Ex Libris K. OGDEN
Cije Genuine 3Soofu
AN
INQUIRY,
OR
DELICATE INVESTIGATION
INTO
THE CONDUCT
OF
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS
THE PRINCESS OF WALES;
BEFORE
LORDS ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, AND ELLENBOROUGH,
The Four Special Commissioners of Inquiry, APPOINTED BY HIS MAJESTY IN THE YEAR 1806.
REPRINTED FROM AN AUTHENTIC COPY, SUPERINTENDED THROUGH THE PRESS
By the Right Hon. SPENCER PERCEVAL.
OEUition.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. EDWARDS, CRANE COURT, FLEET STREET ;
And published by W. Lindsell, Wigmore Street ;
REPRINTED AND SOLD BY M. JONES,
5, NEWGATE-STREET.
•»* 4k
1S13.
ADVERTISEMENT.
many and so various have been the impositions practised on public credulity with regard to " The Book/' that it has been deemed advisable to resort to an infal- lible proof of the authenticity of the fol- lowing pages, and place beyond a ques- tion the fact of the whole being a correct copy of the original suppressed " Book" prepared for publication by the late Mr, Perceval.
Thus the present Volume has been printed line for line in correspondence with the celebrated Edition of Mr. Edwards, with its errors, as errataed by Mr. Perceval, and its original imprint.
2000100
CONTENTS.
Pag*
XVEPORT of the Commissioners .......... 3
Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated
August 12, 1806 10
Note from the Princess of Wales to the Ix>rd Chancellor,
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, 1800 20
Note from the Lord Chancellor ro the Princess of Wales,
dated August 29, 1806 21
Note from the Princess of Wales to the Lord Chancellor, dated August 31, 1806 22
Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales, datod September 2, 1806 24
Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated October 2, 1806 25
Deposition of Thomas Manby, Esq. dated the 22d of September, 1806 jgj
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 between Lord Moira, Mr. Lowten, and Mr. Edmeades, on the 14th of May, 1806 187
Peposition of Jonathan Partridge, sworn on the 25th of September, 1806 .191
IV CONTENTS.
Page Deposition of Philip Krackeler and Robert Eagle»tone,
sworn on the 27th of September, 1806 1 92
Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated
the 8th of December, 1806 194
Note from the Lord Chancellor to the Princess of Wales,
dated January 28, 1807 199
Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales 199
Letter from the Princess *>f Wales to His Majesty, dated
January 29, 1307 r 202
Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales, dated
January 29, 1807 203
Note from His Majesty to the Princess of Wales, dated
February 10, 1807.. , 20*
Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated
February 12, 1807 ". 205
Letter from the Princess of \Vales to His Majesty, dated
February 16, 1807 206
Letter from the Princess of Wales to His Majesty, dated
March 5, 1807 .244
CONTENTS. V
APPENDIX (A).
Page Warrant, or Commission, authorising the Inquiry, dated
May 29, 1806 1
Deposition, of Charlotte Lady Douglas, s.w.orn June 1,
1806 2
Deposition of^ir John Douglas, sworn on the 6th of June,
1806 8
Deposition of Robert Bidgood, sworn on the 1st of June,
1806 9
Deposition of William Cole, sworn on the 6th of June,
1806 „ 11
Deposition of Francis Lloyd, sworn on the 7th of June,
1806 13
Deposition of Mary Ann Wilson, sworn June?, 1806 .... 15 Deposition of Samuel Roberts, sworn on the 7th of June,
1806 -. 16
Deposition of Thomas Stikeman, sworn on the 7th of
June, 1806 17
Deposition of John Sicard, sworn on the 7th of June, 1806 . 20 Deposition of Charlotte Sander, sworn on the 7th of June,
1806 21
Deposition of Sophia Austin, sworn on the 7th of June,
1806 24
Letter from Earl Spencer to Lord Gwydir, dated June 20, 1806 25
Letter from Lord Gwydir to Earl Spencer, dated the 21st of June, 1806 25
Letter from Lady Willoughby to Earl Spencer, dated the 21stof June, 1806 27
Extract from the Register of Births and Baptisms of Children, born in Brownlow-street Lying-in Hospital, dated the 23d of June, 1806 27
vi CONTENTS,
Page Deposition of Elizabeth Gosden, sworn the 23d of June,
1806 28
Deposition of Betty Townley, sworn the 23d of June . 29
. .. Thomas Edmeades, sworn the 25th day of
June, 1806 30
Deposition of Samuel Gillam Mills, sworn the 25th of
June, 1806 32
Deposition of Harriet Fitzgerald, sworn the 27th of June,
1806 38
Letter from Earl Spencer to Lord Gwydir, dated the 1st
of July, 1806 36
Letter from Lord Gwydir to Earl Spencer, dated the 3d of
July, 1806 37
Queries and Answers of Lord Gwydir .... — 37
Robert Bidgood's further Deposition, sworn the 3d of
July, 1806 30
Deposition of Sir Francis Millman, sworn the 3d of July,
1806 41
Deposition of Mrs. Lisle, sworn on the 3d of July, 1806.- 42 Letter from Sir Francis Millman, dated the 4th of July,
1806 M
Deposition of Lord Cholmondeley, sworn on the 16th of
July, 1806 47
CONTENTS. TU
APPENDIX (B.)
Page
Statement of Lady Douglas, signed on the 3d of Decem- ber, 1805 49
Narrative of the Duke of Kent, signed on the 27th of December, 1805 ... - 92
Examinations of Sarah Lampert and William Lampert 97
First Examination of William Cole, dated the llth of January, 1806 .... 9$
Second Examination of William Cole, dated the 14th of January, 1806 ... - 100
Third Examination of William Cole, dated the 30th of January, 1806 .... 102
Fourth Examination of William Cole, dated the 28d of February, 1806 - - - 102
Examination of Robert Bidgood, dated the 4th of April, 1806 ... 103
Examination of Sarah Bidgood - - 106
Frances Lloyd, dated the 12th of May,
1806 107
B
THE REPORT,
May it please your Majesty ,
I 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 per- " sons as we should see fit, touching and con-
" earning 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 lime 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 alledged 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 when 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 alledged, 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 pursued.
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 alledged, 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 Royal 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 complete proof, either in the affirmative or nega- tive, .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 Princeas 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 com pass of our inquiries.
The identity of the child, now with the Princess, its parentage, the place and the date of
8
its birth, the time and the circumstances of itf eing first taken under her Royal Highness's 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. That child was, beyond all doubt, born in the Brownlow-Street Hospital, on the llth day of July, 1802, of the body of Sophia Austin, and was first brought to the Princess's house in the month of November following. Neither should we be more warranted in express- ing any doubt respecting the alledged pregnancy of the Princesses stated in the original declarations — a fact so fully contradicted, and by so many witnesses,to whom, if truest 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 abstract- ed 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 pleas- ed to command us to inquire, and report, contain.
9
93 we have already remarked, other particulars respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalte rank and station, necessarily give occasion to very unfavourable interpretations.
From the various depositions and proofs an.- nexed to this Report, particularly from the exami- nations 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 suspec- ted of any unfavourable bias, and whose veracity, in this respect, we have seen no ground to ques- tion.
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 pn 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.
•
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 persuasion, that if this wish has been disappointed, the failure is not irnputable to any thing unneces- sarily said or done by us.
AH which is most humbly submitted to Your Majesty,
(Signed) ERSKINE,
SPENCER, GRENVILLE, July Hth, 1806, ELLENBO ROUGH,
A true Copy,
J. Becket.
The depositions which accompanied this Report
be found in ^Appendix (d.) 'numbered 1 to 29.
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 w&s
11
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 most satisfactory way for the tranquillrty 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 ex-
1
12
plain any thing, or even to point out those per- ions who might have been called, to prove the little credit wh'ch was due to some of the wit- nesses, 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 yourMajesty'sown mouth that I have yourgracious 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 re- main with sentiments of the highest esteem, veneration and unfeigned attachment,
Sire,
Your Majesty's most dutiful, submissive, and humble Daughter-in-law and Subject,
(Signed) CAROLINE.
To the King.
1-3
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.
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 ine.
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, ift expressing my confident reliance, that that kind- ness and protection would not be withdrawn from
xme, 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 alledged in my behalf, in answer to it. But your Majesty, will not be surprised, nor displeased, 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 tmauthenticated 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 original*. I am far from insinuating that the want of such attestations \v as in tcntiuiT.il. Nodoubt it was omit-
15 •
ted through inadvertence ; but its importance ig 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 exam- ination 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 attes- ted 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 theCommission- 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 cei tain statements, respec- ting my -conduct, imputing not only, gross impro-
16
pnety 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 1 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 iny 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 are,
First. That your Majesty would be graciously pleased to direct, that 1 should be furnished with copies of these declarations : and, if they are rightly " described, in the Report, as the necessary founda-
17
tionofall the proceedings ofthe Commissio- ners, your Majesty could not, I am persuaded but have graciously intended, in'directing that I should be furnished with a copy of the Re- port, 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 accusation cannot but be much affected by the quarter 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, Itrust, with the further information which I have solicited; but at all events a spee- dy return of them. And your Majestv will see, that it is not without reason, that I make this last request, when your Majesty ie informed, that though the Report appears to have been made upon the 14th of July, yet it w-is not sent to me, till the llth of the present month. A similar delay, I should, of, all things, deplore. For it is with reluctance, "that I yuld to those suggestiohs, which have induced me to lay,
D
18
these my bumble requests,, before your Majes- ty, sinre they must, at all events, in some de- gree, delay the arrival of that moment, to which, 1 look forward with so earnest, and eager an im- patience; when I confidently feel. I shall com- pletely satisfy you r, Majesty, that the whole of these charges are alike unfounded ; and are all parts of the same conspiracy against me. Your Majesty, so satisfied, will, "I can have no doubt, be as anxious as myself, to secure to me that redress, which, the laws of your kingdom (ad- ministering, under your Majesty's just dispen- sation, equal protectton and justice, to every .description of your Majesty's subjects,) are .prepared to afford to those, who are so deeply inj r ;d as I have been. That I have in this case, ihs strongest claim to your Majesty's jus- tice, I am coufid' nt I shall prove : but I can- not, as I am advised, so satisfactorily establish that claim, till your Majeaty's goodness shall have directed me, to be furnished with an au- thentic statement of the actual charges against me, and that additional information, which it is the object of this letter most humbly, yet ear- nestly, to implore,
I am,
SIRE, Your Majesty's most dutiful, submissive,
and Humble Daughter- in-lavv. Montague House. (Signed) C. P.
To the King.
19
v Aug. 20th, 1806.
T si E Lord Chancellor has the honour to re- turn to her Royal Highness the Princess' of Wales, the box as he received it this morning from his Majesty. It contains the papers he formerly sent to her Royal Highness, and which he sends as they are, thinking that it may be ia the mean time most agreeable to her Royal Highness.
The reason of their not having been authen- ticated by the Lord Chancellor, was, that he re- ceived them as copies, from Earl Spencer, who was in possession of the originals ; and he could not therefore, with propriety, do so, nothaving himself compared them ; but her Royal High- ness may depend upon having other copies sent to her, which have been duly examined and certified to be so.
The box will be delivered to one of her Royal Highnesses Pages, in waiting, by the principal officer, attendant upon the Lord Chancellor, and he trusts he shall find full credit,with her Royal Highness, that in sending a servant formerly with the papers, the moment he received them (no messenger being in waiting, and the offi- cers who attend him, being detained by their duties in court,) he could not be supposed to have intended any possible disrespect, which he is incapable of shewing to any lady, bat mostes- pe.cially to any member of His Majest'ys Royal family.
To Her Royal Hi 'ghness the Princess of Wales.
Lincoln* s Inn Fields, Aug. 24th, 1806.
His Majesty has been pleased to transmit to me the letter which he has received from your Royal Highness, dated the 17th instant ; and to direct that I should communicate the same to the Lords Commissioners, who had been com- manded by His Majesty to report to His Ma- jesty on the matters therein referred to ; and I have now received His Majesty's further com- mands, in consequence of thatletter, to acquaint your Royal Highness, that when I transmitted to your Royal Highness, by the King's com- mands, and under my signature, the copies of official papers, which had been laid before his Majesty, those papers were judged thereby duly authenticated, according to the usual course and forms of office ; and sufficiently so, for the pur- poses, for which, his Majesty had been graci- ously pleased to direct them to be communica- ted to your Royal Highness.
That, nevertheless, there does not appear to be any reason for his Majesty's declining a com- pliance with the request which your Royal Highness- has been advised to make, that those copies should, after being examined with the originals, be attested by some person to be nam- ed for that purpose: and that, if your Royal Highness will do me the honour to transmit them to-me, they shall be examined and attest-
21
«d accordingly, after correcting any errors, tliat may have occurred in the copying.
His Majesty has further authorized me to ac- quaint your Royal Highness, that he is graci- ously pleased, on yourRoyalHighness's request, to consent. that copies of the writtendeclarations referred to in the Report of the Lords Commis- sioners, should be transmitted to your Royal Highness, and that the same will be transmitted, accordingly so soon as they can be transcribed. (Signed) ERSKINEC-
The Lord Chancellor has the honour to add to the above official communication that his Purse-bearer respectfully waits herRoyallligh- ness's commands, in case it should be herRoyai Highness's pleasure to return the papers by hirru
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.
Lincoln's Inn Fields Aug. 29th, 1806.
THE Lord Chancellor has the honour to
transmit, to her Royal Highness the Princess
of Wales, the papers, *desired by her Royal
Highness, just as he received them a few
minutes ago from Earl Spencer, with the note
• " 4-u *** •
accompanying them.
*N.B. These papers, being tne original decla- rations *on which the Inquiry proceeded will be Jo and in Appendix (A.)
'
Aug. 3 1st, 1806.
HER Royal Highness the Princess of Wales acquaints the Lord Chancellor, that the gentle- man, with whom her itoyal Highness advises, and who had possession of the copies of the offi- cial papers, communicated to Her Royal High- ness, by the Lord Chancellor, returned from the country late yesterday even ing, Upon the suh-
V * V
ject of transmitting these papers to the Lord Chancellor, foi the purpose of their being exa- mined, and authenticated, and then returned to Her Royal Highness, he states, that in conse- quence of the Lord Chancellor's assurance, con- tained in his note of the 20th instaot, that Her Royal Highness might depend upon having other copies sent to her, which had been duly examined and certified to be so; he has relied upon being able to refer to those already sent, and therefore it would be inconvenient to part with them at present : and ];Ier Royal Highness therefore hopes, that the Lord Chancellor will procure for her the other authenticated copies, which his Lordship promised in his note of the 20th inst.
With respect to the copies already sent, being as the Lord Chancellorexpresses it, in his letter pf the 24th inst, " judged to be duly authenti- "• cated according to the usual course anil forms !l cf office, and sufficiently so for the purpose " fpr which His Majesty bad been graciously
23
" pleased to direct the.a to be communicated " to His Royal Highness, because they were ** transmitted to Her, bv 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 conceiv- ed, that thev were authenticated under such signature. But she could not think "that the
o
mere signature of his Lordship, on the outside of the envelope, which contained them, could afford an authenticity to the thirty papers, which that envelope contained ; r could, in any manner, identify any of those papers, as have 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 ". authenticated, by the Lord Chancellor, was " that he received them as copies from Earl " Spencer, who was in possession of the origi- tf nals, and he coyldnoi therefore • iih propriety ir do so, not having himself compared them.
Her Royal Highness. takes thi^ pp ortunity of acknowledging the receipt of the declarations referred to in the Commissioners' Report.
To the Lord Chancellor.
24 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Sept. 2nd, 1806.
THE Lord Chancellor has taken the earliest opportunity in h:s power, of complying with the wishes of Her Foyal Highness the Princess of Wale?. He i; ade the promise of other co- pies, M it} out any communication, with the other Commissioners, wholly from a desire, to shew every kind of respect and accommodation to Her Poyal Highness, in any thing consist- ent with his duty, and, not at all, from any idea that the papers, as originally sent, (though there mi^ht be errors in the copying) were not Butficiently authenticated. An opinion which he is obliged to S-jy he is not removed from : nevertheless the Lord Chancellor has a plea- sure in conforming to Her Royal Highnesses wishes, and his the honour to inclose the attest- ed 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 deep- est sentiments of gratitude, for the counte- nance and protection, which I have hither- to uniformly received from your Majettv, I approach you, with a heart undismayed, upop
this occasion, so awful 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 that countenance and protection, and altogether unworthy of the high station, which I hold in your Majesty's illustrious family, if I sought foi^ 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 as1 to hold in your Majesty's good opinion and esteem j my station in your Majesty's august family ; my life, my 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. But there remain imputations, strangely sanctioned, and coun- tenanced by that Report, on which I cannot remain silent, without incurring the most fatal consequen- ces to my honour and character. For it states tc your Majesty, that " The circumstances detailed
E
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 ray character from the weighty imputation which the authority of the Commissioners, has, for a time', cast upon it; but, above all, that they should, upon tli is exparte examination, without hearing one word that I could urge, have reported to your Majesty an opinion on these matters, so prejudicial to my honour, and from which I can have no appeal, to the laws of the country, (because the charges, con- stituting 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 aggravated, to my feelings, the pain necessarily attendant upon this Inquiry, I shall not be able to refrain from stating, and urging, as matters of serious lamenta- tion at least, if not of well-grounded complaint.
In commenting upon any part of the circumstan- ces, which have occurred in the course of this Inquiry, whatever observations I may be com- pelled 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 perju- ry, and all the foul circumstances, which charac- terise 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 addres- sing 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 and servants had been exa- mined concerning it. And for some time I had received mysterious and indistinct intimations, that some great mischief was meditated towards me. And, in all the circumstances of my very pe^ culiar situation, it will.not bethought strange, that however conscious I was, that I had no just cause of fear, I should yet feel some uneasiness on this account. With surprise certainly (because the first tidings were of a kind to excite surprise,) but without alarm, I received the intelligence, that, for some reason, a formal investigation of some parts of my conduct had been advised, and had actually taken place. His Royal Highness the Duke of
jni, on the 7th of Ju-ne, 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 dwel- ling, 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 in- famous crime of adultery. His Royal Highness, I am sure, 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, my ser- vants for the examination which they were to under- go. The only retries t which I made to His Roy- al Highness was, that hewould-have the goodness to remain with me till my servants were gone; that he might hear 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, hadheen 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 anest painful, that I have passed the interval, -which
30
lias shice 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- cence, 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 be manifested to the world, as widely as the calumny had been circulated. I knew that the result of an ex part e inquiry, from its very nature, 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, work a prejudice to my honour and 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
31
was found to be utterly false, yet some of the wit- 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 accusers, are reported to be "free from tc all suspicion of unfavourable bias ;" their vera- city, " in the judgment of the Commissioners, " not to be questioned ;" and their infamous stories, and insinuations against me, to be " such " as deserve the most serious consideration, 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 suspence 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 time 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 In- quiry itself only lasted to the 14th or l6'th of July, which is but between tive and six \ve«Vs from the 7th of Juue.
I did not receive it, notwithstanding V5rrr Majes- ty's gracious commands, till the llth 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 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 >vas, too early, communicat- ed to any one : I complain only, (and I complain - most seriously, for I felt it most severely) of the delay in its communication t6 me.
Humour had informed the world, that the Re- port had been early communicated to youY Majesty, and to His Royal Highness. I did not receive the benefit, intended for me by your Majesty's gracious command, till a month aft<?r 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 malicfe could infer, from its remaining'in that possession, ao long unnoticed. May I be permitted to &iys that, if the Report acquits me, my innocence en- titled me to receive from those, to whom you,r Majesty's commands had been given, an immediate "notification of the fact that it did acquit, me?
33
That, if it condemned me, the weight of such a sentence should not have 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, Avhich, 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 was I kept upon 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 rt credited, to the prejudice of my honour/* till they were " decidedly contradicted," the means of knowing, what it waSj that I must, at least, endeavour to contradict, were withholden from me, a single un- necessary hour, I know not, and I wil} 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 will be graciously pleased to recollect, that ou the 13th I returned my grateful
F
3*
thanks to your Majesty, for haying ordered these papers to be sent to me.
Your Majesty will readily imagine that, upon a subject of such importance, I could not venture to trust only to my own advice ; and those with whom I advised, suggested, that the written Declarations or Charges, upon which the Inquiry had proceed- ed, and which the Commissioners refer to in their Report, and represent to be the essential founda- tion of the whole proceeding, did not accompany the Examinations and Report ; and also that the papers themselves were not authenticated. I there- fore, ventured to address your Majesty, upon these supposed defects in the communication, and humbly requested that the copies of the papers, which I then returned, might, after being exa- mined, .and authenticated, be again transmitted to ine ; 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 compliance, 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 JCent ; and a few days after, on the 3rd of Sep- tember, 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 Keut, dated 27th of December, 1805.
# S«« Appendix (B).
35
t
A Copy of the written Declaration of Sir Johm and Lady Douglas, dated December 3, 1805.
A Paper containing the written Declarations, or Examinations,of the persons hereafter enumerated; • — The title to these Papers is,
" For the purpose of confirming the Statement " made by Lady Douglas, of the circumstances ff mentioned in her Narrative, The following Ex- fc animations have been taken, and which have ec been signed by the several persons who have '* been examined." —
Two of Sarah Lampert ;— - one, dated Chelten- ham, 8th January, 1806, — and the other, 29th March, 1806.
One of William Lampert, baker, 1 14, Chelten- ham, apparently of the same date with the last of Sarah Lamport's.
Four of William Cole, dated respectively, llth January, 14th January, 30th January, and 23d February, 1806.
One of Robert Bidgood, dated Temple, 4th April, 1806.
One of Sarah Bidgood, dated Temple, 83d April, 1806; and
One of Frances Lloyd, dated Temple, 18th May, 1806.
The other Papers and Documents which accom- panied the Report, are,*
* See Appendix (AJ.
36
1806. No.
29 May, 1. The King's Warrant or Commis- sion.
1 June, 2. Deposition of Lady Douglas.
1 3. of Sir John Douglas.
6 ' 4. of Robert Bidgood. '
6 4. of W. Cole.
7 6. of Frances Lloyd. 7 7. of Mary Wilson.
7 8. of Samuel Roberts,
7. 9. of Thomas Stikeman.
7 10. ofJ. Sicard.
7 11. of Charlotte Sander.
7 12. of Sophia Austin.
20 13. Letter from Lord Spencer to Lord
Gwj'dir.
21 14. from Lord Gwydir to Lord
Spencer. 21 15. from Lady Willoughby to
Lord Spencer.
S3. 16. Extract from Register of Brown-
low Street Hospital. Deposition of Elizabeth Gosden. of Betty Townley. of Thomas Edmeades. of Samuel G. Mills, of Harriet Fitzgerald. Letter from Lord Spencer to Lord
Gwydir.
§3. from Lord Gwydir to Lord
Spencer.
37
3 July, 24-.. Queries of Lady Willoughby and
Answers.
£ 25. Further Deposition of R.Bidgood,
3 26. Deposition of Sir Francis Lisle,
3 27 of Mrs. Lisle,
4 28. Letter from Sir Francis Milman
to the Lord Chancellor.
16 29. Deposition of LordCholmondeley.
14; SO. The Report.
By the Copy, which I have received, of the Commission, or Warrant, under which the Inquiry has heen prosecuted, it appears to be an instrument under your Majesty's Sign Manual, not counter- signed, not under any Seal. — It recites, that an Abstract of certain written Declarations, touching my conduct, (without specifying by whom those Declarations were made, ortlie nature of the mat- ters, touching which they had been made, or even by whom the Abstract had been prepared,) had been laid before your Majesty ; into the truth of which it purports to authorize the four noble Peers, who are named in it, to inquire and to ex- amine upon oath, such persons as they think fit : and to report to your Majesty the result of their Examination. By referring to the written Decla- rations, it appears that they contain allegations against me, amounting to the charge of High Trea- son, and also other matters, which, if understood to be, as they seem to have been acted and report- ed upon, by the Comjuissioners, not as evidence
38
confirmatory (as they arc expressed to be in their title) of the principal charge, but as distinct and substantive subjects of examination, cannot, as I am advised, be represented as in law, amounting to crimes. How most of the Declarations referred to were collected, by whom, at whose solicitation, under what sanction, and before what persons, magistrates or others, they were made, does not appear. By the title, indeed, which all the writ- ten Declarations, except Sir John and Lady Doug* las's bear; viz. " That they had been taken for the purpose of confirming Lady Douglas's State- ment," it may be collected that they had been made by her, or at least by Sir John Douglas's procurement. And the concluding passage of one of them, I mean the fourth declaration of W. Cole, strengthens this opinion, as it represents Sir John Douglas, accompanied by his Solicitor Mr. Low- ten, to have gone down as far as Cheltenham for the examination of two of the witnesses whose de-- clarations are there stated, I am, however, at a loss to know, at this moment, whom I am to consider, or whom I could legally fix, as my false accuser. — From the circumstance last mentioned, it might be inferred, that Sir John and Lady Douglas, or one of them, is that accuser. But Lady Douglas, in her written Declaration, so far from representing the information which she then gives, as moving voluntarily from herself, ex- pressly states that she gives it under the direct
command of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the papers leave me without informa- tion, from whom any communication to the Prince originated, which induced him to give such com- mands.
Upon the question, how far the advice is agree* able to law, under which it was recommended to your Majesty, to issue this Warrant or Commis- sion, not countersigned, nor under Seal, and with- out any of your Majesty's advisers, therefore, being, on the face of it, responsible for its issuing, I am not competent to determine. And undoubtedly, considering thatthetwo high legal authorities, the Lord Chancellor, and the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, consented to act under it, it is with the greatest doubt and diffidence, that I can bringmy self to ex press any suspicion of its illegality. But if it be, as I am given to understand it is, open to question, whether, consistently with law, your Majesty should have been advised, to command, by this warrant or commission, persons, (not to act in any known character,asSecretariesof State,as Privy^ Counsellors, as Magistrates other wise era powered; but to act, as Commissioners, and under the sole authority of such warrant, to inquire (without any authority to hear and determine any thing upon the subject of those Inquiries, ) into the known crime of High Treason, under the sanction of oaths, to be administered by them, as such Commissioners, and to report the result thereof to your Majesty. If, I say, there can be any question upon the le-
40
gality of such a Warrant or Commission, the extreme hardship, with which, it has operated upon me, the extreme prejudice, which it has done to my character, and to which., such a pro- ceeding must ever expose the person who is the object of it, obliges me, till I am fully convinced of its legality, to forbear from acknowledging its authority; arid., with all humility and deference to your Majesty, to protest against it, and against all the proceedings under it.
If this, indeed, were matter of mere form, I should be ashamed to urge it. But the ac- tual hardships and prejudice, which I have suf- fered, by this proceeding, are most obvious. For, upon the principal charge against me, the Commissioners have most satisfactorily, and tc without the least hesitation," for such is their expression, reported their opinion of its false- hood. Sir John and Lady Douglas therefore, who have sworn to its truth, have been guilty of the plainest falsehood ; yet upon the supposition of the illegality of this Commission their falsehood must, as I am informed, go unpunished.- Upon that supposition, the want of legal authority in the Commissioners to inquire and to administer an ©ath, will render it impossible to give to this false- hood the character of Perjtiry. But this is by no means the circumstance which I feel the most severely. Beyond the vindicating of my own character, and the consideration of providing for 'my future security, I can assure your Majesty, that the punishment of Sir Johu and Lady Doug-
41
las would afford me no satisfaction. It is not therefore with regard to that part of the charge, which is negatived, but with respect to those, which are sanctioned by the Report, those, which, not aiming at my life, exhaust themselves upon my character, and which the Commissioners have, in some measure, sanctioned by their Re- port, that I have the greatest reason to complain. Had the Report sanctioned the principal charge, constituting a known legal crime, my innocence would have emboldened me, at all risques, (and to more, no person has ever been exposed from the malice and falsehood of accusers) to have demanded that trial, which could legally deter- mine upon the truth or falsehood of such charge. Though I should even then indeed have had some cause to complain, because I should have gone to that trial, under the prejudice, necessarily raised against me, by that Report ; yet in a proceeding before the just, open, and known tribunals of your Majesty's kingdom, I should have had a safe appeal from the result of an ex parte investigation. An investigation which has exposed me to all the hardships of a secret Inquiry, without giving me the benefit of secrecy ; and to all the severe consequences of a public in- vestigation, in point of injury to my character, without affording me any of its substantial benefits in point of security. But the charges, which the Commissioners do sanction by their Report, de- scribing them, with a mysterious obscurity aod
42
indefinite generality, constitute, as I am told, no legal crime. They are described as " instances " of great impropriety and indecency of beha- " viour" which must " occasion the most unfa- " vourable interpretations/' and they are reported to your Majesty, and they are stated to be, " cir- " cumstances which must be credited till they are ce decisively contradicted."
From this opinion, this judgment of the Com- missioners, bearing so hard upon my character ; (and that a female character, how delicate, and how easily to be affected by the breath of calumny your Majesty well knows) I tan have no appeal. For, as the charges constitute no legal crimes, they cannot be the subjects of any legal trial. I can call for no trial. I can therefore have no appeal; I can look for no acquittal. Yet this opinion, or this judgment, from which I can have no appeal, has been pronounced against me upon mere expar- te investigation.
This hardship, Sire, I am told to ascribe to the nature of the proceeding under this Warrant or Commission ; For had the Inquiry been entered into before your Majesty's Privy Council, or before any magistrates, authorised by Jaw as such, to inquire into the existence of treason, the known course of proceeding before that council, or such magistrates, the known extent of their jurisdiction over crimes, and not over the proprieties of beha- viour^ would have preserved me from the possibi- lity of having matters made the subjects of in- quiry which had in law no substantive criminal
43
character, and from the extreme hardship of hav- ing my reputation injured by calumny altogether unfounded, but rendered at once more safe to my enemies, and more injurious to me, by being ut- tered, in the course of a proceeding, assuming the grave semblance of legal form. And it is by the nature of this proceeding, (which could alone have countenanced or admitted of this licentious lati- tude of inquiry, into the proprieties of behaviour in private life, with which no court, no magistrate, no public law has any authority to interfere,) that I have been deprived of the benefit of that entire and unqualified acquittal and discharge from this accusation, to which the utter and proved false- hood of the accusation itself so justly entitled me.
I trust therefore that your Majesty will see that if this proceeding is not one to which, by the known laws of your Majesty's kingdom, 1 ought to be subject, that it is no cold formal objection which leads me to protest against it.
I am ready to acknowledge, Sire, from the consequences which might arise to the public, from such misconduct as have been falsely imput- ed to me, that my honour and virtue are of more importance to the state than those of other women. That my conduct therefore may be fitly subjected, when necessary, to a severer scrutiny. But it cannot follow, because my character, is of more importance, that it may therefore be attacked with more impunity. And as I know, that this mis- chief has been pending over my head for more
44
than two years, that private examinations of my neighbours' servants, and of my own,, have, at tiroes, during that interval, been taken, for the purpose of establishing charges against me, not indeed by the instrumentality of Sir John and Lady Douglas alone, but by the sanction, and in the presence of The Earl of Moira (as your Majesty will perceive bj the deposition of Jonathan Par- tridge which I subjoin;*) and as I know also, and make appear to your Majesty likewise by the same means, that declarations of persons of un- questionable credit, respecting my conduct, attest- ing my innocence, and directly falsifying a most important circumstance respecting my supposed pregnancy, mentioned in the declarations, on •which the Inquiry was instituted ; as I know, I say, that those declarations, so favourable to me, appear to my infinite prejudice, not to have been communicated to your Majesty, when that Inquiry was commanded ; and as I know not how soon nor how often proceedings against me may be meditated by my enemies, I take leave to express my humble trust, that, before any other proceed- ings may be had against me, (desirable as it may have been thought, that the Inquiry should have been of the nature, which has, in this instance, obtained,) your Majesty would be graciously pleas- ed to require to be advised, whether my guilt, if I were guilty, could not be as effectually dis-
* See the depositions at the end of this letter.
covered and punished, and my honour and inno- cence,, if innocent, be more effectually secured and established by other more known and regular modes of proceeding.
Having therefore, Sire, upon these grave rea- sons, ventured to submit, I trust without offence, these considerations upon the nature of the Com- mission and the proceedings under it, I will now proceed to observe upon the Report, and the Ex- aminations; and, with your Majesty's permission, I will go through the whole matter, in that course which has been observed by the Report itself, and which an examination of the important matters that it contains, in the order in which it states them, will naturally suggest.
The Report, after referring to the Commission or Warrant under which their Lordships were act- ing, after staling that they had proceeded to exa- mine the several witnesses, whose depositions they annexed to their Report, proceeds to state the ef- fect of the written declarations, which the Com- missioners considered as the essential foundation of the whole proceeding. " That they were state- ments which had been laid before his Royal High- ness the Prince of Wales, respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness the Princess; that these statements not only imputed to her Royal High- ness, great impropriety and indecency of behavi- our, but expressly asserted, partly on the ground of certain alledged declarations from the Princess's own mouth, and partly on the personal observation
46
of the informants, the following 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 bouse., and under her immediate inspection. These allega- tions thus made, had, as the Commissioners 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 High- ness, but had related other particulars, in them- selves extremely suspicious, and still more so, when connected with the assertions already mentioned. The Report then states, that, in the painful situa- tion, in which his Royal Highness was placed by these declarations, they learnt that he had adopted the only course which ceuld, in their judgment, with propriety be followed, when informations such as these had been thus confidently alledged and particularly detailed, and had in some degree been supported by collateral evidence, applying to other points of the same nature (though goingtoafarless extent,) one line could only be pursued."
" Every sentiment of duty to your Majesty, and of concern for the public welfare required that tljese particulars should not be withheld from your Majesty, to whom more particularly belonged the cognizance of a matter of state, so nearly touching the honour of your Majesty's Royal Family, and
47
by possibility affecting the succession to your Ma- jesty's crown."
The Commissioners, therefore, your Majesty observes, going1,, they must permit me to say, a lit- tle out of their way, begin their Report, by ex pres- sing a clear and decided opinion, that his Royal Highness was properly advised (for your Majesty will undoubtedly conclude, that, upon a subject of this importance, his Royal Highness could not but have acted by the advice of others), in referring this complaint to your Majesty, for the purpose of its undergoingthe investigation which has followed. -,And unquestionably, if the charge, referred to, in this Report, as made by Sir John and Lady Doug- las, had been presented under circumstances, in which any reasonable degree of credit could be given to them, or even if they had not been pre- sented in such a manner, as to impeach the credit of the informers, and to bear internal evidence of their own incredibility, I should be the last person, who would be disposed to dispute the wisdom of the advice which led to make them the subject of the gravest and most anxious Inquiry. And your Majesty, acting upon a mere abstract of the de- clarations, which was all, that, by the recital of the warrant, appears to have been laid before your Ma- jesty, undoubtedly could not but direct an Inquiry concerning my conduct. For though I have not been furnished with that abstract, yet I must pre- sume that it described the criminatory contents of these declarations, much in the same manner, as
48
they are stated in the Report. And the crimina- tory parts of these declarations, if viewed without reference to those traces of malice and resentment, with which the declarations* of Sir John and Lady Douglas abound ; if abstracted from all these cir- cumstances, which shew the extreme improbabi- lity of the story, the length of time, which my ac- cuser had kept my alledged guilt concealed, the contradictions observable in the declarations of the other witnesses, all which, I submit to your Majes- ty, are to an extent to cast the greatest discredit upon the truth ofthesedeclarations ; — abstracted, I say, from these circumstances, the criminatory parts of them were unquestionably such, as to have placed your Majesty under thenecessity of directing some Inquiry concerning them. But that those, •who had the opportunity of reading the long and malevolent narration of Sir John and Lady Doug- las, should not have hesitated before they gave any credit to it, is matter of the greatest astonishment to me.
The improbability of the story, would of itself, I should have imagined ( unless they believed me to be as insane as Lady Douglas insinuates), have been sufficient to have staggered the belief of any unprejudiced mind. For to believe that story, they were to begin with believing that a person guilty of so foul a crime, so highly penal, so fatal to her ho- nour, her station, and her life, should gratuitously, and uselessly, have confessed it. Such a person under the necessity of concealing her pregnancy, * See Appendix (B.)
might have been indispensably obliged to confide her secret with those, to whom she was to look for assistance in concealing its consequences. But Lady Douglas, by her own account, was informed by me of this fact, for no purpose whatever. She makes me, as those who read her declarations can- not fail to have observed, state to her, that she should, on no account, be entrusted with any part of the management by which the birth was to be concealed.* They were to believe also, that, anx- ious as I must have been to haveconcealed the birth of any such child, I had determined to bring it up in my own house; and what would exceed, as I should imagine, the extent of all human credulity, that I had determined to suckle it myself :f that I had laid my plan, if discovered, to have imposed it upon his Royal Highness as 1m child* Nay, they were to believe, that I had stated, and that Lady Douglas had believed the statement to be true,that I had in fact attempted to suckle it, and only gave up thai part of my play, because it made me ner- vous, and was too much for my health. § And, after all this, they were then to believe, that having made Lady Douglas, thus unnecessarily, the confi- dant, of this most important and dangerous secret; having thus put my character and my life in her hands, I sought an occasion, wantonly, and with* out provocation, from the mere fickleness, and wil- f illness of my own mind, to quarrel with her, to in- sult her openly and violently in my own house, to
See Appendix (B.) p, 61. + Ibid. p. 61. * Ibid. p. 70,
H
50
endeavour to ruin her reputation; to ex pose her in infamous and indecent drawings enclosed in letters to her husband. The letters indeed are represen- ted to have been anonymous, but., though anony- mous, they are stated to have been written with my own hand, so undisguised in penmanship and style, that every one who had the least acquaint- ance with either, could not fail to discover them, and (as if it were through fear,lest it should not be sufficiently plain from whom they came) that e had sealed them with a seal, which I had shortly be- fore used on an occasion of writing to her husband. All this they were to believe upon the declaration of a person, who, with all that loyalty and attach- ment which she expresses to your Majesty, and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with all her obligation to the whole Royal Family, ( to whom she expresses herself to be bound by ties of res- pectful regard and attachment which nothing can ever break ;) with all her dread of the mischievous consequences to the country, which might arise, from the disputed succession to the Crown, on the pretensions of an illegitimate child of mine, never- theless continued, after this supposed avowal of my infamy, and my crime, after my supposed ac- knowledgment of the birth of this child, which was to occasion all this mischief, to preserve, for near a twelvemonth her intimacy and apparent friendship with me. ft ay for two years more, after that inti- macy had ceased, after that friendship had been driven off, by my alledged misbehaviour to her,
51
continued still faithful to my secret, and never dis- closed it till (as her declaration states it) <e The " Princess* of Wales recommenced a fresh torrent tc of outrage against Sir John; and Sir John dis- " covered that she was attempting to undermine " his and Lady Douglas's character."
