidence, I will not agree to its production, till I have cross-examined Mr. Phipps. Q. It was in consequence of a letter from Mr. Phipps, as well as from seeing the paper, that you sent to him ? A. Yes. Q. Did you send your son, Mr. Perceval, at any time to Mr. Mitford ? A. I sent my son to town to bring dowu Mitford t explain his conduct. Lord ELLESBOROUGH His name does not appear in the letters. Lady Perceval No, my lord. Lord ELLENBOROUGH Then state a reason for sending fo him. We have it not in evidence what his conduct was. Let me not lead you (the counsel) to any thing inconvenient. I wish to bring you to that which will throw light on the jsubject. Q. What was the reason you sent to explain his conduct ? A. It was in consequence of Mr. Phipps's letter to me that I sent t him. Mr. LAWS. The letter is here. Mr. ALLEY. You must take the letter de bene esse. If you please you may call Mr. Phipps to prove it. Lord ELLENBOROUGH. That, I think, is correct. The witness says, that in consequence of a letter she received, sup- posing it to come from Mr. Phipps, she took a particular mea- sure, that of sending for Mitford. Q. Did Mr. Mitford and Mr. Hardcastle go down to your house at Blackheath ? A. Mr. Mitford did afterwards corne down. Q. On what day, and at what time of the day ? A. On Sun- day, April the 4th. Q. The same day on which the letters were published ? A.. The same day. Q. At what hour did he cunie down r A. Between the homs of two and five. Q. On bis coming, what was the address yon made to him r A. I came into my room with the newspaper in my hand. Q. (By Lord ELLENBOROUGH.) Is The Ntv:s the paper you speak of ? A. Yes, my Lord. Lord ELLENBOROL T II. Then we shall so call it. Q. What did you say to the Defendant ? A. I had Mr. Phipps's letter in my hand, at the same time. Q. What was the expression you used to M itford ; did you give In' in the letter? A. I gave him the news-paper and the letter, ami addressed him in these terms Q. Did lie, in consequence, in your presence, read the letter, and the paragraphs of the letters in the newspaper ? A. I don't recol- lect whether he read them or not. <^. Did he read the letter you received from Phipps ? A. I don't recollect whether he did or not. Q. Now he so good as to state the expression you used to him when you saw him r A. When first 1 saw him, presenting the newspaper and the letter, I said to him, " In God's name, Mitford, what have you heen about ?" Q. What was Mr. Mitford's reply }A. I proceeded to say, " Do you know any thing, or what do you know, about the letters in The News of this day?" Mr. Mitford, in answer, said, " What do you mean ?" Q. Upon that did you give to Mitford the letter ? A. I gave him the letter, saying, " Read that letter, and you will under- stand what I mean." Q. Did your ladyship repeat your question to him, whether he bad any knowledge of the letter ? A. I repeated it. Q. In answer to these repeated questions, what was his reply? A. His answer was accompanied by an oath, that he never savr the fellow hut twice in his life. Q. Did he, upon that, propose to go to any person, and to whom ? A. lie proposed immediately to go to Mr. Phipps. Q. Upon that proposition being made, what did your ladyship gay to him ? A. I informed him, that I had seut for Mr. Phipps, and expected him very shortly. Q. Did Mr. Phipps afterwards arrive at your ladyship's house at Blackheath, and about what hour ; A. He did, I should ima- gine between four and six. Q. Oa Mr. Phipps's arrival at your ladyship's house, what was tie ceuduet of the- Defendant, Mitford? A. The moment Mr. ( 17 ) Phipps was announced, lie immediately rushed out of the room, and I saw no more of him. Q. Did your ladyship afterwards again send Mr. Specchley and a Mr. Hardcastle to to\vn, and oa what errand > A. I sent them to bring Mr. Mi t ford down. Q. Lady Perceval, before I proceed in this part of the examina- tion, I will ask you one question : Did the Defendant, when you asked him whether he knew any thing of the letters, acknowledge them, or deny any knowledge of them ? A. He denied knowing any thing about them. Q. Did he repeat that declaration more than once ? A. He re- peated it, to the best .of my recollection. Q. It was the same day, the 4th of April, that you sent these two persons for him IA. No, it was not on the Sunday evening. Q. Oa what day was it you sent Speechley and Hardcastle to bring Mitford down? A. It was on the Monday morning I re- quested them to go. Q. "\Yhen next did the Defendant, Mitford, come again to Black- heath ? A. He was brought down on the Wednesday evening, for on the three days I repeatedly sent for him. Q. Did your ladyship see him on that occasion? A. \ did not. Q. Then it is only by hearing it from ether persons that you know he came to the house at that time : A. Yes. Q. Has your ladyship, then, ever seen him since the 4th, of April? A. No; certainly not. , Q. Is your ladyship quite certain you have not seen him front the 20th of March to the 2d of April 'Positively certain. .ibu it--- Cross examined by Mr. ALLEY. Q. You have been some time acquainted with Mr. Mitford ? A. I have. Q. A long time I believe ? A. Some time. Q. I believe you knew where he lodged, and bad taken the lodging for him in town ? A. I did not. Mr. A L LI; Y Let me take the liberty of telling you, Lady Perceval, that I have reasons for putting these questions, and I shall bring witnesses to state the facts. Therefore, do not answer hastily, I do not wish to embarrass or entrap you. Q. Where did the Defendant lodge ?. A. In Crawford-street,. Portman^quare. Q. Wuat was the name of the gentleman who kept the hpuse ; A. I think the name was Donovan. Mr. ALLEY. You are perfectly right. Q. Lady Perceval, I ask you, did you not recommend Mr. Mittord to Donovan, anil obtain the lodging of Donovan, for him, upon your oath //. I spoke in favour of Mr. and Mrs. Mitford. Q. Then it was only speaking in favour of them, as you call it ; h'.it was not that, in order to induce Donovan to take Mittord and his wife as lodgers ? A. As a recommendation. Q. Your visits have heen very freqiu-nt to Donovan's; at all hours of the day and night ? Lady Perceval (in accents of sur- prise) "At all hours !" Mr. ALLEY Aye ! I won't except any hour?'. Q. At all hours of the day and night, on your oath were they not ? A. I have called occasionally by night. Q. At all hours, ten, eleven, twelve, or one o'clock I A, Never to my recollection, so late as twelve. Q. Never to your recollection ~>. I wish you would brush it up, and give us something positive. I ask, did you never go there later than twelve? A. Not to my recollection. Q. Have you not been there after Mr. Mi t ford was in bed, much later than that ": A. Certainly not. Q. Did you not send up letters to him, after he was in bed ? Lord ELLENBOROUQH. You must split your question in parts. In delivering a letter, the witness might not know the Defendant was in bed. Q. Did you ever deliver a letter to Mr. Donovan, or his servant, for Mr. Mittord, at the hour I have mentioned > A. Not at that hour certainly. Q. Pray what might have heen the latest hour at which you ever called there r A. Upon my word it is so long since, I cauiiot recollect. Q. No f It is not a twelvemonth ago. You have not lost your .memory. Jt i.- not impaired, I hope. Pray where did you leave your carriage, when you made these visits ? A. It sometimes drew up to the door. Q, Were you not in the habit of leaving it in back streets, when you sent to Mr. Mitford's ? A. Sometimes, ttoin the state of the streets, it was impossible to drive up. Q. Now, Lady Perceval, I ask you, did you not repeatedly leave your carriage at a distance, and walk up to the house ? A. When the su.te of the street did not penult the carriage to proceed, 1- was obliged to do so. Q. Is it a crowded street r A. No. The street was uot paved. The streets around were not paved. Lord ELLENBOROUGH. If they were not paved, one would think, that would prevent you as much at one time as at another ; but when these impediments in the streets were done away, then, I suppose, you drove up to the door ? No answer. Q. Do you mean to say, that there was no carnage way to Crawford-street, twelvemonths ago : A. There was great difficulty in getting up to the door at the time. Mr. ALLEY. You said, the street was not paved. Give it as you please, I will take it. Witness. It was very dif- ficult to come up the street. Lord ELLENBOROUGH. You said it was impossible, a while ago. Q. Was not the street paved a twelvemonth ago ? A. I cannot it recollect. Q. Then I am not to take it as your answer, that, because the street was not paved, you could not come up ? A. The street could be come up, after it was paved. Q. I thank you for your information. The streets, it seems, were unpaved, before they were paved. Now, I ask you, were they not paved sufficiently to admit a carriage twelvemonths ago ? I ask you, on the oath you have taken, were not the streets paved a twelvemonth ago, so as to permit you to go up :- Were they not so paved previous to a twelvemonth ago r A. They might hut about that time they were in such a state as to prevent a carriage being driven through them. Q. Did you not often walk to the door, when your carriage could have taken you up to it ? A. Not that I recollect. Mr. ALLEY. O ! don't give me your recollection. A lady would not walk in the dirt, when she had a carriage waiting, without some reason that must impress it on her memory. Q. By Lord ELLINBOKOUGH. Your servant attended you to the door r A. I presume so. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. You presume so ! Do you mean to say that he went to the door with you ": A. I think he attended me. Q. Behind your carriage, no doubt, but did be always go up with you to the door ? A. 1 believe so. Q. You told me you were many and many times at Mr. Mit- ford's lodgings. A. Not many and many times. Q. We must come to round numbers, were you there twenty, thirty, or forty times r A. Not thirty nor twenty. Q. When you went there you generally saw Mr. Mitford, by himself, without his wife? A- I don't recollect to have seen him ever once by himself, at his house. Q. Mr. Mitford was repeatedly visiting you at Blackheatb, be- fore March ": A. Not before March ; 1 did not reside there then. Q. Did he not repeatedly visit at your house before that month : A. Two or three times, I believe. Q. Was he not in the constant habit ot visiting you, at Black- heath or elsewhere ? A. He was occasionally permitted to come. Q. I believe you very often employed him to copy writings for you : A. Not to my recollection, not often. Never, as 1 recol- lect ; not often, certainly. Q. Did you ever employ him to carry any paragraphs to diurnal papers, for insertion ? A. 1 have occasionally desired him to offer some articles for insertion. Q. May I take the liberty of asking you on what subject you wrote ? was it love, or religion, what might it be ? A. It was on neither of these. Q, What ! neither love nor religion ! politics, perhaps r A. I don't recollect. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. What was the subject? your recollection cannot fail you, because it is a matter so much out of the ordinary course of things ? A. It was on the subject of the affairs of an illustrious personage. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Speak out, is it the Princess of Wales j or whom else do you mean ? Q. On the subject of the affairs of whom did you write ? A. Of the princess of Wales. Q. Have all your squibs or crackers been inserted ? A. No. Q. Can you give a guess, and tell why they have been returned uninserted ? A. I don't know. Q. Not give a guess, cannot you say to the best of your know- ledge ? A. They were thought too strong. Q. Too libellous, perhaps ? A. I don't know. Q. Has it ever happened, that some paragraphs have been in- serted, a part of which, as originally sent, was struck out ? have they been inserted in a mutilated state ? A. One was. Q. Do you recollect writing to Mitford, and finding fault with him for allowing it to be inserted other than in the state in which it vras sent to him ? A. \ Lave a recollection of it. ( 21 ) Q. It was not inserted, to use your own pi i rase, so strong an yon seat it : A. It was not inserted in the manner in which it was offered. Q. Did you usually entitle your paragraphs. I mean put a head to them ? as for instance, did you evi-r -cud a paragraph leaded thus? " Nelson \vhenachild." A. \ recollect a letter beginning in that manner. Q. I ask you, whether you did not 5>oth write and send a letter for insertion, hearing that title r A. Certainly not tor insertion. Q. Whom did you write it to ? A. Mr. Mitford, " The letter was here handed to the witness. Q. It is in your hand-writing? A. Yes. Q. You wrote another, I believe, entitled " A Curious Fact f" A. I have no recollection of it. ' "o? Mr. ALLEY. I will refresh your memory about it. :- . ;. J Lord EI.LENJBOROUGH. Perhaps the catch words at the beginning are not sufficient to recall it to the witness's mind. IF you read more perhaps she would remember. The paper headed " A Curious Fact," was handed to the witness. Q. Is not that your hand-writing ? A. It is. Q. Is not the envelope ' To Mr. Mitford," your hand-writing ? A. It is. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Are these two addressed to Mr. Mitford ? Mr. ALLEY. Yes, my Lord. A series of letters, from No. I. to XI. inclusive, was here put in, and admitted to be in the hand-writing of Lady Perceval, Amongst them was, " When Nelson was a Child," " A Citrious Fact j" two addressed to Mr. Phipps, one of them purporting to be written by Lady Anne Hamil- ton, thanking him for the offer of his paper, in supporting the cause of the Princess of Wales, and one directed to Mrs. Mitford. At a subsequent period of the trial, several of them were read, and will be found in their proper places. Lord ELLEN BOROUGH. I don't know the contents of any ( 23 ) f these letters j but I think it right to inform the witness, that she need not acknowledge them to be her* if she docs not please. According to the suggestion that has been thrown out, they are 1'bellous ; and, if so, by admitting them, she may be criminating herself by a string of libels. Mr. HOLT. I am not aware of any thing libellous. Lord ELLENBOROUGH.- Perhaps not, Sir; but you need not make a speech on it. The witness may demur to any question respecting her hand-writing ; but, if she answers, she must answer truly. Q. Will you be so good, since I cnn find no date to this letter (No. XI. directed to Mrs. Mitfnrd), to tell me when you wrote it ? Was it before, or after the publication of those libels ? A. It was after tho publication of the letters on the 4th of April. Q. \ believe k was on the very next day you wrote it ? A. I do not know. Q. A day or two afterwards? A. It was in the next ivcek, tcrtninly. Q. You say, that iu consequence of a letter you sent to Mr. Phipps, he waited on you at Blackheath, on Sunday the 4th of April ? A. Yes. Q. When he was introduced to you, I believe your son was in the room with you ? A. My sou announced Mr. Phipps. Q. Then he came into the room with him ? A. I believe he did. Q. You desired him ro comedown to make a -rectification ? A. I think an explanation of what I could not understand in his letter. Q. Rectification was the word in your letter ? A. Whichever you please. Q. Did your son continue in the room all the time Mr Phipps was there? A. He might have gone out for a few minutes; but the best part, indeed almost the whole time, he was in the room. Q. Do you recollect Mr. Phipps complaining that he was very ill-used ? A. I believe he did use some expression of that kind. Q. Did he not demand, that you should produce Mitford face to face with him, that an explanation might take place? A. Yes, he did. Q. Now, Lady Perceval, I ask you, did you not then declare, on your word of honour, to Mr. Phipps, that you had not seen him for a considerable time before ? A. I informed him, that 1 had seen him on the Friday evening. Q. Did you not tell Mr. Phipps, that you had not seen him that ( 23 ) *ay, or the day he-fore : A I informed him, that I had seen hint on Friday, the '-2d of April. Q. That you told me before : it is not an answer to my ques- tion ; and I will have one. 1 ask you, when Mr. Phipps demanded that Mitlbvd, who was in yr.tir house, should be brought face to face with him, for an explanation, did you not declare, that hewai oot in fhe house r A. I did not. Q. Did you not give him to understand, that you had not lately seen Mitford ; and iis>itrn it as a reason, that yon knew nothfng of the letters published ? A. I did not; because I informed him that ] had seen Mitford on tlte Friday evening. Q. Did you tell him, that the man with whom he would come face to face was in your house, and you would be happy to bring them together, to explain? A. I did not. Q. \A uy, I thought you sent to him for the purpose of rectifi- cation, or explanation 9 A. So ] did : but Mr. Mitford left the house the moment Mr. Phipps came in. Q. Could not Mr. l/iiipps see him ? A. He had a glimpse. Q. Why then did you not tell him that he was in the house ? A. Because he rushed out of the room, and 1 knew not where h was gone to. Q. Now, Lady Perceval, did you not beseech Mr. Phipps not to publish, in his next Sunday paper, the explanation he had received with respect to these letters, such as it was } A. I requested Mr. Phipps, with reference to Mitford's name and connections, if, con- sistently with his duty to the public, he could avoid the exposure of Mitford, in so disgraceful a transaction, that he would do so. Q, Did he not say, that he could not, consistently with his pub- lic duty, or his own honour, withhold the particulars ? A. He said he must explain the manner in which he had received them from Mitford. Q. Did not you, on that, request him only to state, generally, a contradiction, and not to state the particulars : A. For the reasons 1 Lave already assigned, yes. Q. You had a very benevolent feeling towards Mr. Mitford, at that time. 1 hope you sent your son to console him ? A. 1 was extremely indignant. Q. But, for all that, you endeavoured to soften the printer r A. I had a respect for the name of Mitford. Q. Such a respect, that you would have done the same for any other person of the name r ~-A. 1 would for any person of the family. Q. 1 believe you desired Mr. Phipps to sit down, and write a contradiction for other papers, which he did, though he would not do it for his own? A. I told him, that a contradiction would ap- pear in some of next day's papers. ( 24 ) 0. You requested Mr. Phipps to pen a paragraph ? A. Bdiet- ing Mr. PbippS to have been imposed on, at that time, I asked him to put thai contradiction into whatever iorm of words was least humiliating to himself. Q. It was to be put in the other papers. Was it to be put in bis own paper, tor the next Sunday r A He put it in his own way. Q. Not a contradiction r A. No ; an avowal, a statement ol the business. Q. While your son was absent, did you not draw your cbair nearer to Mr. Phipps, and take a very affectionate leave of him ? A. I take an affectionate leave of Mr. Phipps ? Q. Yes ! did you not take his hand between yours, and say, " My dear Mr. Pnipps, if you will l>ut insert the contradiction as I wish, you will be the saviour of me and my family ?" A. To the best of my recollection, certainly not. Q. You deny it r A. Certainly every word of it. Q. I believe your son is about twenty ; A. .Rather younger, he is in his nineteenth year. Q. Now, attend. Did you not say, that if things went on as you hoped, your son would, in six or seven years, be Chancellor of the Exchequer, and then the printer should have his reward r that another Perceval would be Chancellor of the Exchequer } A. Cer- tainly not. Q. When you talked of reward, did you speak of remuneration of a pecuniary kind, or of a place under government? A. I spoke of no reward whatever. Q. By Lord ELLENBOKOUGII. Did you say any thing of ano- ther Perceval, or of your son being Chancellor of the Exchequer ; A. I heartily wish he may be, but 1 never expressed such a senti- ment. Mr. AJLLEY. After what has passed, there may be two feelings on that subject. Q. You held out no promise, then of expectation or reward to Mr. Phipps r A. I did not. Q. You have told the gentleman who examined you, that you never intimated a wish that Mr. Mitford should go to a mad-house ? A. I never did. Q. You know Whitmore House 1 A. Yes. Q. Did you not on, Sunday the 4th of April, after Mr. Phipps left you, endeavour to prevail on Mr. Mitford to go ro Wai burton's mad-house : A. No: I did not see him after Mr. Phipps left the- room. Q. Did you at any other time of the day ? A. No, I .lkl not : I never saw him after he kit the house. ( 25 ) Q. Oa the next day, on Monday the 5th of April, you sent Speechley and Hardcastle to Mr. Phipps, the printer ? A I did. Q By whose advice did you do it ' A. In consequence of a letter 1 received from Mr. Phipps, late on Sunday night. Q. Was not the object of your message by them to him, to contradict the letters, in the manner mentioned the day before, for the tranquillity of your mind r A. It was to have an explanation of the letter, which was sent down at eleven o'clock the night he- fore ; and tu desire that he would come down, and explain that letter. ( t t\ Q. It was in consequence of that letter, which you received on the Sunday uigbt, and ia which Mr. Phipps says : " that, con- sistently with his own honour, and his duty to the public, he must give a particular, and not a general statement of the transaction," that Speechley and Hardcastle were sent to him ? A. Yes Mr. Phipps added, " unless Mr. Mitfordcame forward, and avowed hi share in the fabrication." The letter is here. Q. Who might have been with you, besides Speechley and Hardcastle, at the time you agreed to send a message to Mr. Phipps. By whose advice, in addition, did you act ? A. I acted entirely from my own feelings. Q . You have told me you wrote the letter I hold in my hand, to Mrs. Mitford ? A. Yes. Q. She went down to Blackheath, in consequence ? A .She did. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. When was this ? A. I think it was on Thursday, the 6th of April. Q. Did you not endeavour to prevail on Mrs. Mitford, to per- suade her husband to go to a mad-house : A. Mrs. Mitford re- presented, that her husband had been in such an extraordinary state of agitation and violence of temper, that she did not know how to account for it; and said she was fearful to return to him, without being accompanied. Q. What was your advice on that occasion ? A. In conse- quence of her representations, I suggested the probability, that he might be again disordered that he might be unwell. Q. Did you not endeavour at that time, to prevail on her to persuade her husband to go to a mad-house ? A. I suggested, whether it would not be better to have some person from War- burton's, in his own house, for the safety of herself aad her child. Q. War not that suggestion of yours, after she said she would sot assist in sending him to St. Luke's, or to Warburton's ? A. No. Q. Did you not suggest the propriety of sending him to St. Luke's, or to Warburton's ? A. Certainly not. On the contrary, I advised Mrs. Mitford to have some person from Warburton's, iu. his own house. Q. Mrs. Mitford came down on your solicitation, therefore, sh did uot come to make a complaint to you, you intended to m ( 26' ) complain to her, not she to you ? A. I sent for her to explaiir what her husband's conduct had been. Q. Do you recollect saying, when you proposed that a man from Warbm ton's should be in the house, that no restraint should he imposed on Mr. Mi t ford, it was only for form's sake ? A. No, 1 said it was for her own safety certainly not for form's sake. Q. Before I sit down, as Mr. Phipps is here, I will again ask you, did you not tell him, to this eflecr, that when your son should be prime minister, his reward should come ? A. Certainly not. Q. You have stated, that one of these letters, though it has the name of Lady Anne Hamilton, is written by you. Had you her permission ? A. I had her permission to write that letter. Q. Did you not desire both Mr. Phipps and Mr. Mitford, when they wrote to you on the subject we have been speaking of, to direct to you under cover to Lady Hamilton ? A. Not Mr. Phipps ; but J desired Mr. Mitford, upon occasion, to address me, under cover, to Lady Hamilton, when 1 was in the country. Re-examined by Mr. LAWS. Q My Learned Friend wishes to know, when you sent the let- ter No VMI. (beginning " when Nelson was a child,") to Mr. Mitford }A. iv did- he up;- -.\1 state of niiih; ":--.' "* 4th of A;j; - il. Q. Then It was some time after these paragraphs wen? publish- ed, that Mrs. Mitfonl came and related to you his state of mind ? A. Yes, she stated to me the violence of his temper. Q. When you sa\v Mr. Phipps, did you ask him how he came, and by whose directions, to publish these letters 1 A. I did. Q. By whose directions did he tell you he had doue it : A. He informed me that Mitford had delivered these letters to him. Q. Was it in consequence of that, that you made the request to Mr. Pijipps to insert a general explanation r A I asked Mr. Phipps, in consequence of his answer, whether he was sure that it was Mr. Mitford who delivered these papers to him, or any one assuming his name. Q. What did he tell you ? A. He assured me it was Mitford ; the gentleman whom he had passed in going out of the house. Q. What house did he allude to ? A. My house at Blackhcath. Lord ELLEN-BOROUGH These are admitted facts, both stories are, that he delivered the letters. The question is, whether he copied them or not, as he has sworn. Mr. E. LAWS. My reason for asking these questions is, to shew that Mr. Phipps had seen the Defendant at the house, and thus to account for Lady Perceval's not stating that he was there. Q. Was it at that time yon said you had not seen Mr. Mitford since Friday ? A. I never used the expression, that J had not seen him since Friday. Q. Then you used the expression, that you had seen him on Friday ? A. Yes. Q. And you did not mention to him that you had seen him on Sunday? A. I did not then. Q. Was not the reason because Mr. Phipps said he had seen Mitford at your house on that day ? A. Exactly so. Q. I understood you to say, that Mitford came to your house, on the Sunday, before Mr. Phipps's arrival, and that Mr. Phipps came after ? A. Yes. Q. Were they ever together in the parlour of your house ? A. Mitford left the parlour very abruptly, on hearing Mr. Phipps was arrived before he came in. Q. I think you said you never used Lady Anne Hamilton's name without her leave ? A. Yes. Q. And that you had her leave for writing that particular note in her name ? A. Yes, that letter thanking Mr. Phipps for tli offer of bis columns. ( 58 ) Lord ELLENBOROUGH. When was it ? Mr. LAWS. It is the letter No. I. given in evidence. Lord ELLKNBOROUGH. Yes, but when was that letter written ? Lady Perceval. I think the 21st of March. Q. Now there is a letter mentioned, commencing, " Nelsom when a child," was that sent for insertion in any paper ? A. Cer- tainly not, it was a private letter to Mr. Clifford. Q. Was there any more than one paragraph sent by your direc- tion, by Mr. Mitford, to 77* e A'cu-* ? A. Certainly not, not any to The News. Q. Was it to The Star newspaper that the other paragraph was altered, was sent ? A. Yes, to The Star. Q. By Lord ELLENBOKOUGH. When was it returned? In- deed I do not know. Q. By Lord EI.LENBOROUGH. How recently before the month of March ? A. I believe it might be in the month of Fe- bruary. Q. You may remember a paragraph relative to a paper, contain- ing a copy of the Duchess of Brunswick's will, what newspaper had Mr. Mitford liberty to publish it in? A. He bad the liberty of inserting it in any paper be chose, or thought proper. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Of inserting any letters you delivered to him, or any letters he chose? A. The particular arti- cles I gave him. Q. When you went to Mr. Donovan's house, for whom did you inquire? A. I inquired for Mr. Mitford generally ; 1 may have inquired for Mrs. Mitford, or for both. Q When you went there, did you go alone? A. I went alone generally, J believe always. Q. Wuat was your occasion of calling there, when you did go ? > A I called to see Mrs. Mitfoid generally, 1 felt interested in their well doing, and that was the subject of conversation amongst others. Q. Did you make any endeavour to obtain for Mr. Mitford any situation of emolument ? A. I did use every opportunity I had to enable him to provide honourably for his family. Q In particular did you use any endeavours to get him any situation hi the Navy Pay Office ? A. No ; I introduced him to two gentlemen who were setting up a Navy Agency concern. Q. Was it sometimes the subject of your calling at Mr. Douo-' ran's ? A. Very often. ( 29 ) Q. And of writing to Mr. Mitford ? A. I wrote to him on that subject and on others. Examined by Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Q. Can yon state in how many instances you authorized him to insert paragraphs ? A. 1 don't know, my lord; Init he never was authorized to use my name. Q. \our name was not to appear; it was not to be put for- ward ; but he was to do the act you put him upon. He, concealing your name, w;is to put in the strong paragraphs ? A. He was di- rected, from time to time, my lord, to insert my sentiments on the subject. Q. YOU wrote a letter to Mr. Phipps, in the name of Lady Anne Hamilton ? A. I had L tdy Anne Hamilton's leave, my lord, to write a note, in her name, in answer to an offer which Mr. Phipps had made of his columns. Q. Through whose procurement had he made that oSer ? A. I believe it was of his own movement, my lord. Q. To whom did he write ? A. To Lady Anne Hamilton, my lord. Q. Why did he write to her ? A. He can l>est answer that, my lord. Q. She had not applied to him ? A. Certainly not, my lord. Q. But why did you get her leave to write ? A. It was an im- material note ; it was no matter who wrote it, my lord. Q. The more immaterial, the more necessary to write in your own name, and not in that of another person ? A. I don't know. Q. How came you to make use of her name ? A. It was ac- cidental, my lord. Q. Yes, it was an accident that never took place before ; very few people here, I believe, have ever heard of such a one. On the 4th of April you saw the paper with these forged letters, and im- mediately sent up Speechley to state to Phipps, that you knew no- thing of them. How came you to know that he suspected you then ? A. Because, my lord, he wrote me a notCj on the morning of the 4th, with his paper. Q. Why did he write to you ? A. He then addressed me^ mj lord, to use his own phrase, unauthorized. Q. Yu peremptorily deny, when Mr. Phipps came down, that any of that conversation, or any of those civilities, passed between you, which were stated in the questions put to you as, that you took him by the hand, and said, "My dear Phipps, you will be the Saviour of myself and family :" A. I do, my lord. Q. Did not Lady Anne Hamilton desire you to answer that letter jn her name ? A. Yes, my lord. Q. Then how came you to say, that " you had her leave :" ( 30 ) that looked as if you had asked leave from her. A. I wrote by her desire, my lord. Then 1 will put down, that you wrote by Lady Anne Ha- milton's leave and desire. Mr. HOLT. May I request your lordship to put a ques- tion to Lady Perceval ? Lord ELLENBOROUGH. If it be material. Mr. HOLT. Will your lordship have the goodness to ask, whether she did not use the words, " Saviour of his family " with reference to Mr. Mitford ? Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Why she has denied using the words ; and I cannot suggest a qualification of a direct con- tradiction. It would be making the court a party to subor- nation of perjury ; I cannot put such a question. Mr. John Hardcastle examined by Mr. W. RAY. Q. Had you, on the 4th of April last, occasion to call on the Defendant, Mitford, on any business, no matter what ? A. 1 had. Q. Before you waited on him that morning, had you seen The Kerns? A. I had. Q. Had you read in it the letters which have been alluded to ? A. 1 had, sir. Q. Did you mention them to the Defendant ? A. I did, sir. Q. On your naming them to him, what remark did he make ? A. He seemed surprised, and desired me to relate their purport. Q. You did so? A. I believe 1 did. Q. You afterwards went with him to Lady Perceval's house, Cur/on- street ? A. I did. Q. When there, had you any conversation with him on the sub- ject of The News? A. Not in Curzon- street. Q. Where did you go from Curzon-street ? A. To Black- heath. Q. On your arrival at Blackheath, where were you introduced ? A. To Mr. Perceval's room Lady Perceval was engaged. Q. Whom did you find there ? A. Mr. Speechley went with us : there were also Mr. Thomas Speechley and Mr. Perceval. Q. About what hour of the day was it ? A. About four. Q. Lady Perceval shortly after came into the room ? A. She did. Q. On her coming into the room, what passed between her and the Defendant ? A. She peremptorily asked him, what he knew of the letters in the paper. ( 31 ) Q. By Lord ELLEN-BOROUGH. Dkl she mention The .4. In The News of that morning, my lord. Q. Had she any papers in her hand } A. A letter from Mr. Phipps. Q. You saw it ? A. Yes. Q. Had she any other paper in her hand ? A. I cannot re- collect. Q. What reply did Defendant make to her, when she asked that question ":A. He denied all knowledge of them, positively and repeatedly. Q. Do you remember the expression he made use of, when h denied them \A. D-mn the fellow, 1 never saw him hut twice iu my life. Q. Had any name been mentioned in conversation, between Lady Perceval and Mr. Mittoid, to which that expression applied > A. Mr. Phipps's name had been mentioned. Q. By Lord ELLEXBOROUGH. Mentioned just before? A. It had, my lord. Q. What did the Defendant afterwards say ? A. That he wished to go to town to contradict the letters. Q. Did he say to whom he wished to go ? A. To Mr. Phipps, to contradict the letters. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH r What letters ? A. Those tba* had appeared in The News, iny lord, Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. In what particular did he say he wished to contradict them ? A. He spoke generally, my lord. Q. He did not say in what particular, then, he only said h wished to go to town to contradict them } A. Yes. Q. When he said that, what did Lady Perceval say ? A. She said, that Mr. Phipps was coming down, and it was useless for him to go to town, as they would pass on the road. Q. You say it was then about four o'clock ; did she say at what hour she expected Mr. Phipps? A. It was about four when we went down, this was about a quarter before n've. Q. Did she state a long or a short time, before she expected Mr. Phipps down ? A. She said she expected him about five. Q. What did Defendant do, or say ? A. He seemed a good deal agitated, and wished still to go. Q. Did he give any reason why Phipps would not be there that evening ? A. He said that Mr. Phipps could not go dowu, on ac- count of publishing his morning paper. Q. By Lord ELLEN-BOROUGH. Is he connected in another publication, besides the Sunday paper ? A. No, my lord ; but he publishes the same paper to send into the country on Monday. Q. Mr. Perceval wa? not in the room at the conclusion of their conversation r A. No. Q. Did h afterward* return ? A. He returned, anil announced Mr. Phipps. Q. What did Defendant do when Mr. Phipps's name was an- nounced ? A. He passed hastily by Mr. Perceval, .and left the house. Q. You saw no more of him on that day ? A. I did not. Q. You were sent repeatedly afterwards to seek him, by Lady Perceval, and did not meet him ? A. 1 did not. x*> Cross-examined by Mr. ALLEY. Q. Did you live in Lady Perceval's house ? A. No, sir. Q. What are you and how did ^rou happen to be there ? A. I belong to the Dock-yard at Woolwich. Q. Are you a private friend of Lady Perceval ? A. Yes, sir. Q. You were at her house on the Monday as well as the Sun- day? A. I was. Q. Why Monday was not a holiday ? A. I had leave, sip* C^. She does not communicate many of her secrets to you,* you did not know that these publications were going on ? A. No, sir. Q. You are a casual visitor ? A. I went there, sometimes. Q. You did not know any thing of these letters ? A. I knew nothing of the transaction. Q. Did you remain in the room after Mr. Phipps went down to Blackheath, on the Sunday ? A. 1 did not. Q. Mi t ford remained in the house, did he not? A. Not to tny knowledge. Q. Did you see him at Blackheath on that day ? A. I did not. Q. What time did Mr. Phipps stay there ? A. I don't know. Q Mr. Phipps wrote a letter the next day to Lady Perceval? A. Not the next day. Questioned by Lord ELLENBOROUGU. Q. What is your situation in the dock-yard ? A I am a clerk. Q. Are you frequently at Lady Perceval's ? A. I am there, perhaps once or twice in a fortnight. Q. Are you acquainted with any particular person in the family, rtr do you go to Lady Perceval ? A. To Lord and Lady Perceval both. Mr. Ralph Speechley examined by Mr. HOLT. Q. Yon are the nephew of a lady who resides with Lady Per- ceval ? A. Yes. Q. And you reside yourself in the family ? A. I do. ( 33 ) Q. Were you in Mr. Perceval's room, in her ladyship's house, .at Blackheath, on the 4lh of April A. Yes. Q. Do you recollect the Defendant coining into that room ? 4. Yes. Q. With whom ? A. With Mr. Hardcastle and Mr. Perceval. Q. Whilst you were in the room together, did Lady Perceval come in ? A. She did, Sir. Q. Be so gooil as to relate, when she came into the room, what she said or did ? A. She came in with The Ntics ol that day, and Mr. Phipps's letter, which she had received with it, in her hand ; and she asked Mr. Mitt'ord if he knew any tiling of the letters puhlisherl in The News of that day. Q. What did he say ? A. He declared positively that he did not. Q. Did he say that once or twice, or how many times ? A. He said it frequently. Q. Did Lady Perceval speak to him, or press him on this an- swer ? A. She did. Q. What were his answers? A. I remember him saying: " D-mn the fellow, J never saw him hut twice in my life. Q. To whom was that expression applied ? A. 1 understood to Mr. Phipps. Q. Are you sure he denied repeatedly the knowledge of the let- ters r A. Quite sure. Q. Did Lady Perceval mention the name of Mr. Phipps ? A. She gave him the letter she had received with the paper. Q. But did she say any one thing about expecting Mr. Phipps } A. She said she expected him at five o'clock. Q. What did he say ? A. That he knew he could not come, as he would be busy preparing his Monday's publication. Q. Did you observe any thing particular in his conduct ' A. He was anxious to get away, to go to town to meet Mr. Phipps. Q. Did Mr. Phipps arrive, or was his name announced, before he went ? A. That I cannot tell ; for I went with Mr. Perceval to meet Mr. Phipps at the gate of the court-yard. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. You say at the gate of ths court-yard, is it some distance from the room ? A. Yes, my lord. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. What distance is it from the bouse ? A. About fifty yards from the door. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. What door? A. The door leading into the house. Q. When did you next see Defendant ? A, 1 walked with Mr. Phipps towards the door leading to the house, and met Mr.Mitford. Q. How was he coming out ? A. Rather in a brisk manner. Q. Did he meet Mr. Phipps ? A. Yes, in the passage leading from the bouse to the court-yard. E ( 34 ) Q. Where was Mr. Perceval then : A. I believe in the room with L:uly Perceval. He ran forward to announce Mr. Phipps. Q. When the Defendant and Mr. Phipps met, did you observe anything particular: A. They shook hands together, and both ix-tired back into the yard. Q. What became of Mitford ? A. He absconded. W r e could not find him afterwards. Q. Did Lady Perceval send you the next morning to town : A. Yes, she did. Q. On the 7th of April, did Lady Perceval send you to Mit- ford's lodging, on Wednesday, the 7th ? A. Yes. Q. Who went along with you ? A. Mr. Perceval. Q. Did you seek for Mitford at his lodging '? A. Yes, frequent- ly, two or thiee times. Q. How often did you apply at the door of his lodging } A. Two or three times. Q. Were you admitted, or did you get into the lodging : A. No, we did not. Q. Did you see Mr. Mitford ? A. Yes, we saw him at the window ; we went to a public-house opposite and saw him. Q. Why did you go to the public-house opposite : A. Because we had reason to think he was in the house, though denied. Q. After you were denied admittance, did you observe him at the window ? A. Yes, sir. Q. How soon after you had called ? A. A quarter of an hour. Q. Had you kept your eye on the door of the house, so as to see that he was not admitted between the time of applying and of seeing him: A. Yes. Q. What time did you go to the house } A. About seven in the evening. Q. Did you gain admission then ? A. Yes. Q. Did you see Mitford ? A. Yes. Q. Now state what you observed, and all that passed, when you saw him? A. When I went into die room where his wife was sitting, she said he was lying on his bed, in the next room ; I went in and saw him. He appeared very much distressed ; and said, lie hoped we came as his friends I told him there was no doubt of that ; and all Lady Perceval required of him, was to give a caudid account of what he knew of these forged letters. Q. What did he reply to that r A. He told me that his reason for doing it <^. You say you found him in a distressed state did he say any- thing of his state or character ? A- He said, he had committed himself and his reputation. Q. Anything else on that head : you said, all Lady Perceval ask.cd of him, was to give an explanation, of these forged letters :*- ( 35 ) ilul you say anything of his going down with you? A. Yes ; I asked him would he go down with us. Q. What did he say upon that ? A. He said he could not hear the interview and he used this expression, that as he had heen so long accustomed to her kindness, he could not hear her frowns. Q. Did you speak to him ahont the documents in The News ahout the forged papers, as you called them? A. I asked him, what could have been his reason for imposing those letters on the Editor of The News. Q. What did he say to that r A. lie told me he saw his fa- mily in great distress, and he could not resist a bribe. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Did he say whom he had the bribe from ? A. Yes, uiy lord. 'Lord ELLENBOROUGH. O ! we shall hear that pre- sently. Q. What did you say ? A. I asked him who offered him the bribe ; he said it was Colonel Bloomfield. Q. Did he say anything else ? A. He said he should never rise again from his bed he was in great distress. Q By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Who was present with you ? A. Mr. Perceval, my lord. Q. Did he say anything else ? A. He jumped up from his bed, and with a forcible expression, said, "D-mnthem all, I will publish their names." Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Did he say whom he meant by them all ? A. No, my lord. Q. What did you observe next ? A. After a great deal of en- treaty, he said, he would go down with us, and he went into the next room to arrange his dress. Q. Was there a looking-glass there ? A. Yes. Q. Did he say anything on going up to it? A. He turned round to me, and said, "Don't I look horrible ? Have I any other appearance than that of a villain ?" Q. Did he, at last, consent to go down with you to Blackheath ? A. Yes, he did. Q. Did you and Mr. Perceval accompany him to Blackheath ? A. Yes ; both of us. Q. At what time of night did you arrive ? A. About eleven o'clock, I believe. Q. Now where did he go when he went down ? A. We sat in the next room, the door of which opened into that where he was. <} . Did yon see him next morning ? A. No, we did not ; we l;iy down about five or MX o'clock, and when we awoke we found he jvas gone ; and we could uot (iud him. f..'