advantage, by any part of a Report, founded authors of the original declarations, who may be upon partial evidence, taken in my absence, collected from the Report to be Sir John and upon charges, not yet communicated to me, Lady Douglas, are my only accusers; and the until your Majesty had heard, what might be declarations which are said to have followed, are alleged in my behalf, in answer to it. But your the declarations of persons adduced as witnesses Majesty will not be surprised nor displeased, by Sir John and Lady Douglas, to confirm their that I, a woman, a stranger to the laws, and accusation; or whether such declarations are the usages of your Majesty's kingdom, under charges, charges of persons, who have made themselves aimed, originally, at my life and honour, should also, the anthors of distinct accusations against hesitate to determine, in what manner I ought me.- -The requests, which, I humbly hope, to act, even under the present circumstances, your Majesty will think reasonable, and just to with respect to such accusations, without the grant, and which are suggested by these further assistance of advice in which I could confide. observations are,First, That your Majesty And I have had submitted to me the following would be graciously pleased to direct, that I observations, respecting the copies of the papers should be furnished with copies of these decla with which I have been furnished. And I hum- rations: and, if they are rightly described, in bly solicit from your Majesty's gracious conde- the Report, as the necessary foundation of all scension and justice a compliance with the re- the proceedings of the Commissioners, your Maquests, which arise out of them. In the first jesty could not, I am persuaded, but have gra-place, it has been observed to me, that these ciously intended, in directing that I should be copies of the Report, and of the accompanying furnished with a copy of the Report, that I papers, have come unauthenticated by the sig- should also see this essential part of the pronature of any person, high, or low, whose ve- ceeding, the foundation on which it rests.racity, or even accuracy, is pledged for their Secondly, That I may be informed whether I Correctness, or to whom resort might be had, if have one or more, and how many accusers; and it should be necessary, hereafter, to establish, who they are; as the weight and credit of the that these papers are correct copies of the ori- accusation cannot but be much affected by the ginals. I am far from insinuating that the want quarter from whence it originates.-Thirdly, of such attestations was intentional. No doubt That I may be informed of the time when the it was omitted through inadvertence; but its declarations were made. For the weight and importance is particularly confirmed by the credit of the accusation must, also, be much state, in which the copy of Mrs. Lisle's examina-affected by the length of time, which my action has been transmitted to me. For in the cusers may have been contented to have been third page of that examination there have been the silent depositories of those heavy matters of two erasures; on one of which, some words guilt, and charge; and,Lastly, That your have been, subsequently introduced, apparently Majesty's goodness will secure to me a speedy in a different haud-writing from the body of the return of these papers, accompanied, I trust, examination; and the passage, as it stands, is with the further information which I have soprobably incorrect, because the phrase is unin-licited; but at all events a speedy return of telligible. 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 Majesty with this letter, may be examined, and then returned to me, authenticated as correct, under the signature of some person, who, having attested their accuracy, may be able to prove it.In the second place, it has been observed to me, that the Report proceeds, by reference to certain written declarations, which the Commissioners describe as the necessary foundation of all their proceedings, and which contain, as I presume, the charge or information against my conduct. Yet copies of these written declarations have not been given to me. They are described, indeed, in the Report, as consisting in certain statements, respecting my conduct, imputing not only, gross impropriety 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 important that I should know the extent, and the particulars of the charges or informations against me, and by what accusers they have been made; whether I am answering the charges of one set of accusers, or more. Whether the'

them. And your Majesty will see, that it is not
without reason, that I make this last request,
when your Majesty is informed, that, though
the Report appears to have been made upon the
14th of July, yet it was not sent to me, till the
11th of the present month. A similar delay, I
should, of all things, deplore. For it is with
reluctance, that I yield to those suggestions,
which have induced me to day, these my humble
requests, before your Majesty, since they must,
at all events, in some degree, delay the arrival
of that moment, to which, I look forward with
so earnest, and eager an impatience; when I
confidently feel, I shall completely satisfy your
Majesty, that the whole of these charges are
alike unfounded; and are all parts of the same
conspiracy against me. Your Majesty, so sa-
tisfied, will, I can have no doubt, be as anxious
as myself, to secure to me that redress, which
the laws of your kingdom (administering, under
your Majesty's just dispensation, equal protec-
tion and justice, to every description of your
Majesty's subjects), are prepared to afford to
those, who are so deeply injured as I have been.
That I have in this case, the strongest claim to
your Majesty's justice, I am confident I shall
prove: but I cannot, as I am advised, so satis-
factorily establish that claim, till your Majesty's
goodness shall have directed me, to be furnished
with an authentic statement of the actual charges
against me, and that additional information,
which it is the object of this letter most humbly,
yet earnestly, to implore.I am, Sire, your
Majesty's most dutiful, submissive, and humble
Daughter-in-law.
Montague-house.
To the King.

(Signed) C.P.