Those, then, who had the opportunity of seeing the whole of this Narrative, having had their jea- lousy awakened by these circumstances to the im- probability of the story, and to the discredit of the informer, when they came to observe, how mali- ciously every circumstance that imagination could suggest, as most calculated to make a woman contemptible and odious, was scraped and heaped up together in this Narrative, must surely have had their eyes opened to the motives of my accusers, and their minds cautioned against giving too easy a credit to their accusation, when they found my conversation to be represented as most loose, and infamous ; my mind uninstructed and unwilling to learn ; my language, with regard to your Majesty and the whole of your Royal Family, foully dis- respectful and offensive ; and all my manners and habits of life most disgusting, I should have flat- tered myself, that I could not have been, in cha- racter, so wholly unknown to them, but that they must have observed a spirit, and a colouring at least in this representation, which must have proved much more against the disposition and character of the informers, and the quality of
* See Appendix, p* 90.
53
their information, than against the person who was the object of their charge. But when, in addition to all this, the Declaration states,,* that 1 had, with respect to my unfortunate and calamitous separa- tion from his Royal Highness, stated that I had acknowledged myself to have been the aggressor, from the beginning, and myself alone ; and when it further states, that if any other woman had so played and sported with her husband's comfort and popularity, she would have been turned out of his house, or left alone in it, and have deservedly for- feited her place in society ; and further still, when, alledgingthat I had once been desirous of procuring a separation from his Royal Highness, and had pressed former Chancellors to accomplish this pur- pose, it flippantly adds, that ff The Chancellor may now perhaps be able to grant her request/' The malicious object of the whole must surely have been most obvious.
For supposing these facts to have been all true; supposing this infamous and libellous description of my character had been nothing but a correct and faithful representation of my vices and my infamy, would it not have been natural to have asked why they were introduced into this Declaration? What effect could they have had upon the charge of crime, and of Adultery, which it was intended to establish ? If it was only, in execution of a pain- ful duty, which a sense of loyalty to your Majesty,
* S*e Appendix {B.) p. 65. f Appendix (B.) p, 59, the nottt
and obedience to the commands of the Prince of Wales at length reluctantly drew from them, why aH tiiis malicious accompaniment?* " His Royal Highne?s"indeed they say/'desired that theywould communicate the whole circumstances of their ac- quaintance with me, from the day they first spoke with me till the present time ; a full detail of all that passed during our acquaintance/' and ff how they became known to me, it appearing to his Royal Highness, from the representation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, that his Majesty's dearest interests, and those of this country, were very deeply interested in the ques- tion," a id " that he particularly commanded them to be very circumstantial in their detail respecting all they might know relative to the child that I affected to adopt/'
But from the whole of this it is sufficiently apparent, that the particularity of this detail was required, by his Royal Highness, in respect of matters connected with that question, in which the dearest interests of your Majesty and this country were involved : and not of circumstances which could have no bearing on those interests. If it had been therefore true, as I most solemnly protest it is not, that I had in the confidence of private conversation, so far forgot all sense of decency, loyalty, and gratitude, as to have ex- pressed myself with that disrespect of your Ma- jesty which is imputed to me; — If I had been
* See Appendix, p. 00.
what I trust those who have lived with me, or ever have partaken of ray society, would not confirm, of a mind so uninformed and unculti- vated, without education or talents, or without 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 ; — What 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 dis- play 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, mere- ly that of good patriots,of attached and loyal sub- jects, bound, in execution of a painful duty, impos- ed upon them by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,todisclose,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, senti- ments which could belong to no generous bosom, but measuring bis 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 ajad station, or of driving me from this
55
eountry,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 mem- bers of your Royal Family, but of all the inhabi- tants of your kingdom, might arise to commise- rate the unfortunate 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, and 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 whole 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
56
credit to informations of this description^ to have made them the foundations of so important and decisive a step, as that of advising them to he laid hefore 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 imme- diately 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 Re port, and which your Majesty has likewise been pleased, by your gra- cious commands, to have communicated tome.
These additional declarations do not, I submit, appear to furnish much additional reason for be- lieving the incredible story. They were taken indeed* " for the purpose," (for they are so des- cribed, this is the title which is prefixed to them in the authentic copies, with which 1 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.
57
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 e appointment of the Commissioners, as it had been found to be afterwards.
* Appejidix (B.) No, 3, I
58
So far, therefore, from concurring; with the Commissioners 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 ne- cessary, upon the first statement of it, as the Com- missioners seem to have imagined, forthwith to transmit to your Majesty ; but it was retained for near six months, from the beginning of De- cember till near the errd of May; what is due to myself obliges me tostate,that if there had but been in that interval, half the industry employed, to re- move suspicions, which was exerted to raise them, there would never have existed a necessitv for
IF
troubling your Majesty with this charge at all. I beg to be understood as imputing this solely to the ad vice given to his Royal Highness. He must, of necessity,haveleft the detail and the determination upon this business to others. And it is evident to me, from what I now know, that his Royal High- ness was not fairly dealt with ; that material infor- mation was obtained, to disprove part of the case against me, which, not appearing in the declara- tions that were transmitted to your Majesty, I con- clude was never communicated to his Royal High- ness.
Feeling, Sire, strongly, that I have much tp 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 Commissioners' judgment, in thus approving the course which was pursued. And, looking to the event, and all the circumstances connected with it, perhaps 1 have reason to rejoice 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 Doug a 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 alledged preg- nancy, 1 know not where I could have found the means or 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, T next come to that part of it, to which unquestionably I must recur with the greatest sa- tisfaction ; because it is thatpart, which so com
60
pletely absolves me of every possible suspicion^ upon the two material charges, of pregnancy and child-birth.
The Commissioners state in their Report,,* that they began by examining e< on oath the two prin- " cipal informants. Sir John and Lady Don glas,who te both positively swore, the former to his having ee observed the fact of pregnancy, and the latter to f( all the important particulars contained in her ee former declaration, and above referred to.* " 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 et they had proceeded/' they state, " that they te felt it their duty to follow up the Inquiry by the te examination of such other persons, as they te judged best able to afford them information, as " to the facts in question." '' We thought it," they say, ee beyond all doubt, that in this course tc of Inquiry many particulars must belearnt which <c would be necessarily conclusive on the truth or " falsehood of these declarations. So many per- " sons must have been witnesses to the appear- ff ances of an actual existing pregnancy, so many " circumstances must have been attendant upon " a real delivery, g,nd difficulties so numerous arid (( insurmountable must have been involved in any
* Report, p. 6. ante, f See Appendix (A.) p. 49.
61
** attempt to account for the infant in question,ai
" the child of another woman, if it had been in
" fact the child of the Princess ; that we entertain-
*e ed a full and confidentexpectation of arriving; at
" complete proof, either in the affirmative, or
<s negative on this part of the subject." fc This
{f expectation/* they proceeded to state, "was not
'£t disappointed. We are happy to declare -io
'* your Majesty, our perfect conviction that there
ft is no foundation whatever for believing that the
f< 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-
<f appeared to us which would warrant the belief
'* that she Was pregnant in that year, or at any
*f other period within the compass of our in-
<c quiries." They then proceed t > refer to the
circumstantial evidence, by which they state that
it was proved that the child was, beyond all doubt,
born in Brownlow-street Hospital, on lith July,
1802j of the body of Sophia Austin, and brought
to my house in the month of November following.
— <f Neither should we," they add, (t be more
te warranted in expressing any doubt respecting
" the alledged pregnancy of the Princess, as stated
et in th« original declarations ; a fact so fully con-
t{ tradicted, and by so many witnesses, to whom
(t if true, it must, in various ways, have been
" known, that we cannot think it entitled to the
ft smallest credit." Then, after stating that they
fcave annexed the depositions from which they have
62
collected these opinions, they add — " We hum- " bly offer to your Majesty our clear and unani- " inous judgment upon them, formed on full de» " liberation, and pronounced without hesitation, •" on the result of the whole Inquiry."
These two most important facts, therefore, which are charged against me, being so fully, and satisfactorily, disposed of, by the unanimous and clear judgment of the Commissioners; being so fully and completely disproved by the evidence which the Commissioners collected, I might, per- haps, in your Majesty's judgment appear well jus- tified, in passing them by without any observation of mine. — But though the observations which I shall make shall be very few, yet 1 cannot forbear just dwelling upon this part of the case, for a few minutes ; because, if 1 do not much deceive myself, upon every principle which can govern the human mind, in the investigation of the truth of any charge, the fate of this part of the accusation must have decisive weight upon the determination of the remainder. I therefore must beg to remark, that Sir John Douglas* swears to my having ap- peared, some time after our acquaintance had com- menced, to be with child, and that one day I leaned on the sofa, and put my hand upon my sto- mach, and said, " Sir John, I shall never be Queen " of England ;" and he said, " not if you don't " deserve/' and I seemed angry at first.
* See Appendix (A) p, 6.
6)
This conversation, I apprehend, if it has the least relation to the subject on which Sir John was examined, must be given for the purpose of insi- nuating that 1 made an allusion to my pregnancy, as if there was a sort of understanding between him and me upon the subject, and that he made me angry, by an expression which implied, that what I alluded to would forfeit my right to be Queen of England. — If this is not the meaning which Sir John intends to be annexed to this conversation, I am perfectly at a loss to conceive what he can in- tend to convey. — Whether at any time, when I may have felt myself unwell, I may have used the expression, which he here imputes to me, my me- mory will not enable me, with the least degree of certainty to state. The words themselves seem to me to be perfectly innocent ; and the action of laying my hand upon my breast, if occasioned by any sense of internal pain at the moment, neither unnatural, nor, as it appears to me, in any way censurable. But that I could have used these words, intending to convey to Sir John Douglas the meaning, which I suppose him to insinuate, surpasses all human credulity to believe, I could not, however, forbear to notice this passage in Sir John's examination, because it must serve to de- monstrate to your Majesty how words, in them- selves most innocent, are endeavoured to be tor- tured, by being brought into the context with his opinion of my pregnancy, to convey a meaning most contrary to that, which I could by possibility
64
have intended to convey, but which it was neces- »ar\ that he should impute to me, to give the bet- ter colour to this false accusation.
As to Sir John Douglas, however, when he swears to the appearances of my pregnancy, he possibly might be only mistaken. Not that mis- take will excuse or diminish the guilt of so scanda- lous a falsehood upon oath. But for Lady Douglas there cannot beeven such an excuse. Independent of all those extravagant confessions which she falsely represents me to have made, she states, upon her own observation and knowledge, that I was preg- nant in the year 1802. Now, in the habits of in- tercourse and intimacy, with which I certainly did live uith her, at that time, she could not be mis- taken as to that fact. It is impossible, therefore, that in swearing positively to that fact, which is so positively disproved, she can fail to appear to your Majesty to be wilfully and deliberately forsworn. As to the conversations which she asserts to have passed between us, 1 am well aware, that those, who prefer her word to mine, will not be satisfied to disbelieve her upon my bare denial; nor, per- haps, upon the improbability and extravagance of the supposed conversations themselves. 'But as to the facts of pregnancy and delivery, which are proved to be false, in the words of the Report, " by so many witnesses, to whom, if true, they " must in various ways have been known/' no person living can doubt that the crime of adultery and treason, as proved by those facts, has been at-
tempted to be fixed upon me, by the deliberate and wilful falsehood of this my most forward accu- ser. And when it is once established, as it is, that my pregnancy and delivery are all Sir John and Lady Douglas's invention, I should imagine that my confessions of a pregnancy which never exist- ed ; my confession of a delivery which never took place; my confession of having suckled a child which I never bore, will hardly be believed upon the credit of her testimony. The credit of Lady Douglas, therefore, being thus destroyed, I trust Your Majesty will think that I ought to scorn to answer to any thing which her examination may contain, except so far as there may appear to be any additional and concurrent evidence to sup- port it.
This brings me to the remaining part of the Re- port, which I read, I do assure your Majesty, with a degree of astonishment and surprise, that I know not how to express. How the Commissioners could, upon such evidence, from such witnesses, upon such an information, and in such an exports proceeding, before I had had the possibility of be- ing heard, not only suffer themselves to form such an opinion, but to report it to Your Majesty, with all the weight and authority of their greatnames,! am perfectly at a loss to conceive. Their great official and judicial occupations, no doubt, pre- vented thatfull attention to the subject which it re- quired. But I ain not surely without just ground*
K
of complaint, if they proceeded to pronounce an opinion upon my character, \vithout all that consi- deration and attention, \vbich the importance of it to the peace of Your Majesty's mind, to the honour of your Royal Family, and the reputation of the Princess of Wales, seenr, indispensably, to have demanded.
In the part of the Report already referred to, the particulars of the charge, exclusive of those two important facts, which have been so satisfactorily disposed of, are, as I have already observed, vari- ously described by the Commissioners; as, " mat- tf ters of great impropriety and indecency of beha- '•' viour;" as " other particulars in themselves ex- tf tremely suspicious, and still more so, when con- " nected with the assertions already mentioned ;'* and as ef points of the same nature, though going " to a much less extent." But they do not be- come the subject of particular attention in the Report, till after the Commissioners had concl tided that part of it, in which they give so decisive an opinion against the truth of the charge upon the two material facts. They then proceed to state —
" That they cannot close their Report there,'* much as they could wish it ; that besides the alle- gations of the pregnancy and delivery of the Prin- cess, those declarations onthe whole of which your Majesty had required their Inquiry and Report, contain other particulars respecting the conduct of Her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalted rank and station t necessarily give occasion fa
67
very unfavourable interpretations. That from va- rious depositions and proofs annexed to their Report, particularly from the examination of Ro* leri Bidgood, W. Cole, F. Lloyd, and Mrs. Lisle* several strong circumstances of this description, have been positively sworn to, by witnesses, who cannot in the judgment of the Commissioners, be suspected of any unfavourable bias, and whose veracity in THIS RESPECT, they hadsmi no ground to question." They then state that <e on the pre- cise bearing and effect of the facts, thus appear- ing, it is not for them to decide, these they sub- mit to your Majesty's wisdom. But they conceive it to be their 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, in their minds, satisfactorily dispro- ved, so on the other hand they think, that the cir- cumstances to which they now refer, particularly those stated to have passed beticeen Her Royal Highness and Captain Slauby, must be credited until they shall receive some deci- sive contradiction, audiftrue, are justly entitled to the mosi_ serious consideration"
Your Majesty will not fail to observe that the Commissioners have entered into the examination of this part of the case, and have reported upon it, not merely as evidence in confirmation of the charges of pregnancy and delivery which they have Completely negatived and disposed of, but as con- taining substantive matters of charge, in itself. — That they consider it indeed as relating to points 5* of the same nature, but going to a much less
68
" extent/' not therefore as constituting actual crime, but as amounting to cc improprieties and " indecencies of behaviour, aggravated by the ex- ff alted rank which I hold," as <f occasioning unfa- " vourable interpretations/' and as " entitled to " the most serious consideration." And when they also state that it is not for them to decide on their precise bearing and effect, I think I am justi- fied in concluding that they could not class them under any known head of crime; as,inthat case,upon their bearing and effect they would have been fully competent to have pronounced.
I have, to a degree, already stated to Your Majesty, the unprecedented hardship to which I conceive myself to have been exposed, by this ex parte Inquiry into the decorum of my private conduct. I have already stated the prejudice done to my character, by this recorded censure, from which I can have no appeal ; and I press these considerations no further upon Your Majesty, at present, than to point out, in passing this part of the Report, the just foundations which it affords me for making the complaint.
Your Majesty will also, I am persuaded, not fail to remark the strange obscurity and reserve, the mysterious darkness, with which the Report here expresses itself; and every one must feel how this aggravates the severity and cruelty of the censure, by rendering it impossible distinctly and specifi- cally to meet it. The Commissioners state indeed that some things are proved against me, which.
Miust be credited till they shall receive a decisive contradiction,, but what those things are they do not state. They are ' r particulars and circum- te stances which, especially considering my exalted fe rank, must give occasion to the most unfavou- <e rable interpretations. They are several strong <e circumstances of this description/' " they are, *' if true, j ustly deserving of most serious consider- " ation," and they ff must be credited till decid- f< edly contradicted." But what are these cir- cumstances ? What are these deeds without a name ? Was there ever a charge so framed ? Was ever any one put to answer any charge, and decidedly to contradict it., or submit to have it credited against him, which was conceived in such terms, without the means of ascertaining what these things are., except as conjecture may enable me to surmise, to what parts of the examinations of the four witnesses on whom they particularly rely, they attach the importance and the weight which seem to them to justify these dark and ambiguous cen- sures on my conduct ? But such as they are, and whatever they may be, they must, your Majesty is told, be credited unless they are decidedly contra- dicted.
Circumstances, respecting Captain Manby, indeed are particularized ; but referring to the depositions which apply to him, they contain much matter of opinion, of hearsay, of suspicion. Are these hearsays, are these opinions, are these suspicions, and conjectures of these witnesses, to be believed against me, unless decidedly contra-
70
dieted ? How can I decidedly contradict another person's opinion ? 1 may reason against its justice, but how can I contradict it ? Or how can I de- cidedly contradict any thing whicii is not pre- cisely specified, nor distinctly known to me ?
Your Majesty will also observe that the Report states that it is not for the Commissioners to de- cide upon the bearing and effect of these facts; these are left for your Majesty's decision. But they add that if true, they are justly entitled to the most serious consideration. I cannot, Sire, but collect from these passages, an intimation that some further proceedings may be meditated. And perhaps, if I acted with perfect prudence, seeing bow much resaon I have to fear, from the fabri- cations of falsehood, I ought to have waited till I knew what course, civil, or criminal, your Ma- jesty might be advised to pursue before I offered any observations or answer. To this alternative however I am driven. I must either remain si- lent, and reserve my defence, leaving the imputa- tion to operate mest injuriously and fatally to my character ; or I must, by entering into a defence against so extended a charge, expose myself with much greater hazard to any future attacks. But the fear of possible danger, to arise from the per- verted interpretation of rny answer, cannot in- duce me to acquiesce under the certain mischief of the unjust censure and judgment which stands against me, as it were, recorded in this Report. I shall therefore, at whatever hazard, proceed to submit to your Majesty, in whose justice I have
71
(he most satisfactory reliance, my answer and my observations upon this part of the case.
And here, Sire, I cannot forbear again presuming to state to your Majesty, that it is not a little hard, that the Commissioners (who state in the beginning of their Report, that certain particulars, in themselves, extremely suspicious, were, in the judgment which they had formed upon them, be- fore they entered into the particulars of the In- quiry, rendered still more suspicious from being connected with the assertion of pregnancy and de- livery, should have made no observation upon the degree, in which that suspicion must be propor- tionably abated, when those assertions of pregnancy and delivery, have been completely falsified and disproved ; that they should make no remark upon the fact, that all the witnesses, (with the exception of Mrs. Lisle,)on whom they specifically rely,were every one of them,, brought forward by the prin- cipal informers, for the purpose of supporting the false statement of Lady Douglas ; that they are the witnesses therefore of persons, whom, after the complete falsification of their charge, I am justi- fied in describing as conspirators who have been detected, in supporting their conspiracy by their own perjury. And surely where a conspiracy, to fix a charge upon an individual, has been plainly detected, the witnesses of those who have been so detected in that conspiracy, — witnesses that are brought forward to support this false charge, — eaunot stand otherwise t»han. considerably affected
tt
in their credit, by tbeir connection with thtose who are detected in that conspiracy. But instead of pointing out this circumstance, as calling, at least for some degree of caution and reserve, in consi- dering the testimony of these witnesses, the Report on the contrary, holds them up as worthy of par- ticular credit, as witnesses, who, in the judgment of the Commissioners, cannot be suspected of unfa- vourable bias; whose veracity, in that respect* they have seen no ground to question ; and who must be credited till theyreceive some decided contradiction. Now, Sire, I feel the fullest confidence that I shall prove to your Majesty's most perfect satis- faction, that all of these witnesses (of course I still exclude Mrs. Lisle) are under the influence, and exhibit the symptoms of the most unfavourable bias ; — that their veracity is in every respect to be doubted ; — and that they cannot, by any can- did and attentive mind, be deemed worthy of the least degree of credit, upon this charge, your Majesty will easily conceive, how great my sur- prise and astonishment must have been at this part of the Report. I am indeed a little at a loss to know, whether I understand the passage, which 1 have cited from the Report, " The witnesses fe in the judgment of the Commissioners are not ft to be suspected of unfavourable bias, and their " veracity in that respect they have seen no reason tc to question." What is meant by their having seen no reason to suspect their veracity in that respect ? Do they mean, what the qualification
73
srems to imply, that they have seen reason to question it i;i other respects ? Is it meant to be insinuated that they saw reason to question their veracity, not in respect of an unfavourable bias, but of a bias in my favour? I cannot impute to them such an insinuation, because I am satisfied that the Commissioners would never have intended to insinuate any thing so directly contrary to the truth.
The witnesses specifically pointed out, as thus particularly deserving- of credit, are *W Cole, ||R. Bidgood, fF. Lloyd, and J Virs L sle With respect to Mrs. Lisle, I trust your M j -sty w 11 permit me to mike my observations upon her examination, as distinctly an.1 separately, as I possibly can, from the others. Because, as \ ever had, and have now, as much as ever, the most perfect respect for Mrs. Lisle, I would avoid the possibility of having it imagined that such obser- vations, as I shall be under the absolute necessity of making, upon the other witnesses, could be intended, in any degree, to be applied to her.
With respect to Cole, Bidgood, and Lloyd, they have all lived in their places, for a long time ; they had lived with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales before he married, and were
* Appendix (A) No. 5. j| Appendix (A.) No. 4. f Appendix (A.) N.6.
* Apprndix (A.) No. 27,
L
74
Appointed by him to situations about me ; Cole and Lloyd immediately upon my marriage, and Bidgood very shortly afterwards. I know not whether from this circumstance they may consider themselves as not owing that undivided duty and regard to me, which servants of my own appoint- ment, might possibly have felt ; but if I knew nothing more of them than that they had consented to be voluntarily examined, for the purpose of supporting the statement of Lady Douglas on a charge so deeply affecting my honour, without communicating to me thefact of such examination, your Majesty would not, I am sure, be surprized, to find, that I saw, in that circumstance alone, suffi- cient to raise some suspicions of an unfavourable bias. But* when I find Cole, particularly, sub- mitting to this secret and voluntary examination against me, no less than four times, and when I found, during the pendency of this Inquiry before the Commissioners, that one of them, R. Bidgood, was so far connected, and in league, with Sir John and Lady Douglas, as to have communication with the latter, I thought I saw the proof of such decided hostility and confederacy against me, that J felt obliged to order the discontinuance of his attendance at my house till further orders. Of the real bias of their minds, however, with respect to rne, your Majesty will be better able to judge from the consideration of their evidence.
The imputations which I collect tobeconsidered a? cast upon me, by these several witnesses., are top
VI
great familiarity and intimacy with several gen- tlemen,— Sir Sidney Smith, Mr. Lawrence, Cap- tain Manby, and I know not whether the same are not meant to be extended to Lord Hdod, Mr. Chester, and Captain Moore.
With your Majesty's permission, therefore, I \villexaminetbedeposttionsofthe witnesses, as they respect these several gentlemen, in their order, keeping the evidence, which is applicable to each case, as distinct from the others as I can.
And I will begin with those which respect Sir Sidney Smith, as he is the person first mentioned in the deposition of W. Cole.
W. Cole says,* "that Sir Sidney Smith first visited at Montague House in 1802; that he observed that the Princess was too familiar with Sir Sidney Smith. One day, he thinks in Febru- ary, he (Cole) carried into tile Blue Room to the Princess some sandwiches which she had order- ed, and was surprised to see that Sir Sidney was 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 he (Cole) was waiting. When he had left the sandwiches, he returned, after some time, into the room, and Sir Sidney Smith was sitting very close to the Princess on the sofa ; He ( Cole) looked at her Royal Highness, she caught his eye, and gaw that
* Appeodjx (A.) So, 5,
76
he noticed the manner in which they were sitting together, they appeared both a little confused."
R. Bidgood says also, in his deposition* on the 6th of June, (for he was examined twice) " that it was early in 1802 that he first observed Sir Sid- ney Smith come to Montague House. He used to stay very late at night ; he had seen him early in the morning there ; about ten or eleven 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 every day. He saw Sir Sidney Smith one day in 1802 in the Blue Room, about 11 o'clock in the morning, which was full two hours before they expected ever to see company. He asked the servants why they did not let him know Sir Sidney Smith was there ; the footman told him 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. And in his second deposition, taken on the 3d of July, he says he lived at Montague House when Sir Sidney came. Her (the Princess's) manner with him ap- peared very familiar ; she appeared very attentive to him, but he did not suspect any thing further. Mrs. Lisle says that the Princess at one time appeared to like Sir John and Lady Douglas. te I have seen Sir Sidney Smith there very late- in the evening, but not alone with the Princess. I
* Appendix (A.) No. 4.
have no reason to suspect he had a kov of the Park gate ; I never heard of any bady being found wan- dering about at Blackheath."
Fanny Loyd does not mention Sir Sidney Smith in her deposition.
Upon the whole of this evidence then, wrhich is the whole that respects Sir Sidney Smith, in any of these depositions (except some particular passage in Cole's evidence which are so impor- tant as to require very particular and distinct state- ment) I would request your Majesty to understand that, with respect to the fact of Sir Sidney Smith's visiting frequently at Montague House, both with Sir John and Lady Douglas, and without them ; with respect to his being frequently there, at lun- cheon, dinner, and supper; and staying with the rest of the company till twelve, one o'clock, or even sometimes later, if these are some of the facts " which must give occasion to unfavourable inter- *' pretations, and must be credited till they are " contradicted ; they are facts, which I never can contradict, for they are perfectly true. And I trust it will imply the confession of no guilt, to admit that Sir Sidney Smith's conversation, his account of the various and extraordinary events, and heroic achievements in which he had been concerned, amused and interested me ; and the circumstance of his livinsr so much with his
O
friends, Sir John and Lady Douglas, in my neigh- bourhood on Blackheath, gave the opportunity of bis increasing his acquaintance witb me.
78
It happened also that about this time I fitted up,- as your Majesty may have observed, one of the rooms in my house after the fashion of a Turkish Tent. Sir Sidney furnished me with a pattern for it, in a drawing of the Tent of Murat Bey, which he had brought over with him from Egypt. And he taught me how to draw Egyptian Arabesques, which were necessary for the ornaments of the cieling ; this may have occasioned, while that room was fitting up, several visits, and possibly some, though I do not recollect them, as early in the morning as Mr Bidgood mentions. I believe also that it has happened more than once, that, walking with my ladies in the Park, we have met Sir Sidney Smith, and that he has come in, with us, through the gate from the Park. My ladies may have gone up to take off their cloaks, or to dress, and have left me alone with him: and, at some one of these times, it may very possibly have happened that Mr. Cole, and Mr. Bidgood may have seen him, when he has not come through the waiting-room, nor been let it by any of the footmen. But I solemnly declare to your Majesty that I have not the least idea or belief that he ever had a key of the gate into the Park, or that he ever entered in or passed out, at that gate, except in company with myself arid my ladies. As for the circumstance of my permitting him to be in the room alone with me ; if suffering a man to be so alone is evidence ofguilt,from whence the £om- jnissionerscan draw any unfavourable inference, I
79
tnust leave them to draw it. For I cannot deny that it has happened, and happened frequently; not only with Sir Sidney Smith, but with many, many others; gentlemen who have visited me; tradesmen who have corne to receive my orders ; masters whom I have had to instruct me, in paint- ing, in music, in English, &c. that I have re- ceived them without any onevbeirig by. In shortr I trust I am not confessing a crime, for unques- tionably it is a truth, that i never had an idea that there was any thing wrong, or objectionable, in thus seeing men, in the morning, and I confidently believe your Majesty will see nothing in it, from which any guilt can be inferred. „ I feel certain that there is nothing immoral in the thing itself; and I have always understood, that it was perfectly customary and usual for ladies of the first rank, and the first character, in the country, to receive the visits of gentlemen in a morning, though they might be themselves alone at the time. But, if, in the opinions and fashions of this country, there should be more impropriety ascribed to it, than what it ever entered into my mind to conceive, 1 hope your Majesty, and every candid mind, will make allow- ance for the different notions which my foreign education and foreign habits may have given me. But whatever character may belong to this prac- tice, it is not a practice which commenced after my leaving Carltou House. While there, and from my first arrival in this country, I was accustomed, with the knowledge of His .Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and without his ever
80
hinted to me the slightest disapprobation, to re- ceive lessons from various masters, for my amuse- ment, and improvement ; I was attended by them frequently, from twelve o'cloek till five in the af- ternoon ; — -Mr. Atwoodfor music, Mr. Geftadiere for English, Mr. Tourfronelli for painting, Mr* Tutoye for imitating marble, Mr. Elvves for the Larp. I saw them all alone; and indeed, if I were to see them at all, I could do no otherwise than see them alone. Miss Garth, who was then sub-gover- ness to my daughter, lived, certainly, under the same roof with me, but she could not be spared from her duty and attendance on my daughter. I desired her sometimes to come down stairs, and read to me, during the time when I drew or paint- ed, but my Lord Cholmondely informed me this could not be. I then requested that I might have one of my bed-chamber women to live constantly at Carlton House, that I might have her at call whenever I wanted her ; but 1 was answered that it was not customary, that the attendants of the Royal Family should live with them in town ; so that request could not be complied with. But, independent of this, I never conceived that it was offensive to the fashions and mannersof the country to receive gentlemen who might call upon me in a morning, whether I had or had not any one with me ; and it never occurred to me to think that there was either impropriety or indecorum in it, at that time, nor in continuing the practice at Montague
House. But this has been confined to morning
'
visits, in no private apartments in my house, but in my drawing-room, where my ladies have at all times free access, and as they usually take their luncheon with me, except when they are engaged with visitors or pursuits of their own, it could but rarely occur that I could be left with any gentleman alone for any length of time,unlesstherewere some- thing, in the known and avowed business, which might occasion his waiting upon me, that would fully account for the circumstance.
I trust your Majesty will excuse the length at which 1 have dwelt upon this topic* I perceived, from the examinations, that it had been much in- quired after, and 1 felt it necessary to represent it in its true light. And the candour of your Majes- ty's mind will, I am confident, suggest that those .who are the least conscious of intending guilt, A*C .the least suspicious of having it imputed to them ; and therefore that they do not think it riecessarj to guard themselves at every turn, with witnesses to prove their innocence, fancying their character to be safe, as long as their conduct is innocent, and that guilt will not be imputed to them from actions cjuite indifferent.
The deposition however of Mr. Cole is not con- fined to my being' alone with Sir Sidney Smith. ^The circumstances in which he observed us toge • ther he particularizes, and states his opinion. He introduces, indeed, the whole of the evidence by saying thatl was too familiar with SirSidneySmith;
M
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but as 1 trust I am not yet so far degraded as to have my character decided by the opiuion of Mr* Cole, I shall not comment upon that observation. He then proceeds to describe the scene which he observed on the day when he brought in the sand- wiches, which I trust your Majesty did not fail to notice, / had myself ordered to be brought in. For there is an obvious insinuation that Sir Sidney must have come in through the Park, and that there was great impropriety in his being alone with me. And at least the witness's own story proves, whatever impropriety there might be, in this cir- cumstance,that c was not conscious of it,normeant to take advantage of his clandestine entry, from the Park, to conceal the fact from my servant's obser- vation. For if [had had such consciousness, or such meaning, e never could have ordered sand- wiches to have been brought in, or any other act to have been done, which must have brought myself under the notice of my servants, while I continued in a situation, which I thought improper,and wished to conceal. Any of the circumstances of this visit, to which this part of the deposition refers, my me- mory does not enable me in the least degree to pa/- ticularize and recal. Mr. Cole may have seen me sitting on the same sofa with Sir Sidney Smith. Nay, 1 have no doubt he must have seen me, over and over again, not only with Sir Sidney Smith, but with other gentlemen, sitting upon the same sofa ; and I trust your Majesty will feel it the hardest thing imaginable, that I should be called upon to
83
account what corner of a sofa] sat upon four yean ago, and how close SirSidney Smith was sitting to me. 1 can only solemnly aver to your Majesty, that my conscience supplies me with the fullest means of confidently assuring you, that I never permitted Sir Sidney Smith to sit on any sofa with me in any manner,which, in my own judgment was in the slightest degree offensive to the strictest propriety and decorum. In thejudgment of many persons, perhaps, a Princess of Wales should at no time forget the elevation of her rank, or descend in any degree to the familiarities and intimacies of private life. Under any circumstances, this would be a hard condition to be annexed to her situation. Urdei the circumstances, in which it has been my misfortune to have lost the necessary support to the dignity and station of a Princess of Wales, to have assumed and maintained an unbending dig- nity would have been impossible, and if possible, could hardly have been expected from me.
After these observations, Sire, I must now re- quest your Majesty's attention to those written declarations which are mentioned in the Report, and which I shall never be able sufficiently to thank yourMajesty for having condescended, in compli- ance with my earnest request, to order to be trans- mitted to me From observations upon those de- clarations themselves, as well as upon comparing them with the depositions made before the Com- missioners, your Majesty will see the strongest reason for discrediting the testimony of W. Cole,
84
as well as others of these witnesses whose credit stands in the opinion of the Commissioners so un- impeachable. They supply important observa- tions, even with respect to that part of Mr. Cole's evidence which I am now considering, though in no degree equal in importance to those which I shall afterwards have occasion to notice.
Your Majesty will please to observe, that there are no less than four different examinations, or de- clarations, of Mr. Cole. They are dated on the Hth, 14th, and 30th of January, and on 23rd of February. In these four different declarations he twice mentions thecircumstance offmdingSir Sid- ney Smith and myself on the sofa, and he mentions it not only in a different manner, at each of those times, but at both of them in a manner, which ma- terially differs from his deposition before the Com- missioners. In his declaration on tliel 1th oKIanuary* he says, that he found us in so familiar a posture, astoa/arm him very much, which he expressed by a start back and a look at the gentleman.
In that dated on 22d of February, f however (being asked, I suppose as to that which he had dated to assert, of the familiar posture which had akrmed him somuch,)hesays, "there was nothing' particular in our dress, position t>f legs, or arms, that was extraordinary ; he thought it improper that a single gentleman should be sitting quite close » to a married lady on the sofa, and from that
*See Appendix (B.) p. 4?8. •fr Sec Appendix (B) p. 10*2-
tion, and/onn€r observations he thought the thing- improper. In this second account,therefore,your ]V1 ajesty perceives he was obliged to bring in his former observation to help out the statement, in order to account for his having been so shocked with what he saw, as to express his alarm by " starting back.'* But unfortunately he accounts for it, as it seems to me at least, by the very cir- cumstance which would have induced him to have been less surprised, and consequently loss startled by what he saw ; for had his former observations been such as he insinuates, he would have been prepared the more to expect, and the less to be surprised at, what he pretends to have seen.
But your Majesty will observe, that in his depo- sition before the Commissioners* (recollecting perhaps how awkwardly he had accounted for bis starting in his former declaration.) he drops his starting altogether. Instead of looking at the gen- tleman only, he looked at us both, that I caught his eye,and saw that he noticed the manner in which we vveresitting,and instead of his own starting, or any description of the manner in which he exhibited his own feelings, we are represented as both sp- peuring a little confused. Our confusion is a cir- cumstance, which during his four declarations, which he made before the appointment of the Commissioners, it never once occurred to him to recollect. And now he does recollect it, we ap- peared, he says, " a little confused.'*- -A little con- fused!"—The Princess of Wales detected in a situa- * Appendix (A } p- II.
86
ation such as to shock and glarm her servant,and so detected as to be sensible other detection, and so conscious of the impropriety of the situation as to exhibit symptoms of confusion ; would not her confusion have been extreme ? would it have been so little as to have slipped the memory of the wit- ness who observed it, during his first four decla- rations, and at last to be recalled to his recollection jn such a manner as to be represented in the faint and feeble way, in which he here describes it.
What weight your Majesty will ascribe to these differences in the accounts given by this witness, I cannot pretend to say. But I am ready to confess that, probably, if there was nothing stronger of the same kind to be observed, in other parts of his testimony, the inference which would be drawn from them, would depend very much upon the opinion previously entertained of the witness. To ine, who know many parts of his testimony to be absolutely false, and all the colouring given to it to
be whollv from his own wicked and malicious in-
•/
vention, it appears plain, that these differences in his representations, are the unsteady, awkward, shuffles and prevarications of falsehood. To those, if there are any such, who from\ preconceived pre- judices in his favour,or from any other circumstan- ces, think that his veracity is free from all suspi- cion, satisfactory means of reconciling- them may possibly occur. But before I have left Mr. Cole's examinations, your Majesty v\ill find that they will have much more, to account for, and much more to reconcile.
