from your Majesty's presence and kindness, havé given a heavy addition to them all; and, surely, my bitterest enemies could hardly wish that they should be increased. 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 pleas ed to recollect, 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

may occasion, or any other canse, should prevent the Commissioners from enabling your Majesty to communicate 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 infa mous 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 Majesty's sense of honourable feeling will naturally suggest, how utterly impossible it is that I, conscious of my own innocence, and believing that the malice of my enemies has been completely detected, can, without abandoning all regard to my interests, my happiness, and my honour, possibly be contented 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 Majesty's feet, and entreating and imploring of your Majesty's goodness and justice, in pity for my miseries, which this delay so severely aggravates, and in justice 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 duplicate of this letter to be prepared, and have sent one copy of it through the Lord Chancellor, aud another through Colonel Taylor to your Majesty.I am, Sire, with every sentiment of gratitude and loyalty, your Majesty's most affectionate and dutiful DaughterC. P.

The Lord Chancellor informed my Council, 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 transmitted 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 of anxiety and sus-occupations which the approach of Parliament pense, whilst I have been fondly indulging in the hope, that every day, as it passed, would bring me the happy tidings, that your Majesty was satisfied of my innocence, and convinced of the unfounded malice of my enemies, in every part of their charge. Nine long weeks of daily expectation and suspense 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 now 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 directed the copy of my letter to be laid before the Commissioners, requiring their advice upon the subject; and, possibly, their official occupations, and their other duties to the State, may not have, as yet, allowed 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 the suspense, while my character is sinking in the opinion of the public —It is known, that a Report, though acquitting 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 the delivery of my answer, unacquainted with the judgment which is formed upon it. May I be per-in-law, servant and subject, mitted to observe upon the extreme prejudice which this delay, however to be accounted for by the numerous important occupations of the Commissioners, 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 in the estimation of 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 suspected. From this state I humbly entreat your Majesty 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 resignation to the Divine will. But the effect of this infamous charge, and the delay which has suspended its final termination, by depriving me of the consolation which I should have received

Montague House, Dec. 8th, 1806.

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 accompanying Message from the King, which Her Royal Highness will observe he has His Ma jesty'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 28th, 1807.

To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

The King having referred to his confidential Servants the proceedings and papers relative to the written declarations which had been before His Majesty, respecting the conduct of the Princess of Wales, has been apprized by them, that after the fullest consideration of the exami nations taken on that subject, and of the obser vations and affidavits brought forward by the

1

-Upon the receipt of the paper, which, by letter of the 10th instant, your Majesty may your Majesty's commands, was transmitted to conceive, though I am utterly unable to express. me by the Lord Chancellor, on the 28th of last -That Letter announces to me that his Royal month, and which communicated to me the joy- Highness the Prince of Wales, upon receiving ful intelligence, that your Majesty was " ad- the several documents which your Majesty di "vised, that it was no longer necessary for you rected your Cabinet to transmit to him, made a “to decline receiving me into your royal pre-personal communication to your Majesty of his "sence," I conceived myself necessarily called intention to put them into the hands of his Lawupon to send an immediate answer to so much of yers, accompanied by a request, that your Mait as respected that intelligence. I could not jesty would suspend any further steps in the buwait the time which it would have required, to siness, until the Prince of Wales should be enstate those observations which it was impossible abled to submit to your Majesty the statement for me to refrain from making, at some period, which he proposed to make; and it also anupon the other important particulars which that nounces to me that your Majesty therefore conpaper contained. Accordingly, I answered it sidered it incumbent on you to defer naming a immediately; and, as your Majesty's gracious day to me, until the further result of the Prince and instant reply of last Thursday fortnight, an- of Wales's intention should have been made nounced to me your pleasure, that I should be known to your Majesty.This determination received by your Majesty on a day subsequent to of your Majesty, on this request, made by His the then ensuing week, I was led most confi- Royal Highness, I humbly trust your Majesty dently to assure myself, that the last week would will permit me to entreat you, in your most granot have passed, without my having received that cious justice, to re-consider. Your Majesty, I satisfaction. I, therefore, determined to wait in am convinced, must have been surprised at the patience, without further intrusion upon your time, and prevailed upon by the importunity of Majesty, till I might have the opportunity of the Prince of Wales, to think this determination guarding myself from the possibility of being necessary, or your Majesty's generosity and misunderstood, by personally explaining to your justice would never have adopted it. And if I Majesty, that whatever observations I had to can satisfy your Majesty of the unparalleled inmake upon the paper so communicated to me on justice and cruelty of this interposition of the the 28th ultimo, and whatever complaints re- Prince of Wales, at such a time, and under such specting the delay, and the many cruel circum- circumstances, I feel the most perfect confidence stances which had attended the whole of the that your Majesty will hasten to recal it.—I proceedings against me, and the unsatisfactory should basely be wanting to my own interest state in which they were at length left by that and feelings, if I did not plainly state my sense last communication, they were observations and of that injustice and cruelty; and if I did not complaints which affected those only, under most loudly complain of it. Your Majesty will whose advice your Majesty had acted, and were better perceive the just grounds of my complaint not, in any degree, intended to intimate even when I retrace the course of these proceedings the most distant insinuation against your Ma- from their commencement.- -The four noble jesty's justice or kindness.-That paper esta- Lords, appointed by your Majesty to inquire blished the opinion which I certainly had ever into the charges brought against me, in their confidently entertained, but the justness of Report of the 14th of July last, after having which I had not before any document to esta- stated that His Royal Highness the Prince of blish, that your Majesty had, from the first, Wales had laid before him, the charge which deemed this proceeding a high and important was made against me, by Lady Douglas, and matter of state, in the consideration of which the declarations in support of it, proceed in the your Majesty had not felt yourself at liberty to following manner. trust to your own generous feelings, and to your own royal and gracious judgment. I never did believe that the cruel state of anxiety in which I had been kept, ever since the delivery of my Answer (for at least sixteen weeks), could be at all attributable to your Majesty; it was most unlike every thing which I had ever experienced" confidently alleged, and particularly detailed, from your Majesty's condescension, feeling, and justice; and I found from that paper, that it was to your confidential servants I was to ascribe the length of banishment from your presence, which they, at last, advised your Majesty it was no longer necessary should be continued. I perceive, therefore, what I always believed, 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, consider- so nearly touching the honour of your Maing the whole of this proceeding to have been "jesty's Royal Family, and, by possibility, instituted and conducted under the grave re- "affecting the succession of your Majesty's sponsibility of your Majesty's servants, had not "Crown. Your Majesty had been pleased, thought proper to take any step, or express any "on your part, to view the subject in the same opinion, upon any part of it, but such as was "light. Considering it as a matter which, on recommended by their advice. Influenced by" every account demanded the most immediate these sentiments, and anxious to have the oppor- "investigation, your Majesty had thought fit tunity of conveying them, with the overflowings" to commit into our hands the duty of ascerof a grateful heart, to your Majesty, what were "taining, in the first instance, what degree of my sensations of surprise, mortification, and disappointment, on the receipt of your Majesty's