. What hour was it in the morning when you made the search ? A. About seven o'clock, as near as I recollect. V. At the time you searched for the Defendant, were the doors of the house open r ./.' Yes, they were. V. Did Lady IVrcou'l direct you to go next morning to London, to look for Defendant r ./. Yes. 1J. Did you go ? ,/. I did. Q. Did you see him ? -/. The man told me he was not at home -, and 1 waited till I saw him. Q. By Lord ELLF.NUOEOUGH. What time was it ? A. About five in the evening, my lord. en writing in Lady Perceval's presence? A. Perhaps letters to his friends. Q. By Lord ELLEN-BOROUGH No perhaps. Have you ever .seen him writing in her presence ? A. I have. Q. On the 4th of April were you present when Mr. Phippt ame in ? A. I was not- When Mr. Phipps came into the door, 1 turned hack into the yard. Q. When, before that day, had you seen Mr. Mitford there ? A. On the Friday evening. Q. This being on the Sunday? A. Yes. Q. When Phipps name in, you say, he met Mitford ? A. Yes; they shook hands, went into the yard together*, and Phipps after- wards went into the house. Q. Were you present at the interview r A. I was not. Q. Mr. Phipps having h it the house, you were, on the next In the most solemn manner I deny the assertion *f this witness, respecting my going with Miti'onl iiiio the yard. We met in a narro\v passage ; and he PHII from me like a man wtw had beeu bidden to keep out v( my sight. Edit. ( 38 ) morning, sent to Mr. Mitford ? A. We were we first called on Mr. Phipps. Q. You went to Mr. Mi t ford's lodgings ? A. Yes. Q. You did not see bim \ A. No. Q. When did you see him ? A. On the Wednesday after. Q. Be so good as to look at the letter, sir; were you the hearer of that letter to Mrs. Mitford ; there is no post mark on it ? A. No, sir ; I took no letter. Q. How long was it hefore you saw Mrs. Mitford at Perceval- lodge ? A. She was there on the Thursday following, the 4th of April. Q. You were not present ? A, I saw Mrs. Mitford ; but know nothing of the conversation. Q. Do you know who else had been there ? A. I do not. Q. Did Mrs. Mitford sleep there that night ? A. Yes. Q. When did she leave Perceval- lodge r A. The next morn- ing. Q. What time did you arrive on the Thursday night ? A. About ten or eleven o'clock. Q. Do you know of any letter being written for Mrs. Mitford to copy, to be sent to Dr. Warburton ? A. I do not. Q. Was any body there, on Friday morning, not of the family, besides Mrs. Mitford ? A. There was a Mr. Grimani, who went up to town with Mrs. Mitford. Q. Am 1 to understand you to say, you were not at the con- sultation respecting sending for a man from Dr. Warburton's house ? A. No, 1 was not. Q. When you saw Mr. Mitford, did you observe anything in bis appearance like a mad-man ? A. Nothing, except on the Wed- nesday, when lying on his bed ; he then certainly seemed deranged. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. That was the day he talked of the bribe ? A. Yes, my lord. Q. By Lord ELLENBOEOUGH. Did he tell you how much he received, or with what he was bribed ? A. No, my lord. Mr. John-James Perceval examined by Mr. LAWS. Q. You are the son of Lord and Lady Perceval ? A. Yes, I am. Q. You reside with them r A. Yes. Q. You lived with them in March and April last ? A. Yes. Q. Were you in the habit of seeing Mr. Mitford, when he came to the house ? A. I was. Q. Did you see Mr. Mitford on the 31st of March, on the day previous, or the day after ? A . No, I did not. ( 39 ) Q. Is it likely you would see him if tlicre : A. Yes. Q. Did you see him on the Cd of April, or the Friday ; A Yes; Idid.' Q. When next, after Friday, the 2d of April, did you see him at your father's house r A. On Sunday, the 4th. Q. No\v, sir, did your mother, after .XI,: lord arrived, come into the room where he \vas? A. Yes, she did; ou Sunday the 4th. Q. What was it she first said to Defendant ou coming into the room ? A. She brought Mr. Ph'pps's papi-r, with the letter she received trom him, and said, " Mitionl, what have you taen about :" He said, " What do you mean ?" as if he did not know any thing about it. Then shesaid, " Look, see, and read ;" and gave him the paper. Then he said, " I know nothing of it." Q. Did he use any particular words, when he said that : A. Yes; he said, " D-mn the the fellow, I never saw him but twice in my life-'" Q. Of whom was he speaking when he said, " the fellow r" A. Of Mr. Puipps, certainly. Q. Did he say he would go to Mr. Phlpps ? A. Yes ; he said he would go to town. Q. What was your mother's observation on that ? A. He need not go to town, for she had sent for Mr. Phipps, to come down and he would scon be there, as it was near five, at which time she had appointed him. Q. Did he say anything about Phipps's coming down ? A. He said he could not come, for he was preparing his Monday's publica- tion. Q. Did Mr. Phipps come r A. I went out soon after, and met Mr. Phipps at the gate of the yard, the outer gate. Q. Was any person with you then ? A. Mr. Speechley was with me. Q. Did you remain with Mr. Speechley there ? A. I went up part of the yard with Mr. Speeebley and Mr. Phipps, and then ran on to announce Mr. Phip|>s. Q. Did you see Mr. Mitford then ? //. When I came into the room, he was there- Q. Did Mitford stop till Phipps came into the room ? A. No j as soon as he heard he had arrived, he rushed past me, and went out of the house. Q. When did you see Phipps afterwards? A. I saw him after- wards in the room, just as he was going into the room. Q. Had the Defendant, Milford, got out of your sight before Phipps came into the room r A. Yes, he had. Q. Did Mitford leave the room in haste? A. He did; he seemed very much flurried, and even left his stick behind him. ( 40 ) Q. Did lie take leave in flic ord i nary way : A. No; he did not take leave of me or my mother. Q. Did you go next day, by desire of your mother, to Mr. Mitford's house r A. Yes, 1 did. Q. For u hat put poser A. To learn what he knew of those forged letters. Q. Did you frequently, (luring that clay, make inquiries for him r A. Yes, we did. Q. Were they ineffectual? A. Yes ; the landlord said he was not at hoiue, and \ve did not bee him during the whole of that day. Q. DM you repeat your visit to Di'iVndant's house, on Wed- nesday the 7tu, \vich Sneechley ? A. Yi's, I did. Q. \\ hat was the- answer ? A. That he was not at home ; at least, for the rirst two or three visits. Q. When and how did you see him on Wednesday r A. We suspr-crtd thai he was at home ; we watched and saw him come to the window boon after we called. Q. W-.-re VOM at length admitted, towards night, to Mitfonl's presence ? A. We weie. Q. Was he then np, or on his bed ? A. On his bed. Q. How did Mr. Mitford, on seeing you in that situation, first address you ? A.. lie said, "1 am happy to see you 1 hope you are con:e to comfort me." Q. Did he speak about his character r A. Yes ; he said he was a lost man, and seemed sadly distressed. Q. Was it then proposed to him to go to your mother's at Blackheath ? A. Yes. Q. What did he say to that : A. He said, she was too good he did not seem to like to come. Q. Did he say anything of hearing the interview A. He said he could not hear the interview that was the expression. Q. Did he say anything about her frowns : A. Yes ; as he was so long accustomed to her kindness he could not bear her frowns. Q. Did you hear Speechley a^k any thin;; about the forged papers r A. Yes ; Speechley a-ked what was his reason for impos- ing forged documents on the Editor of The News ? Q. Now, slowly and deliberately, tell my lord, what he said to that: A. He said, he saw his wife and children starving, and h could not re fuse a bribe. Q. Did he mention who offered the bribe } A. Yes; he men,- tioned Colonel Bloomfield. Q. Did he say anything ahput publishing names ' A. He said., " D mu them, I will publish all their names." ( 41 ) Q. Did he mention any names ? A, No, he did not. Q. Did he rnenti" i any person hut Col. Bloomlield, to wh'tm th<- ex "t^sion < t.uld apply : A No. lie did :.'J*. Q. By L'ii-d ELLEHBORQUGB. Did he mcntic.i what the bribe was, or when it was offered? A. No, my Lord, he did not. Q. Were you present when lie went to an adjoining' room to a looking ^ lass ? A. Yes, I was. (-d to send him to St. Luke's, and af- terwards to Hoxtoit ? A. Never to St. Luke's, but to Hoxton. Q. 1 believe she objected to it and said, Mr. Mitford would he angiy if she agreed to it ? : A. She objected. Q. It was nt last agret-cf that a keeper should be sent for, from Dr. Warburtou's, and that Mr. Mitford should be in no- minal Custody ? A. Yes, to prevent his doing any harm. Q. Do you recollect any person in Court, whom you saw there at the lime ? A. No. Q. Don't you see any person in Court, who wrote a letter for Mrs. Mitford to copy? A. No. Q. Was it not proposed to send Mr. Mitford to the mad- house, was not Mrs. Mitford asked to write a letter to Dr. Warburton, and did she not say she could not write the letter, and that some person must write it for her to copy? A. I don't know. Q. Do you not know, from your mother, that a letter was written for Mrs. Mitford to copy? A. Not as I recollect. Q. Who was there, besides yourself, your mother, and Mrs. Mitford? A. Mr. Speechley and two ladies. Q. Was there no other gentleman ? it is a particular thin". A. I do not recollect. Q. Did not your mother request a gentleman who was pre- sent, to write a letter for Mrs. Mitford to copy ? -A. I do not know. Q. Did you not hear that it was intended to place Mr. Mit- ford in nominal custody? A. Yes, so far as to prevent him from doing any harm. D J The case for the Prosecutor closed here. Mr. CUR- WOOD observing, that they ought to have called Mr. Phipps ; a letter said to have been written by him hav- ing been put in. * Vide Speecbley'* and Lady Perceval's contradictory evidence on thi point. The former denied being present at this meeting, and the latter as- serted that no such proposition as sending Mitford to Box ton ta4-husr was ever made by her. ( 43 ; Mr. ALLEY. " Mr. Perceval, you will be good enough to withdraw." [The young gentleman had seated himself beside the attorney for the prosecution/] This request of Mr. ALLEY, drew f^rth son.f n,;'.rks of disapprobation from Messrs. HOLT nnd LAW-, but the propriety of the course pursued by the Defendant's Counsel was acknowledged by Lord ELLEVBonoroH, who ?aid " It is much bet- ter for Mr. Perceval to withdraw; it may prevent him from hearing some unpleasant observations, and will leave the advocate more at liberty to perform his duty." Mr. ALLEY. " That is exactly my motive for wish- ing Mr. Perceval to leave the Court. It is evident he was purposely placed in his present situation, to enibarrais it j r me." Jot! bfUf _, ' Mr. ALLEY Although I wish to avoid using one word of unnecessary severity in this case, yet I am afraid, in the discharge of my professional duty,Ishallbe obliged to make some observations, which I should rather the son of Lady Perceval did not hear; this, and this only, was my reasoo for calling on him to withdraw. Gentlemen, I was about to state that I felt, and I do most unfeigned ly feel, the deepest regret, that the task of defending Mr. Mitford has fallen to me. I should have been extremely well pleased, if I had, in the pre- it instance, the assistance of my learned Friend {Mr. Topping) within the bar, who is leading Counsel in an- other case, growing out of this, but, unhappily, it wag - not in the defendants power to avail himself of tin .{4. talents possessed by my kjiuied Friend. Every person must be aware of the principle of humanity and ( 44 ) kindness towards the distressed, \vhich pervades the of the legal profession, and which always incites to step forward in dsfrnco of the unfortunate: but, you know, from the rank held by my learned Friend, it was necessary that a license should be obtained before he could appear for the defendant, and that requires a sum of inone}' greatly beyond the present means of Mr. Mitford Lo advance. Under these circumstances (he duty of conducting the defence has devolved upon me. Gentlemen, I have been much surprised at the man- ner in wh-ch the learned Counsel for the prosecution has been instructed to state his case to you. I was sur- prised when he was stating a criminal offence against the defendant, to hear him assert, that he was driven from his i'amily, and sheltered in the house of Mrs., I should say, of Viscountess Perceval. I regret he made use of the expression and introduced it in the manner he has done, because it was nei- ther generous or just, because it was not called for by the. necessity of the case. I was also sorry to hear him eulogise, in such flattering terms, the situa- tion in life which Lady Perceval fills. This was also unnecessary. With the rank of the parties what have we to do? Well, however, has the learned Gentlemen said, and in this I agree with him, that it is not for justice Y^s-' countess Perceval appears here to-day, but to protect her character irom obloquy ; and in that attempt, you will presently see, she has most completely failed. Gentlemen, the learned Counsel spokt of three kinds of evidence: and the sort of proof which he adverted to, may do very well in his opinion, but we are not bound to take his definition. There is something more than he has stated, necessary to justify a conviction of a defen- dant: it must be plainly seen, that the witnesses giving ( 45 ) their evidence are "honest witnesses, and not partakers in the guilt of those they accuse; or they must he con- firmed, as dishonest witnesses require. And hert per- mit me to observe, 'tis not the powerful influence of a powerful accuser 'tis not the popular abhorrence of a crime nor yet the injurious consequence* resulting from the perpetration of an offence, that can at this day authorise the infliction of the law. In this happy land, happy because 'tis free, and free because the. law is honestly and impartially admi- nistered to the people, all is definite and just; to every crime its correspondent punishment is attached, and ere the humblest individual can be hurt in his person or his property, legal guilt must be ascertained by /ega/and by honest proof. I use these words advisedly, and in con- tradistinction to each other; for we may have proof that is legal, and yet by no mea.is honest. We know, that in our criminal courts, a common highwayman is admitted as evidence against the person whom he has assisted in committing depredations: so is the common burglar permitted to appear against his partners in iniquity; so have the witnesses to-day been allowed to come forward, but whether they are all honest witnesses the sequel must decide. This, however, I will venture to say, that too much integrity will not be found in the conduct of Vis- countess Perceval. Gentlemen, I shall now proceed to call your minds to the fact, as it is charged in the indictment, and to the circumstance from whence the affidavit made by Mr. Mitford originated. You have been told, that Mr. Phipps refused to contradict, in the manner desired by Lady Perceval, certain paragraphs which appeared in his journal on the 4th of April, in the last year ; and, when he found that such a statement, as he thought the occasion ( 46 ) demanded, was not drawn up, he felt it a duty, owing boi> to himself and to the public, to give to the world a narrative of what had passed between him and Lady Perceval, and to publish, in corroboration of that state- ment, several letters, copies of which I shall lay before you. And why, I will ask, did Mr. Phipps do this ? Was it from any unworthy design? Was it with any sinister tiew? Certainly it was not; but he felt his honour, his character, his integrity assailed, and he resorted to the only means by which his conduct could be placed in a fair and honest light! Gentlemen, I thought it would have been my duty to cross-examine Mr. Phipps: he at- tends here, in consequence of a subpccna, from the other side, and yet my learned Friends have not dared to call him. Such conduct shews, that which wj 11 be proved; it shews, that the prosecution is rotten at Ute core ! Buf I shall call Mr. Phipps, who will distinctly state, that Lady Perceval told him, her son would be Chancellor of the Exchequer in the course of a few years, and then should come the printer's reward ! When my learned Friend* discovered the facts to which Mr. Phipps would swear, they abstained from calling upon him. What is the natural inference? It evidently is this, that evefi in their opinion Lady Perceval was not the witness of truth. Mr. Phipps, as I before intimated, finding that a full explanation, which he considered necessary, nnd sought, by calling on Lady Perceval at Blackheatli, was avoided, by the latter contriving to -get rid of Mit- ford, so that the parties could not be confronted with each other, conceived it absolutely necessary to give to the public a narrative of the transaction. Lady Per- ceval then applied for a rule of the Court of King's Bench, calling on Mr. Phipps to shew cause why a cri- minal information, for a libel, said to be contained in his statement, should not be filed against him. A con- ditional rule was granted, but, when it came on to be argued, on the motion that it should be made absolute, the court thought fit to discharge it, in consequence of the affidavits of Mr. Phipps and Mr. Mitford. In the affidavit of the latter, he made those allegations which are the subject of the present indictment for perjury. But why should Mr. Mitford make this affidavit, except impelled by the feelings of an honourable and honest man, which I say he is, although poor? Why, but from a conviction that it was right for him to offer every atonement in his power, for the mischief he had unknowingly done to the property of Mr. Phipps, in whose paper he procured the publication of these forged documents? What else could in- duce him to turn against his friend, the Viscountess Perceval? By Mr. Phipps there was no temptation thrown out no consideration was offered to influence his actions? Why, then, should Mr. Mitford do it ? Thefle was no other reason (for, according to the statement of my learned Friend, his feelings must have been strongly in favour of his benefactress, Lady Perceval,) but his own sense of what was due to Mr. Phipps. In spite of every effort to cause a departure from what was evidently his duty, his integrity kicked the beam, and it overleaped every prospect of advantage or interest, and directed him to stand boldly forward in behalf of the injured printer! The indictment, you will find, states, that the defendant, intending^ falsely, corruptly, and dishon- estly, to get the rule, which I have before mentioned, discharged, did swear that Viscountess Perceval in- duced him to procure the insertion, in Mr. Phipps's pa- per, of these forged letters. The subject-matter of the indictment is contained in this affidavit, where Mr. ( 48 ) Mitford positively deposes, that oa or about the 31st of March, he met Lady Perceval at Blackheat.ii, by appoint- ment, who told him that. Utter.- of great consequence were to be published, and that Mr. Phipps was a pro- per person to entrust them with, as he was most likely to do justice to the Princess of Wales. There are, in the indictment, no less than ten assignments of perjury; but there is no denial of Lady Perceval having, on or about the 31st of March, sent for the defendant. There is a great deal of special pleading; much ingenuity is manifested, but this fact is not expressly denied. The second assignment states, that " Lady Perceval did not, on the day in ques- tion, or on any other day, give the defendant letters, in her hand-writing, to be copied, neither did she, on the day mentioned, state that it was a dangerous experi- ment." Xow the allegation of the defendant, is, that Lady Perceval said so^ and I think it does not signify a single farthing, whether the statement was on that par- ticular day, or on any other. I am sure, Gentlemen, when you have heard all the facts detailed, you will agree with me, that Lady Perceval did so express herself, par- ticularly when you consider the dangerous tendency of the letters which shall be read to you, and which, by her own admis.