37
* A,
Mr. Cole's examination before the Commission- ers goes on thus : — " *A short time before this, *' one night about twelve o'clock, I saw a man go " into the house from the Park, wrapt up in a " great coat. I did not give any alarm, for the *' impression on my mind was, that it was not " a thief.'* When I read this passage, Sire, I could hardly believe my eyes ; when I found such a fact left in this d.irk state, without any further ex- planation, or without a trace in the examination of any attempt to get it further explained. How he got this impression on his mind, that this was not a thief? Whom he believed it to be? What part of the house he saw him enter? If the drawing- room, or any part which I usually occupy, who was there at the time? Whether I was there? Whether alone, or with my Ladies ? or with other company ? Whether he told any body of the cir- cumstance at the time ? or how long after ? Whom he told ? Whether any inquiries were made in consequence ? These, and a thousand other ques- tions, with a view to have penetrated into the mys- tery of this strange story, and to have tried the credit of this witness,would, I should have thought, have occurred to any one ; but certainly must have occurred to persons so experienced, and so able in the examination of facts, and the trying of the credit of witnesses, as the two learned Lords un- questionably are, whom Your Majesty took care
* Appendix (A,) No. 5.
to have introduced into this Commission. They ttever could ha.ve permitted these unexplained, and unsifted^ hints and insinuations to have had the weight and effect of proof. — But, unfortunately for me, the duties, probably, of their respective situf atious prevented their attendance on the examina- tion of this, and on the first examination of another most important witness, Mr. Robert Eidgo^.i — • and.su rely your Majesty will permit me here, with- out offence, to complain, that it is not a little hard, that, when your Majesty had shewn your anxiety to have legal accuracy, and legal experience assist on this examination, the two most important wit- nesses, in whose examinations there is more mat- ter for unfavourable interpretation, than in all the rest put together, should have been examined vv ith- outthebcnefitof this accuracy, arid this experience. And I am the better justified in making this obser- vation,.if what has been suggested to me is conect ; that, if it shall not be allowed that tb-e power of ad- ministering an oath under this warrantor commis- sion is questionable, yet it can hardly be doubted, <that it is most questionable whether, according to rhe terms or meaning of the warrant or commission, as it constitutes no quorum, Lord Spencer and Lord Grenville could administer,anoath, oract in the absence of the other Lords ; and if they could fiot, Mr. Cole's falsehood must be out of the reach of puyishment.
Returning then from this digression, will Your Majesty permit m.e to ask, whether I arh to under-
stand this fact, respecting the man in a great coat, to be one of those which must necessarily give oc- casion to the most unfavourable interpretations? which must be credited till decidedly contradicted ? and which if true, deserve the most serious consi- deration ? The unfavourable interpretations which this fact may occasion, doubtless are, that this man was either Sir Sidney Smith, or some other paramour^ who was admitted by me into my house in disguise at midnight, for the accomplishment of my wicked and adulterous purposes. And is it possible that your Majesty, is it possible that any candid mind can believe this fact, with the un- favourable interpretations which it occasions, on the relation of a servant, who for all that appears, mentions it for the first time, four years after the 43 vent took place ; and who gives, himself, this picture of his honesty and fidelity to a master, whom he has served so long, that he, whose nerves are of so moral a frame, that he starts at seeing a single man sitting at mid-day, in an open drawing- room, on the same sofa, with a married woman, permitted this disguised midnight adulterer, to ap- proach his master's bed, without taking any notice, without making any alarm, without offering any interruption. And why? because (as he expressly states) he did not believe him to be a thief; and because (as he plainly insinuates) he did believe him to be an adulterer.
But what makes the manner in which the Com* x N
90
missibners suffered this fact to remain so unex- plained, the more extraordinary is this ; Mr. Cole had in his original declaration of the* llth of Ja- nuary, which was before the Commissioners, stated " that one night, about twelve o'clock, he saw a person wrapped up in a great coat, go across the Park into the gate at the Green House, and he verily believes it was Sir Sidney Smith." In his de- claration then, (when he was not upon oath) he ventures to state, " that he verily believes it was Sir Sidney Smith." When he is upon his oath, in his depositions before the Commissioners, all that he ventures to swear is, " that he gave no alarm, because the impression upon his mind was, that it was not a thief! !" And the difference is most im- portant. " The impression upon his mind was, that it was not a thief! I" I believe him, and the impression upon my mind too is, that he knew it was not a thief — That he kneiv who it was — and that he knew it was no other than my watchman. What incident it is that he alludes to, I cannot pre- tend to know. But this I know, that if it refers to any man with whose proceedings I have the least acquaintance or privity, it must have been my Watchman ; who, if he executes my orders, nightly, and often in the night goes his rounds, both inside and outside of my house. And this circumstance, which I should think would rather afford, to most rninds, an inference that I was not preparing tha
* Appendix, (B.) p. 98.
91
way of planning facilities for secret midnight 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 respect 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- ami nation is so left, that supposing an indictment for perj-ury or false swearing, would lie against any witness, 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 he had made, and the notice he had taken of the improper situation of Sir Sid-
ney Smith w>th me upon the sofa. To this I ca» oppose little more than my own assertions, as 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 always 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. I 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 jby harpsichord, or sit there reading my books ;— and, in short, there was a forwardness which would have led to my absolutely discharging him a long time before, if I had not made a sort of rule to my- self, to forbear, as long as, possible, from removing ' ^f5^? &- 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, 1 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 ma.ke the arrangements with re- spect 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 di3 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 bs most fatal to me that it should be known, was by making an arrangement which, while all his re-- sentment and anger were fresh and warm about him, would place him frequently, nay, almost daily, at Carlton House ; would place him pre- cisely 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
theother 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 i« 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 tiian my company or the Ladies— for what Mr. Stikeman 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 mean 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 pcint, that it exhibits Mr. Cole, not less than three years ago, endea- vouring tocollectevidence 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 *f favourites in the family. I remember saying <( that Captain Manby and Sir Sidney Smith were " frequently at Blackheath, and dined there " often er than other persons/' He then pro- ceeds-—" J 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 decora- * See Appendix (A) No. 8,
tions of Mr. and Mrs. Lampert, the old servants of Sir John and Lady Douglas (as from some cir- cumstance 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 anv 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 assert- ed criminal intercourse with Sir Sidney Smith, Your Majesty, I am confident, will not be sur- prised that I do not descend to my particular ob- servations on her deposition. — One, and one only observation, will I make, which, however, could not have escaped Your Majesty, if I had omitted it, — That your Majesty will have an excellent por- traiture of the true female delicacy and purity of my Lady Douglas's mind and character, when you will observe that she seems wholly insensible to what a sink of infamy she degrades herself by her testimony against me. It is not only that it ap- pears, from her statement, that she was contented to live, in familiarity and apparent friendship with me, after the confession which I made of my adul- tery (for by the indulgence and liberality, as it is called, of modern manners, the company of adul- tresses has ceased to reflect that discredit upon the
* Tor the same reason they are not printed in Appendix B»
96
characters of other women who admit to their sdfc ciety.which the best interests of female virtue may perhaps require.) But she was contented to live in familiarity with a woman, who, if Lady Douglas's evidence of me is true, was a most low, vulgar, and profligate disgrace to her sex. The grossness of whose ideas and conversation, would add in- famy to the lowest, most vulgar, and most infa- mous prostitute. It is not, however, upon this circumstance, that I rest assured no reliance can be placed on Lady Douglas's testimony ; but after what is proved, with regard to her evidence re- specting my pregnancy and delivery in 1802,1 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 Us un- favourable interpretations, must, in the opinion of the Commissioners, be credited till 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- iavourable interpretations are to be decidedly con- tradicted, 1 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 bethought 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 enahle me to do, to any, from which a criminal or an unbecomin inference could he 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. 1 say degraded to the necessity of stating it ; for your Majesty must feel that a weman'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 when your Majesty shall find, as you will find, that my declaration to a similar effect, with respect to the other gentle-
O
98
men referred to in this Report, is confirmed br 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 or 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 have yet finished my observations on Mr. Cole's credit; but I must reserve the remainder, till I consider his evidence 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 witnesses, Fanny Lloyd and Mr. Cole, (both of whom are represented as so unbiassed, and so credible) in flat, decisive, and irreconcileable, con- tradiction to each other.
The next person, with whom ray 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 BlaekHeath ; and in London ; that she has 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 atBlackheath "But Mr.Cole speaks of Mr. Lawrence in a manuer that
99
calls for particular observation. He says <f Mr. Lawrence the painter used to go to Montague House about the latter end of 1801, when he was painting the Princess, andhe has slept in the house two or three nights together. I have often seen him alone with the Princess at 1 1 or 12 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, txihen I supposed lie had gone to his roomt 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, jour 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 prevent- ed him from seeing me and Mr. Lawrence alone together, whose whispering, however, he not- withstanding 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 declarations. I must again examine Mr. Cole, against Mr. Cole : which I cannot help lamenting
* Appendix A. No.G,
100
it docs not seem to have occurred to others to have done ; as I am persuaded if it had, his pre« variations, 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 infamy (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, whis- pering together, and alone. I am sorry to be obliged to drag your Majesty through so long a detail ; but I am confident your Majesty's good- ness, and love of justice, will excuse it, as it is essential to the vindication of 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 no- thing of this. I mean not to say that it has nothing «oncerningMr. Lawrence, for it has much, which is calculated to occasion unfavourableinterpretutions, and given with a view to that object. But that circumstance, as I submit to your Majesty, increa- ses 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. Lawrenceescapedhis recollectionaltogether ; 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 withinit;-how hehappened at that time not to recollect, or if he recollected
101
not to mention, so very striking and remarkable a circumstance is not, I should imagine, very satisfac- torily to be explained. His statement in that* first declaration stands thus, " In 1801, Lawrence <f the painter was at Montague House, for four " tor five days at a time, painting the Princess's <f picture. That he was frequently alone late in ** the night with the Princess, and much suspicion e< was entertained of him." Mr. Cole's next f de- claration, at least the next which appears among the written declarations, was taken on the 14th of Ja- nuary; it does not mention Mr. Lawrence's name, hut 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.0 The striking mid 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. 100. t Appendix (B.) p. 100.
102
been transmitted to your Majesty ; for it evidently refers to something-, "which he had said before, of having found the drawing-room door locked, and no trace of such a statement, is discoverable in the previous examination of Mr. Cole, as 1 have receiv- ed it, and I 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 he 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, 1 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 statementsnot communicated; a circumstance of which both your Majesty and 1, 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, § which is dated on the '^3d of February he says " the person who was alone with the lady at " late hours of the night (twelve and one o'clock,) tt and whom he left sitting up after he went to bed, cf was Mr. Lawrence, which happened two differ- " ent nights." Here is likewise another trace of
* Appendix (B.) 102. $ Appendix (B.) p. 102.
103
a former statement which is not given ; for no such person is mentioned before in any that 1 have been furnished with.
Your Majesty then here observes that, afterhav- ing given evidence in two of his declarations, re- specting Mr. Lawr ence 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 thehardihood to add to thorn that remarka- ble circumstance,which could nothave escaped his recollection, at the first, if it had been true, tf of his " having on the same night in which he found me tc and Mr. Lawrence alone, after the ladies were f< 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 whis- ft pering;" and then again he gives another in- stance of his honesty, and upon the same principle on which he took no notice of the man in the g eat coat, he finds the door locked, hears the whisper- ing, 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
10*
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 far 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 1 recollect.
What 1 recollect then is as follows. He began a large picture of me, and of my daughter, towards the latter end of the year 1800, or the beginning of 1801. Miss Garth and Miss Hayman wereinthe 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 he 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 Beech y, 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
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 may have 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. Ac- cording to my own recollection I should have said that in no one instance, they had left Mr. Law- rence behind them, alone with me. — But I suppose it did happen once for a short time, since Mr, Lawrence so recollects it, as your Majesty will perceive from his deposition, which I annex. He staid in my house two or three nights together ; but how many nights in the whole, I do not re- collect. The picture left my house by April, 1801, and Mr. Lawrence never slept in my house after- wards. That picture now belongs to Lady Towns- end. He has since completed 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 twelve month 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 often have sat to him alone ; as the
P
106
necessity for the precaution of having an attendant as a witness to protect my honour from suspicion, certainly never occurred to rne. 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 attended with one of my ladies. — And indeed notbrng in the examinations state the contrary. One part of Mrs. Lisle' s examination seems as if she had a question put to her, upon the supposition that I had been left alone with Mr.Lawrence 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.
If an inference 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 therefore that it would have been troubling her to no pur- pose. But this it is, of which I conceive myself to have most reason to complain; that the examina- tions in several instances have not been followed up so as to remove unfavourable impressions.
107
I cannot but feel satisfied that the commissioners would have been glad to have been warranted in negativing all criminality, and all suspicion on his part of the charge, as completely and honourably •as they have done on the principal charges of preg- nancy and delivery. They traced that part ot the charge with ability, sagacity, diligence, and per- severance ; and the result was complete satisfaction of my innocence ; complete detection of the false- hood of my accusers. Encouraged by their success in that part of their inquiry, I lament that they did not, (as they thought proper to enter into the other part of it at all,) with similar industry pursue it. If they had, I am confident they would have pursued it with the same success; but though they had con- victed Sir John and Lady Douglas of falsehood, they seem to have thought it impossible to suspect of the same falsehood, any other of the witnesses, though produced by Sir John an.d Lady Douglas. The most obvious means therefore of trying their credit, by comparing their evidence with what. they had said before, seems to me to have been omitted. Many facts are left upon surmise only and insinua- tion ; obvious means of getting further information on doubtful and suspicious circumstances are not resorted to ; and, as if the important matter 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 what
Htt
may have been deemed more important duties— and of this I should have made but little com- plaint, if this inquiry, where it is imperfect had not been followed by a Report, which the most accurate only could have justified, and which such an 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 re- moved 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 statement, and these observations and in addition to them, — I most solemnly assert to your Majesty, that Mr. Law- rence, neither at his own house, nor at mine, nor any where else, ever was for one moment by night or by day, in the same room with me when tke door of it was locked ; that he never was in my com- pany of an evening alone, except the momentary conversation which Mr. Lawrence speaks to, may be thought an exception ; and that nothing er«r
109
passed between him and me which all the world might not have witnessed. And, Sire, I have subjoined a deposition to the same effectfrom 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 therequisition 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 parti- cularly 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 consi- derlhe 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 con- sequently put it out of the reach of the harsher ob- servations, which I may be under the necessity of
no
making, upon the testimony of the other two. For though Mrs. Lisle, indeed, speaks to having seen Captain Manby at East Cliff, in August, 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 1 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 Black- heath, the Christmas before she had seen him at East Cliff. She says, it was the Christmas after Mr. Austin's child came, consequently the Christ- mas 1802-3.»— 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 re- tired. He lodged on the Heath at that time ; his ship was fitting up at Deptford; became to din- ner three or four times a. week or more.— She sup- poses he might be alone with the Princess, but that she was in the habit of seeing Gentlemen and Tradesmen without her being 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 dinner. Captain Manby always sat next the Princess at dinner. The constant company were Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald, and her- self—all retired with the Princess, and sat in the same room. Captain Manby generally retired
* Appendix (A.) No. 27.
Ill
about eleven ; and sat with us all till then. Cap- tain Manby and the Princess used, when we were together, to be speaking together separately con- Tersing 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 La- dies. Her Royal Highness behaved to him ONLY as any woman would who likes flirting. She (Mrs. Lisle} would not have thought any married woman would have behaved properly, who behaved as Her Royal Highness did to Captain Manby. She cant say whether the Princess was attached to Captdin Manby, only that it was a flirting con- duct. 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. 1 mean not to speak disrespectfully or slightingly, of Mrs. Lisle's opinion ; or express myself as in any degree indifferent to it. But whatever there was, which she observed in my conduct, that did not become a married woman, 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
112 .
in the company of my Ladies, of whom Mrs. Lisle herself was 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 dinner ; and that my conversation after dinner, in the even- ing, 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 year, been introduced to me by Lady Townsend, when I was upon a visit to. her at Rainham. I think he came there only the day before I left it. lie was a naval officer, as I understood, and as I still believe, ofgreat 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 1 most generally bring them up to the service of the Navy. 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
113
at my house.— -his intimacy and friendship with Lord and Lady Townshend, which of itself was assurance to me of his respectability and charac- ter—my pleasure in shewing my respect to them, by notice and attention to a friend of theirs,— 1m undertaking the care of my charity boys, —and his accidental residence at Bl ickheath, will, I should trust, not unreasonably account for it. I have a similar account likewise to give of paying for the liuenfurniture, with whichhis 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 ; finding, how- ever, that it did not come to more than about twenty pounds, I thought it a shabby present, and therefore added some trifling present of plate. So I have frequently done, and I hope withoutoffence 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. f 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
'Q
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 of Mrs. Lisle's examination, she says" that the constant company was Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald, and herself, Mrs. Lisle." The only gentleman, the only person of the whole party who was not of my own family, was Captain Manby ; and his sitting next tome, under such circumstances, I should ap- prehend could not possibly afford any inference of any kind. 1 n the evening we were never alone. The whole companysat together; nay even as tohisbeing with rnealoneofamorning,Mrs. Lisle seemstoknow nothing of the fact, but from a conjecture founded upon her knowledge of my known usual habit, with respect toseeinggentlemen who mightcallupon me. And 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 separately, 1 do not understand Mrs. Lisle as meaning to speak to the state of the con- versation uninterruptedly, during the whole of any of the several evenings when Captain Manby was with me; if I did so understand her, 1 should certainly most confidently .assert, that she was not correct. That in the course of the evening, as the ladies were working, reading, or otherwise amusing themselves, the conversation was sometimes more and sometimes less general ; and that they sometimes took more, sometime*
less part in it :• — that frequently it was between Captain Manby and myself alone ; and that, when we were all together, we two might frequently be the only persons not otherwise engaged, and there- fore be justly said to be speaking together sepa- rately. Besides Captain Manby has been round the world with Captain 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 amuse- ments. Here again, we may be said to have been conversing separately, and consequently that Mrs. Lisle, in this sense, is perfectly justified in saying that " I used to converse separately with Captain Manby," I have not the least difficulty in admit- ting. But have 1 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 wa^* studiously sought for, was constant, uniform, and uninterrupted, though it by no means asserts any such thing? But whether I used always so to converse 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 1 not likewise just reason to complain, that thousrh Mrs. Lisle states, that Mrs. Fitzgerald
O ' O
and Miss Fitzgerald were always of the party, they are not both examined to these circumstances ? But Miss Fitzgerald is not examined at all; and
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Mrs. Fitzgerald, though examined, and cxami»ed too with respect to Captain IVIanby, does not appear 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 calling the other persons who were present, is lea- ving it precisely in that state, which is better calcu- lated to raiseasusprcion,than to ascertainthe truth* But I am persuaded that the unfavourable impression which is- most likely to be made by Mrs. Lisle*s examination, is not by her evidence to the facts, but by her opinion upo» them. " 1 appeared,*' she says, " to like the conversation of Captain Man by 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 wras- attached to Captain Manby or not ; it was only a flirting conduct.'* — Now, Sirerl musthereagaia most seriously complain that the Commissioners should have called for, or received, and much more reported, in this manner, the opinion and judgment of Mrs. Lisle upon my conduct. Your Majesty's Warrant purports to authorize them to collect the evidence, 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 facts which she stated to the *
117
Commissioners, or upon other facts. If upon those she stated, the Commissioners, and your Majesty, are as well able to form the judgment upon them as she was. If upon other facts, the Commissioners 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 gentlemen to dine with me
o c*
three or four times a week ; — letting him sit next me at dinner, when there were no other strangers in company; — conversing with him separately,and appearing to prefer his conversation to that of the ladies, — it would be observed probably, that thts was not all ; that there was always a certain inde- scribable something in manner, which gave the character to conduct, and must have entered mainly into such a judgment as Mrs. Lisle has here pronounced.
To a certain extent 1 should be obliged to agree 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 tho. advantage of it also. If it justifies the con- clusion 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 re-
us
striction, which she herself puts upon that cen- sure.
Mrs. Lisle, seeing 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 1 was attached to Captain Manby) says " she could not say whether 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. Lisle, 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, yet, when delivered to the Commissioners and your Majesty, it becomes evi- dence, which, connectedwithall the factson which Mrs. Lisle had formed it, may lead to still further and more unfavorable conclusions, in the minds of those who are afterwards to judge upon it; — that her judgment will be the foundation of other judg- mentsagainst me, much severer than her own ; and that though she evidently limits her opinion, and by saying " ONLY flirting*' impliedly negatives it as affording *ny indication of any thing more im- proper, while she proceeds expressly to negative it 03 affording any proof of attachment ; yet it
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may be thought by others, to justify their consi- dering it as a species of conduct, which shewed an attachment to the rrran to whom it was addressed ; which in a married woman was criminal and
wrong.
What Mrs. Lisle exactly means by only JHrtin<r 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 conscious- ness of innocence betrays them into, conduct themselves in a manner, which a woman of a gra- ver character, of more reserved disposition, but not with one particle of superior virtue, thinks too incautious, too unreserved, too familiar ; and which, if forced upon her o th to give her opinion upon it, she might feel herself, as an honest wo- man, bound to say in that opinion, was flirting?
But whatever sense Mrs. Lisle annexes to the word " flirting" it is evident, as I said before, that she cannot mean any thing criminal, vicious, *or indecent, or any thing with the least shade of deeper impropriety than what is necessarily expres- sed in the word " flirting/' She never would have added, as she does in both instances, that it was ONLY flirting ; if she had thought it of a quality to in a formal Report, amongst circum.
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stances which mtist occasion the most unfavourable in terpretations,and which deserved themost serious consideration of your Majesty. To use it so, I am sure your Majesty mustsee 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* rnuch 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 mv character is to
V * +/
be affected by the opinion of any witness, that the question 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 a£ 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
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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 gene- ral question ought not, in a fair and candid consi- deration 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 think 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 evenings frequently in the same society, and separately con- versing with that gentleman, unless either with the privity and consent of her husband, or by tak- ing advantage, with some management, of his igno-
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jance and his absence ^ — if it was with his privftr and consent, that very circumstance alone would unquestionablyalter the character of such conduct, — if with management she avoided his knowledge, that very management would1 betray a fyad motive. The cases therefore are not parallel ; — the illustra- tion is notjust; — 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 tobesus- pected of pleading any peculiar or unfortunate cir- cumstance, in my situation, as an excuse for any criminal or indecent act. With respect to such acts, most unquestionably such circumstances can make no difference ; — and afford no excuse. They must bear 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 theyshould render her husband uneasy, not be- cause they might give him any reason todrstrust her chastity, her virtue or her morals, but because they might wound his feelings, by indicating a prefe- rence to the society of another man, over his, in a case, where she had the option of both. But sure- ly, 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
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, herown 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 grossan offence, and insult, to a modest^ virtu * ous,and delicatewoman,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 1 have dwelt too long, end tediously, on this part of the case, I entreat your Majesty to think what I must feel upon it. 1 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
124 the country, because what Mrs. Lisle has said of mr
*/ * »/
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 female virtue, in this country, and see how many women there areof 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 mo- ment, 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 so 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 graye characters,have been surpri- sed into the use of expressions, which, withabetter "opportunity cf weighing them,she would either not
have used at all, or have accompanied with still more of qualification than that, which she has, however, in some degree, as it is, annexed to them.
But rny great complaint is the 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 I could not have believed that it would have been mine.
But the just ground of my complaint may per- baps be more easily appreciated and felt, by suppo- sing a more familiar, but an analogous case. The
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High Treason, with which I was charged, was sup* posed to becommitted in the foul crime of adultery. What would be the impression of your Majesty* what would be the impression upon the mind of anyone, acquainted with the excellent laws of your Majesty's kingdom, and the admirable admi- nistration 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 thewitness, 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 anim- 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, ecu Id not "be destroyed by such an insinuation. His future life might give him abundantopportunitiesof falsify ing the justice,
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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 I have felt it, and felt it strongly. It is the only part of the case, which I conceive to be in the least degree asrainst
O O
me, that rests upon a witness who is at all worthy of your Majesty's credit. How unfair it is, that 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 Commissio- ners seem to suppose, fairly arise out of the ex- pressions 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.
came to Montague House either the end of 1803, 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 1 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 salute each other. I mean that they kis- sed 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 .1 LI ly, talking of his suspicions of what passedat 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 in- terpretations, as any fact of the greatest impropri- ety and indecorum, short of the proof of actual crime. And this fact is positively and affirmative- ly sworn to. And if this witness is truly represen. ted, as one who must be credited till he is decidedly contradicted ; and the decided contradiction of the parties accused, should be considered as unavailing, it constitutes a charge which cannot possiblybe an- swered. 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.
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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 con- tradict 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. Captain Manby, to whom I have been under the necessity of applying, for that pur- pose, in the deposition which I annex, most ex- pressly and positively denies it also. Beyond these our two denials, there is nothing which can by possibility be directly opposed to Mr. Bidgood's evidence. — All that remains to be done is to examine Mr. Bidgood's credit, and to see how far he deserres the character which the Commissioners give to him. — How unfound- edly 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 ;* a-nd the fact is that Mr. Bid- good must have seen him then. — But, however,
*Before 1S03.
s
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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 he 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 witness ought to have been more severely shifted and tried ? The fact rested solely upon his single assertion. However false, it could not possibly receive contradiction, but from the parties. The story itself surely is not very probable. My cha- racter cannot be considered as under inquiry ; it rs 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 conceive nothing improbable in the in- decency of it. Yet this seems to have been recei- ved 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 ofasin- gle 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 have
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been done with regard to Mr. Cole — To whom he told this fact before ? When he told it ? what was ever done in consequence of this information ? If he never told it, till for the purpose of supporting Lady Douglas's 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 communica- ted 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 in- quiry ; then how far that inquiry had tended to confirm or shake his credit. His first examina- tion was^ it is true, taken by Lord Grenville, and Lord Spencer alone, without the aid of the experi- ence of the Lord Chancellor, and Lord Chief Jus- tice ; this undoubtedly may account to* the omis- sion ; 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 Com- missioners, and this fact is again referred to then, as the foundation of the suspicion which he after- wards entertained of Captain Manby at Southend Nay, that last deposition affords on my part, ano- ther ground of similar complaint of the strongest kind. It opens thus : " The Princess used to go
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" out in her phaeton with coachman and helper, " towards Long Reach, eight or ten times, carry- *' ing luncheon and wine with her, when Captain " Manby'sship 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 CaptainManby'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,examin- ed toby 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 inferred, that those drives were for the purpose of meeting CaptainlVIanby? If this fact was material, wliy 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 for from her;— -still there were my coacLinan and helper, who likewise accompanied me ; Why were they not called ? the y are not surely confidants too. — But it is, for what reason I
133
cannot pretend to say, thought sufficient to .leave this feet, or rather 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 jdrive, in- stead of having the fact from the persons who could speak to the whole of it ; to the places 1 went to ; to the persons whom i met with.
Your Majesty will think me justified in dwelling uponthis,the more from this circumstance,because I know, and w ill 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 of Lord Eardley's ser- vants were examined as to my conduct upon this occasion ;«-and am con fidently informed that the servants gave a most satisfactory account of all that passed ; nay, that they felt, and have expressed, somehonest indignation at the foul suspicion which the examination implied. On the other occa- sion, having the boys to goon board the Africaine, I went with one of myLadies 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.
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Perfectly unable to account why these faots were not more fuly inquired into, if thought proper to be inquired into at all, I return sgain 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 1 trust if, from other parts of his evidence, your Majesty sees traces of the stron- gest prejudices against me, and the most scanda- lous 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 Manby, 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 itis my practice to require as constant a cor- respondence to be kept up with my charity boys, when on board of ship, as the nature of their 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 I
iety, he certainly was apprised of the probability of the ship's arrival offSouthend, 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 Manby.
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 represented 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 theexpense of the linen furniture for
his cabin. But Mr. Sicard was, I suppose, repre- sented by my enemies to be a confident, from whom no trutk could be extracted, and therefore that it was idle waste of time to examine him to such points ; and so unquestionably he, and every other honest servant in my family, who could be suppo- sed to know any thing upon the subject, were sure to be rep esented by those, whose conspiracy and falsehood, their honesty and truth were the best means of detecting. The conspirators, however, had the first word, and unfortunately their veracity was not questioned, nor their unfavourable bias suspected.
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./, with Captain Manby 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
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other witness's examination, of any such inquiry having been made.
In his second deposition, which applies to the same fact, after say ing that we went away the day after the Africaine sailed from Southern!, he says, 44 Captain Manby was there three times a week at *4 the least, whilst his ship lay for six weeks off ** Southendatthe Nore ; — became as tide served " in a morning, and to dine, and drink tea. I have 44 seen him next morning by ten o'clock I sus- 44 pected he slept at No. 9, the Princess's. — She " always put out the candles herself in the drawing- "j'ooin at No; 9, and bid me not wait to put them " up. She gave me the orders as soon as she went 44 to Southend. I used to see water jugs, basons, 44 and towels, set out opposite the Princess's door 41 in the passage. Never saw them so left in th« 44 passage at any other time, and [suspected he wa* 44 there at that time ; there was a general suspicion 4' through the house. Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald 44 there, and Miss Hammond (now Mrs. Hood) 44 there. My suspicion arose from seeing them " in the glass,'* &c. as mentioned before. — " Her 44 behaviour like that of a woman attached to a man ; " used to be by themselves at luncheon, at South- 44 end, when the ladies were not sent for ; a num- ** ber of times. There was a poney which Captain 44 Manby used to ride ; it stood in the stable ready *4 for him, and which Sicard ^ised to ride.'* Then he says, the servants used to talk and laugh about
T
1.53
Captain Manby, and that it was matter of discourse amongst them * and this, with what has been allud- ed to before, respecting Sicard's putting letters for him into the post, which he had received from me, contains the whole of his deposition as far as re- spects Captain Manby. And, Sire, as to the fact of retiring through No. 8, from No. 7, to No. 9, alone .with Captain Manby, I have no recollection of ever having gone with Captain Manby, though but for a moment, from the one room in which the com. pany was sitting, through the dining-room to the other drawing-room. It is, however, now above two years ago, and to be confident that such a cir- cumstancemight not have happened, is more than I will undertake to be. But in the only sense in "which he uses the expression, as retiring alone, coupled with the immediate context that follows, it is most false and scandalous. I know nomean^ of absolutely proving a negative. If the fact was true, there must have been other witnesses who could have proved it as wellas Mr. Bidgood. Mrs. Fitzgerald is the only person of the party, who was examined, and her evidence proves the negative so far as the negative can be proved ; for she says, " he dined there, but never staid late. She was " at Southend all the time I was there, and cannot " recollect to have seen Captain Manby there, or " known him to be there, later than nine, or half " past nine/' Miss Fitzgerald and Miss Ham- mond, (now Mrs. Hood) are not called to this fact ; although a fact so extremely important, as it must
139
appear to your Majesty; nor indeed are they ex- amined at all.
As to the putting out of the candles, it seems he says, I have the orders as soon as I went to Southend, which was six weeks before the Afri- cainearrived ; so this plan of excluding him from the opportunity of knowing what was going on at No. 9, was part of a long meditated scheme, as he would represent it, planned and thought of six weeks before it could be executed ; and which when it was executed, your Majesty will recollect, according to Mr, Bidgood's evidence, there was so little contrivance to conceal, that the basons and towels, which the Captain is insinuated to have used, were exposed to sight, as if to declare that
he was there. It is tedious and disgusting, Sire,
I am well aware, to trouble your Majesty with, such particulars ; but it doubtless, is true, that I bid him not to take the candles away from No. 9. The candles which are used in my drawing-room, are considered as his perquisites. Those on the contrary which are used in my private apartment are the perquisites of my maid. I thought that upon the whole it was a fairer arrangement, when I was at Southend, to give my maid the perqui- sites of the candles used at No. 9 ; and I made the arrangement accordingly, and ordered Mr. Bid- good to leave them. This, Sire, is the true account of the fact respecting the candles; an arrange- ment which very possibly Mr. Bidgood did not like. But the putting out the candles myself, was
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not the only thing, from which the inference is drawn, that Captain Manby slept at my house, at No. 9, and as is evidently insinuated, if not stated, in my bed-room. There were water-jugs, and basons, and towels left in the passage, which Mr. Bidgood never saw at other times. At what other times does he mean ? At other times than those at which he suspected, from seeing them there, that Captain Manby slept in my house? If every time he saw the basons and towels, &c. in the passage, he suspected Captain Manby slept there, it certainly would follow that he never saw them at times when he did not suspect that fact. But Sire, upon this important fact, important to the extent of convicting me, if it were true, of High Treason, if it were not for the indignation which such scandalous, licentious wickedness and malice excite, it would hardly be possible to treat it with any gravity. Whether there were or were not basons and towels sometimes left in a passage at Southend, which were not there generally, an4 ought to have been never there, I really cannot in-
w */
orm your Majesty. It certainly is possible, but the utmost it can prove, I should trust, might be some slovenliness in my servant, who did not put them in their proper places ; but surely it must be left to Mr. Bidgood alone to trace any evidence» from such a circumstance, of the crime of adultery in, me. But 1 cannot thus leave this fact, for I trust I shall here again have the same advantage from the excess and extravagance of this man's
141
malice, as I have already had on the other part of the charge, from the excess and extravagance of his confederate Lady Douglas.
What is the charge that he would insinuate ? That I meditated and effected a stolen, secret, clan- destine intercourse with an adulterer? No. — »• Captain Manby, it seems according to his insinu- ation, slept with me in my own house, under cir- cumstances,ofsuch notoriety that it was impossible that any of my female attendants at least should not have known it. Their duties were varied on the occasion ; they had to supply basons and towels in places where they never were supplied, except when prepared for him ; and they were not only purposely so prepared, but prepared in an open passage, exposed to view, in a manner to excite the suspicion of those who were not admitted into the secret. And what a secret was it, that was thus to be hazarded ! No less than what, if discovered, would fix Captain Manby and myself with High Treason ! Not only therefore must I have been thus careless of reputation, and eager for infamy ; but I must have been careless of my life, as of my honour. — Lost to all sense of shame, surely I must have still retained some regard for life. — Captain Manby too with a folly and madness equal to his supposed iniquity, must then have put his life in the hands of my servants and de- pended for his safety upon their fidelity to me, and their perfidy to the Prince their master. If the excess of vice and crime in all this is believedj
143
could its indiscretion, its madness find credulity to adopt it almost upon an evidence? But what must be the state of that man's mind, as to preju- dice, who could come to the conclusion of believ- ing it, from the fact of some water-jugs and tow- els being found in an unusual place, in a passage near my bed-room ? For as to his suspicion being raised by what he says he saw in the looking-glass, if it was as true as it is false, that could not occa- sion, his believing, on any particular night, that Captain Manby slept in rny house ; thesituation of these towels and basons is what leads tothat belief. But, Sire, may I ask, did the Commissioners be- lieve this man's suspicions ? If they did, what do they mean by saying that these facts of great in- decency, &c. went to a much less extent than the principal charges? And that it was riot for them to state their bearing and effect,? The bearing of this fact unquestionably, if believed, is the same as that of the principal charge: namely, to prove me guilty of High Treason. They therefore could not believe it. But if they did not believe it and as it seems to me, Sire, no men of common judg- ment could, on such a statement how could they bring themselves to name Mr. Bidgood as one of those witnesseson whose unbiassed tessimonythey could so rely? or how could they, (it) pointing him out with the other three as speakha; to facts, particularly with respect to Captain Manbij, which roust be credited till decidedly contradicted, omit to specify the facts which he spoke to that
143
they thus thought worthy of belief, but leave the whole, including this incredible part of it, recom- mended to belief by their general and unqualified sanction and approbation.
But the falsehood of this charge does not rest on its incredibility alone. My servant Mrs. Sander, who attended constantly on my person, and whose bed room was close to mine, was examined by the Commissioners ; she must have known this fact if it had been true ; she positively swears, " that she did not know or believe, that Captain Manby staid till Very late hours with me ; that she never suspected there was any improper familiarity be- tween us. M. Wilson, who made my bed, swears, that she had been in the habit of making it ever since she lived with me, that another maid, whose name was Ann Bye, assisted with her in making it, and swears from what she observed, that she never had any reason to believe that two persons had slept in it. Referring thus by name to her fellow-servant, who made the bed with her, ij^it that servant, why I know not, is not examined.
As your Majesty then finds the inference drawn by Bidgood to amount to a fact so openly and un- disguisedly profligate, as to outrage all credibility, as your Majesty finds it negatived by the evidence of three witnesses, one of whom, in particular, if such a fact were true, must have known it; as your Majesty finds one witness appealing to ano- ther, who is pointed out as a person who must have been able, with equal means of knowledge, to have confirmed her if she spoke true, and to
have contradicted her if she spoke false. And, Sire, when added to all this, your Majesty is gra- ciously pleased to recollect that Mr. Bidgood was one o(thosewho, though in my service, submit- ted themselves voluntarily to be examined pre- vious to the appointment of the Commissioners, in confirmation of Lady Douglas's statement, without informing me of the fact ; and when I state to your Majesty, upon the evidence of Philip Krackeler and Robert Eagjestone, whose deposition I annex, that this unbiassed witness, during the pendency of these examinations before the Commissioners, was seen to be in conference and communication with Lady Douglas, my most ostensible accuser, do I raise my expec- tations too high, when I confidently trust that his malice, and his falsehood, as well as his con- nection in this conspiracy against my honour, my station in this kingdom, and my life, will ap- pear to your Majesty too plainly for him to receive any credit, either in this or any other part of his testimony ?
The other circumstances, to which he speaks, are comparatively too trifling, for me to trouble your Majesty with any more observations upon his evidence.
The remaining part of the case, which respects Captain Manby relates to my conduct at East Cliff.
How little Mrs. Lisle's examination affords for observations upon this part of the case, except as shewing how very seldom Captain Manby cal-
145
led upon me while I was there, I have already observed. Air. Cole says nothing upon this part of the case ; nor Mr. Bidgood. The only witness amongst the four whose testimonies are distin- guished by the Commissioners as most material, and as those on which they particularly rely, who says any thing upon this part of the case is Fanny Lloyd. Her deposition is as follows '
" I was at Rainsgate with the Princess in 1803. " One morning when we were in the house at '•" East Cliff, somebody, I don't recollect who, tf knocked at my door, and desired me to prepare " breakfast for the Princess. This was about six " o'clock; I was asleep. During the whole time I " was in the Princes's service, 1 had never been se called up before to make the Princess's breakfast. " 1 sleptjn the house-keeper's room, on the ground *' floor. I opened the shutters of the window for t( light, Ikqewatthat time that Captain Manby's " ship was in the Downs. When I opened the tf shutters, I saw the Princess, walking down the f* Gravel-Walk towards the sea. No orders had <c been given me over-night to prepare breakfast fc early. The gentleman the Princess was with " was a tall man. I was surprised to see the " Princess walking with a gentleman at that time " in the morning. I am sure it was the'Princess."
What this evidence of Fanny Lloyd applies, I do not feel certain that I recollect. The circum- stances which she mentions might, I think, have occurred twice while I was there, and which time Appendix. (A.) p. 13.