407]

Aug. 20th, 1806. The Lord Chancellor has the honour to return, 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, in the mean time, most agreeable to her Royal Highness.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 originals; and he could not, therefore, with propriety, do so, not having himself compared them; but her Royal Highness 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 Highness's 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 officers 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, but most especially to any member of His Majesty's Royal family.

To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

commands, in case it should be Her Royal High-
ness's pleasure to return the papers by him.
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

Lincoln's Inn Fields, Aug. 19th, 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 Spenser, with the note accompanying them.

* N. B. These papers, being the original de clarations, on which the inquiry proceeded, will be found in Appendix (A.)

Aug. 31, 1806.

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales acquaints the Lord Chancellor, that the gentle. man with whom Her Royal Highness advises, and who had possession of the copies of the offi cial papers communicated to Her Royal Highness by the Lord Chancellor, returned from the country late yesterday evening. Upon the subject of transmitting these papers to the Lord Chancellor, for the purpose of their being examined and authenticated, and then returned to Her Royal Highness, he states, that in consequence of the Lord Chancellor's assurance, contained in his note of the 20th instant, 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 Her 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 Chancellor expresses it, in his letter of the 24th instant, "judged to be duly authenticated

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 commanded by His Majesty to report to His Majesty on the matters therein referred to; and I have now received His Majesty's further commands, in consequence of that letter, to acquaint according to the usual course and forms of of "fice, and sufficiently so for the purpose for your Royal Highness, that when I transmitted to "which His Majesty had been graciously pleased your Royal Highness, by the King's commands, "to direct them to be communicated to His and under my signature, the copies of official "Royal Highness, because they were transmitpapers, which had been laid before His Majesty, "ted to her, by the King's commands, and under those papers were judged thereby duly authenti"bis Lordship's signature."-Her Royal Highcated, according to the usual course and forms ness could never have wished for a more authenof office; and sufficiently so, for the purposes for which His Majesty has been graciously pleas- tic attestation, if she had conceived that they were authenticated under such signature. But ed to direct them to be communicated to your Royal Highness. That, 'nevertheless, there she could not think that the mere signature of does not appear to be any reason for His Ma- his Lordship, on the outside of the envelope jesty's declining a compliance with the request which contained them, could afford any authentiwhich your Royal Highness has been advised to city to the thirty papers which that envelope make, that those copies should, after being ex- contained; or could, in any manner, identify any of those papers as having been contained in that amined with the originals, be attested by some person to be named for that purpose: and that, envelope. And she had felt herself confirmed in that opinion, by his Lordship's saying in his note if your Royal Highness will do me the honour to transmit them to me, they shall be examined and of the 20th instant," that the reason of their not "having been authenticated by the Lord Chan attested accordingly, after correcting any errors "cellor was, that he received them as copies that may have occurred in the copying.His Majesty has further authorized me to acquaint" from Earl Spencer, who was in possession of your Royal Highness, that he is graciously "the originals, and he could not, therefore, with "propriety do so, not having himself compared pleased, on your Royal Highness's request, to "them."-Her Royal Highness takes this opconsent that copies of the written declarations referred to in the Report of the Lords Commis-portunity of acknowledging the receipt of the sioners, should be transmitted to your Royal declarations referred to in the Commissioners' Highness, and that the same will be trans- Report. To the Lord Chancellor. mitted accordingly, so soon as they can be transcribed.

(Signed)

ERSKINE, C. The Lord Chancellor has the honour to add to the above official communication, that his Pursebearer respectfully waits her Royal Highness's

Lincoln's Inn Fields, Sept. 2d, 1806. The Lord Chancellor has taken the earliest opportunity in his power of complying with the wishes of Her Royal Highness the Princess of

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 possi-
ble blessing which a gracious God can bestow
upon the beloved Monarch of a loyal people,
and for the continued prosperity of your domi-
nions, under your Majesty's propitious reigu, I
remain, your Majesty's most dutiful, loyal, and
affectionate, but most unhappy and most in-
jured, 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 pursue ing 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 In quiry; that the Commissioners, after having me

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 pressure 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 Inquiry, whatever observations I may be compelled to make upon any of them, I trust, I shall never forget what is due to offeers 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 ac cusers, 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, here. after, 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 indis tiuct 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 com licitor 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 anx son, 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 detonis of conscious guilt, that I sought 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, annination 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 ne⚫ 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 1 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 gracious 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 nonr, 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 en And 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 inime. which 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 set. Report 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 mouths, 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

all this time, ignorant of the result of a charge, which affected my honour and my life; and why, especially in a case where such grave matters were to continue to be "credited, to the preju

The time that the Inquiry was pending, after this notice of it, is here confounded with the time which elapsed before the Report was com. municated to her Royal Highness. The Inquiry itself only lasted to the 14th or 16th of July, which is but between five and six weeks from the 7th of June,