-ion, were composed by her. You will per- ceive, from one of these letters, that she found fault with the defendant, because part of a paragraph, transmitted to him for insertion, was left out, the proprietor of the pa- per, to whom it was given, thinking it unsafe to publish it. The same remarks will apply to the third assignment. As to the 4th, averring that Lady Perceval never said what was stated by the defendant, about John Bull; namely, that the publication of these letters would rouse him, and inake him clamorous; this is a fact which can oulv ( 49 ) be knotfn to the parties themselves; Mr. Mitford says that, in a private meeting with Lady Perceval, she so ex- pressed herself, he speaks to the fact: and, unless there is something more in contradiction, than the mere evi- dence of Viscountess Perceval denying his statement, you must acquit him; I repeat it, Gentlemen, if there is no- thing more than the bare oath of Viscountess Perceval op- posed to the statement contained in the defendant's oath, he must have your verdict. For it is a rule in law, par- ticularly in cases of perjury, that, where a defendant has stated a fact upon oath, you shall receive his asseveration, rather than that of the plaintiff, if the latter is not sup- ported by any collateral evidence. I am, therefore, of, opinion, that we may leave out all those assignments, and come to that which states, that " the defendant did not copy these letters from a manuscript in the hand-writing of Lady Perceval." Her Ladyship denies that the de- fendant copied these letters from originals in her hand- writing; but she has not added, that they were not co- pied, in her presence, from letters written by some other persons. Yet I think the woman who stands up to accuse another of the crime of perjury, should do it in the most plain and unequivocal manner. And, if her ladyship had alleged that which I have just adverted to, I should have entertained a suspicion of the integrity of my client; but, when I find there is no coifnt in the indictment, setting forth, "that the defendant did not copy the letters, in Lad;/ Perceval's presence, from originals furnished, though ipt written, by her," I look upon the indictment as a mere special pleading etlbrt, an effort, which, however ingenious, will, T hav no doubt, fail of success. If Lady Perceval, intend- ing to impose on the defendant, had got other person!? to imitate her hand-writing, and the letttis, a ( 50 ) thus copied, were placed before my client to deceive him, he must be extremely shallow who could imagine that such a subterfuge would entail the guilt of perjury upon the person thus unfairly dealt with; the question not being, whether the letters were copied from originals in her hand-writing, but whether, from papers laid before the defendant by Lady Perceval. Gentlemen, we come next to the evidence offered in support of the allegations contained in the indictment. So far as Lady Perceval's direct examination went, she denied the facts sworn to by the defendant. And if her statement be adequately continued, you must receive it; but, in my opinion, Lady Perceval, on her cross-exa- mination, did not appear in a very amiable light, she did not give her evidence in that open, candid, decisive manner, which always characterises the ivitncss of truth ! To the best of my recollection, I asked her (and I beg you to remark the circumstance, for it shews very clearly the nature of her evidence,) whether she did not propose to Mrs. Mitford, to send her husband to St. Luke's ? Her answer was " No." I then demanded whether she had proposed to send him to Dr. Warburton's? Still the answer was " No." I knew she had made this propo- sition, because my client had stated it upon oath, and his deposition is at least as good as that of Viscountess Perceval. But mark what follows : her own son, the young gentleman who has just gone down from the wit- ness-box, has admitted the fact, and thus contradicted his mother, he swears that he was present when it was proposed by Lady Perceval, to Mrs. Mitford, that her husband should be sent to Hoxton! Where, then, is the truth the boasted veracity of this lady? of her, forsooth, whose rank is called in aid to overpower and bear down an unfortunate gentleman, ( 51 ) duperl by her machinations ! Oh, hut 'tis said the defen- dant has confessed his guilt! so has many a man, whose innocence has yet been proved. But let us examine into this shallow artifice, and see how the thing stands. The forgery having been discovered, in a moment of distress, surrounded with difficulties, and when the honour and reputation of Lady Perceval was at stake, my client, in return for kindnesses formerly conferred, urgently soli- cited and importuned, consented to save the lady, though he should sacrifice himself; and therefore agreed, not only to confess the crime, but to add that he was bribed to forge the letters by a gentleman, whose honour and reputation would spurn at such an act. This mention of a bribe explains the whole, and the venemous contriv- ance is easily seen through, when it is recollected, that the gentleman alluded to holds a distinguished situation in the house of an illustrious personage, on whom to fix a stain would infinitely delight the Viscountess Perceval! It is now time to inquire, what return Lady Perceval made to Mr. Mitford for this generous self-immolation! to make her own protection doubly sure, she urges him to retire to a mad-house; this he thinks too much, and refuses, his mind being at that time as perfect as that of any man that hears me; she determines to pursue her purpose, sends for his wife, and endeavours to associate her in the conspiracy against her husband; the wife will not consent, and then (to use the lady's own phrase) a le- gal counsel is consulted, who is directed to prepare a let- ter for Mrs. Mitford to copy, which is to be sent to the governor of Whitmore house, ordering him to send a keeper to protect his family from the rage of this nultns volens madman from the fury of Lady PercecaTs dan- gcrons lunatic, for whose relief, notwithstanding her love for all the Mitford family, she had not called in the as- ( 52 ) sistance of even the family apothecary: however the keeper arrives, my client is put into his clutches, and thus deprived of his liberty, the Viscountess thinks her- self secure! Base, unfeeling degeneracy, which has no parallel amongst the titled fair of Britain, and compels me to e: " Are thtre no stones in Heaven, but those designed for thunder !" Gentlemen, ray learned Friend has said, that he was willing to let his case be judged by the conduct of the Defendant, after the publication took place. I am no less willing to let it rest on the conduct of Lady Perceval. She has, I know, denied all that T have asked her, re- specting the interview with Mr. Phipps; she shrinks at the mere idea of her lily hand having touched the prin- ter's honest ink- stained fist. If you believe her, she did not call him the saviour of her family; she never men- tioned his future reward! But, Gentlemen, I will prove all this to you, tolidem verbis, as I asked the questions of the witness! But what can one think of Lady Perceval's conduct, who, having Mr. Mitford in her power, never produced him to Mr. Phipps who was so anxious to see him, and who went to Blackhealh for the purpose? Her Ladyship, no doubt, thought that if Mitford and the printer met together, the one accusing the other, the whole subject of the letters would be canvassed in her presence, and a discovery would probably be made which she wished to avoid. Therefore she resolved no meeting should take place. I asked her Ladyship whether she had taken the lodgings for Mr. Mitford, and whether she visited him late at night? She was quite indignant at the question. And, after some difficulty, she stated, that she did not pay for the lodgings '* but," said she, " I recom- ( 53 ) mended him and his wife to the gentleman who kept the house." That is to say, they would not be admitted without my recommendation, and, therefore, I gave it. She stated further, that she did not drive up in her coach to his door, sometimes, because the pavement was not down ; now, every body who knows Crawford-street, must be sensible, that it was paved a twelvemonth ago. It is a great thoroughfare, leading, I believe, into Baker- street. His Lordship, for which I am indebted to him, de- manded, whether her serv a Always attended her in those visits to Crawford/- street; but, remarkable as the circumstance :must be, she could not answer positively. But, Gentlemen, she has gone repeatedly to the Defen- dant's lodgings, unattended, after he was in bed, and sent up her scribblings to him, that he might get them inserted in the papers. I do not mean to impute to her that she was frail ; but I state this to shew that she was ashamed of her conduct, and that she sought the obscurity of night to screen her from observation. If her motives were good, what was the necessity of concealment? There is no secrecy in truth ; it stands before the world open and unabashed ; but ** Suspicion haunts the guilty mind." Ladv Perceval thought the necessity of the case pleaded her excuse sufficiently, and, therefore, went on foot, unattended, because she was afraid of attracting notice. Gentlemen, I put into the hands of Lady Perceval, some papers, which she acknowledged were of her writ- ing, to which I now proceed to call your attention, com- mencing with that, " When Nelson was a child ;" but, be- fore I read it, I think it necessary that I should explain its meaning. Every man knows the courage of that departed hero, who died in the service of his country, whose words Lady Perceval quotes, as a reproach to those who ( 34 ) refused to publish some of her paragraphs in their original state; they being, it seems, more timid than her Lady- ship was. But, Gentlemen, she fought behind a screen; she was not in the forlorn hope, destined to bear the brunt of the engagement. No, no, my poor client was to mount the breach; he was to shield her Ladyship, and, if the attempt did not succeed, he was to be the sa- crifice. Of this I shall shew you, and that what he has done, was not merely under the direction, but under the control of this heroic lady, who most ungenerously took advantage of that bounty, which the learned Counsel has stated her to have bestowed on my client; she wrought upon the unsuspecting goodness of his heart, and ex- ercised the right of positive command over him. She tells him, in her letters, to do this and that, and spe- cially directs him not to take any stop without first com- municating it to her. Now, Gentlemen, I will read the letter. " Monday. "Nelson, when a child, said, ' What is fear? I never saw it.' Mr. T. would not have won the battle of the Nile, Let those fear who espouse a bad cause. We who contend for Justice for the Princess of Wales, and for our i'uture Queen, should not flinch Cowards never gained the field. I wish to God, Mr. T - had been any where but there just then and I hope he will have a prosperous voyage, but not a speedy return. I would Mr. M. being a man, as he IK, of bold and valiant principle of honorable, energetic, and chivalric feel- ing, were alone proprietor of his P -. I hate half measures, half arguments, half appeals to the public sense and heart : they never answered yet. Rush upon your enemy surprise, astound him and terror unhorses him ! ** I shall be glad if the abortion of my letter do good. But it is vexatious when a whole, so complete as it was, con- nected the one part with the other, to have it mangled, and a bit only thrown to the public. " Yesterday was the very day for it * The tide-serving 4 moment' that Shaksp bids us watch and catch. But what is done cannot be helped Another time tho' pray no mutt- ( 55 ) lot ionsand what Mr. T. may have no stomach for, may please another s appetite; and aoraethiqg of lighter digestion can be prepared To, him. f am sure Mr. M. tea* truly distresstd. When vlr. T. goes into the country, will Mr. M. have the power then to insert at pleasure? It is really cruel to have torn me piecemeal for observe how the connection of the parts s destroyed by it How difficult to rejoin this snake, which would so keenly have stung where we intended without the venom being libellous. Send me back my copy, for I have none, and I cannot re-create until I have it. Who, (asked Mr. ALLEY,) created this ? Lady Perceval acknowledged herself to be the author; and, Gentlemen, if she gave birth to such sentiments as these, can it be doubted that she would also create the para- graphs published in The News? Paragraphs, which bear the same proportion to what I have just now read, as an innocent dew-drop does to the most poisonous liquid. Her Ladyship goes on to say " So, without loss of time or post, return it to me, and I will see what 1 can do." That is, she would try whether she could not devise some other mode of using what the printer had refused to publish. Xow, Gentlemen, mark the determined spi rit she exhibits: " But promise me that if Mr. M. will not insert it as I send it (save and except any expression that may be strictly libellous, which I am sure there was none in that lettefj which I can alter,) to return it me whole: for as the cause must not lose for other's squeamishness, it should find its way somehow to the public but not with the same signature as that given to Mr. This is Certainly new in the annals of female diplomacy and intrigue. One party having refused the article, it must be cooked up again, in a different way ; and, under another signature, it is to be given to the world. These passages, Gentlemen, appear to me to be the most ma- ( 56 ) terial, and it is hardly necessary that I should call your attention further to the extracts which I have read from this extraordinary letter. Many of you, I am sure, would excuse me any further labour; for I think yon \vill agree with me, that the person who could force upon the de- fendant such an epistle as that which I have read, would not scruple to ask him to publisii any thing. I shall now, Gentlemen, proceed to a second letter, also di- rected by her Ladyship to Mr. Mitford : " Sunday. " I write this in case you should disappoint me again arid again though 1 hope not ; for it is of the utmost importance, I repeat, to both our agency and our cbivaLriceau.se, that you should not leave me so ignorant, &c. &c. Besides, you were to have brought me the letters for Mr. Downes, inclosing the paper I wanted to send him on my money businesses. Next place, I want the paragraph about Billy Austin, for I suppose Mr. M does not wish to insert it, as he has not: on the contrary, 1 observe in the paper of last night, an allusion and extract upon the same subject but very tame and inefficient. I would, therefore, wish you to bring it back to me, that I may do what I like with it, and make some use of it. I would also be glad of the other scrap, about" God Save the K ." I beg you will get possession back of the copy of the letter prin- ted, which was written in large hand." Is it not clear, Gentlemen, from this language, that Lady Perceval was at the head-quarters, aiding and as- sisting in the fabrication of various letters? The De- fendant certainly was, in some part, connected with these transactions. I am sorry he was mixed with ^them ; but he has done all he can to atone for his con- duct, he has come forward, in spite of threats and en- treaties, to justify the man who was injured by those pro- ceedings. The letter, which was written from the coun- try to Mr. Mitford, continues: " 1 da not send the other which is ready, because, since Mr. M has nut liked Billy A , lie will not, perhaps, ( 57 ) like this; and if I do not see you, or hear from you, I always tear accidents, people changing their feelings, &c." Her Ladyship appears to be a very good sort of wo- man. Nothing, it seems she dreads so much, as that worst of moral accidents, " people changing their feel- ings." She is quite unwilling, when people get into danger, that they should save themselves by turning evidence against their fellows. No, her command is, " stick to your text,"dear Mr. Mitford ; never, under any circumstances, depart from it." The letter goes on " I do expect that now is the moment of the tide serving for our cause. John Bull's heart is her'**, and liis eyes are opened ; and we must hope that if Englishmen would chain piouize Mrs. Clarke, the P , (That is, Gentlemen, the prostitute; I suppose Mr. 1 . Clarke will not be much obliged to her Ladyship for the appellation.) " against the king's son, very unjustly, and to their discredit, I ever thought, those same Englishmen will at heart defend and protect their old king's 'niece and their young queen elect's mother. Do, pray, answer this note, unless I shall have seen you ; at all events, 'send me Downe's letter and Billy A " I do not suppose you will let me leave town without seeing vou. Can you come this evening between ten and twelve o'clock you will find me returned from Pol ham. " If Mr. M. will choose another letter for to-morrow's paper, come and say so; but 1 do not send it without being certain it will be accepted. *' I can put Billy A in the form of a letter, for 1 much wish that it should be in. The paragraph of la-ft night called forth not an atom of warm feeling. Such benevolence as that of the person in question, should be known, and not be misre- presented." From this, Gentlemen, it is apparent that her lady- ship did not think the Defendant fit to conduct such a concern. She speaks to him, not as a pfuiiccps criminis u ( 58 ) in the production of her libel.*, but as a mere tool and agent, knowing that she might shake him oil' whenever she pleased ! And so, in truth, she would have done, it' it had not been for the existence of these letters. Fortunately, however, they were preserved, although she called on the Defendant's wife and begged her to burn them, which Mrs. Mitford assured her had been done; and, at another period, I will shew, that she requested Mr. Phipps', when she heard he had other letters in his possession, to destroy them. Happily for Mr. Phipps and for the Defendant, these docu- ments are still in being, and afford a clue to the whole of this base transaction. Sorry should I be, Gentlemen, if her Ladyship's misconduct were detri- mental to the interests of her children. God forbid that the sins of the mother should be visited on that young gentleman who lately gave his testimony. But, whatever the consequences may be, however it may affect a family to whose abilities the country is so much indebted, all the circumstances of this case must be deve- loped, and the course pursued by Lady Perceval must be clearly pointed out. The next letter says, " Where is the copy of the letter, fort suppose you have sent it now ? I have had no Slars ; you promised them to me last night; pray bring them to-morrow, &c." He was, it seems, to have sent many of The Star newspa- pers to her, for the purpose of letting the other parties connected with the conspiracy, see the progress she was making, and to give them an opportunity of applauding the wickedness which had been perpetrated: " You may come down this evening if you can, to tell me all that lias passed since. I am yoing out at five o'clock. I must- se you before Monday, if you can. When is the other letter tobeiur&c. I ass re you we must work them well. If Mr. .'.oes not like to put it in, I wish you would withdraw it, that I may send it elsewhere. M ', 1 think, neglects the cause." All this shews you, Gentlemen, that Mr. Mitford was still acting in the capacity of agent, as I have before observed. The next letter with which I shall trouble you, says, " It is very singular, that since ray son left you on Friday evening, I have neither heard of you nor seen you. No papers no insertions. I am afraid your friend M does not mean, or wish to insert, either letter; he had much better have said this candidly from the first. Therefore, without fail, I mu-t require you to bring back both the MSS. of the remarks of the letter; both are absolutely necessary for the publication of the cause." This is perfectly characteristic of the transaction. Ob- serve, Gentlemen, her Ladyship's caution: " Do not keep the manuscript; bring it back to me, who am the author." What would she not have given to get back these letters? " You may say to your friend Mr. M- , that since he and Mr. T object to 'them both, your friend directs you to re- turn them immediately." Here again, the same expression, the same feeling per- vades all the letters. Lady Perceval does not call upon the defendant to take back these articles to himself, but she demands that they may be returned to her, from whom they originally came. The letter continues: " I hope you have not forgotten to-morrow's News. You understand my allusion." On this, Gentlemen, I could make many observations, but, as I have not evidence to sustain them, I will pass ( CO ; it over; for I wish not to introduce a word that I can- not prove. " You must not come to where I am, lint to the Green Man Inn, and send me a message to say you are there. I shall be in town early in the morning, therefore let me hear from you at all events, &c." This is of a piece with all the rest of her letters; she commands the Defendant to return her the documents, which she had transmitted to him. Perhaps she imagined there was some danger, and, therefore, she orders him to restore the manuscripts. I shall only request your at- tention, Gentlemen, to one other letter; but, if ray learned friends wish it, they may have the whole of trhem read. The paper to which I allude, and which the proper officer will presently read to you, contains one of the grossest lihels that ever was written, a libel on an illustrious personage, and on a nobleman filling one of the highest situations in the state, and, I am sure, the noble Judge will pardon me if I say, a libel on one of the best men that ever graced the judicial seat, I mean the present Chancellor. The times are gone by, when this inflammatory composition would be treated as some- thing worse than libel. But Lady Perceval ought to know, that there were periods in the history of this country, better than those of Charles or of James, in which no great delicacy was observed, when the produc- tion of such a writing would have been considered as an overt act of treason. That paper only I shall require to be read to you, in addition to those which I have al- ready noticed. I have other letters here, and I will keep them, but should public justice demand them, hereafter, they shall be forthcoming. Now, Gentlemen, let us observe a little, what oc- ( 61 ) currecl immediately prior to the publication of these forged documents. Mr. Phipps, thinking lie had got hold of letters really written by those great authori- ties, whose names they hore, and coming into his hands through Mittbrd, did not hesitate to publish them. And it is a circumstance which ought to be particularly noticed, that Mitford, when he delivered the documents, did not make use of any talse name, which he certainly might if he were conscious that he was doing wrong. He, however, did no such thing; he boldly and directly mentions Lady Perceval, as the person from whom he procured the letters. Mr. Phipps, anxious to give them to the public, before his brother journalists, and convinced of their being genuine, inserts them in his paper without scruple* The moment he has published them, his office is beset, and he is informed, on all sides, that they are forgeries. " Forgeries'." says he; "I have had them from a Mr. Milford, and he told me he got them from Viscountess Perceval." But what does her Ladyship? After the thing has been buzzed about, she sends to London; the matter is discovered, and she determines to ruin the de- fendant and save herself. Mr. Speechley is dispatched to M r. Phipps, and her son is sent to Mr. Mitford. What i to the man who had dared to impute forgery to Viscoun- tess Perceval? Yes, he is sent to that very man, and this too by his mother! When he met Mr. Mitford in what way did he greet him ? Did he say to him, " You have done that which was profligate and base, for which I shall take you by the collar." Nothing of this kind, on the contrary he is introduced into the audience cham- ber, and treated with great civility. Meantime, Speechley is sent to Mr. Phipps, to entreat him, for God's sake, merely to state that the letters are forgeries. And, when ( 62 ) he declares that he cannot, consistently with his honour, tlo that, she writes to him as follows: (Sea Appendix, No. XI.) No sooner does Mr. Phipps, inconsequence of this note, make his appearance, than her Ladyship, for fear of a true rectification, as she calls it, contrives to send Mr. Mitford away. Gentlemen, the Defendant has de- clared it, that he did not, of his own free will, leave the house, that he slept there that night, and the next day his wife was sent for. He is at present the accused per- son ; but, perhaps, he will have an opportunity of stat- ing these facts, on his oath, in a court of justice, when the parties shall have changed places. The conduct of Mr. Phipps spoke for itself, it wanted no comment. " II," said he to Lady Perceval, " Mitford has imposed upon me, let me see him here, face to face." This was the proceeding of an honourable and well-intentioned man. But Lady Perceval never rang the bell, to order her ser- vants to call up Mitford ; she does not direct her son or Mr. Speechley to search for him, and send him in. Xo, she refuses the proposition of the honest printer, who desires to meet the business fairly, at that moment. This, Gentlemen, would not suit her Ladyship, such an investigation, before her face, might- have gone to a conviction of her guilt, and then she would not have an opportunity of bringing 4 this accusation against the Defendant. Something more followed while Mr. Phipps remained: Lady Perceval has denied it, but I shall prove it, I will prove that she asked him to burn letters of liar's which he had then in his possession. For, when she stated the documents to be forged, he ob- served, " Lady Perceval, I have got other letters of yours in my possession, which, compared with those handed to me by Mitford, shew at once what you have ( 63 ) been about." " Dear Mr. Phipps," said her Ladyship, " publish such a contradiction as I have mentioned, burn the letters, and you will be the saviour of me and my family; in six or seven years my son will be chan- cellor of the exchequer, and then conies your reward." Now, my learned Friends, who know something of these transactions, and who have subpwnaed Mr. Phipps, think it would be dangerous to produce him, and, therefore, have not examined him. But I shall call him into Court, and if my learned Friends gain any thing by this ma- noeuvre, which gives them an opportunity of cross-ex- amining the witness, they are extremely welcome to it. Gentlemen, this case is of far greater importance to the public than to the parties immediately interested in it. If such fabrications are allowed to be published with im- punity, the Government cannot stand ! If Lady Perce- val's system is tolerated, the well-ordered state of sociefy can no longer be maintained! If this " consilium sub cunsilio" (to quote another of her Ladyship's phrases,) assembled in cabal at Perceval-lodge, if this species of petticoat-gorernment is once known to be endured, there is an end to the respectability of the country, in the eyes of foreign states, and to the contentment and happiness of the people at home! Mr. ALLEY then returned his thanks to Lord Ellen- borough and the Jury, for the patient attention they had afforded him, and concluded by calling, Mr. T. A. PHIPPS, who was examined by Mr. Cuuwoon. Q. What is your name? A. Thomas Addeiley Phipps. Q. Are you the proprietor and editor of The News newspa- per ? -A. I am, sir. Q. Have the goodness to look at that note, which purports to come from Lady Anne Hamilton; was it brought to you by M r. M i tibrd ? A . It w u s . Q. In consequence, did you insert in your paper, on the 4th of April, certain letters, purporting to be signed by the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Liverpool, and Lord Castlereagh, brought to you by Mr. Mitford ? A. I did. The following letter was here put in and read. See Appendix, Xo. V. Q. From whom did you receive these (the forged) letters ? A. From Mr. Mitford. Q. Did you receive other paragraphs from him ? A. I re- ceived three paragraphs in all, in Lady Perceval's hand-writing. Q. By Lord ELLENBOROUGH. You know her hand-writing ? A. I do, iny Lord; 1 received tiiree paragraphs or articles. Q, Having inserted these letters in your p;iper of the 4th of April, did you, on the same day, receive this letter from Lady Perceval ? A. I did. The letter, dated Dartmouth-row, April 4, see Ap- pendix, No. XL was here read. Q. Having received that letter, did you go to Lady Perce- val's, at Blackheath, on that day? A. 1 did. Q. What time of the day did you get there ? -A. About four or live in the afternoon ; rather earlier, about four. Q. Whom did you first see, when you arrived there ? A. I saw Mr. Speechley and Mr. John James Perceval in the road, apparently looking for me. Q. You went into the house, of course ? A. I did, sir. Q. Which of them first saw yon? A. I came upon them almost before either saw me; for, not knowing where the house was situated, I had gone past it, and came up as if I was coming from Lewisham ; they were looking for me the contrary way, towards London. Q. Did yon see any person as you entered the house? Jf. As 1 entered the house I met Mr. Mttford. Q. Were you afterwards shewn in to Lady Perceval ? A. I was. Q. Who was in the room with Lady Perceval ? A. When I entered the room, there were Mr. John James Perceval, a person I understood to be Mr. Hardcastle, and Mr. Speechley. Q. Were they present at your conversation with Lady Per- ceval, or did they leave the room? A. Lady Perceval desired Speechley and Hardcastle immediately to leave the room. Q. i>y Lord ELLEMJOI'.'JL'GH. Her son did not continue? A. Her son icmaiued at first, my Lord. ( 65 ) Mr. CmwooD. Now will you have the goodness, without my putting it to you, to state, slowiy a. id (; >.ivei- sution which passed between you. Witness. Lady Perceval said, " Mr. I'hipu-, ti.'- i- : , sad thins?; I know nothing of these letter>." I am astonished to hear that, lor I had them from Mr. She then said, " Sure there must Le some mistake, for Mitford has been at Woolwich ever since Thursday last, the 8] March." Her sou was standing at the back of her chair, wl:cu she turned, as if to appeal to him to confirm what *lie hu<: she did not appeal in words. I said," Your Ladyship must br mistaken, for I met Mr. Mitford not five yards Iron) liie door oi' this room, on my entrance. She then, my Lord, desired her son to leave the room, and drew her chair rather closer to t he- table than she sat before: she said, " Mr. Phippi, this is a very unfortunate business; these letters mut-t be contradict d." I said, I could not contradict them, without: giving a full expla- nation of how I came by them. I said, I -had been at < derable pains and expense, by Mr. Mitford's desire, in inform- ing the public, by means of advertisements and Lund-hills, -that I had such letters, and that 1 meant to publish them, on the Sunday, in my paper. (^. By Lord ELLENBOROUGII. How long before the Sun- day, had you circulated these hand-bills? A. Two diiys, my Lord, I'riday and Saturday. *>. By Lord Eilenborough. "Where did you advertise them ? '/. In four morning papers, I beiu-M . Q. By Lord Ellenborough. What papers were they? A. The Morning Chronicle, The Morning Post, The Morning He- rald, and The Day or The British Press; but I am not sur.-. Q. By Lerd Ellenborough. Do you know whether Lady Perceval takes in either of these papers? A. I do not kno\>, inv Lord. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. There were also hills, you say ? A. Yes, my Lord; there were likewise large posting-bills, through the" streets of London, two clays previous. Mr. Phipps continued his narrative. And, therefore, that it behoved me to give a full explanation, to the public, of tdo manucr in which they came into my hands. Lady Per .-vat said, she could not account for Mitford's conduct, any other way than by supposing him to be insane; that he had some short time before confined in a mad-house, and tiiat she .-uppot-ed he was ill again. Her son came in about this time, and she appealed to him :s to the truth of this. Q. By Lord EI.I.KNBOBOUGH. As to the fact of tuad.v A. Yes, my Lord, and lie confirmed it. Mr. Phipps proceeded. I said he had no appearance, to me, of being ins-ane. She then endeavoured, very earnestly, I to persuade me simply to contradict the letters in my paper; but I constantly refused, without an explanation. 1 then said that the letters he had delivered to me, on the Thursday pre- ceding, were not the only letters and papers, or articles, in my possession, which I had had delivered to me, in the fortnight I had known him ; that I was in possession of several letters, some of which purported to he in the hand-writing of her ladyship. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. You believed them to be in her hand-writing? A. I did, my Lord, and I told her so. Mr. Phipps. And one which purported to be in the hand- writing of the Princess of Wales. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. How do you mean purporting; writing does not purport of itself by whom it is formed ? A. It had the signature C. P. and all the characteristics of a letter written by the Princess of Wales. Mr. Phipps continued. She said, "Mr. Phipps, they are all forgeries." Q. By Lord Ellenborough. Have you that letter, which purports to be her's, as yon call it, here ? A. Yes, my Lord. Mr. Phipps proceeded. "And I hope you will burn them, or deliver them up to me." She repeated this with very consi- derable agitation and earnestness ; so much so, that though I had the letters then in my pocket, I did not think it prudent to say that I had. Lady Perceval then said, she would have the letters contradicted in the daily papers. I said, with that I had nothing to do, she was at perfect liberty to do what she pleased in any other paper, but that I could not insert a simple contra- diction of them in mine. She then endeavoured to reason with me on the folly of supposing that a simple contradiction of them would injure or hurt the interests of my paper. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. Did she explain what she meant by a simple contradiction? A. Merely to this effect, my Lord : *' We understand the letters published yesterday in The Netvs are forgeries." Mr. Phipps continued. I still persisted in opinion that it would, and therefore refused. She then asked rne to write a copy of a paragraph or two for her, to send to the p" ^ers of the following morning, which I did, in terms of her enditing, but never with any view to insertion in my own paper. She then said, that I had done a great deal of service to the cause of the Princess of Wales, and that it would materially injure that cause if I entered into the explanation whicb I said was neces- sary. I said, I should be sorry to do so, but that I could not contradict the letters without a full explanation of the manner in which I came by them. She then was very earnest in her en- treaties, and I grew almost weary of withstanding her impor- tunity. I then said, I would go home and consult my friends, and be guided by their advice how I should act. She appeared ( 67 ) to take this as consenting to what she had been requesting of me, and she took me by the hand and said, I waa the saviour ot' herself and her family. Q. By Lord Ellenborough. Are you sure of this? .-I. I swear it, my Lord. She took me by the hand and said, I was the saviour of herself and her family. Whether she rang the bell, or Mr. Perceval came in of his own accord, at that mo- ment, I really am hardly certain, but 1 know at that moment he did come in, and Lady Perceval desired him to take me by the hand, and to vow an eternal friendship to me. She said, she had no doubt, but some years hence, he would fill some im- portant post in the administration of his country, and that then I should not be forgotten. I still persisted in refusing to give any promise of what should be the future line of my conduct, and I then took my leave. Q. When her ladyship said, that Mitford, had been at Woolwich since the preceding Thursday, did she use no expres- sion as to that morning? A. No, sir. Q. She did not tell you he was then in the house ? A- No, sir. Q. Did she express any regret that he had gone ? A. She did not mention any thing about his being gone. Q. She desired you to write a paragraph to contradict these letters? A. She did. Q. Do you know that she used it, in the application for a rule against you, personally, in the Court of King's Bench ? A. I believe she did, in the affidavit on which the application was founded, and I answered it in mine. Q. It is fair to apprise you, that what you have stated about her taking you by the hand, and calling you the savionf of her family, is contradicted by her; now do you mean to as- sert it? -A- I swear it, sir, positively. Cross-examined by Mr. HOLT. Q. You say, you received three paragraphs, from Mr. Mit- ford, in Lady Perceval's hand-writing? A. I did. Q. Were not two of them letters? A. No: one was rela- tive to the delivery of some two-penny post letters, at Mon- tague-house, and a second related to the Duchess of Bruns- wick's will. Q. They were on one piece of paper ? Yes ; but they were different paragraphs, on different subjects. Q. Were not those on one piece of paper, delivered at the same time, and making one article? A. No, sir, they did not form one article. Q. What was that which you called the third paragraph ? A. It was an article entitled " A curious fact." ( 68 ) Q. Was it on a different piece of paper? A. Tt was. O. V.'hcn \v;js it dfiiv^red ? A. About a fortnight after! became acquainted with Mr. Mil ford. He was with me every day ' ..!t m an to swear, tnut these three paragraphs consisted ol to 01. on<- -.lip of paper, and that the oilier was a paragraph on a different piece? A. I do. Q. I)r' \on .i i\e <'ie last-mentioned paragraph before or nfte: the <.'. >. i do uot know whether I received it be- fore or aft<_'i ; but I got them all from Mr. Mitford. Q. You ilu i;ut know which preceded the other? A. No, I do nt. Did you ever hear from Lady Perceval, until yon wrote to Lady Anne Hamilton, asking information from Montague- .' A. Yes, I had three letters from her. Q. Were they not to order the paper? Yes, they were; but they contained compliments I did not deserve. Q. One for herself, one for Lady Hamilton, and one for somebody at Bridgwater? A. Yes. Q. Did you receive any other letter or communication au- thorising you to write to Lady Anne Hamilton? A. I should never have thought of writing to Lady Anne Hamilton, but for those complimentary letters just mentioned. Q. You wrote to Lady Anne Hamilton relative to the af- fairs of the Princess of Wales? A. I did, Sir. Q. And, in answer to the letter you sent to Lady Anne Ha- milton, you received a letter, which has been read, in Lady Anne's name, but written by Lady Perceval ? A. 1 did. Q. In the letter to Lady Anne Hamilton, you made an of- fer of the columns of your paper, and, in answer, received a letter neither declining nor accepting the offer? A. I received the letter which has been read. Q. In whose hand-writing were the letters published on the 4th of April? A. In Mr. M it ford's hand-writing. Q. I see you have sworn, that, at the time you received the copies rf those forged letters from Mitford, he informed you that he received the same from Lady Perceval? A. He did so. Q. Now, sir, I ssk you, on your oath, did you not tell a different story, and make a different statement from this, at a former period ? A. Never, sir. Q. Now, sir, I ask you, did you not tell Lady Anne Hamil- ton, on Sunday, the 4th of April, (and she is here this day) that, at the time Mitford gave you these letters, he stated, that he had copied them, in the presence of the Princess of Wales, from origi i! Is in her hand-writing, and she talked so much, that lie ftaied he had made many mistakes in the transcript? A. He ( 69 ) did say, that he copied them in the presence of the Princess of Wales; but he \vas> always consistent in saying hugoi them from Lady Perceval. Q. He told you, then, that he copied them in the presence of the Princess of Wales, whose talking confused him: A. lie did tell me so at lirst, at the time \vhen he delivered the let- ters. Q. Did yon say to Lady Anne Hamilton, that, when he put those letters into your possession, he told you he had received them from the Princess of Wales, and had copied them in her presence ? A. He never said he got them from the Princess of Wales. Q. That is no answer. Did you tell that to Lady Anne Ha- milton? A. I believe not. Q. Will you swear it : A. I do. I could not have told her so. Q. Did you not, in your paperof the 1 1th and 18th of April, state, in excuse for the publication of these letters, that M it ford had copied them in the presence of the Princess of Wales.' A. I did, but I had not seen Mitford then. Q. How then can it be true that he copied them in Lady Perceval's drawing-room ? A. He always said he had received them from Lady Perceval. Q. Then I am to understand, that the first account he gave \vas, that he copied the letters in the presence of the Princess of AVales,and that she gave them to him? A. Certainly not. He always stated that he got the letters from Lady Perceval. Q. You do not understand me. Did you not publish that he received them from the Princess of Wales? A. I never did. Mr HOLT here desired the Witness to read an ex- tract from The News of the llth of April, which he did as follows : " On delivering to me these lettters, Mr. Mitford stated that he was directed by the Princess of Wales to give them to me for the purpose of publication, and that they were to appear in The News of the Sunday following." Witness. This Mr. Mitford stated to me ; he expressed a wish to have the minutes he had given me returned to him, to make such corrections as they required; having told me that lie copied them in the presence of the Princess of Wales, while she was talking to him, and that her noise probably occasioned him to make an error or two. Q. You also published a statement in T/te News of the 1 8th ? A. I did. I 70 ) Mr. HOLT here handed to the witness the paper of April 18, and he began to read a note subjoined to an ar- ticle on the subject of these letters, commencing "Mr. HOLT cites no authority for this bold assertion;" and go- ing to state " that Mr. Mitfbrd informed him (Mr. Pliipps), he had been honoured with several audiences by the Princess of Wales, and that he copied the documents which had been called forged in the presence of her Royal Highness " when he was stopped short by MR. HOLT, who proceeded with the examination. Q. If, 14 days after this business you thus expressed your- self, how could you subsequently state, that Mr. Mitford got these letters from Lady Perceval, in her drawing-room ? A. Mr. Mitford always said, he copied them in the presence of Lady Perceval. Q. You have said, in the presence of the Princess of Wales ? Lord ELLENBOROUGH, Lady Perceval might be present with the Princess of Wales. Q. Did Mitford say, Lady Perceval was present ? A. He always said she was present. Q. Do you speak with respect to one and the same copy, or to any other ? A. 1 have since been told by Mitford, that there were several copies. Q. Did Mitford tell you, that Lady Perceval was with the Princess of Wales, in her room, when this particular copy was made ? I do not know whether it was at the Princess of Wales's or not; I cannot say, whether it was at Montague-house, or Dartmouth-row. Q. Did you not tell Lady Anne Hamilton, that Lady Per- ceval was not present when the copy was made ?