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she atludes to, I cannot pretend to say. I mean on occasion of two water parties, which 1 intended; one of which did not take place at all, ahd the other not so early in the dav as was intended, nor was its object effected. Once I intended to pay Admiral Montague a visit to .Deal. But, wind and tide not serving, we sailed much later than we in- tended;and instead of landing at Deal, the Admiral came on board our vessel, and we returned to East ClttF in the evening, on which occasion Captain Maiuy was not of the party, nor was ho in the Downs — but it is very possible, that having prepared to set off early, I might have walked down towards the sea, and been seen by Fanny Lloyd. On the other occasion, Captain Manby was to have been of the party, and it was to have been on board his ship. I desired him to be early at my house in the morning, and if the day suited me, we would go. He came ; I walked with him towards the sea, to look at the morning; I did not like the appearance of the weather, and did not go to sea. Upon either of these occasions Fanny Lloyd might have been called up to n.ake breakfast,, and might have seen me walking. As to the orders not having been given her over night, to that I can say nothing.
But upon this statement, what inference can be intended to he drawn from this fact ? It is the only one in which F. Lloyd's evidence can in any degree be applied to Captain Manhy, and she is one of the important witnesses referred to, as
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proving something which must, particularly as with regard to Captain Manby j be credited till contradicted, and as deserving the most serious con- sideration. From the examination of Mrs. Fitzjje-
(V
raid I collect, that she was asked whether Captain Manby ever slept in the house at East Cliff, to which she, to the best of her knowledge, answers in the negative. Is this evidence then of Fanny Lloyd's relied upon to afford an inference that Captain Manby slept in my house; or was there at an improper hour ? or in a manner, and under cir- cumstances, which afforded reason for unfavour- able interpretations ? If this were so, can it be believed that I would, under such circumstances, have taken a step, such as calling for breakfast, at an unusual hour, which must have m.ide the fact more notorious and remarkable, and brought the attention of the servants, who must have waited at the breakfast, more particularly and pointedly to it ?
But if there is any thing which rests, or is supposed to rest, upon the credit of this witness-- though she is one of the four, whose credit Your Majesty will recollect it has been stated that there was no reason to question, yet she stands in a predicament in which, in general, at least, I had understood it to be supposed, that the credit of a witness was not only questionable, but materially shaken. For, towards the beginning of her exami- nation, she states,* that Mr. Mills attended her for a cold ; he asked her if the Prince came to Black. * Appendix (A.)p. 13. t
lieath backwards and forwards; or something to that effect : for the Princess was with child ; or looked as if she was with child. This must have been three or four vears ac,o. She thought it must
•> O W?
be sometime before the child (W. Austin) was brought to the Princess. To this fact she posi- tively swears, and in this she is as positively con- tradicted by Mr. Mills ;* for he swears, in his de- position before the Commissioners, that he never did say to lief, or any one, that the Princess was •with child, or looked as if she was with child; — that he never thought so nor surmissed anything of the kind. Mr. Mills has a partner, Mr. Edmeads. The Commissioners therefore, conceiving thatFan- ny Lloyd might have mistaken one of the partners for the other, examine Mr. Edmeads also. Mr. Edmeads,! in his deposition, is equally positive, that he never said any such thing; — so the matter rests upon these depositions ; and upon that state of it, what pretence is theie for saying, that a witness who swears to a conversation with a medi- caJ person, who attended me, of so extremely important a nature; and is so expressly and de- cidedly contradicted in the important fact which «hc speaks to, is a witness whose credit there appears no reason to question? This important circumstance must surely have been overlooked when that statement was made. But this fact of Mr; Mills andMr. Edmeads'scon- tradictionof FannyLloyd,appears toYourMajeVty, for the first time, from the examination before the
* Appendix, (A.) p. 32. f Appendix. (A.)p.30.
HO
Commissioners. — Btitthisisthe fact which Icharge as having been known to those, who are concerned in bringing forward this information, and which, nevertheless, was not communicated to Your Ma- jesty.— The fact that Fanny Lloyd declared, that Mr. Mills told her the Princess was with child, is stated in the declarations which were delivered to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and by him forwarded to Your Majesty. — The fact that Mr. Mills denied ever having so said, though known at the same time, is not stated.
That I may not appear to have represented so strange a fact, without sufficient authority, I subjoin the Declaration of Mr. Mills, and the Deposition of Mr. Edmeades, which prove it. Fanny Lloyd's original Declaration which was delivered to His Royal Highness, is dated on the 12th of February. It appears to have been taken at the Tern pie ; I conclude therefore at the cham- bers of Mr. Lowten, Sir John Douglas's solicitor, who,* according to Mr. Cole, accompanied him. to Cheltenham to procure some of these Decla- rations. On the 13th of February, the next day after Fanny Lloyd's Declaration, the Earl of Moira sends for Mr. Mills upon pressing business. Mr. Mills attends him on the 14th ; he is asked by his Lordship upon the subject of this conversa- tion; he is told he may rely upon his Lordship's honour, that what passed should be in perfect confidence; (a confidence which Mr. Mills, feeling it to be on a subject too important to his character, at the moment disclaims; ) — that it was
* Appendix (B.) No. 103,
1,50
his (the Earl of Moira's) duty to his Prince, as his counsellor, to inquire into the subject, which he had known for some time.- — Fanny Lloyd's statement being then related to Mr. Mills, Mr. Mills, with great warmth, declared that it waa an infamous falsehood. — Mr. Lowten, who ap- pears also to have been there by appointment, was called into the room, and he furnished Mr. Mills wiih the date to which Fanny Lloyd's declaration applied. The meeting ends in Lord Moira's desiring1 to see Mr. Mills's part* ner, Mr. Edmeades, who, not being at home cannot attend him for a few days. He does, how- ever, upon his r. turn, attend him on the 2'Jth of May : on his attendance, instead of Mr, Lo\vten, he finds Mr. Conant, the magistrate, with Lord Moira. He denies the conversation with Fanny Lloyd, as positively and peremptorily as Mr. Mills. Notwithstanding however all this, the Declaration of Fanny Lloyd isdelivered to His Royal Highness, and accompanied by these contradictions, and for- warded to Your Majesty on the 29th. That Mr. Lowten was the Solicitor of Sir John Douglas in this business, cannot be doubted, that he took some of those Declarations, which werelaid before Your Majesty, is clear ; ai;d that he took this De- claration of Fanny Lloyd's, seems not to be ques- tionable. That the Inquiry by Earl Moira, two days after her Declaration was taken, must have heen in consequence of an early communication of it to him, seems necessarily to follow from what is above stated ; that it was known, on the 1-lth of
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"May, that Mr. Mills contradicted this assertion; and, on the 20th, that Mr. Edmeadesdid, is per* fcctlyclear ; and yet, notwithstanding all tbis, the fuc:, thatMr. Edmeades and Mr. Mills contra- dicted it, seems to have been not communicated to His Roval Highness the Prince of Wales., for he, as it appears from the Report, forwarded the De- clarations which hid been delivered to His Royal Highness, through the Chancellor, to Your Ma- jesty ; and the Declaration of Fanny Lloyd, which had been so falsified, to the knowledge of the Earl Moira and of Mr. Lowten, the Solicitor for Sir John Douglas, is sent in to Your Majesty as one of the documents, on which you were to ground your Inquiry, unaccompanied by its falsification by Mills and Edmeades ; at least, no declarations by them are amongst those, which are transmitted to me, as copies of the original Declarations which were laid before Your Majesty. I know not whe- ther it was Lord Moira, or Air. Lowten, who should have communicated (hiscircumstancetoHis Ro\al Highness ; but that, in all fairness, it ought unquestionably to have been communicated by some one.
I dare not trust myself with any inferences from this proceeding ; I content myself with re. marking, that it must now be felt, that 1 wasjusti- fied in saying, that neither His Royal Highness, nor Your Majesty, any more than rmsclf, had been fairly dealt with, in not being fully informed upon this important fact; and Your Majesty will forgive a weak, unprotected woman, like myself.
who, under such circumstances, should appre- hend that, however Sir John and Lady Douglas may appear my ostensihle accusers, I have other enemies, \vhoseill-will I may have occasion to fear, without feeling myself assured, that it will be strictly regulated, in its proceeding against me, by the principles of fairness and of jus- tice.
I have now, Sire, gone through all the evidence which respects Captain IManby ; whether at Mon- tague l,Iouse, Southend, or East Cliff, and 1 do trust, that Your Majesty will see, upon the whole of it, how mistaken a view the Commisstonera have taken of it. The pressure of other duties en- grossing their time and their attention, has made them leave the important duties of this investiga- tion, in many particulars, imperfectly discharged — a more thorough attention to it'must have given them a better and truer insight into the characters of those witnesses, upon whose credit, as lam convinced, Your Majesty will now see, they have without sufficient reason relied. There remains nothing for me, on this part of the charge to per- form ; but, adverting to the circumstance which is falsely sworn against me by Mr. Bidgood, of the salute, and the false inference and insinuation, from other facts, that Captain Manby slept in my house, cither at Southend, or East Cliff, on my own part most solemnly to declare, that they are both utterly false ; that Bidgood 's assertion as to the salute, is a malicious slanderous invention, without the slightest shadow of truth to support it ; that his suspicions
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and insinuations, as to Captain Manby's having slept in my house, are also the false suggestions of liis o^n malicious mind ; and that Captain Manby never did, to my knowledge or belief, sleep in my house at Souttnend, East Ciifi", or any o(her house of mine whatever; and> however often he may have been in my company, I solemnly protest to Your Majestyj as I have done in the former case a, that nothing ever passed between him and me, that I should be ashamed, or unwilling that all the world should have seen* And I have also, with great pain, and with a deep sense of wounded delicacy, applied to Captain Manby to attest to the same truths, and I subjoin to this letter hit Deposition to that effect*
I stated to Your Majesty, that I should beobliged to return to other parts of Fanny Lloyd's testi- mony ; At the«nd of it she says, *" I never told Cole tha£ M. Wilson, when she supposed the Princess to be tn the library* had gone into the Princess's bed-room, and had found a man there at breakfast with the Princess; or that there was a great to do about it, and that M, Wilson was sworn to sec recy> and threatened to be turned away, if she divnlged what she had seen." This part of her examination, your Majesty will perceive, must have been called from her, by some precise ques- tion, addressed to her, with respect to a supposed communication from her to Mr. Cole. In Mr, Cole's examination, there is not one word upon the subject of it» In his original declaration,
* Appendix (A.) p, 14;
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ever there is ; and there *your Majesty will per- ceive, that he affirms the fact of her having re- ported to him Mary Wilson's declaration in the Tery same words in which Fanny Lloyd denies it, and it is therefore evident thattheCommissioners, in putting this question to Fanny Lloyd, must have put it to her from Cole's declaration. She positively denies the fact ; there is then a flat and precise contradiction, between the examination of Fanny Lloyd and the original statement of Mr, Cole. It is therefore impossible that they both can have spoken true. The Commissioners, for some reason, don't examine Cole to this point at all; don't endeavour to trace out this story ; if they had, they must have discovered which of these witnesses spoke the truth, but they leave this contradiction, not only unexplained, but un- inquired after, and in that state, report bojh these witnesses, Cole and Fanny Lloyd, who thus speak to the two sides, of a contradiction, and who therefore cannot by possibility both speak truth, as witnesses who cannot be suspected of partiality, whose credit they see no reason to question, and whose story must be believed till contradicted.
But what is, if possible, still more extraordinary, this supposed communication from F. Lloyd to Cole, as your Majesty observes, relates to some- thing which M. Wilson in supposed to have seen and to have said ; yet though M. W'ilson appears herself to have been examined by the Commis- sioners on the same day with Fanny Lloyd, in the
* Appendix (B.) p. 99.
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copy of her examination, as delivered to me, there is no trace of any question relating to this declaration having been put to her.
And 1 have not less reason to lament, than to be surprised, that it did not occur to the Commis- sioners to see the necessity of followirigthis Inquiry still further. For, if properly pursued, it would have demonstrated two things, both very important tobekept in mind in the wholeofthisconsideration. First, how hearsay representations of this kind, arising out of little or nothing, become magnified and exaggerated by the circulation of prejudiced, or malicious, Reporters; and, Secondly, it would have shewn the industry of Mr. and Mrs. Bidgood, as well as Mr. Cole, in collecting information in support of Lady Douglas's statement, and in im- proving what they collected by their false colour- ings, and malicious additions to it. They would have found a story in Mrs. Bidgood's* declaration, aswell as in her husband'sf (who relates it as hav- ing heard it from his wife,) which is evidently the same as that which W. Cole's declaration contains. For the Bidgood's declarations state, that Fanny Lloyd told Mrs. Bidgood that Mary Wilson had gone into the Princess's bed room, and had found her Royal Highness and Sir Sidney in the most criminal situation; that she had left the room, and was so shocked, that she fainted away at the door. Here then are Mrs Bidgood, and Mr. Cole, both declaring what they had heard Fanny Lloyd say, and Fanny Lloyd denying it. How ex- traordinary is it that they were not all confronted !
» Appendix (B.) 106, t Appendix (B.) p. 103.
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and your Majesty will see presently how much it is fo be lamented that they were not. For, from Fanny Lloyd's original declaration, it appear* that the truth would have come out. As she there states that,* " To the best of her knowledge Mary Wilson said, that she had seen the Prin- cess and Sir Sidney in the Slue Room, but never heard Mary Wilson say she was so alarmed as to be in a fit." If then, on confronting Fanny Lloyd with Mrs. Bidgood and Mr. Cole, the Commissioners had found Fanny Lloyd's story to be what she related before, and had then put the question to Mary Wilson, and had heard from her what it really was which she had seen and jrelated to Fanny Lloyd, they could not have been at a loss to have discovered which of these witnesses told .. the truth, Tlxcy would have found, I am perfectly confident, that all that Mary Wilson ever could have told Fanny Lloyd, was that she had seen Sir Sidney and myself in tho Blue Room, and they would then have had to refer to the malicious, and confederated inventions; of the Bidgoods and Mr. Cole, for the conversion of the blue-room, into the bed-room ; for the vile slander of \vhatM. WTilson was supposed to have seen, and for the violent effect which this scene had upon her. I say their confederated inventions,. as it is impossible to suppose that they could have been concerned in inventing the same additions to Fanny Lloyd'sstory,unlessthey had communicated together upon it. And when they had once found Mrs. Bidgood and Mr. Cole, thus conspiring to-
* Appendix (B.) p. 107,
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gether, they would have had no difficulty in con- necting them both in the same conspiracy with Sir John Douglas, hy shewing how connected Cole was with Sir John Douglas, and-how acquainted with his proceedings, in collecting the evidence which was to support Lady Douglas's declaration. For, hy referringto Mr. Cole'sdeclaration, made on the 23d of February,* they would have seen that Mr. Cole, in explaining some observation about Sir Sidney's supposed possession of a key to the garden door, says that it was what "Mr. Lain pert, " the servant of Sir John D luglas, mentioned at ct Cheltenham to Sir John Douglas and Mr. Low- " ten." — How should Mr. Cole know that Sir John Douglas and Mr. Lowten had been down to Cheltenham, to collect evidence from this old ser- vant of Sir John Douglas's? How should h have known what that evidence was? unless he had either accompanied them himself, or at least had had such a communication either with Sir John Douglas, or Mr. Lowten, as it never could have occurred to any of them to have made to Mr. Cole, unless, instead of being a mere witness, he were a party to thi§ accusation ? But whether they had convinced themselves, that Fanny Lloyd spoke true, and Cole and Mrs. Bidgood falsely ; or whe- ther they had convinced themselves of the reverse, it could not have been possible, t!«at they both could have spoken thetruth ; and, consequently, the Commissioners could never have reported the ve-
• Appendix (B.) p. 103.
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racity of both to be free from suspicion, and de- serving of credit.
There only remains that I should make a few observations on what appears in the examinations relative to Mr. Hood, (now Lord Hood,) Mr. Chester, and Captain Moore. And I really should not have thought a single observation necessary upon either of them, except that what refers to them is stated in the examinations of Mrs. Lisle. With respect to Lord Hood it is as follows : * " I was at Catherington 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 times ; — more than once, three or four "times. Mr. Hood dined with us several times; et once or twice he slept in a house in the garden ; " she appeared to pay no attention to him, but " that of common civility to an intimate acquain- " tance." Now, Sire, it is undoubtedly true that I drove out several times with Lord Hood in his one horse chaise, and some few times, twice 1 believe at most, without any of my servants attend- ing us ; and considering the time of life, and the respectable character of my Lord flood, I never should have conceived that I incurred the least danger to my reputation in so doing. If indeed it was the duty of the Commissioners to inquire into instances of my conduct, in which they may conceive it to have been less reserved and dignified, than
•Appendix (A.) No. 27.
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\vhat would properly become the exalted station which 1 hold in your Majesty's Royal Family, it is possible that, in the opinions of some, these drives with my Lord Hood were not consistent with that station ; and that they were particularly improper in those instances in which we were not attended by more servants, or any servants of my own. Upon this I have only to observe, that these instances occurred after I had received the news of the lamented death of your Majesty's brother, the Duke of Gloucester. I was at that time down by the sea side for my health. I did not like to forego the advantage of air and exercise for the short remainder of the time which I had to star
j
there ; and I purposely chose to go out, not in my own carriage, and unattended, that I might not be seen> and known to be driving about (myself and my attendants out of mourning) while his Royal Highness was known to have been so recently dead. This statement, however, is all that I have to make upon my part of the case, and whatever indecorum or impropriety of behaviour the Commissioners have fixed upon me by this circumstance, it must remain ; for 1 cannot deny the truth of the fact, and have only the above explanation to offer of it. As to what Mrs. Lisle's examination contains with respect to Mr. Chester and Captain Moore, it is socononected, that I must trouble your Majesty with the statement of it altogether.
* " 1 was with Her Royal Highness at Lady Sheffield'sat Christmas inSussex; — I inquired what
* Appendix (A.)[ p. 44.
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company was there when 1 came,— she said, only Mr. John Chester, who was there by her Royal Highnesses orders ; that she could get no other company to meet her, on account of the roads, and the season of the year. He dined and slept there that 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 out for a light, and lighted her candle in her servant's room. 1 returned from Sheffield- place to Black- heath with the Princess ; Captain Moore dined there; I left him and the Princess twice alotie, for a short time ; he might be alone half an hour with her in the room below, in which we had been sitting. I went to look for a book to com pleat 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 morning in January last, on the Princess's Char- lotte's birth-day ; he went away before the rest of the company, I might be about, twenty miriutos the second time 1 was away, tbe night Captain Moore was there. At Lady Sheffield's her Royal Highness paid more attention to Mr. Chester than to tbe rest of tbe company. I know of her Royal Highness walking out alone, twice, with Mr. Chester in the morning alone; once, a short time it ruined, the oilier not an hour, not long. Mr. Chester is a pretty young man ; her atten- tions to him were not uncommon; not the same as to Captain Manby.'"
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And first, Sire, as to what relates to Mr. Ches- ter. If there is any imputation to be cast upon my character by what passed at Sheffield-place with Mr. Chester, (and by the Commissioners returning to examine Mrs. Lisle upon my atten- tion to Mr. Chester, my walking out with him, and above all, " as to his being a pretty^young man,'1 I conceive it to be so intended) I am sure your Ma- jesty will see that it is the hardest thing imaginable upon me, that, upon an occurrence which passed in Lady Sheffield's house, on a visit to her, Lady Shef- field herself was never examined; for if she hadbeen, I am convinced that these Noble Lords, the Com- missioners, never could have put me to the painful degradation of stating any thing upon this subject.
The statement begins by Mrs. Lisle's inquiring, what company was there ? and Lady Sheffield say- ing, "only Mr. John Chester, who was there by her Royal Highness's orders; that she could get no other company on account of the roads/' Is not this, Sire, left open to the inference that Mr. John Chester was the only person who had been invited by my orders ? If Lady Sheffield had been exam- ined, she. would have been able to have produced the very letter in which, in answer to her Lady- ship's request, that I would let her know what company it would be agreeable for me to meet, I said, " every thing of the name of North, all the Legges, and Chesters, William and John, &c. &c. and Mr. Elliott." Instead of singing out, therefore,
Mr. John Chester, J included him in the euume-
Y
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ration which I made of the near relations of Lady Sheffield; and your Majesty from this alone can- not fail to see how false a colour, even a true fact can assume, if it be not sufficiently inquired into and explained.
As to the circumstances of my having been taken ill in the night, being obliged to get up, and light my candle ; why this fact should be recorded, I am wholly at a loss to conceive. All the circumstances however respecting it, con- nected very much as they are with the particu- cular disposition of Lady Sheffield's house, would have been fully explained, if thought material to have been inquired after, by Lady Sheffield her- self; and I should have been relieved from the painful degradation of alluding at all to a circum- stance which I could not further detail, without a great degree of indelicacy; and as I cannot possibly suppose such a detail can be necessary for my de- fence, it would, especially in addressing your Ma- jesty, be wholly inexcusable. With respect to the attention which I paid to Mr. Chester, and my walking out twice alone with him fora short time, I know not how to notice it. At this distance of time I am not certain that I can, with perfect ac- :curacy, account for the circumstance. It ap- pears to have been a rainy morning ; it was on the 27th or 2th of December ; and whether, wishing to take a walk, I did not desire Lady Sheffield or Mrs. Lisle or any Lady to accom* pany me in doing what, in such a morning, I
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might think might be disagreeable to them, I really cannot precisely state to your Majesty.
But here again, perhaps, in the judgment of some persons, may be an instance of familiarity which was not consistent with the dignity of the Princess of Wales; but surely prejudice against me and my character must exceed all natural bounds *n those minds in which any inference of crime, or moral depravity can be drawn from such a fact. As to Captain Moore, it seems he was left alone with me, and twice in one afternoon by Mrs. Lisle ; he was alone with me half an hour. The first time Mrs. Lisle left us, her examination says, it was to look for a book which I wished to lend to Captain Moore. How long she was absent on that occasion she is not asked, but it could have been but ten minutes, as she appears]to have been absent twenty minutes the second time. The Commis- sioners, though they particularly return to the in* quiry with respect to the length of time of her se- cond absence, did not require her to tell them the occasion of it: if they had, she would have told them, that it was in search of the same book ; that having on the first occasion looked for it in the drawing room, she went afterward's to aee for it iu Mrs. Fitzgerald's room.— But I made him a present of an inkstand. I hope your Majesty will not think I am trifling with your patience when I take notice of such trifles. But it is of such trifles as these, thatthe evidence consists, when it is the evi« dence of respectable witnesses speaking to factf
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and consequently speaking only the truth. Cap- tain Moore had conferred on me what I felt as a considerable obligation. My mother is very par- tial to the late Doctor Moore's writings, Captain Moore, as your Majesty knows, is his son, and he promised to lend me, for the purpose of sending it to my mother, a manuscript of an unpublished work of theDoctor's. In return for this civility I begged his acceptance of a trifling present.
There is one circumstance alluded to in these examinations, which I know not how to notice, and yet feel it impossible to omit — 1 mean what respects certain anonymous papers, or letters, marked A. B. and C. to which Lord Chohnonde- ley appears to have been examined, upon the sup. position of their being my hand-writing. A let- ter marked A. appears, by the examination of Lady Douglas, to have been produced by her ; and the two papers, marked B. and a cover, marked C. appear to have been produced by Sir John. These papers I have never seen; but I collect them to be the same as are alluded to in Lady Douglas's original Declaration, and, from her representation of them, they are most infamous productions. From the stile and language of the letter, she says, Sir John Douglas, Sir Sidney Smith,and herself, would have no manner of hesitation in swearing point blank, (for that is her phrase) to their being !n my hand-writing ; and it seems, from the state- ment of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, that Sir Sidney Smith had been imposed upon to believe, that these letters and papers were really
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written and sent to Sir John and Lady Douglas by me. I cannot help, however, remarking to your Majesty, that, though Sir John n/nd Lady Douglas produce these papers, and mark them, yet neither the one nor the other swears to their belief of my hand writing; it does not, indeed, appear, that they were asked the question-; and when it once occurred to the Commissioners to be material to inquire whose hand-writing these papers were, I should have been much surprised at their not applying to Sir John and Lady Douglas to swear it, as in their original Declaration they offer to do, if it had not been that, by that time, I suppose, the Commissioners had satisfied themselves of the true value of Sir John and Lady Douglas's oaths, and therefore did not think it worth while to ask them any further questions.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, as appears by his narrative,* was convinced, by Sir Sidney Smith, that these letters came from me. His Royal Highness had been applied to by me, in consequence of my having received a for- mal note from Sir John, Lady Douglas, and Sir Sidney Smith, requesting an audience im mediately ; this was soon after my having desi- red to see no more of Lady Douglas. I conceived, therefore, the audience was required for the pur- pose of remonstrance, and explanation upon this circumstance, and as I was determined not to alter my resolution, nor admit of any discussion upoa
* Appendix (B.) No. 2.
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it, I requested His Royal Highness, who happened to be acquainted with Sir Sidney Smith, to try to prevent my havirtg any further trouble upon the j^ubject. His Royal Highness saw Sir Sidney Smith, and being impressed by him with the be- lief of Lady Douglas's story, that I was the author oir these anonymous letters, he did that which na- turally became him, under such belief; he endea- voured, for the peace of Your Majesty, and the honour of the Royal Family, to keep from the knowledge of the world, what, if it had been true, would have justly reflected such infinite disgrace upon me ; and, it seems, from the narrative that he procured, through Sir Sidney Smith, Sir John Douglas's assurance that he would, under existing circumstances, remain quiet, if left unmolested. *' This result (His Royal Highness says) he com- municated to me the following day, and I seemed satisfied with it." And Undoubtedly as he only communicated the result to me, I could not be otherwise than satisfied : for as all that I wanted was, not to be obliged to see Sir John and Lady Douglas, and not to be troubled by them any more, the result of his Royal Highness's interference, through Sir Sidney Smith, was to procure me all that I wanted. I do not wonder that his Royal Highness did not mention to me the particulars of these infamous letters and drawings, which were ascribed to me ; for, as long as he believed they were mine, undoubtedly it was a subject which he must have wished to avoid ; but I lament, as it happens, that he did not, as I should have satisfied
167
him, as far, at least, as any assertions of mine could have satisfied him, by declaring to him, as I do now most solemnly, that the letter is not mine, and that I know nothing whatever of the contents of it, prof the other papers ; and, I trust, that Hi* Royal Highness, and every one else who may have taken up any false impression concerning them to m3r prejudice, from the assertion of Sir John and Lady Douglas, will, upon my assertion, and the evidence of Lord Cholmondeley, remove from their minds this calumnious falsehood, which, with many others, the malice of Sir John and Lady Douglas has endeavoured to fasten upon me. To all tnese papers Lady Douglas states, in her Declaration, that, not only herself and Sir John Douglas, but Sir Sidney Smith, would have no he- sitation in swearing to be in my hand-writing. — What says Lord Cholmondeley ?* — . " that he is perfectly acquainted with my manner of writing. Letter A. is not of my hand-writing ; that the two papers marked B. appear to be wrote in a disguised hand; that some of the letters in them remarkably resemble mine, but, because of the disguise, he cannot say whether they are 'or not ; as to the cover marked C. he did not see the same resem- blance." Of these four papers (all of which arestated „ by Lady Douglas to be so clearly and plainly mine, that there can be no hesitation upon the subject) two bear no resemblance to it, and although the other two, written in a disguised hand, have some letters remarkably resembling mine, yet, I trust, I * Appendix (A.) p. 47,
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shall not upon such evidence, be subjected to so fease an imputation ; and really, Sire, I know hot how to account for the Commissioners examining and reporting upon this subject in this manner. For I understand from Mrs. Fitzgerald, that these drawings were produced by the Commissioners to her ; and that she was examined as to her knowledge of them, and as to the hand-writing upon them ; that she was satisfied, and swore that they were not my hand- writing, and that she knew nothing of them, and did not believe they could possibly come from any lady in my house. She was shewn theseal also, which Lady Douglas, in her Declaration, savs, was the " identical one with
* %/ *
*' which I had summoned Sir John Douglas to " luncheon/' To this seal, though it so much re- sembled one that belonged to herself, as to make her hesitate till she hati particularly observed it, she was at last as positive as to the hand- writing, and having expressed herself with some feeling and indignation at the supposition, that either I, her- self, or any of my ladies, could be guilty of so foul a transaction, the Commissioners tell her, they were satisfied, and believed her ; and there is not one word of all this related in her examination.-r- Now, if their Lordships were satisfied from this, or any other circumstance, that these letters were not my writing; and did not come from me, I can accountfor their not preserving any trace of Mis. Fitzgerald's evidence on this point, and leaving it out of their inquiry altogether ; but, if they
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thought proper to preserve any evidence upon it, to make it the subject of any examination ; surely they should not have left it on Lord Cholmonde- ley's alone ; hut I oughtto have had the benefit of Mrs. Fitzgerald's evidence also. But, as I said be- fore, they take no notice of her evidence ; nay, they finish their Report, theyexecute it according to the date it bears, upon the 14th of July, and it is not until two days afterwards, namely, on the 16th, that they examine Lord Cholmondeley <;o the hand-writing — with what view, and for what pur- pose, I cannot even surmise ; but with whatever view, and for whatever purpose, if these letters are at all to be alluded to in their Report, or the exa- minations accompanying it, surely I ought to have had the benefit of the other evidence, which dis- proved my connection with them.
I have now, Sire, gone through all the matters contained in the examination^ on which I think it, in any degree, necessary, te trouble your Majesty with any observations, — For as to the examination of Mrs. Townley the washerwoman, if it applies at all, it must have been intended to have afforded evidence of my pregnancy and miscarriage. — And whether the circumstance she speaks to was occasi- oned by my having been bled with leeches, or whether an actual miscarriage did take place in my family, and by some means linen belonging to me was procured and used upon the occasion ; or tc whatever other circumstance it is to be ascribed
Z
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after the manner in which the Commissioners have expressed their opinion, on the part of the case re- specting my supposed pregnancy, and after the evidence on which they formed their opinion, 1 do not conceive myself called upon to say any thing upon it ; or that any thing I could say could be more satisfactory than repeating the opinion of the Commissioners, as stated in their Report, viz. " That nothing had appeared to them which would warrant the belief that I was pregnant in that year, (1802,) or at any other period within the compass of their Inquiries—that they would not be warran- ted in expressing any doubt respecting the alleged pregnancy of the Princess, as stated in the original declarations, a fact so fully contradicted, and by so many witnesses, to whom, if true, it must in vari- ous ways have been known, that we cannot think it entitled to the smallest credit."
There are indeed some other matters mentioned in the original declarations, which I might have found it necessary to observe upon; but as the Commissioners do not appear to have entered into any examination with respect to them, I content myself with thinking that they had found the means of satisfying themselves of the utter falsehood of those particulars, and therefore that they can re- quire no contradiction or observation from me.
On the declaration, therefore, and the evidence, I have nothing further to remark. A.ud, consci- ous of the length at which I have trespassed on your Majesty's patience, I will forbear to waste
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jour time by any endeavour to recapitulate what I have said. Some few observations, however, be- fore I conclude, I must hope to be permitted to subjoin.
In many of the observations which I have made, your Majestywill observe that i have noticed, what have appeared to me to be great omissions on the part of the Commissioners, in the manner of taking their examinations ; in forbearing to put any ques- tions to the witnesses, in the nature of a cross-ex- amination of them ;--to confront them with each other ; and to call other witnesses, whose testimony must either have confirmed or falsified, in import- ant particulars, the examination? as they have ta- ken them. It may perhaps occur, in consequence of such observations, that 1 am desirous that this inquiry should be opened again ; that the Commis- sioners should recommence their labours, and that they should proceed to supply the defects in their previous examinations, by a fuller execution of their duty.— 1 therefore think it necessary, most distinctly and emphatically to state, that 1 have no such meaning ; and whatever may be the risk that 1 may incur of being charg;edwith betraying a con- sciousness of guilt, by .thus flying from an exten- sion or repetition of this Inquiry, 1 must distinctly state, that so far from requesting the revival of it, 1 humbly request your Majesty would be gracious- ly pleased to understand me as remonstrating, and protesting against it, in the strongest and most so- lemn manner in my power.
lam yet to learn the legality of such a Commission
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to inquire, even in the case of High Treason, or any other crime known to the laws of the country. If it is lawful in the case of High Treason,supposed to be committed by me, surely it must be lawful also in the case of High Treason supposed to be committed by other subjects of your Majesty.
That there is much objection to it, in reason and principle, my understanding assures me. That such Inquiries, carried on upon ex parte examination, and a Report of the result by persons of high au- thority, may, nay must, have a tendency to pre- judice the character of the parties who are expos- ed to them, and thereby influence the further pro- ceedings in their case ;— that are calculated to keep back from notice, and in security, the per- son of a false accuser, and to leave the accused in the predicament of neither being able to look for- ward for protection to an acquittal of himself nor for redress to the conviction of his accuser. -- That these and many other objections occur to such a mode of proceeding, in the case of a crime known to the laws of this country, appears to be quite obvious. --But if Commissioners acting un- der such a power, or your Majesty's Privy Coun- cil, or any regular Magistiates, when they have satisfied themselves of the falsehood of the princi- pal charge, and the absence of all legal and sub- stantive offence, are to be considered as empow- ered to proceed in the examination of the parti- culars of private life ; to report upon the pro- prieties of domestic conduct; and the decorums of private behaviour, and to pronounce their opinion against the party, upon the evidence of
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dissatisfied servauts, whose veracity they are te hold up as unimpeachable, and to do this with- out permitting the persons whose conduct is in- quired into, to suggest one word in explanation, or contradiction of the matter with which they are charged : it would, I submit to your Majes- ty, prove such an attack upon the security and confidence of domestic life, such a means of re- cording, under the sanction of great names and high authority, the ' most malicious, and foulest imputations, that no character could possibly be secure ; and would do more to break i:i upon and undetermine the happiness and comfort of life, than any proceeding which could be imagined.
The public in general perhaps mny feel not much interest in the establishment of such a pre- cedent in my case. They may think it to be a course of proceeding scarcely applicable to any private subject ; yet, if once such a court of ho- nour, of decency, and of manners, was established, many subjects might occur to which it might be thought advisable to extend its jurisdiction, be- yond the instance of a Princess of Wales. But should it be intended to be confined to me, your Majesty, 1 trust, will not be surprised to find that it does not reconcile me the better to if, should I learn myself to be the single instance in your kingdom, who is exposed to the scrutiny of so severe and formidable a tribunal. So far there- fore from giving that sanction or consent to any fresh Inquiry, upon similar principles, which I should seem to do, by requiring the renewal of
m
these examinations, I must protest against it; protest against the nature of the proceeding, be- cause its result cannot be fair, I must protest, as long at least as it remains doubtful, against the legality of what has already passed, as well as the legality of its repetition. — If the course be legal, I must submit to the laws, however severe they may be. But I trust new law is not to be found out, and applied to my case. --If I am guilty of crime, I know I am amenable, I am roost contented to continue so, to the impartial laws of your Majesty's kingdom; and I fear no charge brought against me, in open day, under the public eye, before the known tribunals of the country, administering justice under those im- partial and enlightened laws. But secret tribu- nals, created for the first time for me, to form and pronounce opinions upon my conduct, without hearing me; to record, in the evidence of the witnesses which they report, imputations against my character upon ex parte examinations, — till I am better reconciled to the justice of their pro- ceedings, 1 cannot fail to fear. And till 1 am better informed as to their legality, I cannot fail in duty to my dearest interests, most solemnly to remonstrate and to protest against them.
If such tribunals as these are called into action againstmebythe false charges offriends turned ene- mies, of servants turned traitors,and acting as spies by the foul conspiracy of such social and domestic treason; 1 can look to no security to my honour in the most spotless and most cautious innocence.
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By the contradiction and denial which in this case I have been enabled to procure, of the most im- portant facts which have been sworn against me b^ Mr. Cole and Mr.Bidgood ;--by the observations, and the reasonings, which I have addressed to your Majesty, I am confident, that to those whose sense of justice will lead them to wade through this long detail, I shall have removed the impressions which have been raised against me. — But how am I to insure a patient attention to all this state- ment ? How many will hear that the Lord Chan- cellor, the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, the First Lord of the Treasury, and one of your Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, have reported against me, upon evidence which they have declared to be unbiassed and unques- tionable ; who will never have the opportunity, or if they had the opportunity, might not have the inclination, to correct the error of that Report, by the examination of my statement.
I feel, therefore, that by this proceeding, my character has received essential injury. For a Princess of Wales to have been placed in a situ- ation, in which it was essential to her honour to request one gentleman to swear, that he was not locked up at midnight in a room with her alone: and another, that he did not give her a lascivious salute, and never slept in her house, is to have been actually degraded and disgraced. — I have been, Sire, placed in this situation, I have been cruelly., your Majesty will permit me to say so, cruelly degraded into the necessity of making such re
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quests. A necessity which I never could have been exposed to, even under this Inquiry, if more attention had been given to the examination of these malicious charges, and of the evidence on which they rest.
Much solicitude is felt, and justly so, as connected with this Inquiry, for the honour of yourMajesty's illustrious Family. But surely a true regard to that honour should have restrained thosewho really felt for it, from casting such severe reflections on the character and virtue of the Princess of Wales. If, indeed, after the most diligent and anxious Inquiry, penetrating into every circumstance con- nected with the charge, searching every source from which information could be derived, and scrutinizing with all that acuteness, into the cre- dit and character of the witnesses, which great ex- perience, talent, and intelligence could bring to such a subject ; and above all, if, after giving me some opportunity of being heard, the forceof truth had, at length, compelled any persons to form, as reluctantly, and as unwillingly as they would, against their own daughters, the opinion that has been pronounced ; no regard, unquestionably, to my honour and character, nor to that of your Majesty's Family, as, in some degree, involved in mine, could have justified the suppression of that opinion, if legally called for, in the course of official and public duty. Whether such caution and reluctance are really manifest in these pro- ceedings, I must leave to less partial judgments than my own to determine.
