tiently or precipitately. To avoid coming to this painful extremity, I have taken every step in my power, except that which would abandon my character to utter infamy, and my station and life to no uncertain danger, and possibly to no very distant destruction.With every prayer for the lengthened continuance 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 prosperity of your dominions, under your Majesty's propitious reigu, I remain, your Majesty's most dutiful, loyal, and affectionate, but most unhappy and most injured, daughter-in-law, subject and servant, (Signed) C. P. Montague-house, March 5, 1807. To the King. Sire,-Impressed with the deepest sentiments of gratitude for the countenance and protection which I have hitherto uniformly received from your Majesty, I approach you with a heart undismayed upon this occasion, so awful and momentous to my character, 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 for any partiality, for any indulgence, for any thing more than what is due to me in justice. My entire confidence in your Majesty's virtues assures me that I cannot meet with less. The situation, which I have been so happy as to hold in your Majesty's good opinion and esteem; 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 Commissioners, acting under your Majesty's warrant, has most fully cleared me of that charge. But there remain imputations, strangely sanctioned and countenanced by that Report, on which I cannot remain silent, with out incurring the most fatal consequences to my honour and character. For it states to your Majesty, that" The circumstances detailed against me must be credited, till they are decisively 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 testimony; 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 ne gatived the principal charge of substantive crime, should have entertained considerations of matters that amounted 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 pres sure and weight of their official 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 conspiracy against me; and must have preserved my 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 this ex parte 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, constituting no legal of fence, 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 lamentation at least, if not of well-grounded complaint. In commenting upon any part of the circumstances, which have occurred in the course of this Inqui ry, whatever observations I may be compelled to make upon any of them, I trust, I shall never forget what is due to officers in high station and employment, under your Majesty. No apology, 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 indignation which innocence, so foully calumniated, must feel, your Majesty will, I trust, not attribute my forbearance to any insensibility to the grievous injuries I have sustained; but will graciously be pleased to ascribe it to the restraint I have imposed upon myself, lest in endeavouring to describe in just terms the motives, the conduct, the perjury, and all the foul circumstances, which characterize and establish the malice of my accusers, I might use language, which, though not unjustly applied 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 addressing your Majesty.That a fit opportunity has occured 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 investigation, and my neighbours and servants had been examined 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 peculiar situation, it will not be thought 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 "be questioned;" and their infamous stories and Kent, on the 7th of June, announced it to me. insinuations against me, to be "such as deserve He announced to me, the Princess of Wales, in the most serious consideration, and as must be the first communication made to me, with re-credited till decisively contradicted. The spect to this proceeding, the near approach of Inquiry, after I thus had notice of it, continued two attorneys (one of them, I since find, the so- for above two months. I venture not to comlicitor employed by Sir John Douglas), claiming plain, as if it had been unnecessarily protracted. to enter my dwelling, with a warrant, to take The important duties and official avocations of away one half of my household, for immediate the Noble Lords, appointed to carry it on, may examination upon a charge against myself. Of naturally account for and excuse some delay. the nature of that charge I was then uninformed. But however excusable it may have been, your It now appears, it was the charge of High Trea- Majesty will easily conceive the pain and anxson, committed in the infamous crime of adul- iety which this interval of suspense has occatery. His Royal Highness, I am sure, will do sioned; and your Majesty will not be surprised me the justice to represent to your Majesty, that if I further represent, that I have found a great I betrayed no fear, that I manifested no symp- aggravation of my painful sufferings, in the detoms of conscious guilt, that I songht no excuses lay which occurred in communicating the Report to prepare, or to tutor, my servants for the ex- to me. For though it is dated on the 14th July, amination which they were to undergo. The I did not receive it, notwithstanding your Maonly request which I made to His Royal Highness jesty's gracious commands, till the 11th of Auwas, that he would have the goodness to remain gust. It was due unquestionably to your Ma with me till my servants were gone; that he jesty, that the result of an Inquiry, commanded might bear witness, that I had no conversation by your Majesty, upon advice which had been with them before they went. In truth, Sire, my offered, touching matters of the highest import, anxieties, under a knowledge that some serious should be first and immediately communicated mischief was planning against me, and while I to you. The respect and honour due to the was ignorant of its quality and extent, had been Prince of Wales, the interest which he must neso great that I could not but rejoice at an event, cessarily have taken in this Inquiry, combined which seemed to promise me an early opportu- to make it indisputably fit that the result should nity of ascertaining what the malice of my ene- be forthwith also stated to His Royal Highness. mies intended against me. It has not been, I complain not, therefore, that it was too early indeed, without impatience the most painful, communicated to any one; I complain only (and that I have passed the interval, which has since I complain most seriously, for I felt it most se elapsed. When once it was not only known to verely), of the delay in its communication to me, but to the world (for it was known to the me.