- A. I could not tell her that. Q. Did you not tell Lady Anne Hamilton, that Mitford, in the last conversation you had with him on the subject, never made any mention of Lady Perceval's name? A. I did not. Q. Did you, in any of your publications, from the 4th of April, state Lady Perceval to be the author of those forgeries, until she applied for the injunction in the Court of Chancery ? ~A. I was afraid to do it, as I had no evidence, though 1 be- lieved her to be the author. ( n ) Q. Do you swenr you told l^ady Anne Hamilton, that Mit- ford informed you, that L-.uly Perceval was present when he got these IrUtMx? A. I did tell her so. Q. Did iiot Mitford l>ring you, at the same time that he gave you the letters Tor publication, another purporting to he from the Princess of Wales? A. Yes, here is tin; letter; Mr. Mit- ford delivered it to me, and said Lady Perceval had delivered it to him. Q. Before the letter was emblazoned in this hook, [the letter was fixed in a 4to. volume, The Life of Sir Walter Raleigh,} did you not shew it to Lady Anne Hamilton, and did not she say it was a forgery ? A. No, sir; she said it was impossible to give a decisive opinion on her Royal Highness's writing, for she wrote twenty different hands, and even condescended to imitate her's. Q. This you swear? A. I do. Q. Did not Lady Anne Hamilton produce a letter, with which she compared it, and then say it was a forgery ? A. She shewed me one or two letters, and some French songs, written by her Royal Highness, and we both compared them ; I thought there was a considerable resemblance, but she did not. Q. Did not she say it was a forgery ? A. No, she said that the letters " C. P." were certainly different from her Royal Highness's general signature. Q. Did you not likewise produce another letter, directed to Lady Anne Hamilton, and coming from Mr. Mitford? A. I did, sir. Q. Can you produce it? A. Yes, sir, here it is. Q. On receiving that letter, which addresses her as an ac- quaintance) did not Lady Anne Hamilton say that she knew no- thing of Mr. Mitford, that she had never seen him in her life? A. She did, sir. Q. She examined the letter? A. She did, I put it into her hand. Q. Was not Mitford very anxious to get hack the letters in his own hand-writing, delivered to you? A. Never, sir, he ne- ver asked me for one. Q. Did he not require the three forged letters, which were in his own hand-writing? A. He said, he was desired to take them back. Q. Did he get them? A. Yes, he did. Q. Did not Speechley come to you, on Sunday morn.ng, the 4th of April, to tell you, that there was a mistake, and thr letters were forgeries? A. He never told me they were for- O geries. Q. What did he tell you? A. That Lady Perceval knew nothing of them. Q. By Lord Ellenlx-roughiThis was before you . your letter to her? A No, my Lord, afterwards. Q. In your conversation with Lady Perceval, in her draw- ing-room? Witness: 1 was not in her drawing-room, 1 saw her in l lie butler's pantry. Q. Mo mutter. At the time yon spoke \villi her, in lu r house, did yon tell her, that when Mitford delivered the letters to you, he informed yon, that lie received them from her lady- ship? A. I M\ car it. Mr. Mil ford always said he got them from her, and copied them in her presence ; he always made ofj r name. Q^-Do you mean to s-ay, that on Sunday, the 4tli of April, yon told her ladyship, that the letters came from Miiford. who told you, 'that he received these identical letters i'rom her? A. i' Princess of Wales* s presence, and lhat her talking con- fused Mr. Mil ford? A. No, sir, because Mr. Mitford told inc Q. Did he not also say, that he received the letters from Ladr P A. lie always told me. that he received them from Ladv Perceval. ( 73 ) dix, No, VII.] ( 75 ) Witness. These paragraphs I received from Mr. Mitford. Q By Lord ELLEKBOKOUGH. Were they inserted in the pa- per? A. Thev were, mv lord. * * Q. You have been examined as to a supposed contradiction. I think you to!:! me, that Mitford said he had copied these letters in the presence or' the Princess of Wales, Lady Perce\al being also present? A. Th.it is 1'ie fact ; he always said so. Q. She might have been present, and handed the copy over to him? A. Certainly. Q. Did you shew Lady Anne Hamilton the note, purporting to come from her, on the subject of the offer of your columns r A. i j- i " *> I did. Q. What did she say ? A. That Lady Perceval had authority to use her iimne; hut she was averse to what her ladyship was do- ing i'-i the newspapers : it was contrary to her feelings. Q Did you represent to Lady Hamilton, that you got these letters from Mr. Mitfoid ; and that he said he had received them from Lady Perceval ? A. I did. Q. You say, that though you believed Lady Perceval to be the author of these letters, yet you were afraid to publish your senti- ments, from want of evidence? A. I was afraid to publish them in ray paper, on that account. Q. You believe her now to be the author ? A. I do, firmly. [Three letters were here put in and read. They were all addressed to the Defendant. The first, commencing, " When Nelson was a child " ; the second, " I write this, . in case you should disappoint me again and again, " ; and the third, complaining of not having seen him for some days. See Appendix^ Mr. ALLEY. My Lord, I rest my case here. Mr. HOLT. I call Lady Anne Hamilton to contradict the last witness. Lady Anne Hamilton examined by Mr. HOLT, ij at Q. Your ladyship, in April last, was one of the ladies of the bed-chamber to the Princess of Wales ? A. Yes, 1 was. Q. Do you recollect a person of the name ot'Phipps calling on your ladyship, on the 4th of April, last year ? A. Yes. ( 76 ) Q. Did he produce any papers ? A. Yes ; they were printed lu his newspaper of that day. Q. Did you read those papers? A. I did, at last ; but not at fi r ok at that letter -, do you recollect Phipps putting a letter into your hand, purporting to come from Mitford ? A. 1. do. ( 77 ) Q. ^ ou told him you never had any correspondence witk Mr. Mitroixl ? A. I (lid, directly or iudireclly. Q. Is tliat the letter :A. It is. [The following letter from Mr. Mitford to Lady Anne Hamilton was here read : See Appendix, No.VIIL] Q. You never corresponded with Mitford, or saw him in your life, till that letter was put in your hand r A. Never. Q. Did Mr. Phipps put another letter hi your hand, purporting to he written hy the Princess of Wales ? A. Yes, he did. Q. Did you tve him any opinion as to the authenticity of that letter ? A. I told him J \vas quite sure it was a forgery. Q Did you give any reason why r A. It was totally unlike her royal highness's hund-vvriting. Q. Did your ladyship tell Phipps, that her royal highness was accustomed to write twenty different hands, and had often conde- scended to imitate yours ? A. 1 never said so. Q. Did you ever tell Phipps that you gave Lady Perceval a carte blanche to use your name in the affairs of the Princess of Wales ? A. Never. Q. Did you, in fact, give her & carte blanche ? A. Never but on two occasions. The one, to order the paper for ni, the other to refuse the offer of Mr. Phipps's columns, positively, but civilly. Q. Did your ladyship ever state any douhts of the authenticity of the letters shewn to you r A. Never, after I read them. Q. Did you tell Mr. Phipps that you disapproved of Liady Per- ceval's connection with newspapers ? A. No, sir. 'Q. Nothing to that effect ? A. Not that I can recollect. Q. Did Mr. Phipps represent to you, thai Mitford said he had often heen at Montague-hojse ? A. Not the word often ; hut that he had heen there, and copied the letteis in her royal highness'* presence. Cross-examined by Mr. CURWOOD. Q. In the month of April last, your ladyship was one of th ladies of the hed-ch imher to the Princess of Wales ? A. I was. Q. I do not know whether that situation requires a great deal of attendance about her person ? A. \ lived in the house. Q. Your ladyship, of course, is acquainted with Lady Perce- Tal? A. Yes. Q. Did you visit much at Perceval-house ? A. Sometimes. Q. Did it hapin to you to know, that Lady Perceval was in communication with the newspapers, n the subject of the Princess f Wales's affairs ? A. I cannot say it did. Q. Can you say it was not known to you ? A. It was not. Q. [Exhibiting a letter], do you know Lady Perceval's bandr writing ? A. I think that is hers. ( 78 ) .i ...Q- Now have you not given authority to her TO use your nnme, or have you sji\cnhcr a cat'te Llanciie? A. Never ; occpt ou t\vo Q. Once to order The Nevs, and once to refuse Mr. Phipps's offer >A. Vt>. Q. Why did you not write these letters yourself 1 A. On the first occasion, L.uiy Perceval was writing for her own paper, and I requested her to \vrito forme. On the second, 1 was in a hurry, and requested her to wiite a civil refusal of Mr. Phipps's offer, just as if I declined going to a party. Q. Then if she wrote, accepting that offer, she acted contrary to your directions ? A. Certainly. Q. And was guilty of a gross h reach of trust ? A. Certainly. ]f I had seen the letter I never would let it have gone. Q. Yon did" not se* it then, hefore it was sent ? A. I did not see it till it was pnhlislwH. Q. Is that Mr. Phijips there? A. I believe it is. [Mr. Phjpps was sitting within three feet of her lady- l -i hip]. Q. You are not certain ? A. No, I am not. Q. By Lord ELLEIVBOKOUGH. Did you ever see that letter?- A. Never. Lord ELI.ENBOROUGH. Then let it be read ; to see whether you would have given it your concurrence. [The letter written by Lady Perceval, to Mr. Phipps, in Lady Anne Hamilton's name, was here read : See Appen- dix, No. V.] Q. By Lord ELLKNBOROUGH. You never authorized that let- ter ? A. Certainly not, my Lord. Q. By Lord ELLESBOKOCGH These are not your sentiments, of course ? A. I would not have let the letter go, if I had seen it. Q. As you are not quite certain of Mr. Phipps's person, perhaps you may not he quite certain of the tenor of his conversation ? A. 1 think I recollect what passed. Q. Did he shew you the letter he just read ? A. He did not. Q. What did he say when he introduce I himself? A. He asko'I if I had seen a letter in his paper, Tlte News, of that Morn- ing, signed with my name ? I ask:-d by what authority I was ques- tioned ? he then declared himself, and pointer! out the letters. Q. Did you at once say that they were forgeries ? A.. He did not give me time ; he sui prised rue by the letter which he gavd me, ( 79 ) from Mr. Mil ford, and by observing that he bad other letters to shew me ; but at last 1 said they were forgeries. Q. You had no connection with these letters ? A. None what- ever. Q. Did Mr. Phipps not mention the name of Lady Perceval ? A. I cannot recollect. Q. Did Mr. Phipps not inform you that Mitford said Lady Per- ceval had given him the forged letters ? A. I do not recollect. Mr. CURWOOD. But you should recollect ; you come here expressly to contradict a witness, and therefore should i recollect. Questioned by Lord ELLENBOROUGH. Q. Did you see any advertisement respecting the publication of letters said to have passed between you and Lords JEldon, Liver- pool, and Castlereagh r A. No, my Lord, I did not. Q. What paper do you take in ? A. The News ; I don't take in a ( iy daily paper. Q. Did Mr. Phipps say he received these letters from Mr. Mit- foidr A. He did. Q. Though you only take in TheNen:s, Lady Anne, you might see the morning papers : they are generally laid on the breakfast tables in great families ' A. I saw ^all the papers when at the Princess of Wales's -, but none, except The News, at my own house 1 live very retired. Q. And you did not cast your eye upon any advertisement re- specting the publication of these letters? A. 1 did not, my lord. Q. Then you had no idea that Mr. Piiipps was about to publish such letters on that day ? A. 1 had not, my lord. Mr. HOLT. I have reason to think, my lord, that it was a mere general advertisement, announcing an intended publication of letters, but not stating any reason. Lord ELLENCOROUGH. Mr. Phipps, what were the terms of your advertisement r A. 1 believe they were general, to the best of my recollection. Mr. ALLEY. May it please your LordshipGentlemen pf the Jury, On the new evidence which has been adduced, I have a right to make a few observations j but, at this late ( 80 ) hour of the i ; ot trouble you with many remarks : indeed, I think it would be quite unnecessary , if it were a much earlier hour j for you, who arc men of understanding, who are perfectly competent to decide this case, will not be carried away by any effort of mine, you will advert solely td the evidence which has this day been examined ; and no one can doubt but that your verdict will be correct. Gentlemen, if I wanted any assistance to support the case of my client, I have found it in the act' of my learned Friend, who called the last witness into the box. And I beg of you to mark the distinction between her evidence and that of Mr. 1'hipps. The latter, like the witness of Truth, speaks promptly and decidedly ; the former speaks with hesitation suid uncertainty. Would you, Gentlemen, take away the character of an honest man on such testimony. Would yW Entirely rum an individual, already much oppressed, on so weak and rotten a foundation ? One word more, Gentle- men, on a point which fixes the rope round the neck of this prosecution. The witness, Lady Perceval, had the audacity, in that box, to state, that she wrote by Lady Anne Hamilton's desire, the letter to Mr. Phipps, which has been read. What docs Lady Anne Hamilton say ? She tells you that it is au impudent and audacious falsehood ; and that the letter was a gross breach of integrity on the part of Lady Perceval. Gentlemen, I shall say no more : I leave it to your good sense to decide, whether such a person can be considered the competent accuse* of the good fame and character <>f another ! Mr. HOLT. May it please your Lordship Gentlemen of the Jury, At so late an hour of the day, I should be tarry t$ fatigue you by any observations, except such as arise naturally from the evidence before you : I contend, that the case oa ( 81 ) the part of the Crown is unimpeached ; and that the attempt to defend perjury is supported on the basis of perjury itself ! My learned Friends have not rebutted the charge, that the Defendant has sworn falsely in his affidavit j but, by infer- ence, they endeavour to weaken the testimony delivered against him. They put letters and paragraphs into your hands, and tell you, because Lady Perceval wrote them be- cause she wrote letters, in confidence, to the Defendant, that, therefore, she authorized him to publish these forgeries! But that this was not the case is shewn by the testimony of Lady Perceval by the corroborating evidence of three wit- nesses ; and, more than all, by the confession of the Defen* dant himself ! Gentlemen, how monstrous would the principle be, if it were tolerated. How monstrous would it be, if, because I have confidential communications with a person, I must, therefore, be considered as a participator in his evil actions ! Is it a fair or just conclusion, because Lady Perceval employ* ed Mitford to hand paragraphs to a paper (paragraphs which no man laments more than I do), that, merely from this cir- cumstance, she must have been privy to the letters which he gave Phipps to publish ? Some gentlemen, Surry. L Gentlemen, is not the case of Lady Perceval of a similar kind ? It is true, she was in communication with the De- fendant, and he took some paragraphs to the papers for her : but is it on this account, that all the subsequent actions, however wild and visionary, however scandalous and impro- per, of this man, are to be attributed to her ? Gentlemen, the only evidence which my learned Friends have brought forward to meet the case, consists of those kind of inferences and presumptions, drawn from the most slight and unstable premises. If you leave out these, we have no- thing but the testimony of Mr. Phipps. And, Gentlemen, can you believe that man, when his statement is contradicted in every point, by Lady Anne Hamilton. He swore, that the letters were received by him from Mitford, who told him that Lady Perceval had given them to him, and that he stated this to Lady Hamilton. But she told another story. Her statement was quite different : and imputes to him the blackest perjury ! She informs us, that Phipps declared to her, that Mitford stated he had copied these letters in the presence of the Princess of Wales, at Montague-house ; that her Royal Highness, by talking, confused him ; and therefore he was afraid of some inaccuracies. Did Phipps say, that Mitford observed to him, that he received these letters from Lady Perceval ? No, answers her ladyship j Phipps said that the name of Lady Perceval was not even mentioned in the last conversation with the Defendant. / asked Mr. Phipp* whether Mitford really told him, that he received the letters from Lady Perceval when he delivered ? He answered in the affirmative. And the question very naturally followed ; if you knew this fact, why did you not say so all a\ong ? Why did you go on, for six or eight weeks, with a different account ? He stated, that he did not make the circumstance public from fear! But, Gentlemen, do you think this man can fear anything ? If he dared to accuse the Princess of Wales of a knowledge of these letters, must not hislassertion, ( 83 ) that he refrained from disclosing a fact, through fear of Lady Perceval, appear completely false ? But I put it to him, and the thing is most evident, that until an injunction was ob- tained, and not till then, did he talk of accusing Lady Per- ceval. This, however, is not the only contradiction his evidence has met with from Lady Anne Hamilton. She has, in fact, contradicted him, sentence by sentence, para- graph by paragraph, through the whole book and volume of his statement. But this single point by itself is, I think, quite sufficient to destroy his testimony. For, can you believe, if he knew that Lady Perceval had given the letters to Mitford, that he would have cooked up the story he had done 'j that he would have published, to the world, for some time after, that the Defendant had copied them at Monta- gue-house, and that he was confused at the time, in conse- quence of the Princess of Wales .talking to him ? It is not to be credited- This, Gentlemen, is a conspiracy against the honour and character of Lady Perceval, which was never before even suspected ! Who are those by whom the defence is sup- ported ? Who is Mr. Phipps ? A man, standing himself under an indictment for a libel, growing out of the .same charge ! Is he not then an interested witness, ready, by swearing, to bring the Defendant off, that he may be a pure evidence, for himself, when his own indictment came on to be tried ? Manifestly swearing, as he has done, for that purpose, to what weight is his evidence entitled ? I am, however, glad that he has sworn ; for it has given me an op- portunity of directly contradicting him. He told us, whea he shewed Lady Anne Hamilton a letter purporting to be written by the Princess of Wales, that she was unable to de- cide on its authenticity, because her Royal Highness was in the habit of writing twenty different hands. Lady Hamilton has denied this, most positively. He also gave her another letter, written by Mr. Mitford - } and concluding in this iarni- ( 84 ) liar manner, " God bless you adieu !" Lady Hamilton declares she never saw, never heard of the man in her life. Here Mr. Phipps acknowledges himself to he the hearer of two letters ; the one, a vile forgery of the Princess of Wales'* writing; the other, an impudent fraud, as it pretended an intimacy with Lady Anne Hamilton, that did not exist. Gentlemen, I had no other evidence to lay before you than I did, that of Lady Perceval and Lady Anne Hamilton ; and I hope you weighed, with the attention they demanded, the circumstances which I have adduced in corroboration of their testimony. You will observe, when Lady Perceval re- ceived the letter from Mr. Phipps, she sent Mr. Speechley to inform him, that he had been abused that he had published forgeries, of which she knew nothing. Gentlemen, the letter she wrote afterwards is not, in my opinion, a proof of guilt ; but evidence of a kind and benevolent disposition. Mr. Phipps says, he received the forged documents from Mitford, who stated, that Lady Perceval gave them to him. Why, if he knew this, why, if he were informed, that Lady Perceval had sent them, did he not mention it in his letter of Sunday morning? Why did he not observe, " the letters were brought to me, by Mitford ; but he had your authority for giving them publicity?" If this were the fact, why did he not say, when Speechley told him they were forgeries, "You may call them forgeries, if you please ; but they came from Lady Perceval, and Mitford told me so ?" But, Gentlemen, he said nothing of the kind : he did not even hint anything of this description, until eight weeks after; when an in- junction was obtained against the audacious attempts to de- fame Lady Perceval's character. Gentlemen, let us pursue Lady Perceval's conduct a little farther. In her letter to Phipps, she says, " You are under a mistake ; come down to Perceval-lodge, and the business will soon be settled by a confidential communication." What does he mean by this ? Her evidence, and Mr. Phipps's statement, prove, that an audacious forgery had been imposed upon him by Mitford. What then was the consideration that influenced her to send for Phipps ? As she knew that Mitford had had a lapse of mind, she was anx- ious to put Mr. Phipps on his guard, lest he should be led into some serious error. It was natural she should thus conduct herself towards a person who had supported a cause to which she was herself attached. Besides, she was of course anx- ious for Mitford, for whom she had before interested herself; and therefore it was that she wished the contradiction, which she insisted should be made in the next papers, to be couched in as delicate terms as possible. She was unwilling to bury, beneath a heap of infamy, an individual whom she had la- boured to serve. She also, for the sake of Mr. Phipps hiin- selfy whom she believed to have been imposed upon, was de- sirous that the disavowal should be as mild as possible. This, Gentlemen, is the natural and fair construction of the letter which she sent to Mr. Phipps, speaking of the case with which the rectification might be made. Some remarks have been ventured on that word perhaps it is a fashionable term for explanation ; but, at all events, I hope Lady Perceval will not suffer because she made use of it casually. I recollect a person having been tried in this Court for the inadvertent use of an expression. He had compared our constitution to a tree ; and, pursuing his simile, he observed, that the mo- narch was the trunk ; and the two houses of parliament the two arms. Still carrying on the figure, he maintained, that, if the arms were cut off, the trunk might remain and flourish. The House of Commons indicted him for it. But, Lord Kenyon said, "Don't let this man fall a sacrifice to a meta- phor." And, I say, let not the word rectification prejudice Lady Perceval in the present day. How, then, Gentlemen, does the case stand ? Because a few letters and paragraphs have beer written by Lady Per- ceval, are you to suppose that she is guilty of these audacious ( 86 ) forgeries ? If it be so inferred, with whom can we corre- spond in safety ? What clerk, what domestic, can we trust confidentially ? If we write to him a letter, or employ him to carry a paragraph at some subsequent period, though we are far removed from any participation of his guilt, yet the infamy of his actions may be attributed to us ! Gentlemen, I am convinced that Lady Perceval comes into Court this clay to seek for justice, and I am confident she will obtain it. A deadly blow is again struck at this family in her ladyship's person ! This is a strong expression, but it is a true one. The blow of an assassin has already deprived the country of one of its members a man whom we must all recollect with reverence and regret : but, Gentlemen, I am assured, that you will preserve the family honour as clear arul as bright as it was left by the illustrious person. LORD ELLEXBOROUGH'S CHARGE TO TUB JURY. Lord ELLENDORorrrH. Gentlemen of the Jury, in de- ciding a question of such importance, both to the accuser and the person accused, the Court is not to be carried away by the loudness and violence of declamation. Your duty and mine is, to attend to the proofs adduced in the case, and to see that the declaration contained in the indictment is satis- factorily supported. You have, Gentlemen, heard a vast deal, this day, about the honour and character of a family ; but really, I think, if it be contrary to honour and character, if it be against every principle of honest feeling, tw be a foul and malicious libeller, then have these panegyrics been very unnecessarily addressed to you. It is here, under the hand- writing of this lady, manifestly proved, that she used the unfortunate Defendant, on different occasions, to procure the publication of different articles composed by her. A twelvemonth after he had been in Warburton's mad-house, ( 87 ) fliis lady corresponds with him ; she nrges him to insert this and that in the newspapers ; and when the publishers, from a fear of their personal safety, mutilated one of her produc- tions, she reprobated their conduct, and regretted the ab- sence of that venom, which it was her wish to instil, with no palliative observation but this, that it was not libellous. But, Gentlemen, what right hag she to break in upon the comforts of public or private life ? What privilege does she possess to scrutinize the actions of individuals, and select them as the objects of her libels ? For such I say they are. The keenness and malignity of her libels, you can gather from herself ; " you have the warrant of her own expressions, in her letter to Mitford, to guide your opinion; she is there goading this young man to the publication of libels, from time to time j therefore to term her a libeller, in this case, is not speaking unreasonably, since the fact is borne out and avowed by her own hand-writing. Gentlemen, the only point for your con- sideration in this place will be, whether, contrasting her evi- dence with the circumstances of her conduct, there is a fair and probable ground of inference, that she really acted in the manner stated by the Defendant. The letter, beginning, V When Nelson was a child," gave me, I assure you, more, pain and disgust, than I ever recollect to have experienced- on the reading of any former production in a court of justice. I was shocked and pained to find so much bitterness so much unchristian malignity, in the expressions contained in that letter ; which I shall read to you ct Monday. ' NELSOJ.