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In the full examination of these proceedings, which justice to my own character has requir- ed of me, I have been compelled to make many observations, which, I fear, may prove offen- sive to persons in high power — Your Majesty will easily believe, when I solemnly assure you, that 1 have been deeply sorry to yield to the necessity of so doing. This proceeding mani- fests that I have enemies enough; I could not wish unnecessarily to increase their number, or their weight. I trust, however, I have done it, know I it has been my purpose to do it, in a manner as little offensive as the justice due to myself would allow of; but I have felt that I have been deeply injured; that I have had much to complain of: and that my silence now would not be taken for forbearance, but would be ascribed to me as a confession of guilt. The Report itself announced to me. that these things, which had been spoken t6 by the witnesses, " great improprieties and indecencies of conduct," " necessarily occa- sioning most unfavourable interpretations, and serving the most serious consideration/' " must be credited till decidedly contradicted." The most satisfactory disproof of thesecircumstances (as the contradiction of the accused is always received with caution and distrust) rested in the proof of the foul malice and falsehood of my accusers and their witnesses. The Report announced to Your Majesty that those witnes-
Aa "
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ses, whom I felt to be foul confederates in abase conspiracy against me, were not to be suspected of unfavourable bias, and their veracity, in the judgment of the Commissioners, not to be questioned.
Under these circumstances, Sire, -what could I do ? Could I forbear, injustice to myself, to announce to Your Majesty the existence of a conspiracyagainst my honour,and my station in this country at least, if not against my life ? Could I forbear to point out to Your Majesty, how long this intended mischief had been medftated against me ? Could I forbear to point out my doubts, at least, of the legality of the Commission under which the proceed- ing had been had ? or to point out the errors and inaccuracies, into which the great and able men who were named in this commission, under the hurry and pressure of their great offi- cial occupations, had fallen, in the execution of this duty ? Could I forbear to state, and to wrge, the great injustice and injury that had been done to my character and my honour, by opinions pronounced against me without hearing me ? And if, in the execution of this great task, so essential to my honour, I have let drop any expressions which a colder, and more cautious prudence, would have checked, I appeal to Your Majesty's warm heart, and generous feelings, to suggest my excuse, an<4 to afford my pardon.
What I have said, 1 have said tinder the
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pressure of much misfortune, under the provo- cation of great and accumulated injustice. Oh ! Sire, to be unfortunate, and scarce to feel at liberty to lament; to be cruelly used, and to feel it almost an offence and a duty to be silent is a hard lot ; but use had, in some degree inured me to it : But to find my misfortunes and my injuries imputed to me as faults ; to be called to account upon a charge, made against me by Lady Douglas, who was thought at first worthy of credit, although she had pledged her veracity to the fact, of my having admitted that I was myself the aggressor in every thing, of which I had to complain, has sub- dued all power of patient bearing, and when I was called upon by the Commissioners, either to admit, by my silence, the guilt which they imputed to me, or to enter into my defence, in contradiction to it — no longer at liberty to re- main silent, I, perhaps, have not known how, with exact propriety, to limit my expressions. In happier days of my life, before my spirit had been yet at all lowered by my misfortunes, I should have been disposed to have met such a charge with the contempt which, I trust, by this time, your Majesty thinks due to it ; I should have been disposed to have defied my enemies to the utmost, and to have scorned to answer to any thing but a legal charge, before a competent tribunal : but in my present misfortunes, such force of mind is gone. I ought perhaps, so far to be thankful to them for their wholesome les-
sons of humility. I have, therefore entered into* this long detail, to endeavour to remove, at the first possible opportunity, any unfavourable im- pressions ; to rescue myself from the dangers which the continuance of these suspicionsmight occasion, and to preserve to me your Majesty's good opinion, in whose kindness, hitherto, I have found infinite consolation, and to whoso justice, under all circumstances, I can confi- dently appeal.
Under the impression of these sentiments I throw myself at your Majesty's feet. I know, that whatever sentiments of resentment ; what- ever wish for redress, by the punishment of my false accusers, I ought to feel, your Majesty, as the Father of a Stranger, smarting under false accusation, as the Head of your illustrious House dishonoured in me, and as the great Guardian of the Laws of your Kingdom, thus foully attempted to have been applied to the pur- poses of injustice, will not fail to feel for me. At all events, I trust your Majesty will restore me to the blessing of your Gracious Presence, and confirm to me, by your own Gracious Words, your satisfactory conviction of my innocence. 1 am, SIRE,
With every sentiment of Gratitude and Loyalty, Your Majesty's most affectionate and dutiful Daughter-in-Law,
Subject and Servant,
C. P,
Montague House* 3d October, 1806.
181
The Deposition of Thomas Manby t Esquire, &
Captain in the Royal Navy. Having had read to me the following passage, from the Copy of a Deposition of Robert Bidgood, sworn the 6th of June last, before Lords Spencer and Gren- ville, viz.
" I was waiting one day in the anti-room ; Captain " Manby had his hat in his hand, and appeared to " be going away.; he wasa 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,! saw them " salute each other — I mean, that they kissed each " other's lip?. Captain Manby then went away, " I then observed the Princess have her handker- " chief in her hands, and wipe her eyes, as if she " was crying, and went into the drawing-room." I do solemnly, and upon my oath, declare, that the said passage is a vile and wicked invention ; that it is ^wholly and absolutely false; that it is impossible he ever could have seen, in the reflection of any gla;-s, any such thing, as I never, upon any occasion, or in any situation, ever had the presumption to salute lierRoyal Highness in any such manner,or to take any such liberty ,or offer any such insult to her person. And having had read to me another passage, from the same Copy of the same Deposition, in which the said Robert Bidgood says — " I suspected that CaptainManby slept frequently in " the house; it was a subject of conversation in the " house. Hints were given by the servants; and I " believe that others suspectedit as well a« myself." I solemnly swear, that such suspicion is wholly un- founded, and that I never djd, at Montague House, Southend,Ramsgate, East Cliff, or any where else, ever sleep in any house occupied by» or belonging to, Her
182
Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and that there never did any thing pass between Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and myself, that I should he in any degree unwilling thatall the world should haveseen. (Signed) THO.MANBY.
Sworn at the Public Office, Hatton Garden, London, the 2*2d day of Septem- ber, 1 80G, before me,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH-
The Deposition of Thomas Lawrence, of Greek- street Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Por- trait Painter.
Ha vin« had read to me the following Extract from a Copy of a Deposition of William Cole, purporting to have been sworn before Lords Spencer and Grenville the 10th day of June, 1806, viz.
" Mr. Lawrence, the painter, used logo to Montague " House about the latter end of 1801, when lie "was painting the Princess, and he hns slept in " the house two or three nights together. I have
"oftenseen him alone with the Princess sat eleven or /
" twelve o'clock at night ; he has been there as " late as one or two o'clock in the morning. One " niglit I saw him with the Princess in the blue " room, after the ladies had retired ; sometime " afterwards, when I supposed he was gone to " his bed-room, I went to see that all was safe, " and found the blue room door locked, and " heard a whispering in it, and then went away.*' I do solemnly, and upon my oath, depose that having received the commands of^Her Royal Highness the
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Princess of Wales to paint her Royal Highness's Por- trait, and that of the Princess Charlotte; I attended for that purpose at Montague House, Blackjyath, several times about the beginning of the year 1801, and having been informed that Sir William Beechey,upon a similar occasion, had slept in the house, for the greater con- venience of executing his painting; and it having been intimated to me, that I might probably be allowed the same advantage, I-eignified my wish to avail myself of it; and accordingly I did sleep at Montague House several nights:— that frequently, when employed upon this painting, and occasionally, between the close of a day's sit ting and the time of Her Royal Highness dress- ing for dinner, I have been alone in Her Royal High- ness's presence ; I have likewise been graciously admitted to Her Royal Highness's presence in the evenings, and remained there till twelve, one, and two o'clock ; but, I do solemnly swear, I was never alone in the presence of Her Royal Highness in ah evening, to the best of my recollection and belief, except in one single instance, and that for a short time, when I remained with Her Royal Highness in the blue-room, or drawing-room, as I remember, to answer some question which had been put to me, at the moment I was about to retire together with the ladies in waiting, who had been previously present as well as myself; and, though I cannot recollect the particulars of the conversation which then took place, I do solemnly swear, that nothing passed between Her Royal Highness and myself, which I could have had the least objection for all the world to have seen and heard. And I do further, upon my oath, solemnly declare, tlia^ I never was alone in the presence of Her Royal High- ness in any other place, or in any other way, than as above described ; and that neither, upon the occa-ion last mentioned, nor upon any other, was I ever in
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the presence of Her Royal Highness, in any room what- ever, with the door locked, bolted, or fastened, other- wise than i^the common and usual manner, which leaves it in the power of any person on the outside of the door to open it.
(Signed) THOMAS LAWRENCE. Sworn at the Public Office,
Hatton Garden, this 24th
day of September, ISOti,
before me,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH.
The Deposition of Thomas Edmeades, of Green- wich, in the County of Kent, Surgeon.
On Tuesday, May 20th, 1806, I waited upon Earl Moira, by his appointment, who, having introduced me to Mr. Conriant, a Magistrate for Westminster, proceeded to mention a charge preferred against me, by one- of the female servants of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, of my having said, that her Royal Highness had been pregnant. His Lordship then asked me, if JL had not bled her Royal Highness; and whether, at that time, I did not mention to a servant, that I thought her R9yal Highness in the family way ; and whether I did not also ask, at the same time, if the Prince had been down to Montague House. I answered, that it had never entered my mind that her Royal Highness <vas in such a situation, and that, therefore, certainly, I never made the remark to any one ; nor had I asked whether his Royal Highness had visited the house :— I said, that, at that time, a report, of the nature alluded to, was prevalent ; but that I treated it as the infamous lie of the day. His Lordship
185
adverted to the circumstance of Her Royal Highness's having taken a child into her house; and observed, how dreadful mistakes about succession to the throne were, and what confusion might be caused by any claim of this child : I observed, that I was aware of it; but repeated the assertion, that I had never thought of sucl? a thing as was suggested, and therefore considered it impossible, in a manner, that I could have given it utterance. I ob served, that I believed, in the first instance, Mr. Stike- man, the page, had mentioned this child to Her Royal Highness, and that it came from Deptford, where I went, when Her Royal Highness first took it, to see if any ill- ness prevailed in the family. Mr. Connant observed, that he believed it was not an unusual thing for a medical man, when he imagined that a Lady was pregnant, to mention his suspicion to .some confidential domestic in the family : — I admitted the bare possibility, if such had been my opinion; but remarked, that the if must have been re- moved, before I could have committed myself in so ab- surd a manner.
Lord Moira, in a very significant manner, with his hands behind him, his head over one shoulder, his eyes directed towards me, with a sort of smile, observed, " that he could not help thinking that there must be something in the servant's deposition ;" as if he did not give perfect credit to what I had said. He observed that the matter was theu confined to the knowledge of a few ; and that he had hoped, if there had been any foundation for the affidavit, I might have acknowledged it, that the affair might have been hushed. With respect to the minor question, I observed, that it was not probable that I should condescend to ask any such question, as that im- puted to me, of a menial servant; and that I was no*: in the habits of conferring confidentially with servant Mr. Connant cautioned me to be on my guard; as, that if it appeared, on further investigation, I had made such in-
B b
186
quiry, it might be very unpleasant to me, should it corns- under the consideration of the Privy Council. I said that I considered the report as a malicious one; and was ready to make oatli, before any Magistrate, that I had not, at any time, asserted, or even thought, that Her Royal Highness had ever been in a state of pregnancy since I had had the honour of attending the household. Mr. Connant asked me, whether, whilst I was bleeding Her Royal Highness or after I had performed the operation,. I did not make some comment on the situation of Her Royal Highness, from the state of the blood ; and whether I recommended the operation ; I answered in the nega- tive to both questions. I said, that Her Royal Highness had sent for me to bleed her, and that I did not then re- collect on what account. I said that I had bled Her Royal Highness twice ; but did not remember the dates. I asked Lord Moira, whether he intended to proceed in the business, or whether I might consider it as at rest,, that I might have an opportunity, if I thought necessary, of consulting my friends relative to the mode of conduct I ought to adopt ; he said, that if the subject was moved, any further, I should be apprized-©f it ; and that, at pre- sent, it was in the hands of a few. I left them, and, in- about an hour, on further consideration, wrote the noter of which the following is a copy, to which I never re- ceived any reply :
" Mr, Edmeades presents his respectful compliments to " Lord Moira, and, on mature deliberation, after leaving " his Lordship, upon the conversation which passed at " Lord Moira's this morning, he feels it necessary to ad- " vise with some friend, on the propriety of making the " particulars of that conversation known to Her Royal "Highness the Princess of Wales; as Mr. Edmeades f would be very sorry that her Royal Highness should " consider him capable of such infamous conduct as that
187
** imputed to him on the deposition of a servant, by Lord *' Moira, this morning.
" London, May 20, 1S06."
I have been enabled to state the substance of my inter* view with Lord Moira and Mr. Connant with the more particularity, as I made memorandums ©fit, within a day or two afterwards. And I do further depose, that the Papers hereunto annexed, marked A. and B* are in the hand-writing of Samuel Gillam Mills, of Greenwich aforesaid, my Partner; and that he is at present, as I verily believe, upon his road from Wales, through Glou- cester, to Bath.
(Signed) THOS. EDMEADES.
Sworn at the Public Office,
llatton Garden, this 26th
day of September, 1806,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH.
(A.)
Memorandums of the Heads of Conversation between Lord Moira, Mr. JLowten, and himself*
Mvy 14, 1806.
May 13, 1806. I received a letter from Lord Moira, of which the following is an exact copy :
St. James's-place, "May 13, 1806. SIR,
A particular circumstance makes me desire to have the pleasure of seeing you, and, indeed, renders it indispen- sable that you should take the trouble of calling on me. As the trial in Westminster Hall occupies the latter hours of.the day, I must beg you to be with me as early as nine •'clock, to-morrow morning ; in ths mean time, it will
18S
be better that you should not apprize any one of my hav- ing requested you to converse with me.
I have the honour, Sir, to be
Your obedient servant, (Signed) iMOIRA.
To Mr. Mills.
This ts the Paper A. referred to by the Affidavit of Tho- mas Edmeades, sworn be- fore me this 2b'th Septem- ber, 1SOJ.
THOMAS LEACH.
\
(B.)
In consequence of the above letter I waited on his Lordship, exactly at nine o'clock. In less than five mi- nutes I was admitted into his room, and by him received very politely. He began the conversation by stating, he wished to converse with me on a very delicate, subject ; that I might rely on his honour, thatwbnt passed was to be in perfect confidence ; it was his duty to his Prince, as his Counsellor, to inquire into the subject, which he had known for some time ; and the inquiry was due also to my character. He then stated, that a deposition had been inade by a domestic of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, deposing, as a declaration made by me, that Her Royal Highness was pregnant, and that I made in- quiries when interviews might have taken place with the Prince, I answered, that I never had declared the Prin- cess to be with child, nor ever made the inquiries stated ; that the declaration was an infamous falsehood. This being expressed with some warmth, his Lordship observed th.at I might have made the inquiries very innocently,
189
conceiving, that Her Royal Highness could not be in that situation but by the Prince. I repeated my assertion of the falsehood of the declaration, adding, that though the conversation was intended to be confidential, I felt niy character strongly attacked by the declaration, there- fore it was necessary that the declaration should be inves- tigated ; I had no doubt but the character I had so many years maintained, would make, my assertion believed be- fore the deposition of a domestic. I then requested to know, what date the declaration bore? His Lordship said, he did not remember; but he had desired the Soli- citor to meet me, who would shew it me. I then ob- served, that I should in confidence communicate to his Lordship, why 1 was desirous to know the date; I then stated to his Lordship, that soon after Her Royal High- ness came to Blackheath, I attended her in an illness, •with Sir Francis Millman, in which I bled her twice. — Soon after her recovery, she thought proper to form a re* gular medical appointment, and appointed myself and Mr. Edmeades to be Surgeons and Apothecaries to Her Royal Highness; on receiving my warrant for such ap- pointment, I declined accepting the honour of being ap- pointed Apothecary, being inconsistent with my character, being educated as Surgeon, and having had an honorary degree of Physic conferred on me; Her Royal Highness condescended to appoint me her Surgeon only. His Lordship rang to know if Mr. Lowten was come; he was in tne next room. His Lordship left me for a few minutes, returned, and introduced me to Mr. Lowten with much politeness — as Dr. Mills; repeating the assurance of what passed being confidential. I asked Mr. Lowten the date of the declaration, that had been asserted to he made by me? He said, in the year 1S02. I then, with permission of his Lordship, gave the history of my ap- pointment, adding, since then I had never seen the Prin-
190
Ccs* as a patient. Once she sent for me to bleed her ; I was from home; Mr. Edmeades went; nor had I visited any one in the house, except oae Mary, and that was in a very bad case of surgery; I was not sure whether it was before or after my appointment. Mr. Low ten asked me the date of it; I told him 1 did not recollect. He ob- served, from the warmth of my expressing my contradic- tion to the deposition, that I saw it in a wrong light; that I might suppose, and very innocently, Her Royal High- ness to be pregnant, and then the enquiries were as inno- cently made. I answered, that the idea of pregnancy never entered my head ; that I never attended Her Royal Highness in any sexual complaint; whether she ever had any I never knew. Mr. Lowten said, I might think so, from her increase of size ; I answered, no ; I never did think her pregnant, therefore never could say it, and that the deposition was an infamous falsehood. His Lord- ship then observed, that he perceived there must be a mistake, and that Mr. Edmeades was the person meant, whom be wished to see ; I said, he was then at Oxford, and did not return before Saturday ; his Lordship asked, if he came through London; I said, I could not tell.
Finding nothing now arising from conversation, I asked to retire ; his Lordship attended me out of the room with great politeness.
When I came home, I sent his Lordship a letter, with the date of my warrant, April 10, 1801 ; he answered my letter, with thanks for my immediate attention, and wished to see Mr. Edmeades on Sunday morning. This letter came on the Saturday; early on the Sunday I sent Ti- mothy, to let his Lordship know Mr. Edmeades would not return till Monday ; on Tuesday I promised he should attend, which he did.
191
The preceding Memorandum is an exnct copy of what I made the day after I had seen Lord Moira.
(Signed) SAM. GILLAM MILLS.
Croome Hi/I, Gren&ich,
Aug. SO, 1806. This is the Paper marked B. referred to by the A (Tula* vit of Thoiras Edmeades, sworn before me this 26th September, 1806,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH.
The Deposition of Jonathan Partridge, Porter to Lord Eardly, at Belvidcre*
I remember being informed by Mr. Kenny, Lord Eardley's late Steward, now dead, that I was wanted by Lord Moira, in town; accordingly I went with Mr. Kenny to Lord Moira's in Saint James's,-place, on tfoe King's BirtlvDay of 1804. His Lordship asked me, if i remembered the Princess coming to Belvidere sometime before? I said, yes, and told him that there were two or three ladies, I think three, with Her Royal Highness, and a gentleman with them, who come on horseback; that they looked at the pictures in the house, had their lun- cheon there, and that Her Royal Highness's servants waited upon them, as I was in a dishabille. His Lordship asked me, whether they^went up stairs? nnd I told them that they did not. He asked me, how long they staid ? and I said, as farasl recollected, they did not stay above an hour, or an hour and quarter; that they waited some little time for the carriage, which had gone to the public- house, aud, till it came, they walked up and down alto-
ETetber in the portico before the house. His Lordship, in the course of what he said to me, said, it was a subject of importance, and might be of consequence. His Lordship, finding that I had nothing more to say, told me I might go.
Sometimes afterwards, his Lordship sent for me again, and asked me, if I was sure of what I slid, being all that I could say respecting the Princess ? I said, it was ; and that I was ready to take my oath of it, if his Lordship thought proper. He said, it was very satisfactory; said, I might go, and he should not want me any more.
(Signed) -JONATHAN PARTRIDGE.
Sworn at the County Court of Middlesex, in Fullwood's Rents, the 25th day of Sep- tember, 18(X>, before me,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH.
The Deposition of Philip Krackeler, one of the Footmen of Her Royal Highness the Prin- cess of Wales, and Robert J&aglestone, Park- Keeper to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.
These Deponents say, that on, or about the 28th day of June last, as they were walking together across Gree^j- wich Park, they saw Robert Bidgood, one of the Pages of her Royal Highness, walking in a direction, as if he were going from the town of Greenwich, towards the house of Sir John Douglas, and which is a different road from that which leads to Montague House, and they at the same time perceived Lady Douglas walking in a direction to
193
meet him. And this Deponent, Philip Krackeler, then desired the other Deponent to take notice, whether Lady Douglas and Mr. Bidgood would speak to each other; and both of these Deponents observed, that when Lady Douglas and Mr. Bidgood met, they stopped, and con- versed together for the space of about two or three mi- nutes, whilst in view of these Deponents; but how much longer their conversation lasted these Deponents cannot say, as they, these Deponents, proceeded on their road which took them out of sight of Lady Douglas and Mr. Bidgood.
(Signed) , PHILIP KRACKELER. ROBT. EAGLESTONE.
Sworn at the Public Office, Hatton Garden, this 27 th day of September, 1806, before me,
(Signed) THOMAS LEACH.
194
To the King.
SIRE,
I TRUST your Majesty who knows my constant affection, loyalty, and duty, and the sure confi- dence with which I readily repose my honour, my character, my happiness in your Majesty's hands, will -not think me guilty of any disrespect- ful or unduteous impatience, W7hen I thus again address myself to your Royal grace and justice.
It is, Sire, nine weeks today, since my counsel presented to the Lord High Chancellor, my letter to your Majesty, containing my observations, in vindication of my honour and innocence upon the Report, presented to your Majesty by the Com- missioners, who had been appointed to examine into my^ conduct. The Lord Chancellor informed my counsel, that the letter should be conveyed to your Majesty on that very day : and further, was pleased, in about a week or ten days afterwards, to communicate to my Solicitor, that your Majesty had read my letter, and that it had been trans- mitted to his Lordship with directions that it should be copied for the Commissioners, and that when such copy had been taken, the original should be returned to your Majesty.
Your Majesty's own gracious and royal mind will easily conceive what must have been my state *f anxiety and suspence, whilst I have been fondly
196
indulging in the hope, that every day, as it passed, iwould bring me the happy tidings,that your Majes- ty was satisfied of my innocence ; and Convinced of the unfounded malice of my enemies, in every part of their charge. ISffine long weeks of daily expectation, andsuspence, have now elapsed ; and they have brought me nothing but disappointment. I have remained in total ignorance of what has been done, what is doing, or what is intended upon this subject. Your Majesty's goodness will therefore pardon me, if in the step which I n#w take, I act upon a mistaken conjecture with respect to the fact. But from the Lord Chancellor's communication to my Solicitor, and from the time which has elapsed, I am led to conclude, that your Majesty had direct- ed the copy of my letter to be laid before the Com- missioners, requiring their advice upon the subject; and, possibly, their official occupations, and their other duties to the state, may not have, as yet, al- lowed them the opportunity of attending to it. But your Majesty will permit me to observe that, however excusable this delay may be on their parts, yet it operates most injuriously upon me; my feelings are severely tortured by thesuspence, while my character is sinking in theopinion of the public. It is known, that a Report, though acquit- ting me of crime, yet imputing matters highly disreputable to my honour, has been made to your Majesty; — that that Report has been communicated to me ; — that I have endeavoured to answer it ; and that I still remain, at the end of nine weeks from.
196
the delivery of my answer, unacquainted with the judgment which is formed upon it. May I be permitted to observe upon the extreme prejudice which this delay, however to be accounted for by the numerous important occupations of the Com- missioners, produces to my honour ? The world, in total ignorance of the real state of the facts,begin to infer my guilt from it. I feel myself already sinking,inthe estimationof your Majesty's subjects, as well as of what remains to me of my own family, into (a state intolerable to a mind conscious of its purity and innocence) a state in which my honour appears at last equivocal, and my virtue is suspect- ed. From this state I humbly entreat your Majes- ty to perceive, that I can have no hope of being restored, until either your Majesty's favourable opinion shall be graciously notified to the world, by receiving me again into the Royal Presence, or until the full disclosure of the facts shall expose the malice of my accusers, and do away every possible ground for unfavourable inference and conjecture. The various calamities with which it has pleased God of late to afflict me, I have endeavoured to bear, and trust I have borne with humble resigna- tion to the Divine will. But the effect of this in- famous charge, and the delay which has suspended its final termination by depriving me of the con- solation which I should have received from your Majesty's presence and kindness, have given a heavy addition to them all ; and surely my bitterest enemies could hardly wish that they should be in-
197
creased. But on this topic, as possibly not much affecting the justice, though it does the hardship, of my case, I forbear to dwell.
Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to re- collect, that an occasion of assembling the Royal Family and your subjects, in dutiful and happy commemoration of her Majesty's Birth-day, is now near at hand. If the increased occupations •which the approach of Parliament may occasion, or any other cause, should prevent the Commis- sioners from enabling your Majesty to communi- cate your pleasure to me before that time; the world will infallibly conclude(in their present state of ignorance,) that my answer must have proved unsatisfactory, and that the infamous charges have been thought but too true.
These considerations, Sire, will, I trust, in your Majesty's gracious opinion, rescue this address from all imputation of impatience. For, your Ma- jesty's sense of honourable feeling will naturally suggest, how utterly impossible it is that I, consci- ous of my own innocence, and believing that the malice ofmy enemies hasbeen completely detected, can, without abandoning all regard to my interests, my happiness, and my honour, possibly be conten- ted to perceive the approach of such utter ruin to my character, and yet wait, with patience, and in silence till it overwhelms me. I therefore take this liberty of throwing myself again at your Ma- jesty's feet, and intreating and imploring of your Majesty's goodness and justice, in pity for my mi-
198
series which this delay so severely aggravates, and injustice to my innocence and character, to urge the Commissioners to an early communication of their advice.
To save your Majesty and the Commissioners all unnecessary trouble, as well as to obviate all probability of further delay, I have directed a du- plicate of this letter to be prepared, and have • >nt one copy of it through the Lord Chancellor, and another through Colonel Taylor to you/ Majesty.
I am,
Sire,
With every sentiment of gratitude and loyalty, Your Majesty^ most affectionate, and dutiful Daughter-in-law, Servant and Subject. C.P.
Montague House, December 8th, 1806
199
THE Lord Chancellor has the honour to present his most humble duty to the Princess of Wales, and to transmit to Her Royal Highness, the ac- companying Message from the King; which Her Royal Highness will observe, he has His Majes- .ty's commands to communicate to Her Royal Highness.
The Lord Chancellor would have done himself the honour to have waited personally upon Her Royal Highness, and have delivered it himself; but he considered the sending it sealed ; as more respectful and acceptable to Her Royal Highness. The Lord Chancellor received the original paper from the King yesterday, and made the copy now sent in his own hand,
January Twenty-eighth, 1807.
To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.
THE King having referred to his confiden- tial Servants the proceedings and papers relative to the written declarations, which had been before His Majesty, respecting the conduct of the Prin- ces of Wales, has been apprised by them, that sifter the fullest consideration of the examinations
200
taken on that subject, and of the observations and affidavits brought forward by the Princess of Wales's legal advisers, they agree in the opinions, submitted to His Majesty in the original Report of the four Lords, by whom His Majesty directed that the matter should in the first instance be in- quired into ; and that, in the present stage of the business, upon a mature and deliberate view of this most important subject in all its parts, and bear- ings, it is their opinion, that the facts of this case do not warrant their advising that any further step should be taken in the business by His Ma- jesty's Government or any other proceedings instituted upon it, except such only as His Ma- jesty's Law Servants may, on reference to them, think fit to recommend for the prosecution of Lady Douglas, on those parts of her depositions which may appear to them to be justly liable thereto.
In this situation, His Majesty is advised, that it is no longer necessary for him to decline re- ceiving the Princess into His Royal Presence.
The King sees, with great satisfaction, the agree- ment of his confidential servants, in the decided opinion expressed by the four Lords upon the falsehood of the accusations of pregnancy and delivery, brought forward against the Princess by Lady Douglas.
On the other matters produced in the course of the Inquiry, the king is advised that none of the facts or allegations stated in preliminary ex-
201
animations, carried on in the absence of the parties interested, Can be considered as legally, or conclusively, established. But in those examinations, and even in the answer drawn in the name of the Princess by her legal ad- visers, there have appeared circumstances of conduct on the part of the Princess, which his Majesty never could regard but with serious concern. The elevated rank which the Prin- cess holds in this country, and the relation in which she stands to His Majesty and the Royal Family, must always deeply involve both the interests of the State, and the per- sonal feelings of His Majesty, in the propriety and correctness of her conduct. And His Majesty cannot therefore forbear to express, in the conclusion of the business, his desire and expectation, that such a conduct may in future be observed by the Princess, as may fully jus- tify those marks of paternal regard and affec- tion, which the King always wishes to shew &o every part of His Royal Family.
His Majesty has directed that this message should be transmitted to the Princess of Wales, by his Lord Chancellor, and that copies of the proceedings, which had taken place on the sub- ject, should also be communicated to his dearly beloved Son, The Prince of Wales.
Dd
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Montague House* January 29th, 1807. SIRE,
I HASTEN to acknowledge the receipt of the paper, which, by your Majesty's direction, was yesterday transmitted to me, by the Lord Chan- cellor, and to express the unfeigned happiness, which I have derived from one part of it. I mean that, which informs me that your Majes- ty's confidential servants have, at length, thought proper to communicate to your Majes- ty, their advice, " that it is no longer neces- 4C sary for your Majesty to decline receiving " me into your Royal presence." And I, therefore, humbly hope, that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to receive,with favour, the communication of my intention to avail myself, with your Majesty's permission, of that advice, for the purpose of waiting upon your Majesty on Monday next, if that day should not be in- convenient ; when I hope again to have the happiness of throwing myself, in filial duty and affection, at your Majesty's feet.
Your Majesty will easily conceive, that I reluctantly name so distant a day as Monday, but I do not feel myself sufficiently recovered from the measles, to venture upon so long a drive at an earlier day. Feeling, however, very anxious, to receive again as soon as possible, that blessing, of which I have beensojkmg de-
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prived, if that day should happen to be, in any degree, inconvenient, I humbly entreat, and implore, your Majesty's most gracious and pa- ternal goodness, to name some other day, as early as possible, for that purpose.
I am, &c.
(SignedJ C. P.
To the King.
Windsor Castle, January 29th, 1807.
THE King has this moment received the Princess of Wales's letter, in which she inti- mates her intention of coming to Windsor on Monday next ; and his Majesty, wishing not to put the Princess to the inconyenience of coming to this place, so immmediately after her illness, hastens to acquaint her, that he shall prefer to receive her in London, upon a day subsequent to the ensuing week, which will also better suit his Majesty, and of which he will not fail to apprize the Princess.
(Signed) GEORGE. R. To the Princess of Wales.
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Windsor Castle, February 10, 1807.
As the Princess of Wales may have been led to expect, from the King's letter to her, that he would fix an early day for seeing her, his Majesty thinks it right to acquaint her, that the Prince of Wales, upon receiving the seve- ral documents, which the King directed his Cabinet to transmit to him, made a formal communication to him, of his intention to put them into the hands of his lawyers ; accom- panied by a request, that his Majesty would suspend any further steps in the business, until the Prince of Wales should be enabled to sub- mit to him, the statement which he proposed to make. The King therefore considers it in- cumbent upon him to defer naming a day ta the Princess of Wales, until the further result of the Prince's intention shall have been made known to him.
(Signed) GEORGE. R. To the Princess of Wales.
20.5
Montague House, February 12th, 1807. SIRE,
I RECEIVED yesterday, and with inexpressble- pain, your Majesty's last communication. The duty of stating, in a representation to your Ma- jesty, the various grounds, upon which I feel the hardship of my case, and upon which I confi- dently think that,nponareviewof it,yourMajes- ty will be disposed to recal your last determi- nation, is a duty I owe to myself: and I cannot forbear, at themoment when I acknowledge your Majesty 's letter, to announce to your Majesty, thatl propose toexecute that duty without delay.
After having suffered the punishment of ba- nishment from your Majesty's presence, for seven months, pending an Inquiry, which your Majesty had directed, into my conduct,affecting both my life and my honour ; — after that Inqui- ry had, at length terminated in the advice of your Majesty's confidential and sworn servants, that there was no longer any reason for your Ma- jesty'sdeclining to receive me ; — after your Ma- jesty's gracious communication, which led me to rest assured that your Majesty would appoint an early day to receive me ;— if after all this, by a renewed application on the part of The Prince of Wales, upon whose communi cation the first Inquiry had been directed, I now find that that punishment, which had been inflicted, pend- ing a seven month's Inquiry before the determi-
206
nation, should, contrary to the opinion of your Majesty's servants, be continued after that de- termination, to await the result of some new proceeding,to be suggested by the lawyers of the Prince of Wales; it is impossible that I can fail to assert to your Majesty, wth the effect due to truth, that I am, in the consciousness of my innocence, and with a strong sense of my unmerited sufferings,
Your Majesty's most dutiful, and most affectionate, but much injured Subject, and Daughter-in-law, (Signed) C. P.
To the King.
SIRE,
By my short letter to Your Majesty of the 12th instant, in answer to Your Majesty's com- munication of the 10th, I notified my intention of representing to Your Majesty the various grounds, on which I felt the hardship of my case ; and, a review of which, 1 confidently hoped, would dispose your Majesty to recal your determination to adjourn, to an indefinite period, my reception into your royal Presence ; a determination, which, in addition to all the other pain which it brought along with it, affect- ed me with the disappointment of hopes, which I had fondly cherished, with the most perfect confidence, because they rested on your Ma- jesty's gracious assurance.
Independently, however, of that communica-
207
tion fromydur Majesty, I should have felt my- self bound to have troubled your Majesty with much of the contents of the present letter.
Upon the receipt of the paper, which by your Majesty's commands, was transmitted to me by the Lord Chancellor, on the 28th of last month, and which communicated to me the joyful intel- ligence, that your Majesty was " advised, that " it was no longer necessary for you to decline ** receiving me into your royal Presence,'* I conceived myself necessarily called upon to send an immediate answer to so much of it as respected that intelligence. I could not wait the time, which it would have required, to state those observations, which it was impossible for me to refrain from making, at some period, upon the other important particulars which that paper contained. Accordingly, I answered it immedi- ately : and, as your Majesty's gracious and in- stant reply of last Thursday fortnight,announced to me your pleasure, that I should be received by your Majesty, on a day subsequent to the then ensuing week, I was led most confidently to assure myself, that the last week would not have passed, without my having received that satisfaction. I therefore determined to wait in patience, without further intrusion upon your Majesty, till I might have the opportunity of guarding in\ self from the possibility of being misunderstood, by personally explaining to your Majesty, that whatever observations I had to
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make upon the paper so communicated to me> on the 28th ultimo, and whatever complaints re- specting the delay, and the many cruel circum- stances which had attended the whole of the proceedings against me, and the unsatisfactory state, in which they were at length left by that last communication, they were observations and complaints which affected those only, under whose advice your Majesty had acted, and were not, in any degree, intended to intimate even the most distant insinuation against your Ma- jesty's justice, or kindness.
That paper established the opinion, which I, certainly, had ever confidently entertained, but the justness of which I had not before any do- cument to establish, that your Majesty had, from the first, deemed this proceeding a high and important matter of state, in the considera- tion of which your Majesty had not felt }our- self at liberty to trust to your own generous feel- ings, and to \ourown Royal, and gracious judg- ment. I neverdid believe, that the cruel state of anxiety,in whichl had been kept, ever since the delivery of my Answer,(forat least sixteen weeks( could be at all attributable to your Majesty ; it was most unlike every thing which I had ever experienced from yourMajesty's condescension, feeling,and justice ; and I found, from that paper, that it was to ) our confidential servants I was to ascribe the length of banishment from your presence, which they, at last, advised your Ma-
209
jesty, it was no longer necessary should be conti- nued. I perceive, therefore, what I always be- lieved, that it was to them, and to them only, that I owed the protracted continuance of my sufferings, and of my disgrace; and that Your Majesty, consi- dering the whole of this proceeding to have been instituted and conducted, under the grave respon- sibility of Your Majesty's servants, had not thought proper to take any step, or express any opinion, upon any part of it, but such as was recommended by their advice. Influenced by these sentiments, and anxious to have the opportunity of conveying them, with the overflowings of a grateful heart, to Your Majesty, what were my sensations of sur- prise, mortification, and disappointment, on the receipt of Your Majesty's letter of the 10th instant, Your Majesty may conceive, though I am utterly unable to express.
That Letter announces to me, that his Royal H ighness the Prince of Wales, u pon receiving the se- veral documents which your Majesty directed your Cabinet to transmit to him, made a personal com- munication to your Majesty of his intention to put them into the hands of his Lawyers, accompanied by a request, that Your Majesty would suspend any further steps in the business, until the Prince o* Wales should be enabled to submit to your'Ma. jesty the statement which he proposed to make; and it also announces to me that your Majesty therefore considered it incumbent on you, to defer
Ee
210
naming a day to me, until the further result of the Princeof Wales's intention should have been made known to your Majesty.
This determination of your Majesty, on this re- quest, made by His Royal Highness, I humbly trust your Majesty will permit me to entreat you, in your most gracious justice, to reconsider. Your Majesty, I am convinced, must have been surpris- ed at the} time, and prevailed upon by the impor- tunity of the Prince of Wales, to think this deter- mination necessary, or your Majesty's generosity and justice would never have adopted it. And if I can satisfy your Majesty of the unparalleled injus- tice, and cruelty, of this interposition of the Prince of Wales, at such a time, and under such circum- stances, I feel the most perfect confidence that your Majesty will hasten to recal it.
I should basely be wanting to my own interest and feelings, if I did not plainly state my sense of that injustice, and cruelty ; and if I did not most loudly complain of it. Your Majesty will better perceive the just grounds of my complaint when I retrace the course of these proceedings from their commencement.
The four noble Lords, appointed by your Majesty to inquire into the charges brought against me, in their Reportofthel4thof Julylasr,afterhavingsta- ted that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales had laid before him, the charge which was made against me, by Lady Douglas, and the declarations in support of it, proceed in the following manner.
*" In the painful situation in which His Royal rr Highness was placed by these communications' " we learnt that His Royal Highness had adopted *' the only course which could, in our judgment, " with propriety, he followed. When inform- •'' ationssuch as these, had been thus confidently (f alleged, and particularly detailed, and had been " in some degree supported by collateral evidence, " applying to other facts of the same nature* " (though going to a far less extent,) one line only f< could be pursued.
" 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 te succession of your Majesty's Crown.