--Rumour had informed the world, that world), that Inquiry of the gravest nature had the Report had been early communicated to your been instituted into my conduct, I looked to the Majesty and to His Royal Highness. I did not conclusion with all the eagerness that could be- receive the benefit intended for me by your Ma long to an absolute conviction, that my innocence jesty's gracions command, till a month after the and my honour, to the disgrace and confusion of Report was signed. But the same rumour had my accusers, would be established; and that the represented me, to my infinite prejudice, as in groundless malice and injustice of the whole possession of the Report during that month; and charge would be manifested to the world, as the malice of those, who wished to stain my ho widely as the calumny had been circulated. I nour, has not failed to suggest all that malice knew that the result of an ex parte inquiry, from could infer, from its remaining in that possession its very nature, could not, unless it fully asserted so long unnoticed. May I be permitted to say, my entire innocence, be in any degree just. that if the Report acquits me, my innocence enAnd I had taught myself most firmly to believe, titled me to receive from those, to whom your that it was utterly impossible that any opinion Majesty's commands had been given, an inimewhich could, in the smallest degree, work a pre- diate notification of the fact that it did acquit judice to my honour and character, could ever be me. That if it condemned me, the weight of expressed in any terms, by any persons, in a such a sentence should not have been left to setReport upon a solemn formal Inquiry, and more tle in any mind, much less upon your Majesty's, especially to your Majesty, without my having for a month, before I could even begin to presome notice and some opportunity of being pare an answer, which, when begun, could not heard. And I was convinced that, if the pro- speedily be concluded; and that, if the Report ceeding allowed me, before an opinion was ex- could be represented as both acquitting and con pressed, the ordinary means which accused per- demning me, the reasons, which suggested the sons have, of vindicating their honour and their propriety of an early communication in each of innocence, my honour and my innocence must, the former cases, combined to make it proper in any opinion which could then be expressed, and necessary in the latter.And why all con be fully vindicated and effectually established. sideration of my feelings was thus cruelly neg What then, Sire, must have been my astonish-lected; why was I kept upon the rack, during ment and my dismay, when I saw, that notwithstanding the principal accusation was found to be utterly false, yet some of the witnesses 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 months, to be utterly unworthy of credit, and confederates in foul conspiracy with my false accusers, are reported to be "free from all sus"picion of unfavourable bias," their veracity, in the judgment of the Commissioners, not to One of Robert Bidgood, dated Temple, 4th April, 1806. One of Sarah Bidgood, dated Temple, 23d April, 1806; and, One of Frances Lloyd, dated Temple, 12th May, 1806. The other Papers and Documents which accompanied the Report, are,* 1806. No. 29 May, 1 June, 6 442449 "dice of my honour," till they were "decidedly The Papers which I have received are as follow: "The Narrative of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, dated 27th of December, 1805. A Copy of the written Declaration of Sir John and Lady Douglas, dated December 3, 1805. 20 21 23 25 25 27 1 July, 3 3 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 334 A Paper containing the written Declarations, 16 or Examinations, of the persons hereafter enumerated; The title to these Papers is, "For the purpose of confirming the State"ment made by Lady Douglas, of the circumstances mentioned in her Narrative. The fol"lowing Examinations have been taken, and "which have been signed by the several persons "who have been examined." Two of Sarah Lampert;-one, dated Cheltenham, 8th January, 1806,-and, the other, 29th March, 1806. One of William Lampert, baker, 114, Cheltenham, apparently of the same date with the last of Sarah Lampert's. Four of William Cole, dated respectively, 11th January, 14th January, 30th January, and 23d February, 1806. * See Appendix (B). 14 from Lord Gwydir to Lord Spencer. Queries of Lady Willoughby and Answers. Letter from Sir Francis Mill- 30. * See Appendix (A). Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent-Garden. VOL. XXIII. No. 13.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1813. [Price 1s. 417] "Heav'n has no curse like love to hatred turn'd, NOTICE. Having been unable to resist the desire to submit my own remarks to the reader at considerable length, I have been compelled to adopt the measure of publishing a third Double Number next week, when I shall close the publication of THE BOOK, and shall, at the same time, have sufficient room to prefix the further remarks that I have to make upon this important subject. TO JAMES PAUL, CONGREVE. -[418 and with which, it appears, her moderation would have been contented. Indeed, when you take an impartial view of the case up to the close of her Letter of the 16th of February, 1807, you will be at a loss to say which feeling is strongest in your bosom: that of admiration of her moderation and magnanimity; or, of indignation against the wretches who had manifestly conspired, with the most deliberate malice, against her reputation and even against her life. Exalted as the parties concerned are in rank, important as every thing must be which is so closely connected with their character and honour; yet, such is the abi OF BURSLEDON, IN LOWER DUBLIN Town-lity with which this defence was conducted, My dear Friend, Letter V. In my last Letter I gave you a brief history of THE BOOK, and showed you, as clearly as I was able, what effects it had produced as to political changes in the government. I, at the same time, laid before you all the depositions against Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, together with the beginning of her defence. The remaining part of that defence I continue to this Letter; and, when you have read it, together with Her Royal Highness's Letter to the King of the 16th of February, 1807, you will have the whole of the case before you. So satisfactory to my mind is that de fence; so completely does it do away every charge against her honour; so quickly does it dissipate, in my view of it, every doubt that could have been raised in the mind of any rational man, that I am utterly at a loss to find words to express