% when a child, said ' What is fear? I never saw it.' Mr. T. would not have won the Battle of the Nile." He had not the courage, I suppose (observed his lord- ship), to wring the hearts of his fellow-creatures, as he was requested to do. Her ladyship proceeds ( 88 ) " Let those fear who espouse a bad cause. We, who contend for Justice, for the Princess of Wales, and for our future Queen, should not flinch. Cowards never gained the field. I wish to God Mr. T had been any where but there just then and I hope he will have a prosperous voyage ; but not a speedy return. I would Mr. M. being a man as he is, of bold and valiant principle of ho- nourable, energetic, and chivalric feeling, were alone Pioprietor of Lis P I hate half measures, half arguments, half appeals to the public sense and heart ; they never answered yet. Rush upon your enemy, surprise, astound him, and terror unhorses him !" These, Gentlemen, are very masculine sentiments. The letter goes on " I shall he glad if the abortion of my letter do good. But h is vexatious when a whole, so complete as it was, connected the one part with the other, to have had it mangled j and a bit onlj thrown to the public." This, however, is something femini ne she is speaking of the offspring of her brain, to which, of course, she was very much attached. " Yesterday was the very day for it- ' The tide-serving mo- ment,' that Shaksp bids us watch and catch. But what is done cannot be helped. Another time tho' pray no mutilations and what Mr. T may not have stomach for, may please another's appetite ; and something of lighter digestion can be prepared for him. Z am sure Mr. M. teas truly distressed. When Mr. T goes into the country, will Mr. M. have the power then to insert at his pleasure ?" Mr. 1V$. it appears, is less scrupulous than Mr. T. j and the absence of the latter is overlooked upon as being favour- able to her views. . " It is really cruel to have torn me piecemeal,-*-for observe how the y her, though Lady Perceval declared, fl .ul\ her privity and consent. Mr. Pl: : , ( 91 ) " I vras wholly animated by that motive, my situation in irfe, us \vell as the dictates of my mind, repel any selfish idea. "Having thus premised, I trust your ladyship will excuse my troubling you with a concise detail of the transactions between Mr. Mitford and myself since Thursday last." Now, unless he was confident that she was privy to this business of Mitford's, why should he write to her at all. " On the evening of Thursday last (continues Mr. Phipps), as late as 1O o'clock, Mr. Mitford delivered into ray hands copies of the letters, I have, according to his direction, inserted in The News of this day, marked 1, 2, 3, with a desire that I would write some remarks upon them,. He did not then mention any wish of taking away those remarks, for the revisal of your ladyship or any other person. On the Friday I wrote some remarks, although it was much later in the week, than I have it in my power in general, consistent with the necessary arrangement of my paper, to insert, at lengthy any original matter. On that day Mr. Mitford called upon me about 4 o'clock, and having read what 1 bad written, he expressed a wish to take it for revisal to Blackheath. To this I could have no other objection thaa the fear that the papers might not be returned to me, time enough on the Saturday, to publish them in my paper of this day. Here, 1 am fearful, I may justly incur blame, for not properly impressing this fear on the mind of Mr. Mitford. However, he gave me a solemn promise that the papers should be returned me on the same evening, before 9 o'clock. To convince him that it was absolutely necessary 1 should then receive them 1 informed him 1 should sit up the whole of the Friday night ; and I did sit up the entire night ; but, from that mo- ment, J have never seen or heard from him. I say nothing of my feelings or my anxiety during this delay." The meaning here is evident ; it alludes to a person, for the revisal of whom the paragraphs were intended, and proves that the two ideas of Lady Perceval and Mr. Mitford were, on this business, associated in the mind of Mr. Phipps. Taken to Blackheath for revisal. That very word signifies another examination of something which a party has seea ( 92 ) before ; it points, as it were to something, of which the individual addressed was the author. Now, why should Mitford carry it to Blackheath, if he had not received it there ? This may be said to be the language of Mr. Phipps. But, Gentlemen, it was drawn up early on the morning of the publication, when he wrote with as much indifference as any other person on the subject. Mr. Phipps concludes thus : " I again beg to express a wish, that your ladyship will excuse my present application to you. I am fearful of heing thought guilty of any disrespect, or any inattention to orders, which confer honour on my humble exertions : order?, vrhich I am only anxious to re- ceive, to shew my most respectful obedience." Now must not this language, which speaks his fear of shewing any disrespect to orders, which confer honour on him, be considered as failing from a man, labouring under a strong impression, at the time he wrote the letter, that Lady Perceval was connected with the publication ? It can, in my mind, bear no other interpretation. Then what be- comes of the idea, that Mr. Phipps never harboured a thought of Lady Perceval being at all acquainted with the transaction, till, at a much later time, when other publica- tions had taken place ; and, on information having been moved for against him, the Defendant, in the present case, swore, that Lady Perceval had desired him to carry the let- ters to Mr. Phipps, observing, that the experiment was a dangerous one, but something must be done to compel them to grant a proper establishment to the Princess of Wales ; and that the publication would, no doubt, have that effect. That he then copied the three letters from the hand- writing of Lady Perceval, which purported to be signed by the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Liverpool, Lord Castle- reagh, and Lady Anne Hamilton, all of them relating to the establishment of the Princess of Wales ? Now, the real ques- tion for you, Gentlemen, to try is, whether the Defendant copied these letters from an original manuscript, written by Lady Perceval ? And here it will be right to bear in mind, that several letters have been put in, which, according to the evidence of Mr. Phipps, Lady Perceval was most anxious to get back into her possession. It certainly was a desirable thing for her to recover letters and papers of such a descrip- tion ; it was natural she should be desirous of obtaining themj because they might, her hand-writing being proved, subject her to criminal prosecutions. But she disseminated her paragraphs, it appears, by the hands of this unfortunate gentleman, the Defendant. She selected him for this pur- pose ; either, because, from the state of his understanding, she thought it would be less dangerous for him to act in the business, or because she wished to shield herself in utter darkness : for, if she had been as fearless as (using the lan- guage of Lord Nelson), she said she was, she would not have sought an agent; she would have acted for herself; she would have gone with her writings ; she would not have made use of the instrumentality of this unfortunate man. To what, Gentlemen, can you attribute the visits, early and late, made by Lady Perceval to the Defendant and his wife ? Do you think it was charity that called upon her to go to their lodgings, without her carriage ? But she stated, that the streets were not paved, as a reason for proceeding ori foot ; and yet, when I ask her whether her servant attended her on these excursions, she could scarcely call the fact to mind. What, then, I ask you, could those visits relate to, but to that which her acknowledged letters speak of ? By that subject she had electrified the shattered understanding of this unfortunate man, and had induced him to give circu- lation to the venom which she herself had concocted. Un- der these circumstances, looking simply to the conduct of those concerned in the case, seeing this lady aaxious to pub- lish libels, by the agency of the Defendant, a fact that can- not be controverted, surely it is not at all unnatural to sup- pose that she may be the author of other libels, intended to effect the same purpose. With respect to the particular points on which the perjury is assigned, not an individual has spoken to them but Lady Perceval herself. All the rest of the evidence, on the part of the prosecution, relates to cir- cumstances which are said to have occurred since the publi- cation of the 4th of April. Of these, the strongest is the conduct of this young man himself, who has been represented as proceeding to town from Blackheath, ashamed and afflicted at what he had done. He is described as having thrown himself on his bed, in great anguish of mind, exclaiming, that he was dishonoured, and his reputation gone. But why, if he had been the projector of the forgeries, did Lady Per- ceval send for him ? Why did she seek the return of a man so dangerous as she represented him to be ? Why did she, on the Wednesday evening, cause him to be brought to her own house, where he threw himself on the bed of Mr. Perceval ? It seems, when questioned at his own lodging, that he talked of a bribe ; but no one heard what that bribe consisted of. He had, it seems, threatened to publish all their names ; but it did not appear to whom this all referred. Gentlemen, this looks like the conduct of a frantic man, as he is stated to have been. But the affidavit was sworn on the 23d of June 5 and, if he had been disordered in his mind, in April, he might by that time have recovered. He then declared that he had been at Blackheath, that he had there got the letters, and carried them where ? why, to that very paper, which Lady Perceval had been perfuming : to the very place where she should be most likely to send them, if she sent them at all. Then, Gentlemen, you have the evidence of Mr. Phipps, who has deposed to conversations with Lady Perceval and Lady Anne Hamilton, who have both denied a part of his statement.- Lady Hamilton swears, that he never i 95 ) mentioned Lady Perceval as the person through whom Mitford received the letters. It is for you, Gentlemen, to decide ou this conflicting testimony. But it is most clear, that the be- lief of Mr. Phipps, as to Lady Perceval's having written the letters, was not an after-thought. For, at six o'clock in the morning of the 4th of April, he addresses her on the subject, confidentially. Why, Gentlemen, would he think of sending the matter to Blackheath for revision, if it had never beeu there before ? Gentlemen, I think it is scarcely necessary for me to go through this immense mass of evidence, [Here the Foreman of the Jury interrupted his lordship. They were, he observed, perfectly satisfied : and a verdict of NOT GUILTY was immediately returned which was re- ceived with evident marks of satisfaction by a very crowded Court. The Trial commenced at half-past nine iri the morning; and was not terminated till half-after six in the evening.] ^ . IN the above extraordinary case, Mr. VINES, of Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, was the Attorney for the Prose- cution : Mr. MANNING, of Clement's Inn, for the De- fendant. ' APPENDIX. No. I. " Lady Viscountess Perceval requests Mr. Phi ops will send her, regularly, his weekly paper, The News, particularly the one of this day, which includes the interesting and well- made observations on the Letter of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. "27, Curzon-street, " Sunday, 14th Feb. ** Phipps, Esq. " The News Office, Brydges-street, " Strand." No. II. " Lady Anne Hamilton requests that Mr. Phipps will direct his paper, The News, to be regularly sent to her, No. 4, Man- chester-street ; and Lady Anne particularly begs that this day's News may be sent there without delay. "Sunday, 14th Feb. '* Phipps, Esq. " The News Office, Brydges-street, " Strand." NO. in. '* Mr. Phipps is requested to send down his last and his pre- sent Sunday's paper, and those which will be published touching} the interesting cause now agitating, addressed to John Teed, ( 98 ) Esq. M. P. at Richard Phillips, Esq. Surgeon, &c. Bridge- water. " And place these numl>ers to Lady Perceval's account. i j " Curzon-street, Feb. 2 1st. " Phipps, Esq. " News Office, Brvdges-slreet, Strand." No. IV. " Monday, March 15, 1813. " Mr. Plnpps, the Editor and Proprietor of TJie News, pre- sents his profound respects to Lady Anne Hamilton. He trusts to her wonted goodness to excuse the liberty he thus takes of addressing her. Entirely influenced by a sense of duty, he, as a Newspaper Proprietor, owes to the public, who liberally pay him, Mr. Phipps has presumed in a very sincere, if not an able manner, to espouse a cause, which he truly laments re- quires the exertions of any advocate. In thus performing what he conceives his indispensable duty, he, however, labours under a deficiency of information, which not only paralyzes his efforts, buthe fears sometimesleads him into errors injurious to the illus- trious lady he endeavours to defend. On this subject, there- fore, he presumes to address Lady Anne Hamilton, and in the most respectful manner to offer the columns of his paper for the insertion of any thing which may, in any shape, tend to repel the infamous slanders in circulation. '* Mr. Phipps begs to add, that he has no connection, nor ever had, with any political party, or with any public political person that his character for honour and integrity will bear the strictest investigation and that he is the sole editor and proprietor of his paper, writing and selecting every thing in it. He also presumes to say, that his motives to this address are pure and honourable, and simply occasioned by an earnest de- sire of raising his feeble voice with some effect in the cause of a much-injured lady. { 99 ) " Mr. Phipps has the gratification of stating to Lady Anne. Hamilton, that such is the popularity of the part he has thought it his duty to take in this affair, that the circulation of his paper, which four weeks ago was about 7^00, is now increased to 8,900." No. V. " *Lady Anne Hamilton's compliments to Mr. Phipps, and at the same time that she must express her admiring approba- tion of the pertinent energetic reasoning and classical style of his paper, acknowledges herself exceedingly gratified by Mr. Phipps' s loyal, zealous, and disinterested offer of his independent columns towards advocating the sacred, just, and illustrious cause of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, against her conspiring adversaries. " Manchester-street, March 1 8. " (Private.) ' Phipps, Esq. *' The News Office, Brydges-street, " Strand." * It \vas contended by the Plaintiff's Counsel on the late trial, that this letter is not an acceptance of the offer I had made of the columns of my paper. It is certainly written in a very guarded manner in a manner quite consistent with the .fear Lady Perceval always entertained of putting any thing in the printer's hands, which might, on a future occasion, be turned against her. If, however, it is not an acceptance, no one can maintain that it is a refusal. It should be borne in mind, that it was brought by Mitford, who was instructed verbally to conmiu* nicate that information the letler is deficient in. EDIT. No. VI. Thursday Morning, 9 o'Clock. Dear Sir, " I write in a hurry. Should the packet alluded to by me last . :. .!u, arrive, take no steps upon it until 1 come. The following extract will explain my reasons: ** * The death of the Duchess of Brunswick renders it dcco- ' rously necessary, that the publication of the Letters should be ' deferred fur a short time. 1 ' " Again, " ' / hope that the Sunday remarks o/The News, will do us a * weelcs good. As you say you can rely on Mr. P., he shall be our ' u\ai:i courier in future : you must slick close to him, and keep * his spirits alive: give him Manby, fyc.' ' " I think I shall call about 4. I have written for a copy of the evidence of Mrs. L. which I trust will be in time. Truly yours, " JOHN MITFORD. " Mr. Phipps, Editor of The News, " Brydges-street, Covent-garden." To be delivered immediately. VII. " Two days after the death of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Brunswick, Lady Charlotte Lindsay, the lady in waiting upon her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, re- ceived tM-o letters by the two-penny post, the one from the Coontessof'Macclesfieldjon the part of the Queen, and the other from the Dowager Countess of Rosslyn on the part of the Prin- cesses mere formal lettersof inquiry after the Princess of Wales. And this is all the notice that her majesty and the princesses have taken of the Princess of Wales upon the melancholy eveut of the sudden death of her mother." " And on the very same day, as the Princess of Wales was sitting with Lady Charlotte Lindsey and Lady Charlotte Camp- bell, at her luncheon, a paper, folded in the form of a petition, was brought to her royal highness. Her royal highness incau- tiously opened it, when, to her utter astonishment, she discovered it to contain the copy of the will of her royal mother, which the lord chancellor, as one of the executors of her late royal highness, had sent to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, by the servant of Mr. Le Blanc, the Duchess of Brunswick's solici- tor. Nothing accompanied this paper of importance, except a note from Mr. Le Blanc to the Princess of Wales, purporting that he was directed by the Lord Chancellor to send her royal highness a copy of her Royal Highness the late Duchess of Brunswick's will." No. VIII. " Dear Madam, " I have now waited until seven. When the letter arrives, Mr. Phipps will send you this, with some remark he may deem necessary on the occasion. " I leave this in case you have left Abingdon-street. " God bless you ! " Adieu! " JOHN MITFORD." " Right Hon. Lady Anne Hamilton, " No. 16, Abingdon-street*, " Westminster." * There is a great deal to come out respecting this house. The osten- sible occupier was a man of the name of Land, who had been a butcher at Greenwich, and in that capacity had served both Montague House and Perceval Lodge with meat. Its proximity to the two houses of parliament I fancy occasioned it to be taken. EDIT. ( 10* ) No. IX. "Sir, *' I am obliged by your attention, and beg you to thank Mr- I'hipps, iu my name, lor his exertion. " Fray attend me in the morning. " C. P." " Monday Evening. " Mr. John Ailford." No. X. " Sunday Morning, April 4, 1813. " Madam, *' I implicitly rely on your ladyship's justice for an excuse for addressing you unauthorised*. My humble tender of what services I might, through the medium of my paper, The Neivs, be able to render to the sacred and just cause of her lloyal Highness the Princess of Wales, made a few weeks ago, through Lady Anne Hamilton, arose solely from an earnest wish that my voice, in that cause, might be raised with effect. I was wholly animated by that motive, my situation in life, as well as the dictates of my mind, repel any selfish idea. Having thus pre- mised, I trust your ladyship will excuse my troubling you with a concise detail of the transactions between Mr. Mitford and myself since Thursday last. *' On the evening of Thursday last, as late as 10 o'clock, Mr. Mitford delivered into my hands, copies of the letters, I have, according to his direction, inserted in The News of this dav, . * marked 1, 2, 3, with a desire that I would write some remarks * The word " unauthorised''' here, merely refers to my baring been assured by Mr. Mitford, that he was the medium through which 1 was to receive what communications it was considered proper to make public on the part of her Royal Highness the Princess of Walts. Nothing less than the abandonment of Mr. Mitford would have made me prciume tu Lady Perceval. EDIT. ( 103 ) upon them. He did not then mention any wish of taking away those remarks for the revisal of your ladyship or any other per- son. On the Friday I wrote those remarks, although it was much later in the week than I have it in ray power in general, consistent with the necessary arrangement of my paper, to insert at length any original matter. On that day, Mr. Mitford called upon me about four o'clock, and having read what I had written, he expressed a wish to take it for revisal to Blackheath. To this I could have no other objection than the fear that the papers might not be returned to me time enough, on the Sa- turday, to publish them in my paper of this day. Here, I am fearful I may justly incur blame, for not properly impressing this fear on the mind of Mr. Mitford : however, he gave me a solemn promise that the papers should be returned to me oil the same evening, before nine o'clock. To convince him that it was ab- solutely necessary I should then receive them, I informed him 1 should sit up the whole of the Friday night, and I did sit up the entire night, but from that moment I have never seen or heard from him. I say nothing of my feelings or my anx- iety during this delay, they may be appreciated, when I state to your ladyship, that owing to the great number of my paper, one part goes to press as early as three o'clock on Saturday morning, another about nine o'clock, another about two o'clock, and the last about six o'clock. To make room for the manu- script taken away by Mr. Mitford, 1 had, at much inconve- nience, discarded matter of some importance; and, at five o'clock last night, I was left with my whole composing room standing still, waiting for his promised return. In that situa- tion I had no remedy than from recollection, to re-write what I had given that gentleman. This, I anxiously hope, will form my excuse for any inaccuracy in the observations in my p^iper of this week. " I again beg to express a wish that your ladyship will excuse my present application to you. I am fearful of being thought guilty of any disrespect, or any inattention to orders which con- ( 104 ) for honour on my humble exertions; orders, which I am only anxious to receive, to shew my most respectful obedience. " I have the honour to subscribe myself, *' Madam, " Your ladyship's most humble servant, "T. A. PHIPPS." No. XL ** Dartmouth-row, Blackheath, Sir, Sunday, April 4th. " Since I requested Mr. Speechley to wait upon you this morning, in consequence of your letter, and the mistake which appears to have occurred, I much wish that, if not very incon- venient, you would favour me with an interview at my house here, as soon after your receiving this as may suit you. I believe, by conferring with you CONFIDENTIALLY for a few minutes, the rectification can be best arranged. " I am, Sir, your's, &c. &c. " (Private.