" Your Majesty had been pleased, on your part " to view the subject in the same light. Consi- ef dering it as a matter which, on every account ic demanded the most immediate investigation, " your Majesty had thought fit to commit into our <( hands the duty of ascertaining, in the first in- " stance what degree of credit was due to the in- " formation, and thereby enabling your Majesty " to decide what further conduct to adopt respect- " ing them.9'
* Report, p. 6. ante.
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His Royal Highness then, pursuing, as the four Lords say, the only course, which could in their judgment, with propriety, be pursued, submitted the matter to YourMajesty. — Your Majesty direct- ed the Inquiry by the four noble Lords. — The four Lords in their Report upon the case, justly acquitted meofallcrime, and expressed (I will not \vait now to say how unjustly) the credit which they gave, and the consequence they ascribed to other matters, which they did not, however, cha- racterize as amounting to any crime. — To this Re- port I made my answer. — That answer, together with the whole proceedings, was referred by your Majesty, to the same four noble Lords, and others of your Majesty's confidential servants. They ad- vised your Majesty, amongst much other matter, (which must be the subject of further.observations) that there was no longer any reason why you should decline receiving me.
Your Majesty will necessarily conceive that 1 have always looked upon my banishment from your Royal Presence, as, in fact, a punishment, arid a severe one too. I thought it sufficiently hard, that I should have been sufferingthat punish- ment, during the time that this Inquiry has been pending, while I was yet only under accusation, and upon the principles of the just laws of your Ma- jesty's kingdom, entitled to be presumed to be innocent, till I was proved to be guilty. But I find this does not appear to be enough, in the opi- nion of the Prince of Wales. For now, when
313
after thislong Inquiry, into matters which required immediate investigation, I have been acquitted of every thing which could call for iny banishment from your Royal Presence. After your Majesty's confidential servants have thus expressly advised your Majesty thatthey see no reason ^hyyou should any longer decline to receive me into your pre- sence : — after your Majesty had graciously notified to me, your determination to receive me at an early day, His Royal Highness interposes the demand of a new delay; desires your Majesty not to take any step; desires you not to act upon the advice which your own confidential servants have given you, that you need no longer decline seeing me ; — not to execute your intention, and assurance, that you will receive me at an early day; — because he has laid the documents before his Lawyers, and intends to prepare a further statement. And the judgment of your Majesty's confidential servants, is, as it were, appealed from by the Prince of Wales, (whom, from this time, at least, I must be permitted to consider as assuming the character of rny accuser) ; — the justice due to me is to be sus- pended, while the judgment of your Majesty's sworn servants, is to be submitted to the revision of my accuser's Counsel ; ai>d I, though acquitted in the opinion of your Majesty's confidential ser- vants, of all that should induce your Majesty to decline seeing me, am to have that punishment, which had been inflicted upon me, during the in- quiry, continued after that acquittal, till a fresh
214
statement is prepared, to be again submitted3 for aught I know, to another Inquiry, of as extended a continuance as that which has just terminated.
Can it be said that the proceedings of the four noble Lords, or of jour Majesty's confidential ser- vants, have been so lenient, and considerate to- wards me and my feelings,as to induce a suspicion thatlhave been too favourably dealt with by them ? and that the advice which has been given to your Majesty,that your Majesty need no longer decline to receive me, was hastily and partially delivered ? I am confident, that your Majesty must see the very reverse of this to be the case — that I have every reason to complain of the inexplicable delay which so long withheld that advice. And the whole character of the observations with which they accompanied it, marks the reluctance with which they yielded to the necessity of giving it1
For your Majesty's confidential servants advise your Majesty, " that it is no longer necessary for ff you to decline receiving me into your Royal " Presence." If this is their opinion and their ad- vice now, why was it not their opinion and their advice four months ago, from the date of my an- swer ? Nay, why was it not their opinion and advice from the date even of the original Report itself? For not only had they been in possession of my answer for above sixteen weeks, which at least furnishedthem with all the materials onwhich this advice was at length given, but further, your Majesty's confidential servants areforward to state
215
that after having read my observations, and the affidavits which were annexed to them, they agree in the opinions (not in any single opinion upon any particular branch of the case, but in the opinions generally] which were submitted to your Majesty, in the original Report of the four Lords. If there- fore, (notwithstanding their concurrence in all the opinions contained in the Report) they have never- theless given to your Majesty their advice, "that " it is no longer necessary for you to decline re- " ceiving me," What could have prevented their offering that advice, even from the 14th of July, the date of the original Report itself? Or what could have warranted the withholding of it, even for a single moment ? instead, therefore, of any trace being observable, of hasty, precipitate, and partial determination in my favour, it is impossible to interpret their conduct and their reasons toge- ther in any other sense, than as amounting to an admission of your Majesty's confidential servants themselves, that I have, in consequence of their withholdingl that advice, been, unnecessarily and cruelly banished, from your Royal Presence, from that 14th of July, to the 28th of January, includ- ing a space of above six months ; and the effect of the interposition of the Prince, is to prolong my sufferings, and my disgrace, under the same ba- nishment, to a period perfectly indefinite.
The principle which will admit the effect of such interposition now, may be acted upon again ; and the Prince may require a further prolongation
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upon fresh statements, and fresh charges, kept back possibly for the purpose of being, from time to time, couve iently interposed, to prevent for ever, the arrival of that hour, which, displaying to the world the acknowledgment of my unmerited suffering sand disgrace, may, at the same time, expose the true malicious and unjust quality of the proceedings which have been so long carried on against me.
This unreasonable, unjust, and cruel interposi- tion of His Royal Highness, as I must eves; deem it, has prevailed upon your Majesty to recal , to my prejudice, your gracious purpose of receiving me, in pursuance of the advice of your servants. Do I then flatter myself too much, when I feel as- sured, that my just entreaty, founded upon the reasons which I urge, and directed to counteract only the effect of that unjust .interposition, will induce your Majesty to return to your original determination ?
Restored however, as I should feel myself, to a state of comparative security, as well as credit, by being, at length, permitted,, upon your Majesty's gracious reconsideration ofyour last determination, to have access to your Majesty ; yet, under all the circumstancesunder whichl should now receive that mark and confirmation ofyour Majesty's opinion of my innocence, my character would not, I fear, stand cleared in the public opinion, by the mere fact ofyour Majesty's reception of me. This re- vocation of your Majesty's gracigus purpose has
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flung an additional cloud about the whole proct, ing, and the inferences drawn in tlie public uiincl; from this circumstance, so mysterious and so per- fectly inexplicable, upon any grounds which are open to their knowledge, has made, and will leave so deep an impression to rny prejudice, as scarce any thing, short of a public exposure of all that has passed, can possibly efface.
Tne publication of all these proceedings to the world, then, seems to me, under the present cir- cumstances, (whatever reluctance I feel against such a measure, and however I regret the hard necessity which drives me to it) to be almost the only remaining resource, for (he vindication of my honour and character. The falsehood of the ac- cusation is, by no means, all that will, by such publication, appear to the credit and clearance of my character ; but the course in which the whole proceedings have been carried on, or rather de- layed, by those, to whom your Majesty referred the consideration of them, will shew, that, what- ever measure of justice I -may have ultimately re- ceived at their hands, it is not to be suspected as arising from any merciful and indulgent considera- tion of me, of my feelings, or of my case.
It will be seen how my feelings had been har- rasscd, and my character and honour exposed, by the delays which have taken place in these proceed- ings .' it will be seen, that the existence of the charge against me had avowedly been known to the
Ff
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public, from the 7th of June in the last year. — -I say known to the public, because it was on that day that the Commissioners, acting, as 1 am to suppose, (for so they state in their report) under the anxious wish,that their trust should be executed with as little publicity as possible, authorized that unnecessary insuU arid outrage upon me, as I must always consider it, which, however intended, gave the utmost publicity and exposure to theexistence of these charges — •! mean, the sending two Attor- nies, armed with their Lordships' warrant to my house, to bring before them, at once, about one half of my household for examination, The idea of privacy, after an act so much calculated, from the extraordinary nature of it, to excite the great- est attention and surprize, your Majesty must feel to have been impossible and absurd ; for an at- tempt at secrecy, mystery, and concealment, on my part, could, under such circumstances, only have been construed into the fearfulness of guilt. It will appear also that, from that time, I heard nothing authentically upon the subject till the llth of August,when 1 was furnished, by your Majesty's commands, with the Report. The several papers necessary to my understanding the whole of these charges, in the authentic state in which your Ma- jesty thought it proper, graciously to direct, that 1 should have them, were not delivered to me till the beginning of September. My answer to these various charges, though the whole subject of them was new to those whose advice 1 had recourse to,
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ong as that answer was necessarily obliged to be, was delivered to the Lord Chancellor, to be for- warded to your Majesty, by the sixth of October; and, from the 6th of October to the 28th of Ja- nuary, 1 \vas kept in total ignorance of the effect of that answer. Not only will all this delay be ap- parent, but it will be generally shewn to the world how your Majesty's servants had in this important business, treated your daughter-in-law, the Prin- cess of Wales; and what measure of justice she, a female, and a stranger in your land, hai expe~ rienced at their hands.
' Undoubtedly against such a proceeding 1 have ever felt, and still feel, an almost invincible repug- nance. Every sentiment of delicacy, with which a female mind must shrink from the act of bringing before the public such charges, however conscious of their scandal and falsity, and however clearly that scandal and falsity may be manifested by the anssver to those charges; therespect still due from me, to persons employed in authority under your Majesty, i owever little respect I may have re- ceived from them : — Mv duty to his Roval Hi<>h-
v •/ 4/ 0
ness the Princve of Wales ; — my regard for all the members of your august Family ; — my esteem, my duty, my gratitude to your Majesty, — my affec- tionate gratitude for all the paternal kindness which I have ever experienced from you; — my anxiety, not only to avoid the risk of giving any offence or displeasure to your Majesty, but also to fly from, every occasion of creating the slightest
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sentiment of uneasiness in tne mind of your Ma- jesty, whose happiness it would be the pride and pleasure of my life to consult, and to promote ; all these various sentiments have compelled me to sub- mit as long as human forbearauce could endure, to all the unfavourable inferences which were through this delay daily increasing in the public mind. What the strength and efficacy ofthesemo- tives have been, your Majesty -'ill dome justice to feel, when you are pleased, graciously to con- sider how long I have been contented to suffer those .suspicions to exist against my innocence, which the biii^iog before the public of ujy ac- cusation, and u. y defence to it, would so indispu- tably and immediately have dispelled.
The measure, however, of making these pro- ceedings public, whatever model can adopt (con- sidering especially the absoluteim possibility of suf- fering any partial production of them, and the ne- cessity that, if for any purpose any part of them should be produced, the whole must be brought before the public) remains surrounded with all the objections which I ha\e enumerated; and nothing could ever have prevailed upon me, or can now even prevail upon me to have recourse to it, but an imperious cense of indispensable duty to my future safe , to my present character and honour, and <o the feelings, -the cbaracter, and the interests of iny child. I had flattered myself, when once this long proceeding should have terminated in my recep- tion into your Majesty's presence, that that circum-
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stance alone would haveso strongly implied ray in- nocence ofall that bad been brougbt against me, as to have been perfectly sufficient for my honour and my security ; but accompanied, as it now must be with the knowledge of the fact, that your Majesty has been brougbt to hesitate upon its propriety, and accompanied also with the very unjustifiable obser- vations, as they ap pear to me, on which I shall pre- sently proceed to remark ; and which were made by your Majesty's servants, at the time when they gave you their advice to receive me; I feel myself in a situation, in which I deeply regret that I cannot rest, in silence, without an immediate reception into your Majesty's presence ; nor, indeed, with that reception, unless it be attended by other cir- cumstances, which may mark my satisfactory ac- quittal of the charges which have been brought against me.
It shall atno time be said, with truth, that I shrunk back from these infamous charges ; that I crouched l.efore my enemies: 'and courted them, by my submission into moderation ! No, I have ever boldly defied them. I have ever felt and still feel, that, if they should think, either of pu suing these accusations, or of bringing forward any other which the wickedness of individuals may devise, to affect my honour ; (since my conscience tells me, that thej' must be, as base and groundless as those broughtby Lady Douglas,) while the witnesses to the innocence of my conduct, are all living,! should be able to dispiovc them all ; and, whoever may
toe my accusers, to triumph over their wickedness and malice. But should these accusations be re- Hewed ; or any other be brought forward, in any future timCj death may, I know not how soon, re- move from my innocence its best security, and de- prive me of the means of my justification, and my defence.
There are therefore other measures, which I trust your Majesty will think indispensable to betaken, for my honour, and for my security. Amongst these, I most humbly submit to your Majesty my most earnest entreaties that the proceedings, inclu- ding not only n:y first answer, and my letter of the 8th of December, but this letter also, may be direc- ted by your Majesty to be so preserved and depo- sited, as that they may, all ofthem, securely remain ]»emai:ent authentic documents and memorials, of this accusation ai.d of the manner in which I met it ; of my defence, as well as of the charge. That they may remain capable at any time of being re- sorted to, if the malice wnich produced the charge v originally, shall ever venture to renew it.
Beyond this, I am sure your Majesty will think it hut proper and j ust, that I should be restored, in every respect, to the same situation, from whence the proceedings, under these false charges, have removed me. That, besides being graciously re- ceived, again, into the bosom of your Majesty's Royal Family, restored to my former respect and station amongst them, your Majesty will be graci- ously pleased, either to exert your influence, with
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, that I may be restored to the use of ray apartment in •Carlton House, which was reserved for me, except while tlie apartments were undergoing repair, till the date of these proceedings ; or to assign to me some apartment in one of your Royal Palaces,, Some apartment in or near to London is indispen- sably necessary for my convenient attendance at the Drawing-room. And if I am not icstored to that at Carlton House, I trust your Majesty will graci- ous perceive, how reasonable it is, that I should request, that some apartment should be assigned to me, suited to my dignity and situation, which may mark my reception and acknowledgment, as one of your Majesty's family, and from which my attendance at the drawing-room may be easy and convenient.
If these measures are-taken, 1 should hope that they would prove satisfactory to the public mind, and that 1 may feel myself fully restored in public estimation, to my former character. And should they prove so satisfactory, 1 shall indeed be delight- ed to think, that no further step may, even now, appear to be necessary to my peace of mind, mjr security, and my honour.
But your Majesty will permit me to say, that if the next week, which will make more than a month from the time of your Majesty's informing me that you would receive me, should pass without my being received into your presence, and without having the assurance that these other request of
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mine shall be complied with ; 1 shall be under the painful necessity of considering- them as refused. In which case, 1 shalf feel myself compelled, how- ever reluctantly, to give the whole of these pro- ceedings to the world. Unless your Majesty can suggest other adequate means of securing my honour and my life., from the effect of the continu- ance or renewal of these proceedings, for the future as well as the present. For 1 entreat your Majesty to believe, that it is only in the absence of all other adequate means, that 1 can have resort to that measure. That I consider it with deep regret ; ihat 1 regard it with serious apprehension, by no means so much on account of the effect it may have upon myself ; as on account of th& pain which it may give to your Majesty, your august Family, and your loyal subjects.
As far as myself am concerned, t am aware ofthe observations to which this publication will expose me.Biit 1 am placed in a situaion in which I have the choice only of two most unpleasant alternatives. And 1 am perfectly confident that the imputations and the loss of character which must, under these circumstances, follow from my silence, are most injurious and unavoidable ; that my silence, under such circumstances, must lead inevitably to my litter infamy and ruin. The publication, on the other hand, will ex pose to the world nothing, which is spoken to by any witness (whose infamy and discredit isuot unanswerably exposed and establish-
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ed) which can, in the slightest degree, affect my character, for honour, virtue, and delicacy.
There may be circumstances disclosed, ma- nifesting a degree of condescension and famili- arity in my behaviour and conduct, which in the opinions of many, may be considered as not sufficiently guarded, dignified, and reserved,. Circumstances however which my foreign edu- cation, and foreign habits, misled me to think, in the humble and retired situation in which it was my fate to live, and where I had no rela- tion, no equal, no friend to advise me, were wholly free from offrncc. But when they have been dragged forward, from the scenes of private life, in a grave proceeding on a charge of High Treason, and Adultery, they seem to derive a colour and character, from the nature of the charge, which they are brought forward to sup- port. And I cannot but believe, that they have been used for no other purpose than to afford a cover, to screen from view the injustice of that charge; that they have been taken ad vantage of, to let down my accusers more gently ; and to deprive me of that full acquittal on the Report of the four Lords, which my innocence of all offence most justly entitled me to receive.
Whatever opinion however may be formed, upon any part of my conduct, it must in justice be formed, with reference to the situation in
which I was placed; if I am judged of as Prjn-
Ci T CT -•* «•*
226 ' • »
cess of Wales, \vith reference to the high rank of that station, I must be judged as Princess of Wales, banished from the Prince, unprotected by the support and the countenance, which belong to that station ; and if I am judged of in my private character, as a married woman, I must be judged of as a wife banished from her husband, and living in a widowed seclusion from hiqa, and retirement from the world. This last consideration leads me to recur to an expression in Mrs, Lisle's examination, which describes my conduct, in the frequency and the manner of my receiving the visits of Captain Manby, though always in the presence of my ladies, as unbecoming a married woman. Upon the ex- treme injustice of setting up the opinion of one woman, as it were, in judgment upon the con- duct of another ; as well as of estimating the conductof a person in my unfortunate situation, by reference to that, which might in general be expected from a married woman, living hap- pily with her husband, I have before generally remarked. But beyond these general remarks in forming any estimate of my conduct, your Majesty will never forget the very peculiar cir- cumstances and misfortunes of my situation. Your Majesty will remember that I had not been much above a year in this country, when I received the following letter from hi;s Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
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" Windsor Castle, April 30, 1796. " MADAM,
•* As Lord Cholmondely informs me that you ** wish I would define, in writing,* the terms " upon which we are to live, I shall endea- " vour to explain myself upon that head, with " as much clearness, and with as much pro- " priety, as the nature of the subject will admit. " Our inclinations are not in our power, nor " should either of us be held answerable to the " other, because nature has not made us suit- " able to each other. Tranquil and comfortable 44 society is however in our power; let our " intercourse therefore be restricted to that, and " 1 will distinctly subscribe to the condition^ " which you required, through Lady Cholmon- " deley, that even in the event of any accident " happening to my daughter, which I trust " Providence in its mercy will avert, I shall " not infringe the terms of the restriction by
* The substance of this letter had been previously conveyed in a mes- sage through Lord Cholinondeley to her Koyal Highness. But it was thought by her Royal Highness, to be infinitely too impoitant to rest merely upon a verbal communication, and therefore she desired that his Koyal Highness's pleasure upon it should be communicated to her in writing.
•f Upon the receipt r.f the message alluded to, in the foregoing note, her Royal Highness, though she had nothing to do but to submit to the arrangement which his Royal Highness might determine upon, desired it might be undeis oo:l, that she should insist that any such arrangement, if once made, should be considered as final. And that his Royal High- nets should not retain the rght, fivm tjice to time, at bis pleasure, «• U(;der any circumstances, to alter it.
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" proposing at any period, a Connection of a " more particular nature. 1 shall now finally " close this disagreeable correspondence, trust* " ing that, as we have completely explained " ourselves to each other, the rest of our lives " will be passed in uninterrupted tranquillity. " I am, Madam, " With great truth,
" Very sincerely yo~urs, (Signed) " GEORGE P."
And thattothisletterl sent thefollowing answer: " I/aveu de -votre conversation avec Lord *' Cholmondely, ne m'etonne, ni ne m 'offense. " C'etoit me confirmer ce que vous m'avez* *' tacitement insinue depuis vine annee. Alaisil " y aurout apres cela, un manque de delicatesse " on, pour mieux dire, une bassesse indigne de " me plaindre des conditions, que vbus vous 14 imposez a vous meme.
** Je ne v. u; aurois point fait de reponse, si
" votre lettre n'ctoit concue de maniere a fa ire
.»
" douter, si cet arrangement vient de vous, on de " moi ; et vous s^avez que vous m'annoncez " 1'honneur. La lettre que vous m'annonce? ** commela derniere, m'oblige de communiquer *' au Koy, comme a mon Souverain, et a mon <c Pere, votre aveu et ma reponse. Vous trouve- *: rez ci incluse la copie de celle quej*ecris au " Roy. Je vous en previens pour nc pas m'atti- k* rer de votre part la moindre reproche de dupli-
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" cite. Comme je n'ai dans ce moment, d'autre " protecteur que Sa Majeste, je m'en rapporte " uniquement a lui. Et si ma conduite merite " son approbation, je'serai, du moins en partie, t<r consolee.
*c Du reste, je conserve toutelareconnoissance c' possible de ce qne je me trouve par votre " moyen, comme Princesse de Galles, dans une " situation a pouvoirme livrersanscontrainte, a " une vertu cherea mon coeur, je vieux dire la " bienfaisance. Ce sera pour moi un devoir d'agir " de plus par un autre motifs9avoir celui de don- " ner I'exemple dela patience, et dela resignation " dans toutes sortes d'epreuves. Rendez moi la " justicedeme croire, que je ne cesserai jamais- " de faire des vceux pour votre bonheur, et " d'etre votre bien devouee''*
(Signed) " CAROLINE."
w Ce 6de May, 1796.'*
* TRANSLATION".
The r\vo val of your conversation with Lord Cholirondely, neither surprises, nor offends me. It merely confirmed what you have tacitly insjnuattil for tHs twelve month. But aftrthis, it would be a want of delicacy, or rather sn unworthy meamx ss in uie, were I to complain of those con-iitions which you impose up:,u yourself.
IshouiJ have returm d no answer to your Utter, if it had not been ccn- ceivftdin terms to make it doubtful, whether tni-s arrangement proceeds from you or from me, and you are aware that the credit of it belongs to you alone.
The letter which you announce to m« as the last, obliges me to cornmu- cioate to the King, as to my Sovereign and my Father, both jour avowal and my answer. You will find enclosed the copy <.f my letter to the King. 1 apprise you of it. that I may not incur the slightest rrproacn of dupli- city Irouj you, A; 1 have al this moment, no piolecvjr huVH'S .
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The date of his Royal Highnesses letter is the 30th of April, 1796. The date of op r marriage, your Majesty will recollect, is the 8th day of April, in the year 1795, and that of the birth of our only child the 7th January, 1796.
On the letter of his Royal Highness 1 offer no comment. I only entreat your Majesty not to understand me to introduce it, as affording any supposed justification or excuse, for the least departure from the strictest line of virtue, or the slightest deviation from the most refined delicacy. The crime, which has been insinuated against me, would be equally criminal and de- Ivs table ; the indelicacy imputed tome would be equally odious and abominable, whatever renunciation of conjugal authority and affection, the above letter of his Royal Highness might in any construction, of it be supposed to have conveyed. Such crimes, and faults, derive Dot their guilt from the consideration of the conju- gal virtues of the individual, who may be the most injured by them, however much such
r refer mys« If s-jlely fo him upon this subject, and if my conduct meets hia apprubarion, I shall be in some degree at least consoled. I retain every sentiment of gratitude tor the situation in which I fuid myself, a* Princess of Wales, enabled by your means, to iudu'ge in the free exercise of a virtue dear to my h."art, I mean charity.
It will be my duty likewise to act upon another motive, that of giving an example of patience and resignation under every trial.
Do me the justice to believe that I shall never cease to pray for your happiness, and to be,
Your much devoted
CAROLINE, 6 of May. 17P6.
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virtues may aggravate their enormity. No such letter, therefore, in any construction of it, no renunciation of conjugal affection or duties, could ever palliate them. But whether con- duct free from all crime, free from all indelicacy, (which I maintain to be the character of tho conduct to which Mrs. Lisle's observations apply,) yet possibly not so measured, as a cau- tious wife, careful to avoid the slightest appear- ance, of not preferring her husband to all the world, might be studious to observe. Whether conductofsuch description, and possibly,in such sense, not becoming a married woman, could be justly deemed, in my situation, an offence in me, 1 must leave to your Majesty to determine. In making thatdetermination, however, it will not escape your Majesty to consider, that the conduct which does or does not become a mar- ried woman materially depends upon what is, or is not known by herto be agreeable to her hus- band. His pleasure and happiness ought unques- tionably to be her law ; and his approbation the most favourite object of her pursuit. Different characters of men, require different modes of conduct in their wives, but when a wife can no longer be capable of perceiving from time to time, what is agreeable or offensive to her husband, when her conduct can no longer con- tribute to his happiness, no. longer hope to be rewarded by his approbation, surely to examine that conduct by the standard of what ought in
532
general, to be the conduct ofa married woman, is altogether unreasonable and unjust. •
What then is my case ? Your Majesty will do me the justice to remark, that, in the above letter of the Prince of Wales, there is not the most distant surmise, that crime, that vice, that indelicacy of any description, gave occa- sion to his determination ; and all the tales of infamy and discredit, which the inventive malice of mv enemies', has brought forward on these
*/ O
charges, have their date, years, and years, after the period to which I am now alluding. What then, let me repeat the question, is my case? After the receipt of the above letter, and in about two years from my arrival in this country, I had the misfortune entirely to lose the support, the countenance, the protection of my husband — I was banished, as it were, into a sort of humble retirement, at a distance from him, arid almost estranged from the whole of the Royal Family. I had no means of having recourse, either for society or advice, to those, from whom my inexperience could have best received the advantages of the one, and with whom I could, most becomingly, have enjoyed the comforts of the other ; and if in this retired, unassisted, unprotected state, without the check of a husband's authority, without the benefit of his advice, without the comfort and support of the society of his family, a stranger to the habits and fashions of this country, I should.
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iji any instance, under the influence of foreign ha- bits, and foreign education, have observed a con- duct, in any degree deviating from the reserve and severity of British manners, and partaking of a condescension and familiarity which that reserve and severity would, perhaps, deem beneath the dignity of my exalted rank, I feel confident, (since such deviation will be seen to have been ever consistent with perfect innocence), that not only your Majesty's candour and indulgence, but the candour and indulgence, which, notwithstand- ing the reserve and severity of British manners, always belong to the British Public, will nevJer* visit it with seventy or censure.
It remains for me now to make some remarks upon the further contents of the paper, which was transmitted to me by the Lord Chancellor on the 28th ult. And I cannot in passing, omit to remark, that that paper has neither title, date, signature, nor attestation ; and unless the Lord Chancellor had accompanied it with a note, stating that it was copied in his own hand from the original, which his Lordship had received from your Ma- jesty, I should have been at a loss to have per- ceived any single mark of authenticity belonging to it, and as it is, I am wholly unable to discover what is the true character which does belong to it. It contains, indeed, the advice which your Majesty's servants have offered to your Majesty, and the message which, according to that advice, yoar Majesty directed to be delivered to me..
H h
Considering it therefore, wholly as their act, your Majesty will excuse and pardon me, if, deeply injured as I feel myself to have been by them, I express myself with freedom upon their conduct. I may speak perhaps with warmth, be- cause I am provoked by a sense of gross injus- tice, I shall speak certainly with firmness and with courage, because I am emboldened by a sense of conscious innocence.
Your Majesty's confidential servants say, *' they agree in the opinions of the four Lords," and they say this, " after the fullest considera- " tion of my observations, and of the affidavits " which were annexed to them.'* Some of these opinions, your Majesty will recollect, are, that " William Cole, Fanny Lloyd, Robert Bidgood, " and Mrs. Lisle are witnesses who cannot," in the judgment of the four Lords, *' be suspected " of any unfavourable bias ;" and " whose veracity " in this respect they had seen no ground to ques- tion ;'J and *' that the circumstances to which they " speak, particularly as relating to Captain Man- " by, must be credited until they are decisively " contradicted. " Am I then to understand your Majesty's confidential servants to: mean, that they agree with the four Noble Lords in these opinions ? Am I to understand, that, after hav- ing read with the fullest consideration, the ob- servations, which I/Jiave offered to your Majesty ; after having seen William Cole there proved to have submitted himself, five times, at least, to
private, unauthorised, voluntary examination by Sir John Douglas's Solicitor, for the express pur- pose of confirming the statement of Lady Douglas, (of that Lady Douglas, whose statement and depo- sition they are convinced to be so malicious and false, that they propose to institute such prosecu* tion against her, as your Majesty's Law Officers may advise, upon a reference, now at length, after six months from the detection of that malice and falsehood, intended to be made) — after having seen thisWilliam Cole, submitting to such repeated voluntary examinations for such a purpose, and although he was all that time a servant on my esta- blishment, and eating my bread, yet never onee communicating to me, that such examinations were going on— am I to understand, that your Majesty's confidential servants agree with the four Lords in thinking, that he cannot, under such circumstances, be suspected of unfavourable bias ? That after having had pointed out to them the direct, fhit contradiction between the same Wil- liam Cole and Fanny Lloyd, they nevertheless agree to think them both (though in direct con- tradiction to each other, yet both) witnesses, whose veracity they see no ground to question ? After having seen Fanny Lloyd directly and posi- tively contradicted, in an assertio i, most inju- rious to my honour, by Mr. Alills and Mr. Edmeades, do they agree in opinion with the four Noble Lords, that tb r < see no ground to question their veracity?*- **;ter having read t ha
236
observations on Mr. Bidgood's evidence : after having seen, that he had the hardihood to swear, that he believed Captain Manby slept in my house, at Southend, and to insinuate that he slept in my bed-room ; after having seen that he founded himself on this most false fact, and most fouland wickedinsinuation,upon the circumstance of observing a bason and some bowels where he thought they ought not to be placed ; after having seen that this fact, and this insinuation were dis- proved before the four noble Lords themselves, by two maid-servants, who, at that time, lived with me at Southend, and whose duties about my person and my apartments, must have made them acquainted with this fact, as asserted, or as insi- nuated, if it had happened ; after having observed too, in confirmation of their testimony,that one of them mentionedthe name of another female servant (who was not examined), who had, from her situa- tion, equal means of knowledge with themselves— - 1 ask whether, after all this decisive weight of con- tradiction to Robert Bidgood's testimony, I am to understand yourMajesry's confidential servants to agree with the four Noble Lords in thinking, that Mr. Bidgood is a witness, \vhocannot be suspected of unfavourable bias, and that there is no ground to question his veracity? If, Sire, I were to go through all the remarks of this description, which occur to me to make, I should be obliged to re- peat nearly all my former observations, and to makethis letter as long as rny original answer : bu
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to that answer I confidently appeal, andl willvefc» ture to challenge your Majesty's confidential ser- vants to find a single impartial, and honourable man, unconnected in feeling and interest with the parties, and unconnected in Council, with those who have already pledged themselves to an opinion upon this subject, who will lay his hand upon his heart, and say that these three witnesses, on whom that Report so mainly relies, are not to be sus- pected of the grossest partiality, and that their ve- racity is not most fundamentally impeached.
Was it then noble, was it generous, was it manly, was it just, in your Majesty's confidential servants, instead of fairly admitting the injustice, which had been, inadvertently, and unintentionally, no doubt, done tome, by thefour Noble Lords in their Re- port, upon the evidence of these witnesses, to state to your Majesty, that they agree with these Noble Lords in their opinion, though they rannot, it seems, go the length of agreeing any longer to withhold the advice, which restores me to your Majesty's presence ? And with respect to the par- ticulars to my prejudice, remarked upon in the Report as those " which justly deserve the most " serious consideration, and which tnustbe credited •" till decisively contradicted," instead of fairly avowing, either that there was originally no pre- tence for such a remark, or that, if there had been originally, yet that my answer had given that de- cisive contradiction which was sufiicient to discre- dit them ; instead, I sav, of acting this just, honest,
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and open, part, to take no notice whatsoever of those contradictions, and content themselves with saying, that " none of the facts or allegations " stated in preliminary examinations, carried on " in the absence of the parties interested, could 44 be considered as legally or conclusively esta- « Wished ?"
They agree in the opinion that the facts or alle- gations, though stated in preliminary examination, carried on in the absence of the parties interested, must be credited till decisively contradicted ', and deserve the most serious consideration. They read, with the fullest consideration, the contradiction which I havetendereclto them ; they must have known, that no other sort of contradiction could, by possibility, from the nature of things, have been offered upon such subjects : They do not question the truth, they do not point out the insufficiency of the contradiction, but, in loose, general, indefinite, terms, referring to my answer, consisting, as it does, of above two hundred written pages, and coupling it with those examinations (which they admit establish nothing against an absent party) they advise your Majesty, that " there appear " many circumstancesof conduct, which could not " be regarded by your Majesty without serious 44 concern ;" and that, as to all the other facts and allegations, except those relative to my pregnancy and delivery, they arc not to be considered as " legally and conclusively established" because spoken to in preliminary examinations, not carried
23-9
on in the presence of the parties concerned. They do not, indeed, expressly assert, that my contra- diction was not decisive or satisfactory ; they do not expressly state, that they think the facts and allegations want nothing towards their legal and conclusive establishment, but a re-examination in the presence of the parties interested, but they go far to imply such opinions. That those opinions are utterly untenable, against the observations I have made, upon the credit and character of those wit- nesses, I shall ever most confidently maintain ; but that those 'observations leave their credit wholly unaffected, and did not deserve the least notice from your Majesty's servants, it is impossible that any honourable man can assert, or any fair and unprejudiced mind believe.
I now proceed, Sire, to observe, very shortly,, upon the advice further given to your Majesty as contained in the remaining part ofthe paper; which has represented that, both in the examinations, and even in my answer there have appeared many cir- cumstances of conduct which could not be regard- ed but with serious concern, and which have sug- gested the expression of a desire and expectation, that such a conduct may in future, be observed by me, as may fully justify these marks of pater- nal regard and affection, which your Majesty wishes to shew to all your Royal Family.
And here, Sire, your Majesty will graciously per- mit me to notice the hardship ofthe advice, which has suggested to your Majesty, to convey to me
2 tO
this reproof, t complain sot so much for what it does, as for what it does not contain ; I mean the absence of all particular mention of what it is, that is the object of their blame. The circum- stances of conduct which appear in these exami- nations, and in my answer to which they allude as those which may be supposed to justify the advice, which has led to this reproof, since your Majesty's servants have not particularly mention- ed them, I cannot be certain -that 1 know. But I will venture confidently to repeat the assertion, which I have already made, that there are no circumstances of conduct spoken to by any wit- ness, (whose infamy and discredit are .not unan- swerably exposed, and established,) nor any where apparent in my answer which have the remotest approach, either to crime or to indelicacy.
For my future conduct, Sire, impressed with every sense of gratitude for all former kindness, I shall be bound unquestionably, by sentiment as well as duty, to study your Majesty's pleasure. Any advice which your Majesty may wish to give to me in respect of any particulars in my conduct, I shall be bound, and be anxious to obey as my law. But I must trust that your Majesty will point out to me the particulars, which may happen to displease you, and which you may wish to have altered. I shall be as happy, in thus feeling myself safe from blame under the benefit of your Majes- ty's advice, as I am now in finding myself secured from danger, under the protection of your justice
Your Majesty will permit me to add one word more.
Your Majesty lias seen what detriment my character has, for a time, sustained, by the false and malicious statement of Lady Douglas, and by the depositions of the witnesses who were ex- amined in support of her statement. Your Ma- jesty has seen how many enemies I have, and how little their malice has been restrained by any re- gard to truth in the pursuit of my ruin. Few, as it may be hoped, may be the instances of such determined, and unprovoked, malignity, yet, I cannot flatter myself, that the world does not produce other persons, who may be swayed by similar motives to similar wickedness. Whe- ther the statement to be prepared by the Prince of Wales, is to be confined to the old charges, or is intended to bring forward new circum- stances, I cannot tell ; but if any fresh attempts of the same nature shall be made by my accusers, instructed as they will have been, by their carriage in this instance, I can hardly hope that they will not renew their charge, with an im- proved artifice, more skilfully directed, and •with a malice, inflamed rather than abated, by their previous disappointment. I therefore can only appeal to your Majesty's justice, in which I confidently trust, that whether these charges are to be renewed against me either on the old or on fresh evidence ; or whether new accusations, as well as new witnesses, are to be
brought forward, your Majesty, after the experi-
I i
242
ence, of these proceedings, will not suffer your Royal mind to be prejudiced by ex parte, secret examinations, nor my character to be whispered away by insinuations, or suggestions which I have no opportunity of meeting. If any charge, which the law will recognize, should be brought against me in an open and legal manner, I should have no right to complain, nor any ap- prehension to meet it. But till I may have a full opportunity of so meeting it, I trust your Ma- jesty will not suffer it to excite even a suspicion to my prejudice. I must claim the benefit of the presumption of innocence till I am proved to be guilty, for, without that presumption, against the effects of secret insinuation and ex parte ex- aminations, the purest innocence can make no de- fence, and can have no security.
Surrouuded, as it is now proved, that I have been, for years, by domestic spies, your Majesty must, I trust, feel convinced, that if I had been guilty there could not have been wanting evi- dence to have proved my guilt. And that these spies have beeu obliged to have resort to their own invention, for the support of the charge, is the strongest demonstration that the truth', undisguised, and correctly represented, could furnish them with no handle against me. And when I consider the nature and ma- lignity of that conspiracy, which, I feel confi- dent I have completely detected and exposed, I cannot but think of that detection, with the liveliest gratitude, as the special blessingof Pro-
vidence, who, by confounding; the machinations oftny enemies, has enabled me to find, in the very excess and extravagance of their malice, in the Tery weapons, which they fabricated and sharpened for my destruction, the sufficient guard to my innocence, and the effectual means of my justification and defence.
I trust therefore, Sirr, that I may now close this long letter, in confidence that many, days will not elapse before I shall receive from your Majesty, that assurance that my just requests may be so completely granted, as may render it possible for me (which nothing else can) to avoid the painful disclosure to the world of ad the circumstances of that injustice, and of those unmerited sufferings, which these pro- ceedings, inf the manner in which they have been conducted, have brought upon me. I remain,
Sire,
With everv sentiment of gratitude. Your Majesty's most dutiful, most submissive Daughler-in-la\y>
Subject and Servant, (Signed) C. P.
Montague Honse> February 16, 1807,
As these observations apply not onljr to tbe communication through the Lord Chap-
244
eellor, of the 28th ult. ; but also to the private letterof your Majesty, of the 12th instant, I have thought it most respectful to your Majesty and your Majesty's servants, to send this letter in duplicate, one part through Colonel Taylor, and the other through the Lord Chancellor, to your Majesty.