my astonishment, that His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, should have found advisers, weak enough, (for I will forbear to apply to them any harsh epithet) to recommend the raising of any obstacle to the giving of the injured Princess those external marks of complete acquittal, which she so justly demanded, that, merely as a specimen of excellence in this sort of productions, it will, I am persuaded, live and be admired, long after the cause of it shall have become of no interest to the world. I hated Perceval when living; I hate his memory now that he is dead; because I regard him as having been a bitter enemy of the liberties of my country. But, I should tacitly belie my conviction, I should commit an act of violence on my own mind, were I to abstain from expressing my admiration of this defence, as doing equal honour to the heart and to the talents of its author; who, from the first page to the last, shines, not only as a wise counsellor, an able and zealous advocate, but as an ardent, a steady, and disinterested friend; and, really, I look upon it as a fortunate circumstance for the character of the country, that, while England had produced wretches so vile as to conspire against the life of an innocent and friendless woman, England also furnished the man able and willing to be her protector. This defence being, in all its parts, so complete, I should not trouble you with any observations of my own on any part of the evidence or proceedings, and should merely give you my reasons for believing, that the conduct of the Princess, up to this very hour, has been such as to merit full approbation; but, as endeavours are still making, in some of the detestable newspapers in London, to give the air of truth to the refuted calumnies of the Douglases and others, I think it right to point out for your special notice some few of the circumstances of the case. We see, that, from 1801 to 1804, there was an intercourse of friendship existing between Sir John and Lady Douglas and the Princess; and, it is not till after the former are discarded by the latter that the accusations appear to have been hatched; or, at least, to have assumed any thing of a systematic form. Soon after this, we find Sir John Douglas receiving, as his wife says, anonymous letters, containing lewd drawings, exhibiting Lady Douglas as committing adultery with Sir Sydney Smith; and of these she says, the Princess of Wales was the author. This fact of the authorship is clearly disproved by the most satisfactory of evidence, positive as well as circumstantial. And, now, mark; this fact being proved to be false, what other conclusion can we draw from its having been advanced, than that the Douglases wrote the letters themselves to themselves with a design of imputing them to her Royal Highness, and thus to furnish themselves with some excuse for the treachery, to say the very least of it, of Lady Douglas? For, you will observe, that, upon the supposition of all the allegations of Lady Douglas being true, nothing could clear her of the charge of perfidiousness to the person, who, in the warmth of her friendship and the plenitude of her confidence, had committed to her breast secrets affecting her life. There is an observation, made by some persons, in these words: "There, surely, must be something in all this. How "could such a story as that of Lady Douglas have been all invented?" This is a very absurd way of reasoning; for, if one part of a story be hatched, why not the whole? It is not the practice either of courts of justice or of individuals to give credit to any part of a story, upon the principal facts of which the narrator has been fully proved to have spoken wilfully false. If any man were to tell you, that I had defrauded him of a ten pound note, and that, upon the same occasion, I had been guilty of blasphemy, would you, when you had seen the former clearly disproved, attach any credit to the latter? Would the man, who could invent the former charge, scruple to invent the latter also? Would that malice, which proved the mother of the one, be insufficient for the producing of the other? The consistency of the different parts of a story, all coming from the same person, or from a set of conspirators, argues little in support of its credibility; for, if one sits down to invent, especially when there is an abundance of time, it is entirely one's own fault if the several parts of the story do not agree. You do not read Romances Having thus prepared the way; havand Plays; but, if you did, you would not ing provided themselves with an excuse set any part of them down for realities, be- though a very unsatisfactory one, for the cause all the parts corresponded with each divulging of secrets, which they could other. They are fabulous, they are the not in any case, and under any degree of work of invention, from the beginning to provocation, divulge without subjecting the end; and so, it appears to me, were all themselves to the charge of perfidy, they the minor circumstances, related by the appear to have set themselves to work to Douglases and others, tending to corrobo- get a way opened for their information to rate the main facts, and to render complete the Prince of Wales; and, at last, in Deand successful the great plot of this dis-cember, 1805, they draw up and sign their graceful drama. The main allegations hav- STATEMENT in order to its being laid ing been proved to be false, and none of the before him. rest having been proved to be true, we must necessarily, in common justice to the accused, regard the whole as a mass of false hoods. If this Statement was believed, as it appears to have been, by His Royal Highness's advisers; for, my respect for the person, whom I obey as my sovereign, will permit Indeed, it is impossible for any man, me to speak, in this case, only of his adwhen he has read the whole of the docu-visers. If this statement was believed by ments, to entertain the smallest doubt of the them, there can be no doubt of the proinnocence of the Princess as to every thing priety, and, indeed, of the absolute newhich has been alleged against her; but, it cessity, of submitting the matter to the appears to me to be very essential for us to consideration of the King. Different men inquire, how these infamous charges came see the same thing in a different light; to be made. And, here, I think, we shall and, for my part, I am convinced, that if find all the marks of a deliberate and my own sister had laid such a statement besettled conspiracy against her, originating, fore me, relative to the conduct of even a to all outward appearance, with the Doug- suspected wife, I should, at once, have lases. treated it as a tissue of abominable false |