} " B. P. " Phipps, Esq. *' News Office, Brydges-street, Strand." No. XII. "News Office, Sunday Evening, Ten " Madam, o'Clock, April, 4, 1813. " Immediately on my return to town, I deemed it my indis- pensible duty to consult a friend on the subject of my confer- ence with your ladyship this morning. His advice is peremp- torythat my honour my reputation, every thing that i* dear to me, compel me to have no concealments with the public, whom I have been made instrumental in grossly deceiving. This is also the result of cool reflection ; I therefore respect- fully state to your ladyship, that unless Mr. Mitford imme- diately comes forward, and avows the part he has had in the business, for the purpose of my justification, I shall be under the painful necessity, in my next Sunday's publication, of en- tering into a full explanation of the whole affair. My part in this transaction will be to me most painful, but it must be performed, if any contradiction appears in the public papers of what I have inserted in The News of this day. " I have the honour to subscribe myself, &c. &c. "T.A. PHIPPS." No. XIII. " To the Editor of The Morning Chronicle." Sir. The publication in his paper of this clay, by the Editor of The News, induces me to request you will be pleased to insert in your paper of to-morrow, the copy of a letter which I addressed to that gentleman, and which was delivered at the office of The Neivs late on Friday night. I hare only to add, that the Editor of The News has been informed that the letters in his possession, alleged to be letters in the hand-writing of the Princess of Wales, are positively forged; as well as the letters purporting to be signed by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Liver- pool, and Lord Castlereagh ; and the answer, purporting to be signed by Lady Anne Hamilton. It is unnecessary to state, that Mr. Mitford's unhappy situation absolves him from all crimina- lity respecting these papers, as well as those which are referred to in my letter to the Editor of The News, (now in my posses- sion,)' the fabrications of Mr. Clifford's disordered fancy. " I am your obedient servant, " Temple, April 11." " F. L. HOLT." No. XIV. " Sir, " In consequence of an advertisement which appeared in some dictated to me*, and that was all. *' I have seized the momentary advantage of my liberty to write to one or more of the papers The Herald in particular, you shall hear from me when I am forty miles from town, where I shall halt. " Truly your's, " JOHN MITFORD." " Mr. Phipps, " Proprietor of The Neu-s." * Mr. Mitford once informed me, that he had been induced to write some kind of acknowledgment, that he was, the author of the forged letters; but that the letter, which contained that acknowledgment, referred to some circumstances not expedient to be made public; and, therefore, that Lady Perceval would never dare to make any use of it against him. I only state what he once mentioned. When I reflect on the species of mental and cor- poreal bondage, iu which Lady Perceval kept this unfortunate gentleman, I certainly should feel no surprise at any thing he said or wrote, in the inter- val between the 4th of April and the 19th, the day I first saw him after the publication of the forged letters. On the trial, nothing in his hand-writing was offered to be produced. Edit. ( 108 ) No. XVI. "Dear Sir, " I have not been three hours from the country ; my fortitude cannot };ear 10 be thus lacerated by the scissars of a woman. " J much wish to see you this evening. " Your's, faithfully, "Mr. Phipps." "JOHN MITFORD." (No date.) No. XVII. The following were Lady Anne Hamilton's remarks on my appeal to the public, inserted by her order in The Morning Chro- nicle. Many of them are quite irrelevant. I never asserted, that her ladyship ever wrote to me except through the medium of Lady Perceval, nor did 1 ever say, that she at any time either saw or wrote to Mr. Mitford. One point alone of my previous statement does she deny that respecting the carte blanche. My assertion of her inability decisively to pronounce whether the letters were forgeries, she avoids noticing; and my subse- quent statement of the Princess of Wales being in the habit of writing twenty different hands, she never publicly contradicted until the late trial. Edit. *' In consequence of some publications in The News, and com- lueiiU upon thtm in other papers, we have authority to state that Lady Anne Hamilton never wrote a line to Mr. Phipps in her life. That she never authorized Lady Perceval to write to him, but upon the two occasions mentioned in his paper (The News) of Sunday last the one to order his paper to be sent to her the other civilly to decline the offer he had made her of his columns ; and that she never saw either of those letters till they were published*. * It is singular that Larly Anne did not at this time disavow the letter Lady Perceval wrote in her name to me; she did so distinctly on the trial. ( 109 ) " We have authority to state further, that Lady Anne Hamil- ton never gave Lady Perceval * authority to make use of her 'name in jvhatever concerned the Princess of Wales;' nor has she ever asserted or admitted, in any way, or to any person, that bhc Ir^d so done; and that Lady Perceval herself disclaims ever having received or exercised such authority. " That Mr. Phipps was ' immediately admitted' (as he states) when he called at Lady Anne Hamilton's house, on Sunday the 4th instant, in consequence of her supposing him to be Mr. Phipps, the oculist; nor after the discovery of this mistake, did she know who he was, till he proclaimed himself the editor of The News. " That Lady Anne Hamilton never saw Mr. Mitford, nor wrote to him, nor received a line from him, nor ever had any communication with him in any way." LADY PERCEVAL'S LETTERS. No. XVIII. " Monday." " Nelson, when a child, said * What is fear? I never saw it.' Mr. T.* would not have won the battle of the Nile. Let those fear who espouse a bad cause. We who contend for jus- tice for the Princess of Wales, and for our future QUEEN, should not flinch Cowards never gained the field. I wish to God, Mr. T had been anywhere but there just then and I hope he will have a prosperous voyage, but not a speedy return. I * Mr. T means Mr. Tulloch, one of the proprietors of The Star evening newspaper, a paper at that time much favoured by Lady Perce- val's political lucubrations, but afterwards turned off ou'accouut of the stjueamithness and want of spirit in its proprietors. ( "0 ) would Mr. M.* being a man, as lie i, of bold and valiant prin- ciple of honourable, energetic, and ciiivalric feeling, were alunc proprietor of his P . I hate half measure.-, half arguments, half appeals to the public sense and heart : they never answered yet. Riiah upon your enemy surprise, astound him and ter- ror unhorses him ! *' I shall be glad if the abortion of my Utter do good ; but it is vexatious when, a whole, so complete as it was, connected the one part with the other, to have had it mangled and a bit only thrown to the public. "Yesterday was the very day for it 'the tide-serving mo- ment' that Shaksp bids us watch and catch. But what is done cannot be helped Another time tho' pray, no mutilations and what Mr. T may not have stomach for, may please another's appetite ; and something of lighter digestion can be prepared for hi ID. 'I am sure Mr. M. was truly distressed. When Mr. T goes into the country, will Mr. M. have the power then, to insert at his pleasure? It is really cruel to have torn rue piecemeal for observe how the connection of the parts is destroyed by it Mow difficult to rejoin this snake, which would so keenly have stung where we intended without the ve- nom being libellous. Send me back my copy, for I have none, and I cannot re-create until I have it so, without loss of time or post, return it to me, and I will see what I can do. But pro- mise me that if Mr. M. will not insert it as I send it (save and except any expression that may be strictly libellous, which I am sure none in that letter was, which I could alter) to return it me whole: for as the cause must not lose for other's squeam- islmess, it should find its- way somehow to the public but not with the same signature as that given to Mr. M . ** Write to me constantly your minutes of J. Bull's conver- sations were pleasingf, and Holyrood House remark very well. * Mr- M ,Mr. Mayne, one of the minor proprietors of the same pa- pernot possessing the power over its insertions which Mr. Tulloch had. f These and Holyrood House remark, were articles written in favour of the Princess of Wales by Mr. Mitford, and which appeared in The Star. ( 111 ) If you should come down, go to Bridgewater House, send a note to me, enclosed to Lady Anne Hamilton* from thence. " Your's, C. P." Address "John Mitford, Esq. " Crawfurd Street, " Montague Square, " London. " Monday, 4 o'clock." "[To be delivered this evening.]" Copy of " the abortion," alluded to by Lady Perceval, in No. 18. (From The Star of Feb. 22.) " To the Editor of The Starf. *' England asks, and England expects to be answered, whe- ther during the recent, and we fear continued indisposition of the Princess Charlotte of Wales severe enough to require the attendance of physicians, not only was and is her Royal Mother left unsolicited to visit her beloved and loving child, deprived by the illness of the rarely-granted comfort of intercourse with her August Parent, but refused even the privilege of access to her? I am, &c. &c. " JUSTITIA." * The date of Lady Anne Hamilton's trimming letter to Lord Liverpool, was Feb. 15th. Her Ladyship was, therefore, in waiting on the date of this letter, which, by the post-mark upon it, appears to have been sent the 23d of the same month. This circumstance renders Lady Anne Hamilton's de claration on the trial, " that she knew nothing of Lady Perceval's newspaper connections," very singular. -J- On this letter 1 shall merely observe, that I would not wish to hurt the feelings of any Lady Authoress much Itss one of Viscountess Perceval's ligli rank ; but if the letter of Juttitia ever did contain any thing resem- bling common sense, the Editor of The Star must have been clever indeed, to have reduced it to its present form. Edit. No. XX. " Sunday i 11 I write this in case you should disappoint me again and again though I hope not; for it is of the utmost importance, I repeat, to both our agency and our chivalric c:iuse*, that yon should not leave me so ignorant, &c. &c. Besides, you were to have brought me the letters for Mr. Downes, inclosing the pa- per I wanted to send to him on my money businesses. Next place, I want the paragraph about Billy Austin, for I suppose Mr. M does not wish to insert it, as he has not : On the contrary, I observe in the paper of last night, an allusion and extract upon the same subject but very tame and inefficient. I would, therefore, wish you to bring it buck to me, that I may do what I like with it, and make some use of it. I would also be glad of the other scrap, about ' God save the K .' I beg you will get possession back of the copy of the letter printed, \xhich was written in large hand. I do not send the other which is ready, because, since Mr. M has not liked Billy A , he will not, perhaps, like this; and if I do not see, or hear from you, I always fear accidents, people changing their feelings, &c. I do expect that now is the moment of the tide serving for our cause. John Bull's heart is her's, and his eyes are opened; and we must hope that, if Englishmen could cham- pionize Mrs. Clarke, the P , against the king's son, very unjustly, and to their discredit, I ever thought, those same Englishmen will at heart defend and protect their old king's niece and their young queen elect's mother. Do, pray, answer this note, unless I shall have seen you ; at all events send me Downe's letter and Billy A . ** I do not suppose you will let me leave town without seeing you. Can you come this evening between ten and twelve o'clock you will find me returned from Fulham. " If Mr-. M. will choose another letter for to- morrow's paper, * The conspiracy which Lady Perceval and her agent were carry ins: on apruinst the peace of the kingdom, is most clearly proved by this letter. JJiie talks of our agency and oar cause. AVlwt cause, even if a good one, could be oilier lliau ruined by such an agent EDIT. ( "3 ) come and say so ; but 1 do not send it without being certain it will be accepted. " I can put Billy A in the form of a letter for I much wish that it should be in. The paragraph last night called, forth not an atom of warm feeling. Such benevolence as that of the person in question, should be known, and not be mU " Your's. Addressed " John Mitford, Esq." No. XXI. " Where is the copy for the L , for I suppose you will send it now. 1 have had no Stars as you promised me last night. Pray bring some to-morrow to where I am going, and end in word a gentleman has called on Lady P. *. Yon may comedown this evening, if you can, to tell me all that passed since. I am going at 5 o'clock. Be here before, if you can. I must see you before Monday. When is the other letter to be in? I can assure you we must work them wellf. IfM. docs not like to put it in, I wish you would withdraw it, that I may send it elsewhere. M. neglects, 1 think, the cause. " The inclosed is written for a shew letter if you choose to use it as such*. It is a fact that I have done what I therein sny, and great circulation will it give it." * Montague house wat, I have been informed, the place where he wa going. Edit. t This expression shews the bitter spirit which, throughout the whole of this business, appears to have animated this fJacfiieval in petticoats. Edit. J For this letter, which may serve for a model of its kind, see No. XXII. TS T o. XXII. [This letter is alluded to in the preceding, and is a good spe- cimen of the talent displayed by Lady Perceval in her manage- ment of the Editors of newspapers*. Her Ladyship calls it " A Shew Letter;" that is, a It tier written expressly for the purpose of being shewn to a particular person, to attain a par- ticular object. Mr. Mayne, one of the proprietors of The Star, was the gentleman here aimed at. Mr. Tulloch, the other pro- prietor, however, prevented the dose from taking effect.] " My dear Sir, " I have seldom received more satisfaction than from your letter. It does one so much good in these times (when the chicalric principle, alas ! is so grievously exploded) to meet with those kindred souls who will sympathize in the cause of woman, as Milton says, ' the last, and best, fairest work of the creation.' T/tc illustrious one* in question, I do assure you should not be the least nor the last in our dear love, for she possesses a heart and mind purely emanating from the great Duke of Bruns- wick. I can best express myself when I say, that when 1 am near her I am all soul. I never knew any one who had so much the magic of communicating incitement to ail that is great aud goodf. May the people of England duly estimate her worth. Heaven be praised, the PS.S. Charlotte of Wales knows her mo- ther's worth, and her best quality, that which will bring pros- perity to her future realm is her filial love. I admire and ap- plaud Mr, M.'s sentiments and emotions , and I feel him to be * I.aJy Perceval here directly identities herself with the Princess of VTales, on what authority it behoves her publicly to explain Edit. f It is evident the writer of this letter must have found flattery most efficacious HI the course of her intrigues, for she never fails dealing it out most plentifully; no matfer'whether directed towards a priricess or a vulgar black-handed printer, both have a sickening dose administered to them. Edit. J Lady Perceval will perhaps condescend to explain what slie meant by Mr. Wayne's " emotion*" Were they of a corporeal or mental nature ? a congenial spirit with myself; assure him that, considering him as such, every nerve of my zeal shall be exerted to befriend our Carolinean star, which must never grow dim*. Be it under- stood, however, that I am wo disaffected subject^. Loyalist, I am, to my latest breath, and never, I trust, will a Perceval de- sert his Sovereign. My dear and only son will, I trust, tread in the steps of his ancestors, and lamented great uncle. If, by sounding the public opinion in measured respectful language^, in the P. R. ear, we can make him understand his best interests, and the secret of his want of popularity, my object is obtained . Let him set the example of respect to domestic propriety, and John Bull will worship him. I wish him as popular as I know his Princess to be, and deservedly so ; for I consider them both || as composing the third estate of the realm, and as such respect the Prince, but love the Princess. Can you some day bring young Mayne with you; you know how I am the friend of youth that has honourable and aspiring mind. I will send to- * Such were the promises this intriguante was accustomed to hold out to those she hoped would aid her in her political schemes. Edit. t It was very necessary for Lady Perceval to make this assertion. Had she not made it, Mr. Mayne must have thought he was corresponding with a female plotter, who, to attain her ends, would have set the nation in a flame Edit. J The wide difference in opinion which exists between the Lord Chief Justice of England and Lady Perceval, as to what constitutes " measured respectful language," is well worthy of remark. Edit. How infinitely indebted his Royal Highness must ever feel to Lady Perceval, for her tender solicitude for his popularity. Edit. \\ This female politician's principles are truly constitutional. She considers them both as composing the third estate of the realm. Perhaps she will condescend to explain what /wrfr'on of the government the wife of the sovereign is entitled to by the laws of England. Undoubtedly, were tliat wife assisted by the talents of Lady Perceval, it would be hard indeed if she did not appropriate to herself ranch more than of right, or of courtesy "fcelmiffrd to her Edit. morrow to the office, but if I receive the papers not in time, they will be forwarded to me. " Take care of yourself, and believe me, '* Your zealous friend, and sincere cousin, Dec. 30, 18U." " K. PERCEVAL." The letter enclosing this, is addressed, " John Mitford, Esq. " 69, Crawford-street, Montague-square." No. XXIII. " Instead of sending my servant to the Star Office, where inquiries and observations would be made, or at least might, pray do you send in your name*, or request Mr. M. to enclose them to me, addressed, by the first Greenwich coach, as follows: " Viscountess Perceval, " To be left at Mr. Land's, *' Crescent, Greenwich. " To be delivered directly. " From thence the parcel will be sent to meat Bridgewater- houset, of course they will put the date on the outside, and book it. " I have the greatest delight in Mr. M.'s declaration and profession of faith; I hope he will never change his religion. I long to hear how my letter to you worked^. Let me have a * Here the cloven foot appears : " pray do yon send in your name, for if I send in mine, some observations might be made." " J'eritas nilul teretur nisi abscondi." This was not the case with Lady Perceval ; she courted concealment. EDIT. f Bridgewater House, to which reference is here msi-'le, is a seminary for young ladies, at the village of Lee. It is kept by a Mr. and the two Misses Grimini's, and patronized by Viscountess Perceval. Before her Ladyship took the house she now live* in, which she has christened" Perce- val Lodge," Bridgewater House was head-quarttTS.-E