as we have already remarked, other particulars respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalted rank and station, necessarily give occasion to very unfavourable interpretations.

From the various depositions and proofs annexed 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 suspected of any unfavourable bias, and whose veracity, in this respect, we have seen no ground to question.

On the precise bearing and effect of the facts thus appearing, it is not for us to decide; these we submit to Your Majesty's wisdom. But we conceive it to be our duty to report on this part of the Inquiry, as distinctly as on the former facts: that, as on the one hand, the facts of pregnancy and delivery are to our minds satisfactorily disproved, 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 contradiction; and, if true, are justly entitled to the most serious consideration.

1

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 imputable to any thing unnecessarily said or done by us.

All which is most humbly submitted to Your Majesty'.

(Signed)

ERSKINE,

SPENCER,

GRENVILLE,

July 14th, 1806.

ELLENBOROUGH.

A true Copy,

J. Becket.

The Depositions which accompanied this Report will be found in Appendix (A.) numbered from 1 to 29.

SIRE,

Blackheath, Aug. 12, 1806.

WITH the deepest feelings of gratitude to your Majesty, I take the first opportunity to acknowledge having received, as yesterday only, the Report from the Lords Commissioners, which was

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 command of his Majesty. I had reason to flatter myself that the Lords Commissioners would not have given in the Report, be fore they had been properly informed of various circumstances, which must for a feeling, and delicate-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 Commissioners, 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 tranquillity of your Majesty, for the honor of your illustrious family, and the gratification of your afflicted Daughter-inlaw. 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

plain any thing, or even to point out those persons who might have been called to prove the little credit which was due to some of the witnesses, from their connection with Sir John and Lady Douglas; and the absolute falsehood of parts of the evidence, which could have been completely contradicted. Oh! gracious King, I now look for that happy moment, when I may be allowed to appear again before your Majesty's eyes, and receive once more the assurance from your Majesty's own mouth that I have your gracious protection; and that you will not discard me from your friendship, of which your Majesty has been so condescending to give me so many marks of kindness; and which must be my only support, and my only consolation, in this country.

I remain, with sentiments of the highest esteem, veneration, and unfeigned attachment,

SIRE,

Your Majesty's most dutiful, submissive, and humble Daughter-in-law and Subject,

(Signed)

To the King.

CAROLINE.

Montague House, Aug. 17th, 1806.

The Princess of Wales desires the Lord Chancellor to present her humble duty to the King, and to lay before His Majesty the accompanying Letter and Papers. The Princess makes this com→ munication by his Lordship's hands, because it relates to the Papers with which she has been furnished through his Lordship by His Majesty's commands.

To the Lord Chancellor.

SIRE,

Aug. 17th, 1806.

UPON receiving the copy of the Report, made to your Majesty, by the Commissioners, appointed to inquire into certain charges against my conduct, I lost no time, in returning to your Majesty, my heartfelt thanks, for your Majesty's goodness in commanding that copy to be communicated to

me.

I wanted no adviser, but my own heart, to express my gratitude for the kindness, and protection which I have uniformly received from your Majesty. I needed no caution or reserve, in expressing my confident reliance, that that kindness and protection would not be withdrawn from