(Signed) C. P
To the King. iuo f .-n oil *jvi-
i "*
c
SlUE,
When I lasttroubledyour Majesty upon my unfortunate business, I had raised my mind to hope, that I should have the happiness of hear- ing from your Majesty, and receiving your gra- cious commands, to pay my duty in your Royal presence, before the expiration of the last week. And when that hone was disappointed, (eagerly clinging to any idea, which offered me j> prospect of being saved from the neces- sity of having recourse, for the vindication of my character, to t!te publication of the proceed- ings upon the Inquiry into my Conduct,) I thought it just possible, that the reason for n;y not having received your Majesty's commands ta that effect, might have been occasioned by the circumstance of your Majesty's staying at Wind- ^or through the whole of the week, f, therefore,
24.1
determined to wait a few days longer, before 1 took a step, which, when once taken, could not be recalled. Having, however, now assured myself, that your Majesty was in town yester- day— as I have received no command to wait upon your Majesty, and no intimation of your pleasure — I am reduced to the necessity of abandoning all hope, that your Majesty will comply with my humble, my earnest, and anxious requests.
Your Majesty therefore, will not be surprised to find, that the publication of the Proceedings alluded to, will not be withheld beyond Mon- day next.
As to any consequences which may arise from such publication, unpleasant or hurtful to my own feelings and interests, 1 may, perhaps, be properly responsible ; and, in any event, have no one to complain of but myself, and those with whose advice I have acted ; and whatever those consequences may be, I am fully and unalterably convinced, that they must be incalculably less than those, which I should be exposed to from my silence : But as to any other consequences, unpleasant or hurtful to the feelings and interests of others, or of the public, my conscience will certainly acquit me of them ; — I am confident that I have not act- ed impatiently, or precipitately. To avoid coining to this painful extremity I have taken every step in my power, except that which
246
Would be abandoning my character to utter in- famy, and my station and life to no uncertain danger, and possibly, to no very distant de- struction.
With every prayer, for the lengthened conti- nuance of your Majesty's health and happiness ; for every possible blessing, which a Gracious God can bestow upon the beloved Monarch of a loyal People; and for the continued pros- perity of your dominions, under your Majesty's propitious reign,
I remain,
Your Majesty's
Most dutiful, loyal, and affectionate, but most unhappy, and most injured Daughtcr-in-Law, Subject, and Servant.
C. P. Montague House^ March o, 1 807.
To the Kin<r.
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX (A).
(No. 1.)
GEORGE R.
\VHEREAS Our right trusty and well-beloved Coun- cillor Thomas Lord fyskine, Our Chancellor, has this day laid before Us an Abstract of certain written Decla- rations touching the Conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales: We do hereby authorize, empower, and direct, the said Thomas Lord Erskine, Our Chan- cellor; Our right trusty and right well beloved Cousin and Councillor George John Earl Spencer, one of Our Principal Secretaries of State; Our right trusty and well- beloved Councillor William Wyndham Lord Grenville, First Commissioner of Our Treasury ; and Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor Edward Lord Ellen- borough, Our Chief Justice to hold Pleas before Ourself, to inquire into the truth of the same, and to examine upon oath such Persons as they shall see fit, touching and concerning the same, and to report to Us the result •/such Examinations.
Given at Our Castle of Windsor, on the twenty- ninth day of May, in the forty-sixth year of Our Reign.
G. R.
A true Copy, /.
1 APPENDIX (A),
(No. 2.) The Deposition of Charlotte Lady Douglas*
I THINK I first became acquainted with the Princes* of Wales in 1801. Sir John Douglas had a house at Blackheath. One day in November, 1801, the snow was lying on the ground \ the Princess and a Lady, who I be- lieve was Miss Hey man, came on foot and walked se- veral times before the door. Lady Stewart was with me, and said she thought the Princess* wanted something, and that I ought to go to her. I went to her; she said she did not want any thing, but she would walk in; that I had a very pretty little girl. She came in, and staid some time. About a fortnight after, Sir John Douglas and I received ,an invitation to go to Montague House. After that I was very frequently at Montague House, and dined there; the Princess dined frequently with us. About May or June, 1802, the Princess first talked with me about her own conduct. Sir Sidney Smith, who had beeo Sir John's friend1 for more than twenty years, came to England about November, 1801, and carne to live in our house. I understood that the Princess knew Sir Sidney Smith before she was Princess of Wales. The Princes§ saw Sir Sidney Smith as frequently as ourselves. We •were usually kept at Montague House later than the rest of the party; often till three or four o'clock in the mom- ing. I never observed any impropriety of conduct be- tween Sir Sidney Smith and the Princess. I made the Princess a visit to Meutcigue House in March, 1802, fop about a fortnight. She dt sired me to come there because Miss Garth was ill. In May or June following, the Prin- cess oame to my house alone; she said she came to tell me something that had happened to her, and desired me to guess. I guessed several things, and at last I said I
1
I APPENDIX (A). 3
could not guess any thing more. She then said that she was pregnant, and that the child had come to life. I don't know whether she said on that day, or a few days before, that she was at breakfast at Lady Willoughby's, that the milk flowed up to her breast, and came through her gown ; that she threw a napkin over herself, and went with Lady Wilknighby into her room and adjusted her- «elf, to present its being observed. She never told me who was the father of the child. She said she hoped it would be a boy. She sajd, that if it was d.scovered, she would give the Prince of Wales the credit of being the father, for she had slept two nights at Carlton House within the year. I said that I should go abroad to my Mother. The Princess said that she should manage it very well; and if things came to the worst, she would give the Prince the credit of it. While I was at Montague House in March, I was with child, and one day I said that I was very sick, and the Princess desired Mrs. Sander to get me a saline draught. She then said tnat she was rery sick herself, and that she would take a saline draught too. I observed that she could not want one, and I looked at her. The Princess said, Yes, I do; what do you look at me for, with your wicked eyes? you are always finding me out. Mrs. Sander looked very much distressed; she gave us a saline draughteach. This was the first time that I had any suspicion of her being with child. The Princess never said who was the father. When she first told me she was with child, I rather suspected that Sir Sidney was the father, but only because the Princess was very partial to him. I never knew that he was with her alone. We had constant intercourse with the Princess, from the time when I was at Montague House till the end of Oc- tober. After that she had first communicated to me that she was with child, she frequently spoke upon the subject. She was bled twice during the time. She re- commended to me to be bled too, and said that it made
4 ATFF.ND1X (A).
you have a better time. Mr. Edmeadcs bled her. Sh« $nid one of the days that Mr. Edmeades bled her, that she had a violent heat in her blood, and that Mr. Ed- meades should bleed her. I told the Princess I was very anxious how she would manage to be brought to bed without its being known; that [ hoped she had a safe person. She said yes, she should have a person from abroad ; that she had a great horror of having any man about her on such an occasion. She said, " I am confident in my own plans, and I wish you would not speak with me on that subject again." She said, " I shall tell every thing to Sander." I think this was on the day on which she told me of what had happened at Lady Witloughby's. That Sander was a very good woman, and might be trusted, and that she must be with her at the labour; that she would send Miss Gouch to Brunswick ; and Miss Millfield was too young to be trusted, nnd must be sent cut of the way. I was brought to bed on the 23d of July, 1802; the Princess insisted on being present; I de- termined that she should not, but 1 meant to avoid it without offending her. On the day on which I was brought to bed, she came to my house, and insisted on coming in; Dr. Mackie, who attended me, locked the door, and said she should not come in ; but there was ano- ther door on the opposite side of the room, which was not locked, and she came in that door, and was present during the time of the labour, and took the child as soon as it was born, and said that she was very glad that she had seen the whole, of it. The Princess's pregnancy ap- peared to me to be very visible; she wore a cushion be- hind, and she made Miss Sander make one for me. Dur- ing my lying-in, the Princess came one day with Mrs. Fitzgerald ; she sent Mrs. Fitzgerald away, and took a chair and sat by my bedside. She said, " You will hear of my taking children In baskets, but you wont take any notice of it; I shall have them brought by a poor woman
APPENDIX (A). 5
in a basket; I shall do it as a cover to have my own brought to me in that way," or, " that is the way in which I must have my own brought when I have it." Very soon after this, two children, who were twins, were brought by a poor woman, in a basket. The Princess took them and had 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 upon 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 could 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 1st of Octo- ber, 180-2, walking before her door. She was dressed so as to conceal her pregnancy ; she had a long cloak and a tery great muff. She had just returned from Greenwich Church; she 'ooked very ill, and I thought must be very near her time. About a week, or nine or ten days after this, I received a note from the Princess, to desire that I would not come to Montague House, for they were ap* prehensive that the children she had taken had had the measles in their clothes, and that she was afraid my child might take it. When the Princess came to see rne 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. About the end of December I went to Gloucestershire, and stayed there about a month. When I returned, 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, covered with a piece of red cloth. The Princess got up and took me by 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, " I wai brought
6 APPENDIX (A).
to bed." The words were such as clearly imported 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 frequently with the Princess, quite till Christmas, 1803, w en 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 Princes* of Wales Mamma. I saw the child looking at the win- dow of the Princess's house about a month ago, before 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 nervous, and now they had got a regular nurse for her. She said, <: We gave it a little milk at first, but it was too much for 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 Princess's con- fessions to me, I can swear that she was pregnant in 1802. In October, 1804, when we returned from Devonshire, I left my card at Montague House, and on the 4th of Octo- ber I received a letter from Mrs. Vernon, desiring me not to come any more to Montague House. I 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
APPENDIX (A). 7
that I thought myself extremely ill-used. In two or three days after this I received an anonymous letter, which I produce, and have marked with the letter A,* and sign- ed with my name both on the letter and the envelope. The Princess of Wales has told me that she got a bed- fellow whenever she could; that nothing was more whole- some. She said that nothing AVBS 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 Sidney Smith had lain with her; that she believed all men liked a bedfel- low, but Sir Sidney better than any body else; that the Prince was the most complaisant man in the world ; that «he did what she liked, went where she liked, and had what bedfellows she liked, and the Prince paid for all.
CHARLOTTE DOUGLASL June 1, 1805.
Sworn before us, June 1, 1806, at Lord Greuville'a, in Downing-street, Westminster.
ERSKINE, A true Copy, SPENCER,
J. B€cket. GRENVILLE,
ELLENBOROUGH.
* No copy of this letter bas be«« scat te her Roy ai Highness the Prince* •f Wales.
$ APPENDIX (A).
(No. S.) The Deposition of Sir John Douglas, Knt.
I HAD a house at Blackheath in 1801. Sir Sidney used to come to my house. I had a bed for him. The Prin- cess of Wales formed an acquaintance with Lady Dou- glas, and 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 sofa, 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 seemed angry at first. In 1804, on the 27th of October, I received two letters by the two- penny post, one addressed to me, which I now produce, and have marked with the letter (B)* both on the enve- lope and the inclosure, and the other letter addressed to Lady Douglas, arid which I now produce, and have marked with the letter (C)* both on the envelope and the inclosure.
(Signed) JOHN DOUGLAS.
June 1st.
Sworn before us, at Lord Grenville's house, in Down- ing-street, Westminster, June 1st, 1806.
ERSKINE, A. true Copy, SPENCER,
J. Becket. GREN VILL E,
ELLENBOROUGH,
* No copy of these letters, or either of them, kas b««n seat to her Roy«< Highness the Princess of Wales.
(No. 4.) The Deposition of Robert Bidgood,
I HAVE lived with the Prince twenty-three years in next September. I went to the Princess in March, 1798, and liave lived with her Royal Highness ever since. A bout the year 1802, early in that year, I first 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 eleven o'clock. He was at Sir John Doug- las'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 1802, in the blue room, about eleven o'clock in the morn- ing, which is full two hours before we expected ever to see company. I asked the servants why they did not let me know that he was there. The footmen informed 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 appear- ance of the Princess, which could lead me to suppose she was with child. I first observed Captain Manby come to Montague House, either the end of 1803, or beginning of 1804. I was waiting one day in the anti-room, Cap- tain Manby had his hat in his hand and appeared to be going away. He was a long time with the Princess, an4 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 kis- sed 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 wer.
*C
10
into the drawing-room. The Princess went to Southend in May 1804. I went with her. We were there I believe about six weeks before the Africaine came in. Sicarcl 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 Cap- tain came on shore, Sicard conducted him to the Princess's House, and he dined there, with the Princess and her La- dies. After this became very frequently to see the Prin- cess. 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. S, 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 Captain 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 CaptainManby slept frequently in the hovse. It was a subject of conver- sation in the house. Hints were given by the servants, and I believe that others suspected it as well as myself. Tb« Princess took a child which I understood was brought into the house by Stikeman. I waited only one week in three, and I was not thereat 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 Montague House. It is 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 dhild to the Princess as soon as the Princess woke, and the child used to stay with her Royal Highness the
11
whole morninsr. The Princess appeared to be extremely fond of the child, and still appears so.
R. BIDGOCm.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the sixth day of June, 180G.
SPENCER, GRENVILLE.
(No. 5.) The Deposition of William Cole.
1 HAVE lived with the Princess of Wales ever since hei marriage. Sir Sidney Smith first visited at Montague House about 1802. I have observed the Princess too fa- miliar with Sir Sidney Smith. One day, I think about Fe- bruary 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 confu- sed when I came into the room. A short time before this, one night about twelve o'clock, I saw a man go into the house from the Park, wrapt up in a great coat. I did not
12
give any alarm, for the impression on my mind was, that it was not a thief. Soon after I had s;jen the Princess and Sir Sidney Smith sitting together on the sofa. The Duke of Kent sentf6r me, and told me that the Princess would he 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 at- tended at Montague house, but occasionally when the Princess sent for me. About July, 1802,1 observed that the Princess ,had grown very large ; and in the latter end of the same year she appeared to be grown thin, and I observed 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 latter end of 1801, when he was pa'inting the Princess, and he has slept in the house two or three nights together, I have often 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 had re- tired. Some time afterwards when I supposed that he had gone to his room, I went to see that all was safe, and J found the Blue Room door locked, and heard a whisper- ing in it, and I went away.
WM. COLE.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the sixth day of June, 180S, before us,
SPENCER, GRENVILLE.
13
(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 situation ia the Coffee-room does not give me opportunities of seeing the Princess. I don't see her sometimes for months. Mr. Mills attended me for a cold. He asked me ii the Prince came to Blackheath, backwards and forwards, or some- thing to that effect, for the Princess was with child, or looked as 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 mother, and she took the child away. Afterwards the mother brought the child back again. Whether tt 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 was brought. I did not parti- cularly observe it myself.
FRANCES LLOYD. !
I was at Ramsgate with the Princess in 1503. One morning, when we were in the house at East Cliff, >ome body, I dpn't recollect who, knocked at my door, and de- sired me to get up to prepare breakfast for the Princess. Tbii was about six. o'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 for the Princess. I 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 shutters 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 agentle- rnan, at that time in the morning. I ani sure it was the Princess. While we were at Blackheath, a woman at Charlton, of the name of Townly, told me that she had some linen to wash from the Princess's house. That the linen was marked with the appearance of a miscarriage or delivery. The woman has since left Charlton, but she has friends there. I think it must have been before the child •was brought to the Princess, that the woman told us this. I know all the women 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 I 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 there at 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 Downtng-strect, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER. GREN\aLLE, ELLENBOROUGH,
15
(No. 7.)
The Deposition of Mary Ann Wilson.
*
I BELIEVE it will be ten years next quarter, that I hare lived with the Princess of Wales, as housemaid. I wait oa the ladies who attend the Princess. I remember when the child who is now with the Princess, was brought there. Before it came I heard say that it was to come. The mo- ther brought the child. It appeared to be about four months old when it was brought. I remember twins being brought to the Princess, before this child was brought. I never noticed the Princess's shape to be different in that year from what it was before. I never had 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 Princess. Captain Manby used to visit the Princess there. I make the Princess's bed, and have been in the habit of making it ever since I lived with Her. Royal Highness. Another maid, whose name is Ann Bye, assisted with me in making the bed. From what I ob- served I never had any reason to believe that two persons had slept in the bed. I never saw any particular appear- ance in it. The linen was washed by Stikeman's wife.
MARY WILSON.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the seventh of June, 1806, before us
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH-
16
(No. 8.) The Deposition of Samuel Roberts.
I A M a footman to the Princess of Wales. I remember the child being taken by the Princess. I never observed any particular appearance of the Princess 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. Coleonce asking me, I think three years ago, whether there were any favourites in th^- family. I remember saying, that Captain Manby and Sir Sidney Smith were frequently at Blackheath, and dined there oftener than other persons. I never knew Sir Sidney Smith stny later than the ladies. I cannot say ex- actly at what hour he went, but I never remember his Staying alone with the Princess.
SAMUEL ROBERTS.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Down ing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us.
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE. ELLENBOROUGH,
17
(No. 9.)
%
The Deposition of Thomas Stikeman.
I HAVE been Page to the Princess of Wales ever since (she 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 wo- man who had twins, one of which the Princess was de- sirous to have, but. the parents would not part with it. A woman came to the door with a petition to get her hus- band 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 woman, and made inquiries after the father, and afterwards 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 desired 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 reflec- tion I do recollect that the mother 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 Brownlow-street, and it was baptized there ; but I only know this from the mother. The mother has since lain-in a second time in Brownlow-street. I never saw the woman to my knowledge before she came with, the petition to the door. I had no particular directioni
* D
18
by the Princess to procure a child. I thought it better to take the child of persons of good character, than the child of a pauper. Nothing led me, from the appear- ance of the Princess, to suppose that she was with child, but from hershape it is difficult to judge when she is with child. When she was with child of the Princess Char- lotte, I should not have known it when she was far ad- vanced in her time, if I had not been told it. Sir Sidney Smith at one time visited very frequently 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 frequent. The Princess consulted him upon them. Mr. Morell was the uphol- sterer. 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 Prin- cess is of that lively vivacity, that she makes herself fa- Tniliar 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 fre- quently, 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 ac- count I was brought here. I did not know that the Prin- cess's conduct was questioned or questionable. I was •with the Princess at Ramsgate. When she was at East Cliff, Captain Manby was very frequently there ; went away as late at night as eleven o'clock. I don't remember Fanny Lloyd being called up any morning to make break- fast for the Princess. I did not like Captain Manby com- ing so oiten, ai.d staying so late, and I was uneasy at it.
19
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 Ne Princess's at Ramsgate before nine o'clock in the m rn- ing, but I have heard he has been there earlier. I had never any suspicions of there being any thing im roper, either from the frequent visits of Captain Manby, or
from his conduct. I was at CatheringtOn with the Prin-
°
cess. She used to go out generally in her own chaise. I think I have once or twice seen her go with Mr. H -od 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 of the child being first brought, and being then brought back again, ai.d left \vith the Princess. I am sure the child was not weaned after it had been first brought. I don't recollect 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.
THOS. STIKEMAN.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street, the seventh day of June, 1806, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVlLLE, ELLENBOROUGH
(No. 10.)
The Deposition of John Sicard*
I 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 I first lived with Her Royal Highness. I remember the child who is now with the Princess of Wales being brought there. It was about five months old when it was brought It is about four year* 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. I 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 1S02, with Sir John and Lady Douglas. He was very often, I believe, alone with the Princess, and so was Mr. ( 'arming, 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 Manby visiting at Montague' House* The Princess of Wales did not pay for the expence of fitting up his cabin, but the linen furniture was ordered by me, by direction of the Princess, of Newberry and Jones. It was put by Newberry and Jones in the Prin- cess's bill, and was paid for with the rest of the bill by Miss Heyman.
JOHN SICARD,
Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street, the seven'h day of June, 1SO<>, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH.
st (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 Princes* 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 nlive. I have seen them both. The father worked in the Dock Yarcl at Deptibrd, 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 iiVthe 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 was 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 it 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, bull
22
don't recollect that I did. I never heard any body lay any thing about the Princess being pregnant till I came hereto-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 ef 1SC2 to my knowledge. Her Royal Highness was generally blooded twice in a year, but not lately. I never toad any reason to suppose that the Princess received the visits of any gentleman 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. I never saw any thing which led me to suppose that Sir Sidney Smith \vas on a very familiar footing with the Princess ofWalee. 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 saw 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 thought so. I oever 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 never 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 Catheriugion 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'i carriage with him alone. It was a gig. They used to be absent for several hours. A servant of the Princess attended them. I 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 lis'es 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, 1SOG.
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH.
(No. 12.) Deposition of Sophia Austin.
I know the child which is now with the Princess of 'Wales. 1 am the mother of it. I was delivered of it four years ago, the llth 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 Dept- 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 restored. 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 (5th of November. Mr. Benneta baker in New-street was our dealer, and I took the child to Mr. Bennet's when I went to receive my husband's wages every week from the time I left the Hospital till I carried the child to the Princess. I knew Mr. Stike- man only by having seen him once before, when I went to apply for a letter to Brownlow-street Hospital. When Twent 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 s'lid 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 up again on the Monday following, and
I saw Mr. Stikerrian. Mr. Stikeman afterwards came several times to us, and appointed me 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 tome on the Saturday the 6th of November, and I took the child on that day to the Princess's house. The Prin- cess was out. I waited till she returned. She saw the child and asked it's age. I went down into the coffee- roonl, and they gave me some arrow-root to wean the child ; for I was suckling the child at this time, and when I had weaned the child I was to bring it and leave' it with the Princess. I did wean the child, and brought it to the Princess's house on the loth of November, arid left it there, and it has been with the Princess ever since I saw the child last Whit-Monday, and I Swear that it is my child.
SOPHIA AtJSTIN.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing-street^ the seventh day of June, 1806, before us,
-ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH.
(No. 13.)
20th June, 1806. MY LORD,
IN consequence of certain inquiries directed by his Majesty, Lady Douglas, wife of Sir John Douglas of the Marines, has deposed upon oath that she was told by her
*E
26
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 Douglas's 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 circumstance in any manner rela- tive thereto (if any such there be) of which her Ladyship has any recollection ; and also to apprize me, for his Majesty's information, whether at any time, during the course of the above-mentioned year, Lady Willoughby observed 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.
SPENCER.
(No. 14.)
y 21st June, 1306.
Mv 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 honourof enclosing a letter to your Lordship from Lady
Willoughby.
I have the honour, &c.
GWYDIR.
27 (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 rela- tive to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales at the period to which you allude.
I have the honour, &c.
WILLOUGHBY. June 21, 1806. EARL SPENCER.
(No. 16)
Extract from the Register of the Births and Bap» tisms 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, 180<3,
38 (No. 170
The Deposition of Elizabeth Gosden.
• I AM the wife of Francis Gosden, who is a servant of -the Princess of Wales, and has lived with her Roya,l Highness eleven years. In November, 1802, I was sent -for to the Princess's house to look after a little child ; I understood that he had been then nine days in the house. I was nurse to the child. One of the ladies, I think Miss Sander, delivered the child tome, and told me 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 appeared 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 pqw as he was.
ELIZ. GOSDEN.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's house in Downing street, tfie 23d day of June, 1806, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRENVILLE, ELJLENBOROUGH,
(No. 18.)
Deposition of Betty Townley.
I LIVED at Charlton 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. After the Prin- cess left Charlton and went to Blackheath, I used to go over to Blackheath to fetch the linen to wash. I have had linen from the Princess's house the same as other ladies: I 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 coining which I thought rather more marked than usual. They told me that the Princess had been bled with leeches, and it dirtied the linen more : the ser- vants told me so, but I dont remember who the servants were that told me so. I recollect once, I came to town and left the linen with my daughter to wash ; 1 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 I looked them over, that there might be something more than usual. My opinion was, that it was from a miscar- riage. The linen had the appearance of a miscarriage, 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 bejieve it was she who told me that the Princess was bled with leeches ; but the appearance of the Unea wUich I have spoken of before, was different
30
i'rom that which it was said was stained by bleeding with leeches. I remember the child coining. 1 used to wash the linen for the child, and Mrs. Gosden who nursed the child, used to pay me tor it. 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 Charlton, and I will produce it if J can hud it.
B. TOWNLEY.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the '23d day of June, 1SOO', before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER. GRENVILLE, ELLEN BOROUGH,
(No. 10.)
Deposition of Thomas Edmeades^ of Greenwich^ Surgeon and Apothecary.
J AM a surgeon and apothecary at Greenwich, and was appointed the surgeon and apothecary of the Princess of Wales, in 1801. 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 have frequently attended her for colds. I do not recollect that I ever said any thing toher respectiug the Princess of Wales. It never once entered my thoughts while I attended the Princess, that she was pregnant. 1 never said that she was so to Ffcany Lloyd. I have bled the Princess twice;
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 not 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 don't remember that she had any illness. I did not use to bleed her twice a year. I certainly saw Her Royal Highness in Nov. 1802, 1 saw her on the 16th of November, but 1 had not any idea of her being then with child. I did not attend her on the 16th November, but I saw her then ; I was visiting a child (a male child,) from Deptford. I have no recollection of having seen the Prin- cess in October, 1802. The child must have been from three to five months old when I first ?aw 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 dur- ing the time I have spoken of. Sir Francis Millinan afc* tended her occasionally.
THOMAS EDMEADES.
Sworn at Lord Grenville's House in Downing-street, the 25th day of June, 18Q6, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, GRFNVILLE, ELLENBOROUGH.
(No. 20.)
Deposition of Samuel Gillani Mills, ofGreenwicht Surgeon.
I AM a surgeon at Greenwich ; have been in partnership with Mr. Edmeades since 1SOO. Before he was my part- ner 1 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, arid from that time I never at- tended Her Royal Highness, or any of the servants, in my medical capacity, except that I once attended Miss Gouch, and once MissMillfield. 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 1 attended her. When first I saw the child, 1 think it must have been about ten months old. It must have been prior to April, 1801. 1 understood that the child was taken through charity. I remember that there was a female ser- vant who attended in the coffee-room. I never said to that woman, 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. 1 was 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 being then blooded. I do recollect
S3
something of having attended the servant who was in the coffee-room, 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 I saw the qjiild. 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 Down ing-street, the 25th day of June, 1806, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE,
J. Becket. ELLENBOROUGH.
(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
* F
34
Douglas. I remember her lying in. It happened by ac- cident that her Royal Highness was in the house at the time of Lady Douglas's delivery. I think it wis in July, 1802. I was there myself. The Princess wa:s riot 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 chi Id without my observing it. I never was at a breakfast with the Princess at Lady Wil lough by 's. The Princess took a little girl into the house about nine years ago. I was not in the house at the time. 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- ces--. I remember Captain Man by being there sometimes. lie was not there very often. He used to comeat 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 diifeient hours, seldom before ten or eleven. I never knew her up at six o'clock in the morning. If she had been up so early I should not hav.e known it, not being up so early luyss-.lf. I remember the Princess giving Captain Manby an ink-stand. He had. the care of two boys whom she protected. I can't say irhaV Captain Manby did not sleep at SqjUhend. He may have slept iu 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 goine 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 Edgcombe. The Princess sa\v a great deal of company there. Sir Richard Strachan used to come there. I don't know what was the cause of his discontinui-ng his visits there. I 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 27th day of June, 1806, before us,
ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE,
J. Becket. ELLENBOR0UGH.
(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- loughby, makes it the indispensable duty of the persons to whom his Majesty has entrusted the Enquiry, fur- ther to request that her Ladyship will have the goodness to return in writing, distinct and separate answers to the exclosed 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 ou 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 tovyn it may probably be judged necessary, for the sake of uniformity in this most important proceeding, that she sho,uld be so good as to confirm on oath, the truth of the written answers re- quested from her Ladyship.
(No Signature in the original}
37
(No. 23,)
•
Sidmouth^uty 3, 180S.
MY LOUD,
I IMMEDIATELY communicated to Lady Willoughby the Queries transmitted to me in the envelope of a letter dated July the first, which I 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 at- tendance. She will most readily obey the Order of the Council, should her presence become necessary.
1 have the honour, &c.
GWYDIR.
fo Earl Spencer, $c. fyc. fyc.
true Copy, /. Beckct.
(No. 24.)
Queries. Answers.
1. Does Lady Willough- 1. In the eourseof the
by remember seeing the last ten years the Princess
Princess of Wales at break- of Wales has frequently
fast or dinner at her house, done me the honour to
either at Whitehall or Bee- breakfastand dine at White-
ketrriam, en or about the months of May or June, 1802?
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 hoaour of receiving her, I have no precise recollection.
2. Has- her Ladyship any leeo-llection of the circum- stance of her Royal High- ness having retired from the company at such breakfast or dinner, on account, or imder the pretence, of hav- ing spilt any thing over her handkerchief? And if so, did Lady Willoughbyattend her Royal Highness on that occasion? and what then passed between them rela- tive to that circumstance?
2. I do not remember her Royal Highness hav- ing at any time retired from the company either at Whitehall, or a-t Langley, under the pretence of hav- ing spilt any thing over her handkerchief.
3. Had Lady Willoughby frequent opportunities in the course of that year, to gee 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 ?
3. To the best of 1113^ 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 particularcircumstances re- lative to her Royal High- ness's appearance.
A. Is Lady Willoughby acquainted with any other circumstances leadingto the *ame 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 singlte instance of her Royal Highftess's con- duct in society towards any individual, tending to esta- blish the fact of a criminal intercourse, or improper familiarity.
WILLOUGHBV.
(No. 2.5.)
Robert Bid good-— further Deposition.
THE Princess used to go out in her phaeton with coach- man and helper, towards Long Reach, e;ght or ten time?, 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 Ai'ricaine sailed from Southend the Princess ordered us to pack up for Blackheath next morning. Captain Man by 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 Xo. 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 SouthencU I used to see water-jugs, basons, and towels, set out opposite the Princess's door, in the p .sage, — 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 Hammond (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 poney which Captain Manby 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 Mnnby, 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. All the up- per servants had keys of the doors to the Park to let her Royal Highness in and out. I used to see Sicard receive letters from Mrs. Sander to put in the post instead of the bag. This was after Captain Manby was gone to sea, I suspected this to be for Captain Manby, and others in the house suspected the same.
(Signed) R. BIDGOOD.
Sworn before us in Downing-street, this third day of July.
(Signed) ERSKINE,
SPENCER, A true Copy, GRENVILLE,
J. Eeckei. ELL EN BOROUGH.
41
(No. 26.) Sir Francis Miltman's Deposition
I ATTENDED the Princess of Wales in the spring and latter end of the year 1802, i. e. in March, knd 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 cither 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 dont 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 having 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 deli- vered of a child without my observing it. She during that year, and at all times,' was in the habit of receiving ;he visits of the Duke of Gloucester.
I never attended her Royal Highness but on extraor- dinary illnesses. Her Royal Highness has, for the last year and half, had her prescriptions mude up at Walker and Youug's, St. Jaraes's-street.
*G
42
If she had been a pregnant woman in June, 1*302, 1 could not have helped observing it.
FR. MILMAX.
Sworn before us in Downing-street, July 3d, 180S, by the said Sir Francis Mil man.
ERSKIXE, SPEXCKR, A true Copy, GREXVILLE,
J. Becktt* ELLEXBOROUGH.
CNo. 27.)
The Deposition of Mrs. Lisle.
1 (HESTER LISLE) am in the Princess of Wales's fa- mily; have been so ever since her Royal Highness's mar- fiage. I was not at Southend w;th the Princess — was at Blackheath with her in 1802, but am not perfectly sure as to date. I am generally a month at a time (three months 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. I had no reason to know or believe that she was pregnant. During my attendance, hardly a day passes without my seeing her. She could not have been far advanced in pregnancy without my knowing it. I was at East Cliff with her Royal Highness in August, 1S03. I saw Captain Manby only once at East Cliff, iu August, 1803, to the best of my
43
recollection. He might have been oftener: and once again at Deal Castle. Captain Manby landed there with some boys the Princess takes on charity. I saw Captain Man- by 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 llamsgate — 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 his ship was fitting up at Deptford. He was there frequently, I think not every day — he generally came to dinner — three or four times a week or more — I 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 sten 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 ; •—I think Sir Sidney Smith came also frequently the Christmas before that, to the best of my recollection. At dinner, when Captain Manby dined, he always sat next her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The constant company \vere, Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald and myself, we all retired with the Princess and sat in the same room. He generally retired about eleven o'clock : he sat with us till then. This occurred three or four times a week, or more. Her Royal Highness, the Lady in waiting, and her Page, have each a key of the door from the Greenhouse to the Park. Captain Manby and the Princess used, when we were together, to be speaking together separately — conversing separately, but not in a room alone together, to my knowledge. He was a person with whom she ap- peared to have greater pleasure in talking than to her la- dies. She behaved to him only as any woman v/ould
44
who likes flirting. I should not have thought any mnri ried woman would have behaved properly who should have behaved as her Royal Highness did to Captain Manby. 1 can't say whether she was attached to Captain Man by, 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 Sheffield'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 Highness'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 that night. The next day other company came ; Mr. Chester remained. I heard her Royal Highness s;»y she had been ill in the night, and came and lighted her candle in her ser- vant's room. I returned from ShetField-place to Black* heath with the Princess — Captain Moore dined there — I left him and the Princess twice alone, fora short time — • hettiight 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 Captaih 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 with 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 arn not certain •whether the Princess answered any letters of Lady Dou^
45
las. I was atCatherington with the Princess. Remember Mr. now Lord Hood, there, and the Princess going out airing with him alone in Mr. Hood's little whis- key, 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 appeared to pay no attention to him but that of com- mon civility to an intimate acquaintance. Remember the Princess sitting to Mr. Lawrence for her picture at Blackheath,and in London. I have left her at his house in town with him, but I think Mrs. Fitzgerald was with her; and she sat alone with him I think at Blackheath. I was never in her Royal Highness' s confidence, but she has 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 frequent- ly. Sir Sidney Smith visited about the same time with the Dougla ses. I have seen Sir Sidney there very late in the evening, but not alone with the Princess. I have no reason to suspect he had a key of the Park-gate. 1 never heard of any T>ody being found wandering about at Black- heath. I have heard of somebody being found wander- ing about late at night at Mount Edgcuuibe, when the Princess was there. I heard that two women and a man were seen crossing the hall. The Princess saw a great deal of company at Mount Edgcumbe. Sir Richard Strachan was reported to have spoken freely of the Princess. I did not hear that he .had otfered a rudeness to her person, She told m.e she had heard he had spoken disrespectfully
45
of her, and therefore I believe wrote to Him by Sir Sa- niuel Hood. •
• (Signed) HESTER LISLE.
Signed before us, in Downing-street, this third day of July, 130(5,
ERSKINE. SPENCER. A true Copy, GRENVILLE.
J* BcekeL ELLENBOROUGH,
(No 28.) Lower Brovk-strcet, July 4, 150(5.
MY LORD,
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 Blackhead), 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 far as the examination of my paper? will per- mit, to correct an error into which I fell, in stating to their Lordships, that I attended her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in the spring of 1802, and that 1 then met his lloyal Highness the late Duke of Gloucester at Black heath. It was in the spring of 1801, and not of 1802, that, after attending her Royal Highness the Prin- cess of Wales for ten or twelve days, I had the honour of seeing the Duke of Gloucester at lu.-r house.
I have the honour, &c.
A true Copy, FR. MILMAN*
J. Becket.
47 Earl Cholmondeley, sworn July 1 6/7*, 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 with the names of Sir Sidney Smith and Lady Douglas.
This puper 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 shewn to his Lordship also marked (B.) he gave the same answer.
His Lordship was also shewn the cover marked (C.) t* which his Lordship answered, I do not see the same re- semblance to the Princess's writing in this paper.
CHOLMONDELEY.
Sworn before us, July 16th, 1806.
ERSKINE. A trueCopy, SPENCER,
John Becktt. GRENVILLE.
APPENDIX (B).
Statement of Lady Douglas.
rllS Royal Highness the Prince of Wales having judged proper to order me to detail to him, as Heir Apparent, the whole circumstances 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 con- ceived, 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 tran- quillity 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 pre- vent such a person from, perhaps, one day, placing a spurious Heir upon the English Throne, and which his1 Royal Highness has indeed a right to fear, and commu- nicate 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."
As an Englishwoman, educated in the highest respect- *H
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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 respect- ful regard 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.
For the information, therefore, of his Majesty and of the Heir Apparent, and by the desire 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 daughter, born upon the 17th 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 pelisse, primrose-coloured half boots, and a small *ilac 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 customary) ; to my astonishment she returned my courtesy by a familiar nod, and stopped. Old Lady
£1
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 you are Lady Douglas, and you have a very beautiful child ; I should like to see it." I answered that I was Lady Douglas. Her Royal High- ness then said, " I 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 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 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 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 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; aa 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 Princess having visited me, and a few days after this, we received a note from Mrs. Lisle (who was in waiting) commanding us to dine at Montague House. We went, and there were several persons at the dinner. I remember Lord and Lady Dartmouth, 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 were with her, we al- ways sat together. Her Royal Highness was never at-, tended by any livery servants, but she always walked about Biackheath and the neighbourhood only with her female attendants. In a short time, the Princess became so extravagantly fond of me, that, however flattering it might be, it certainly was very troublesome. Leaving her attendants below, she would push past my servant, and run up 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 high-flown compliments that women are never used to pay to each other. I 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 frioro almost any English woman ; your arms are line 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 dear Lady Douglas) are nothing but softness and sweetness, and yet quite dark. In this manner she went on perpetually, even be-
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fore strangers. I remember when I was 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 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 — Take off your hat. I did not do it, and she took it off; but his Royal Highness, t 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 the 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 Highness forgot her high station (and she was always forgetting it) ; we trust, and hope, and feel satisfied, we never fora 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 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 Princess and her Ladies with me, or we at Montague House, we passed our time. Twice, after spending the morning with me, she remained without giving me any previous notice, and would dine with us, and thus ended the year 1801.
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 " will grant me." I told her, " I was sure she could not " make any unworthy request, and that I uould 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 I 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 Heyman 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 qould; 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. Wind ham 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 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 so; it was brought, and the Princess drank it all. — 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 months. I answered, I was at Montague House, acting as lady in waiting, until Miss Garth was well, as the Prin- cess told me she was ill. Lord Dartmouth look'd 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 stile of the Prin- cess of Wales's conversation, which was constantly very loose, and such as I had not been accustomed to hear; such as, in many instances, 1 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. 1 confess 1 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 desire 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 herTower, 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 ? I really like Sir John better than any body, and am quite satisfied and j?appy. I waited nine years for him, and never would marry any other person. The Princess 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 theTower,but by good fortune Sir Sidney Smith had pre- viously called and been admit ted, and as we were walking by the house, her Royal Highness saw the Prince com- ing, went immediately out of sight,, and ran and told a servant to say she and I were gone walking, and we im- mediately walked away to Charlton, having first, unper- ceived, seen Prince William ride back again, (of course not very well pleased, and possibly believing I had a hand in his ridiculous adventure.) It seems he was angry; for soon after his Royal Highness, the late Duke of Glouces- ter, came and desired to see the Princess, and told her, that b.is son William had represented to him how very free she permitted Sir Sidney Smith to be, and how con- stantly he was visiting at Montague House ; that it rested with herself to keep her acquaintance at a proper distance,
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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 he more cautious than other people. To end this lecture (as she called it) sbe rang the bell, and desired Mrs*. 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 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 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 Highness 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-
* Query, Mr. Cole. ftf
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son. I begged her not to think of doing such a thing, saying, Your Royal Highness knows it is not so, and although I wotild 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 I 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 this 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 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, 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. 1 said, I shall continue to think as Miss Garth did, and that it depended very much upon the lady. Upon the 29th 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, aod 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, sf 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 I
59
<r please, and His Royal Highness pays for all — Other t{ 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 T 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 follow my own plans." She then put the 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 " Brunswick, and do not know what the sensation Fear " is ; but as lo 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 ; te 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 wag 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 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 necessary. 1 will go into the House of
* The Chancellor may now, perhaps, be able to grant her request^. N. B. The passage contained in this Note is, in the authenticated Copy transmitted to the Princess of Wale$} placed m the margin.
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ee 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 in Carl <f ton House, he often asked me why I did not select " some particular gentleman for my friend, and was sQr- " prised I did not." — She then added, " I am not treated (t at all as a Princess of Wales ought to be. As to the " friendship of the Duke of Gloucester's Family, <f 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 (f my own choosing, and I beg you always to re- " member, all your life, that I shall always be happy to see " you. I think you very discreet, and the best woman te in the world, and 1 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 called away, " do not go home to your family ; it is not pleasant after t{ people have children, therefore always come to my <s 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 all my friends having free permission to visit. Mrs*. 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, * Query, Mr. Cole.
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to ihem 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 aoi sure you know all the *f 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 ?" 1 affected 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 breakfast- " ing with Lady Willoughby. The milk flowed up into " my breast so fast, that it came through my muslin " gown, and I was obliged to pretend that I had spilt " something, and go up-stairs to wipe my gown with " a napkin, and got up-stairs into Lady Willoughby's <e room, and did very well, but it was an unlucky adven- (C ture. I was, indeed, most sincerely concerned for her, conceiving it impossible but she must be ruined, and I expressed my sorrow in the strongest terms, saying, what \vould 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, foi 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 surprised to see how te well [ 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 fearsj and added, " You know nothing
62
" about these things ; if you had read Les Avantures ff 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 uiind 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 ine 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 to 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 consequently 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. I 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 occasions we always believed and hoped she could not be aware of
\vhat 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 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, " 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 last- "ing, when it was made by the son of a quack doctor." Before Miss Hamond, one evening at my house, she said, t( 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 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 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
64
" a disagreeable man, and not to be trusted, and that His " Majesty had told him, ( 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 sometimes : however they were no loss, for " there is not a man among them all whom any one can t( make their friend." As [ 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 they were very ill made, and had plum-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 sergeant, 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, T 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 anecdote?,
65
an'd circumstantial accounts of things that never are talked of, that I 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 husband 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 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 ac- count we eVer had) the was the aggressor from the begin- ning, herself alone, and I, as an humble individual, de- clare, that from the most heartfelt and unfeigried convic- tion, 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 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 unb'assed 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 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 dav 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 Highnesses guest, and cared nothing about her, I did not join in reviling her and Miss Jlumbcld. Sir Sidney Smith was present, and as there appeared a great friendship between the llumbolds 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. I was, however, mistaken ; for, observing me silent, she looked at me in a dreadful passion, and sard," Why don't yon speak, Lady Douglas, I know you think her ugly as.weli as u- — a vulgarcommow milliner ; Lord Heavens I 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 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 yoif re a liar, you're a liar, and 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, ler't,me in my chair. The conversa- tion was changed; at last,Sir Sidney said again, " Well,
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these Ladies have hud a severe trimming, they had better not have come to Blackheath, and there sits poor Lady Douglas, lookingas if she were going to be executed." As I was very far advanced in my pregnancy, it agitated me greatly, and I remained aloof arid very shy all the even- ing. When' I afterwards wrote to Sir'Sidney Smith for Sir John, upon some common occurrence, 1 said, I do not like the Princess of Wales's mode of treating her guests: he~ ailing 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, 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 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 aifronted 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) ; Mrs. Fitzgerald absolutely said, Yes. They made me very ner- vous, 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 never heard of its being thought a joke in any country, I was not in the least prepared to receive it in that liglit ; for that, 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
sometimes as audience, approving by looks ; sometimes a§ orators, begging me not to cry, (after they had all made Trie), and praising her Royal Highness as the most mag-, nanimous, amiable, good, beautiful, and gracious Prin- cess 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 hesawme ill, I appeared as cheerful as I could, and they all went away, the Princess taking no notice to him. Her Royal Highness had alwayssaid, she would be at my lying-in from the beginning to the end, and commanded me constantly to let 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 you sing." I was unwell all the night after her Royal Highness had been with me, and remained so all next day ; and next morn- ing, 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 to Montague House, where it so happened I was to have dined with the party. 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,jand finding how it was,wanted torun up into the room, but Dr. Mackie said positively she should not fipnie, and locked the. door nearest him to keep her out. Miss CholmoncU ley and Miss Fitzgerald were drove hoixie.
and her Royal Highness and Mrs. Fitzgerald stopped. Upon my giving a loud shriek she flew in at the other door, and came to me, doing every thing she possihly could to assist me, and held my eyes and head. The mo- ment 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, although, 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 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, as 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 in its appearance; 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. 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 in March, I was one Sunday morn- ing very much incommoded by pains in rny chest and sto- mach, and Her R,oyal Highness made Mrs. Sander give me some warm peppermint-water; there was raspberry- ice in the desert the same day, and I had just began to eat wine, when the Princess looked at me, and said, My dear
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Lady Dougla?, you have forgotten the pain you were' in this morning; and, turning to her page, ordered him to take away my plate.
' (Signed) CH A IILOTTE DOUGLAS,
JOHN DOUGLAS. In the presence of me,
(Signed) AUGUSTUS FREDERICK,
Dec. 3, 1S05. A true Copy,
(Signed) B. Bloomfield.
Mr. Cole, the page, removed, 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 forgetting 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 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 al! Mr. Earner'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 cat 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 rne, of which she had sent
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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 clo>e 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 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 T have taken others, wilt nrver be thoui:hr::i-y ti;;ug ;ii 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 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; bu6 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 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 .Royal Family. Her reply was, That she knew how to manage her dress, and by continually increasing large cushions behind, no one would observe, and fortu- nately the Birth-days were over, until she should have got rid of her appearance. In this manner passed all ^he time
of my confinement, at the end of which she sent Mrs. Fitzgerald 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 another godmother; Sir Sidney Smith would be the godfather. I named the Duchess of Athol, 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 Athol 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 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 armbands, a pearl bandeau round her head, and a long lace veil. When supper was announced, her Royal High- ness went in and tocfc 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 the supper she called the attention of the party to my good looks, and saying 1 was as lively
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and espiegk as ever ; said, that I had such sharp eyes, I found her out in everything, adding, Oh! she found me out one day in such a thing when I was at luncheon, and gave me a look which was soexpressive.thatlwassureshe knew. This speech, which she, between herself and me, was algebra to the party. I did not know what to do, hut 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; 1 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! 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 would 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, 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 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 T 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 them all, because old Mr. Smith had saved the Duke of
*L
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 30th 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, 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 before I went to pass Christmas in Gloucestershire, I was not admitted ; so that / never saw her after the 13th* of Octo- ber; but I heard the report of her having adopted an in- fant, and Miss Fitzgerald told it me as she rode past my house, but would not corne in, for fear she should bring ike 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 a 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, cho'se 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 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
* 30tb.
75
fine. She was going to have said more, when Mrs. Fitz- gerald opened the door and came in. The Princess con- sulted what I had better have, what would be good for me i declined ary thing, but she insisted upon it I should have some .«oup, and said, my dear Fitzgerald, pray go out and order some nice brownsoup 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 Depiford, whose husband had left her, that Mr. Stikeman ihe Page, had the honour of bringing it in, that itwas a poor little ill-looking thing when first brought, but now, with such great care, was growing very pretty, and that as Her Royal Highness was so good, and had taken the twins (whose father would not let them remain) and 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 fur 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 healths were strewed with napkins uhich were taken from the child ; for, very extraordinary to relate, this was 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, so we bring him up by hand with all kind of nourishing things, and you see how well he 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 ozcn secret, she could ill imagine I had been able to keep hers, and therefore under 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 di- vulged 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 curiously arranged party, I will put down the names, for to the person who is to peruse this detail, it will confirm the idea that Her Royal Highness cannot always know correctly what she is about. When we entered, the Prin- cess was sitting 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, her Governess, Captain Manby, of the Navy, Mr. Spencer Sfnith, the Fitzgeralds, and ourselves. She got up and nursed the child, and carry ing it to Sir John, said, " Here, fcir John, this is the Deptford boy, I supnose (< you have leard I have taken a little child." Sir John only said, Yes, he had, and it seemed a line baby. She seemed pleased and satisfied that I had not told jiim, and
then sat down to table, putting a chair for Princess Charlotte on her right hand, taking 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 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 0*1 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 come in, and when we did see her she always abused Sir Sidney Smith. Often said, she wondered I liked to 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 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 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 note 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
73
recollect how happy she should be to see him again, and that she would be very kind to me in hi<> absence ; however, after he was gone, she never came nnar 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, but she did not answer, and after speaking four or five hours 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, 1 found the children had been kept in the passage near the frontdoor, with the door open to Blackheath, in a December day, with four opposite doors opened and shut upon ihem, 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 afire, as the children cried dreadfully, and were very cold. I understand the man was a foot- man, 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 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 Burriaby 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 \vith Mrs. Lisle and Mrs. Fitzgerald. I 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
79
tossit 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 r.sked, who used them so. I told her, one of her livery servants, and Sir John would not like to hear of 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, pushing it into my hand — God bless you, my dear Lady Douglas. I said, I wished to decline taking anything, 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 treating Sir John's ' children so, unless he had been desired. She only answered, " Oh! no, indeed: goodbye." I attempted to put the box into her hands, saying I had rather not have it; but she dropt 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 looking o^it 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 I 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, unMer such unpleasant circumstances ; that I had not untied the box, and requested she would permit me to return it; and that as I was an English Gen- tlewoman, 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, desiring me to
80
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 overbearing 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 200 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 His Royal Highness would never live in England, in His Ma- jesty's life-time ; that she was certain of that, and had leasons for knowing it; and Sir John would never have him heie. I suppose she had taken this intoher 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 this score ; 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, her fear 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, m a civil manner, that she would thank me to keep away, 1 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 HOW) 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 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 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 so particular were her directions and permission upon this head, that she told me never to put my letters undercover, but always direct them to her- self. 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, and I therefore wrote to the Princess, saying, " From the moment she judged proper to come into rny family, I had always conducted myself towards Her Royal Highness with the respect her station demanded ; and that when she forced her
jecrets upon me, I had (whatsoever my sentiments were) kept them most honourably tor her, never yet having even told Sir John, although I gave him my full confidence in all ottyer things ; nor had I even, under my present aggra- vation, imparted it, or meant;— that after such generous conduct on my part, I was at a loss to conceive what she proposed to hent/fby persecuting me ; that I was afflicted at being so placed in the opinion ot 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 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/br ever, only first regretting I 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 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 rude- ness towards me ; that I was precisely what the Princess found me, when the Princess walked up to her knees in to seek my acquaintance, and precisely Me same in-
83
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 tu herself; and 1 would not, after acting in the mo>t 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 Roy- al Highness with thecontentsof 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 v^as 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. Can- ning), 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 \vassentto Sir John, as if nothing had happened, request- ing him to go to Montague 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 mannef, tak- ing 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 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
short and very polite answers, acquainting her no such thing was ever clone. She then said she must speak to Lord Melville about it, as it was a hard case. The lun- pheon was then announced, and she ordered Sir John to •attend herself and the ladies. Sir John found Mrs. Ver- n on 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 busi- ness 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 jior 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, si/ly, wretched, ungrateful, and illiteral (meaning illiterate), she tells me to take that, and it will mend rr>y 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 to trust me, for that I, am indiscreet, and tell every frody that the child she took from Deptford, was her own.
• So in tie authenticated copy ; soipe wgrds gr«t} omitted.
85
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 1 should have had the impudence to come on her door again, and tells me 'tis for ray 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 Henri/ the Eighth's Queen, and Lady Douglas. I was in- stantly satisfied it was from her Royal Highness the Prin- cess of Wals, 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, e\fery 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 days after I last saw her, that was the 30th of October ; there- fore her son was born upon the 1st 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
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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 n;y miud and affections from him, and he saw her pn suit of now chang- ing sides, and endeavouring 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 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 Land-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 that cool good sense which has ever marked his character, and with a belief in my innocence, which, nothing hut facts can stagger (tor 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 Waltz's loose and
* A blank in the authenticated copy.
87
ticious 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 sucti 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,"! never said a word to your wife, but what you might have heard ; and had I been so base %s 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 youself, and let us ask her what sac means by it; confront her." Accordingly Sir John u rote a note to the lady in waiting, which was to this ehYct : " Sir John and Lady Douglas, and Sir Sidney Sm th, present their compliments to the lady in waiting, and n quest she will have the goodness to say to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, that they are desiious of having an au- dience of Her Royal Highness immediately." We re- ceived no answer to this note; but, in a few dnys, 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 heroi the danger she runsof discovery, when she did such
8S
flagrant things, I wrote the under-written note and put it into the Post Ofiice, directed to herself.
** MADAM,
"I received your former anonymous letter safe ; also "your two last, with drawings.
*' I am, Madam,
" Your obedient servant, (Signed} « CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS,"
It appears evident that Her Royal Highness received tins- safe, ami felt ho-w she had committed herself, for, in- stead of returning it ya the.old style, she sent for his Royal Highness- the Duke of Kent, and requested him- to send for Sir Sidney, and by theoost Sir Sidney received an ano- nymous letter, say ing.the vv riter of that w ished for no chil tfisseHlimis, and that there seldom, was a difference where, if the parties wished it, they could not arrange matters, SirSidney 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, l>y this time, be cutting-each other's throats, sent very gra- ciously to stop them; in short, she called them civil dis- *PW/*OBS. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, being employed to negotiate, sent for Sir 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 the course of a few days, provided, when he came to her, he avoided ail disagreable discussionsjwhatsoever. His Royal Highness tlie 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 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, 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, *' Abomi- nable! 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 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 Smitlf came from His Royal High- ness the Duke of Kent to us, and delivered His Royal Highness's message. Sir John declined all negotiation; 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 sincere, that he would bury (for the present) his private calamity, 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.
* N
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- comnjenced a fresh torrent of outrage against Sir John ; find 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 Appa/ent'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 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 re- peat, 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 informa- tion. I have drawn up this detail iu the best manner I
91
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 solernnonanner, that I kfiowthem all to be true.
(Signed) CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS, JOHN DOUGLAS.
In the presence of AUGUSTUS FREDERICK. Greenwich Park, Dec. 3, 1805.
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. *
A true Copy,
B. Bloomfield,
A true Copy,
J. Becket.
Whitehall) 29th August > 1806,
(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 place, 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 he found that / had been a party concerned ; that if he had not placed the most entire reliance on my attachment to him, and, he 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 the 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 on which he 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 actu- ated me in observing a silence with regard to him upon the 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 acquies- cence with it. The Prince then gave me his hand, as- suring me he did not feel th,e smallest degree of displea- sure towards me, and proceeded to introduce the subject 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
95
'* me to come over to Blackheath, in order to assist he*
* in arranging a disagreeable matter between her, Sir Sidney Smith, Sir John and Lady Douglas, the particu-
' lars of which she would relate to me when I should call. I, in consequence, waited upon her, agreeable to her desire, a day or two after, when she commenced the
' conversation by telling me, that she supposed I knew
* she had, at one time, liv'd with Lady Douglas on a
* fooling of intimacy, but that she had had reason after- ' wards to repent having made her acquaintance, and was
" therefore rejoiced when she left Blackheath for Ply- " mouth, as she conceived that circumstance would break " off all further communication between her and that :c Lady; that, however, contrary to her expectation, upon " the return of Sir John and her from Plymouth to Lon- " don, Lady Douglas had called and left her name twice " or three times, notwithstanding she must have seen '-' that admission was refused her ; that having beencon- " firmed in the opinion she had before had occasion to " form of her Ladyship, by an anonymous letter she had " received, in which she was very strongly cautioned " against renewing her acquaintance with her, both as " being unworthy of her confidence, from the liberties she " had allowed herself to take with the Princess's name, " and the lightness of her character, she had felt herself " obliged, as Lady Douglas would not take the hint that " her visits were not wished for, to order Miss Vernon to " write her a note, specifically telling her, that they " would in future be dispensed with ; that the conse- " quence of this had been an application, through one of " her ladies, in the joint names of Sir Sidney Smith, Sir " John and Lady Douglas, for an audience, to require an " explanation of this, which they considered as an af- " front ; and that being determined not to grant it, or to (l suffer any unpleasant discussion upon the subject, she *c entreated me to take whatever steps I might judge best
94
st to put an end to the matter, and rid her of all further " trouble about it. I stated, in reply, that I had no " knowledge of either Sir John or Lady Douglas, and " therefore could not, in the^Ysf instance, address myself " to them ; but that I had some acquaintance with Sir *' Sidney Smith, and if the Princess was not averse to " that channel, I would try what I could in that way " effect. — This being assented to by the Princess, I took " my leave, and, immediately on my return home, wrote *' a note to Sir Sidney, requesting him to call upon me as " soon as he conveniently could, as I had some business " to speak to him upon. Sir Sidney, in consequence, " called on me (I think) the next day, when I related to " him the conversation, as above stated, that I had had " with the Princess. After hearing all I had to say, he " observed, that the Princess, in stating to me, that her " prohibition to Lady Douglas to repeat her visits at " Blackheath, had led to the application for an audience " of Her Royal Highness, had kept from me the real " cause why he, as well as Sir John and Lady Douglas ** had made it, as it originated in a most scandalous ano- " nymous letter, of a nature calculated to set on Sir John " and. him to cut each other's throats, which, from the '* hand-writing and stile, they were both fully convinced ** was the production of the Princess herself. I naturally " expressed my sentiments upon such conduct, on the " part of the Princess, in terms of the strongest animad- " version; but, nevertheless, anxious to avoid the shame- " ful eclat which the publication of such a fact to the £< world must produce; the effect, which its coming to " the King's knowledge would probably have on his *' health, from the delicate state of his nerves, and all the *' additional misunderstandings between His Majesty and " the Prince, whioh, I foresaw, would inevitably follow, " were this fact, which would give the Prince so powerful " a handle to express his feelings upon the countenance
95
shewn by the King to the Princess, at a time when t knew him to be severely wounded by His Majesty's visits to Blackheath, on the one hand, and the reports he had received of the Princess's conduct on the other, to be brought to light ; I felt it my bounden duty, as an honest man, to urge all these arguments with Sir Sidney Smith, in the most forcible manner I was master of ; adding also, as a further object, worthy of the most se- rious consideration, the danger of any appearance of ill-blood in the Family at such an eventful crisis, and to press upon his mind the necessity of his using his best endeavours with Sir John Douglas, notwithstand- ing all the provocation that had been given them, to induce him to let the matter drop, and pursue it no further. Sir Sidney observed to me, that Sir John Douglas was a man, whom, when once he had taken a line, from a principle of honour, it was very difficult to persuade to depart from it; however, as he thought, that if any man could prevail upon him, he might flat- ter himself with being the most likely to persuade him, from the weight he had with him; he would immedi- ately try how far he could gain upon him, by making use of those arguments I had brought forward to induce him to drop the matter altogether. About four or five days after this, Sir Sidney called upon mft again, and informed me, that upon making use with Sir John of those reasons, which I had authorized Ris stating to be those, by which I was actuated in making the request, that he would not press the business further, he had not been able to resist their force; but that the whole ex- tent of promise he had been able to obtain of him, amounted to no more, than that he would, 'under exist- ing circumstances remain quiet, if left unmolested ; for that he would not pledge himself not to bring the sub- ject forward hereafter, when the same motive might no longer operate to keep him silent. This result I com-
ss
" municated, to the best of my recollection, the follow- *' ing day to the Princess, who seemed satisfied with it; " and from that day to the present one, (Nov. 10, 1S05), " I never have heard the subject named again in any " shape, until called" upon by the Prince to make known *' to him the circumstances of this transaction, as far as I " could bring them to my recollection."
And now, having fulfilled what the Prince wished me to do, to the best of my abilities, in case hereafter any one, by whom a narrative of all the circumstances, as re- lated by Sir John and Lady Douglas, of whom I was in- formed by my Brother, subsequent to our conversation, should imagine, that I knew more of them than I have herein stated, I hereby spontaneously declare, that what I have written, is the whole extent of what I was apprized of; and had the Princess thought proper to inform me of what, in the narrative of the information given by Sir John and Lady Douglas, is alluded to, I should have felt myself obliged to decline all interference in the business ; and to have, at the same time, stated to her, that it would be impossible for me to keep a matter of such importance from the knowledge of the Prince.
(Signed) EDWARD.
December 27, 1805. '
^
A true Copy,
B. Bloomfidd.
A true Copy,
J. Becket.
Whitehall, 29th August, 1800.
(No. 3.)
For the Purpose of confirming the 'Statement, made by Lady Douglas, of the Circum- stances mentioned in her Narrative, the following Examinations have been taken, and which have been signed by the several Persons who have been examined.
SARAH LAMPERT.
N. B. This witness was not examined by the Com- missioners; at least, no Copy of any Examination of hers was transmitted with the other Papers ; and no ob- servation is made in the Report of the Commissioners, or in the answer of her Royal Highness upon her Exami- nations. It has, therefore, been thought that there was no necessity for publishing them.
There are two of them- one dated at Cheltenham, 8th January, 1806; the other with no date of place, but dated 20f h March, 1806.
MR. WILLIAM LAMPERT.
N. B. The same observations apply to Mr. Willieufo Lamperfs Examination, as to those of his Wife, with this additional circumstance, that the whole of his Exa- mination is mere hearsay.
*O
llth January, 1806, WILLIAM COLE.
Has been with the Prince for 21 years in that month ; he went with the Princess on her marriage, and remained till April, 1802.
In 1801, he says', he had reason to be dissatisfied •with the Princess's conduct. During the latter part of that year he has seen Mr. Canning several times alone with the Princess, in a room adjoining to the drawing-room, for an hour or two, of which the com- pany took notice.
In January, 1802, Sir Sidney frequently came to dine with the Princess, and their intimacy became familiar; he has frequently dined and supped at the house, and when the Ladies have retired, about eleven o'clock, he has known Sir Sidney remain alone with the Princess an hour or two 'afterwards ; hfs suspicions increased very much ; and one night, about twelve o'clock, he saw a person wrapped up in a great coat, go across the park, into the gate to the green house, and heveriJy believes it was Sir Sidney.
In the month of March, 1802, the Princess ordered gome sandwiches, which Cole took into the drawing- room, where, he found Sir Sidney talking to the Prin- cess; he sat down the sandwiches, and retired. In a short time he went again into the room, where he found the Gentleman and Lady sitting close together, in so familiar a posture as to alarm him very much, which he expressed by a start back, and a look attheGentle- man. He dates his dismissal from this circumstance ; for, about a fortnight afterwards, he was sent for by the Duke of Kent, who told him he had seen the Prin- cess at court the day before: that she had expressed the greatest regard for him, and that she intended to do something for him, by employing him, as a confi- dential person, to do her little matters in, town ; and
his attendance at Montague House would not be re- quired. He received this intimation with much con- cern; but said, Uer Royal Highness'* pleasure must govern him.
He says, that the cordiality between the Princess and Lady D, was very soon brought about; and, he supposes, on Sir Sidney's account ; that the Princess frequently went across the Heath to Lady D. where she staid till late in the evening, and that, sometimes, Lady D. and Sir Sidney have come with the Princess to Montague House late in the evening, when they have supped.
Sometime after he had left Montague House, he went down, when he spoke to Fanny Lloyd, and asked her how things went on amongst them ; she said, she wished she had remained amongst them ; there was strange goings on ; that Sir Sidney was frequently there; and that one day, when Mary Wilson supposed the Princess to be gone into the library, she went into the bed-room, where she found a man at breakfast with the Princess ; that there was a great to do about it ; and that Mary Wilson was sworn to secrecy, and threatened to be turned away if she divulged what she had seen,
He does not know much of what passecl at Margate in 1803.
In 1804, the Princess was at Southern!, where Fanny Uoyd also was ; when Cole saw her after her return, he asked how they had gone on; she said, " Delight- ful doings, always on ship-board, or the Captain at our house."
She told him, that one evening, when all were sup- posed to be in bed, Mrs. Lisle met -a man in the pas- sage; but no alarm was made — this was Captain Manby; he was constantly in the house. Mr. Cote says, that Mrs. Sander knows every thing ; that she has appeared in great distress on many occasions, and
100
has said to him, the Princess is an altered woman ; he believes Sander to be a very respectable woman.
He says, that he believes Roberts to be an honest man ; that Roberts has said to him -As Roberts him- self was examined by the Commissioners, and his deposition is given in Appendix A. No. 8, what Cole says he heard him say is omitted here.)
That Arthur, the gardener, is a decent man, but does not know if he is privy to any thing.
That Bidgood is a deaf quiet man, but thinks he has not been confidentially trusted.
That Mrs. Gosden was nurse to the child, and was always up-stairs with it ; she is a respectable woman ; but after some time, took upon herself much conse- quence, and refused to dine in the servant's hall.
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, with the Princess, and much suspicion was entertained of him.
WM. COLE.
14th January, 1S06*. WILLIAM COLE.
Says, that the Princess was at Mr Hood's, at Sather- ington, near Portsmouth, for near a month in the laet summer, where she took her footman and servants.
That the house in which Mr. Hood lived was given up to the Princess, and he, and his family, went to re- side in a small house adjoining.
That the Princess and Mr. Hood very frequently went out in the forenoon, and remained out for four or five hours at a time.
That they rode in a gig, attended by a boy, (a coun-
101
try lad) servant to Mr. Hood, and took with them cold meat ; that they used to get out of the gig, and walk into the wood, leaving the boy to attend the horse and gig till their return. This happened very frequently; that the Duke of Kent called one day, and seeing the Princess's attendants at the window, came into the house, and after waiting some time, went away without seeing the Princess, who was out with Mr. Hood.
This information Mr. Cole had from Fanny Lloyd.
When Mr.Cole found the drawing-room, which led to the staircase to the Princess's apartments, locked, he does not know whether any person was with her, but it appeared odd to him, as he had formed some suspicions.
Mr. Cole says, that he saw the Princess at Black- heath about fourtimes in the year 1802, after he left her in April, and five or six times in London; that he had heard a story of the Princess's being with child, but cannot say that he formed an opinion that she was so ; that she grew lusty, and appeared large behind ; and that at the latter end of the year he made the observation, that the Princess was grown thinner.
That he cannot form an opinion about the child; that he has seen an old man and woman (about 50 years of age) at Montague House on a Sunday, and has inquired who they were, when he was answered by the servants in the hall, " That is little Billy's mother," (meaning the child the Princess had taken, and which was found by Stikeman.)
WM. COLE.
10S
Temple, 30th January, 1806.
WILLIAM COLE
Says, that on the 17th of January instant, he walked from Blackheath to London with Mr. Stikeman, and, in the conversation on the road, Cole mentioned the circumstance of the little child, saying, that he was grown a fine interesting boy ; to which Stikeman re- plied, What, do you mean Billy Austin? Cole said Yes. Pray do the old man and woman come to see the child as usual ? Stikeman said, " Old man and woman! they are not old ; we have not seen them much lately ; they live at Deptford ;" but he appeared to avoid any, conversation on the subject. Cole says, that the account of the correspondence between the Princess nnd Captain Manby was communicated to iohim by Fanny Lloyd, but she never mentioned any such correspondence having taken place through Sicard, since Captain Manby went abroad.
Cole says, that he has not been in the company, or presence, of the Prince alone, or had any conversation with him on this, or any other subject, since the Prin- cess went to live at Charlton, which is near nine years ago-
WM. COLE.
23 d February, 1 80 6\
WILLIAM COLE
Says, that a Gentleman and Lady were sitting close together on the sofa ; but there was nothing particular in their dress, position of legs or arms, that was ex- traordinary ; he thought ii improper that a single Gen- eman should be sitting quite close to a married Lady
103
on the sofa ; and from that situation, and former observation^ he thought the thing improper.
The person who was alone with the Lady at late hours of the night (twelve and one o'clock), and whom he left sitting up after he went to bed, was Mr. Law- rence the painter, which happened two different nights at least.
As to the observation made about Sir Sidney having a key of every door about the gardens, it was a garden- er, who was complaining of the door of the green-house being left open, and the plants damaged, and who aiade the same to Mr. Lam pert, the servant of Sir John Douglas, and which he mentioned at Cheltenham to Sir John and Mr. Lowten.
Lam pert said he should know the gardener again.
Temple, 4th April, 1SO& ROBERT BIDGOOD.
Have lived with the Prince 23 years on the 18th of September next, and have been with the Princess since 21st March, 1798. In 1 80'2 we were at Blackheath, and did not go to any other place: in 1801 Sir Sidney Smith left his card at Montague House, and he was afterwards iuvited to dinner; and, in the Spring of 1802, Lady Douglas came to reside at the Tower, where she stayed about three week's. During this time Sir Sidney was frequently at the House, both morning and evening, and remained till three or four o'clock in the morning. He has seen Sir Sidney in the blue par- lour early (by ten o'clock) in the morning : and, on in- quiring from the footmen how he came there without his knowledge, they said, they had not let him in, and knew nothing of his being there. He does not know of Sir Sidney being alone till three or four o'clock in the morning, as there were other Ladies in the house,
During the year 1802 the Princess used to ride out in her phaeton, attended by Mrs. Fitzgerald, and took out cold meat, and went towards Dartford, where she spent the day, and returned about six or seven in the evening, — Williams, the coachman, always attended the Princess.
Lady Douglas, during the year 1802, was constantly at Montague House, and was admitted at all times. The Princess was used frequently logo to Lady Doug- las's house, where Sir Sidney resided ; at the end of that year there was a misunderstanding between Lady Douglas and the Princess ; and one day he saw Lady Douglas leave the house in tears, and afterwards she has not visited the Princess. Mr. Bidgood's wife has lately told him, that Fanny Lloyd told her, that Mary Wilson had told Lloyd, that one day, when she went into the Princess's room, she found the Princess and Sir Sidney in the fact; that she (Wilson) immediately left the room, and fainted at the door.
In the Winter of 1802, and the Spring of 1803, Cap- tain Manby became a visitor at Montague House ; his frigate was fitting out at Deptford, and Bidgood has reason to believe, that the Princess fitted up his cabin, for he has seen the cotton furniture brought to the Princess to chuse the pattern, which was sent to Blake, her upholsterer, in London-street, Greenwich. When Captaia Manby was about to sail, he was walking in the anti-room, to let Captain Manby out: and, as he stayed some time, Bidgood looked into the room, and from a mirror on the opposite side of the room to vfhere Captain Manby and the Princess stood, he saw Captain Manby kissing the Princess's lips; and soon afterwards he went away. He saw the Princess, with her handkerchief to her face, and go into the drawing- room, apparently iu tears.
In 1803, was not with the Princess at Margate.
In 1S04, was with the Princess at Southend. We
105
went there the 2d of May ; Sicard was constantly on the look-out forthe Africaine, Captain Manby's ship; and about a month afterwards, Sicard descried the ship, before she c%ame to the Nore. The instant the ship cast anchor, the Captain came on shore in his boat to the Princess. The Princess had two houses, Nos. 8 and 9. She lived at No. 9 ; and on Sicard seeing Captain Man by come on shore, he ran down the shrubbery to meet, and shewed him into the house, No. 9 ; Captain Manby was constantly at No. 9; and used to go in the evening on board his ship, for some weeks ; but afterwards he did not return on board the ship in the evening, and Bidgood had seen him in the morning, by ten o'clock, in the house, No. 9; and, from the circumstance of towels, water, and glasses, being placed in the passage, he had reason to believe that Manby had slept there all night.
In 1805, Bidgood was not with the Princess in Hampshire.
After the Princess returned from Hampshire, Cap- tain Hood used to visit the Princess at Blackheath alone, without his wife. Captain Hood used to come about twelve o'clock, and was shewn into the blue room, where luncheon was ordered ; and the Princess and the Captain were alone together, without a lady or other attendant. He used to stay dinner, and sometimes in boots ; about an hour afterwards coffee \vas ordered ; after which the Pr;ncess retired, and Captain Hood had also left the room, aud had i»ot been let out of the house by any of the servants. Bidgood has not seen Captain Hood since about Christ- mas last.
Bidgood has strong suspicions that Mrs. Sander used to deliver letters to Sicard, which he conceived to be from the Princess to Captain Manby, as Sicard
106
used to put the letters into his pocket, and not into the common bag for letters.
Mrs. Sander must be fully informed of all the cir- cumstances above alluded to. Mary Wilson and Miss Mielfield must also know all the circumstances.
Bidgood has seen the mother (as she is called) of the little boy frequently at Montague House ; the child was about three weeks old when he first saw it. The mother was at Montague House on Monday last. The husband worked at Deptford Yard ; but was dis- charged, and Stikeman has since employed him at his house in town. The mother appears to be better dres- sed than usual.
(Signed) R. BIDGOOD,
SARAH BIDGOOD,
About six months ago, in a conversation with Fanny Lloyd, respecting the general conduct of the Princess, .she said, that whilst Sir Sidney visited the Princess, that Mary Wilson had gone into the bed-room to make up the lire, and found the Princess and Sir Sidney in such an indecent situation, that she immediately left the room, and was so shocked that she fainted away at the door.
( This witness was not examined before the Commissi- oners ; at least, no Copy of such Examination, if there was any, was transmitted with the other Papers. The jirst paragraph in her examination is, however, stated above, as it is observed upon in the Princess's Answer ; but the remainder, not being adverted to, either by the Commissioner's Report, or by the Answer, and being all /learsay, is omitted,
107
Temple, IZth May, 1800, FRANCES LLOYD,
FROM RIPLEY IN SURREY.
To the best of1 my knowledge, Mary Wilson said that she had seen the Princess and Sir Sidney in the blue room ; but she is so close a woman, that she never opens her mouth on any occasion ; never heard Mary Wilson say she was so alarmed as to be in a fit.
Heard the gardener at Ramsgate say one day, at dinner, that he had seen Mr. Sicard and Captain Man- by go across the lawn towards a subterraneous pas- sage leading to the sea.
When her Royal Highness was going to the launch, Sir Andrew Hammond and his son came the day be- fore, and dined with her, and in the next morning, about four o'clock, after the doors of the house were open, she saw Captain Manby sitting in the drawing-- room of the adjoining house to her Royal Highness, which room belonged to her.
One morning, about six o'clock, she was called ta get breakfast for her Royal Highness, when she saw Captain Manby, and her walking in the garden, at Ramsgate.
Heard from Mrs. Lisle's maid, that the Princess, •when at Lady Sheffield's, went out of her bed-room^ and could not find her way back; but nothing more.
108
About four years ago, as I think, Mr. Mills attended me for a cold, and, in conversation he asked me if the Prince visited at our house? I said, not to my know- ledge. He said the Princess certainly was with child.
FRANCES LLOYD.
A true Copy,
(Signed) J. Ztecket*
•
Whitehall, 29th August, 1806.
FINIS.1
STATED IN THE
APPENDIXES.
APPENDIX (A).
No. 1806, Page
1. The King's Warrant, dated 29 May.
2. Deposition of Lady Douglas, 1 June.
3. ... Sir John Douglas, 1
4. ....... Robert Bidgood, 6
5. William Cole, 10
6. . . - - Frances Lloyd, 7
7. .-...,- Mary Wilson, 7
5. ---.-' — Samuel Roberts, 7 9. ....... Thomas Stikeman, 7
10. ..----- John Sicard, 7
11.- Charlotte Sander, 7
12. ----- - - Sophia Austin, 7
13. Letter from Lord Spencer to Lord
Gwydir, 20 25
'14. ...... Lord Gwydir to Lord
Spencer, 2| 26
15. ...... Lady Willoughby to
Lord Spencer, 31 27
16. Extract from Register of Brown-
low-street Hospital, 23 27
17. Deposition of Eliz.Gosden, 23 23
LIST OF DOCUMENTS.
No. 180^ Page
IS. Depos n of Betty Townley, 23 June. -29
19. - - Thomas Edmeades, 25 3O
20. Samuel G. Mills, 25 32
21. Harriet Fitzgerald, 27 33
22. Letter from Lord Spencer to Lord
.Gwydir, - - 1 July. 36
23. - - -Lord Gwydir to Lord
Spencer, 3 37 24 Queries lu Lady Willoughby,und
Answers, - 3 ib.
25. Further Deposition of Robert Bid-
good, - 3 39
26. Deposition of Sir Francis Millman, 3 4i 27. of Mrs. Lisle, 3 42
28. Letter from Sir Francis Millman to
the Lord Chancellor, 4 46
29. Deposition of Lord Cholmondeley, 16 41
APPENDIX (B);
1. Lady Douglas's Statement, 49
2. Narrative of His Royal Highness the 92
Duke of Kent,
3 Examination for the purpose of Confirming Lady Douglas's Statement, 97
ERRATA.
Page 198, for December 8th, 1807, read December 8th, 18i6.
At the foot of each of the Documents, stated in the Appendix, from Jfos. 1 to 19, both inclusive, read ** A true Copy,
" J. Socket."
R. EDWARDS, PRINTER, CRANE-COURT, FLEET-STREET.
Reprinted by M. Jones, No, 5, Newgate-street, London.
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