*"In the painful situation in which His Roy"al Highness was placed by these communica"tions, 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

"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 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
"belonged the cognizance of a matter of State,

66

* Report,

a credit was due to the information, and there-ings, as to induce a suspicion that I have been "by enabling your Majesty to decide what fur- too favourably dealt with by them? and that the ❝ther conduct to adopt respecting them." advice which has been given to your Majesty, His Royal Highness then, pursuing, as the that your Majesty need no longer decline to four Lords say, the only course which could, in receive me, was hastily and partially delivered? their judgment, with propriety, be pursued, I am confident that your Majesty must see the submitted the matter to your Majesty.-Your very reverse of this to be the case-that I have Majesty directed the Inquiry by the four noble every reason to complain of the inexplicable Lords. The four Lords in their Report upon delay which so long withheld that advice. And the case, justly acquitted me of all crime, and the whole character of the observations with expressed (I will not wait now to say how un- which they accompanied it, marks the reluct justly) the credit which they gave, and the con- ance with which they yielded to the necessity of sequence they ascribed to other matters, which giving it. For your Majesty's confidential they did not, however, characterize as amount- servants advise your Majesty, "that it is no ing to any crime.-To this Report I made my longer necessary for you to decline receiving answer. That answer, together with the whole "me into your Royal Presence." If this is proceedings, was referred by your Majesty, to their opinion and their advice now, why was it the same four noble Lords, and others of your not their opinion and their advice four months Majesty's confidential servants. They advised ago, from the date of my answer? Nay, why your Majesty, amongst much other matter was it not their opinion and advice from the date (which must be the subject of further observa- even of the original Report itself? For not only tions), that there was no longer any reason why had they been in possession of my answer for you should decline receiving me. -Your Ma- above sixteen weeks, which at least furnished jesty will necessarily conceive that I have al- them with all the materials on which this advice ways looked upon my banishment from your was at length given, but further, your Majesty's Royal Presence, as, in fact, a punishment, and confidential servants are forward to state, that a severe one too. I thought it sufficiently hard, after having read my observations, and the that I should have been suffering that punish- affidavits which were annexed to them, they ment during the time that this Inquiry has been agree in the opinions (not in any single opinion pending, while I was yet only under accusation, upon any particular branch of the case, but in and upon the principles of the just laws of your the opinions generally) which were submitted to Majesty's kingdom, entitled to be presumed to your Majesty, in the original Report of the four be innocent, till I was proved to be guilty. But Lords. If, therefore (notwithstanding their conI find this does not appear to be enough, in the currence in all the opinions contained in the opinion of the Prince of Wales. For now, when Report), they have, nevertheless, given to your after this long Inquiry into matters which re- Majesty their advice, " that it is no longer nequired immediate investigation, I have been acquitted of every thing which could call for my banishment from your Royal Presence. After your Majesty's confidential servants have thus expressly advised your Majesty that they see no reason why you should any longer decline to receive me into your presence:-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 my accuser);-the justice due to me is to be suspended, while the judgment of your Majesty's sworn servants is to be submitted to the revision of my accuser's Counsel; and I, though acquitted in the opinion of your Majesty's confidential servants, of all that should induce your Majesty to decline seeing me, am to have that punishment, which had been inflicted upon me during the Inquiry, continued after that acquittal, till a fresh statement is prepared, to be again submitted, 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 your Majesty's confidential servants, have been so lenient and considerate towards me and my feel

cessary for you to decline receiving 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 together in any other sense, than as amounting to an admission of your Majesty's confidential servants themselves, that I have, in consequence of their withholding that advice, been, unneces sarily and cruelly banished from your Royal Presence, from that 14th of July to the 28th of January, including 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 banishment, 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 upon fresh statements and fresh charges, kept back possibly for the purpose of being, from time to time, conveniently interposed, to prevent for ever the arrival of that hour, which, displaying to the world the acknowledgment of my unmerited sufferings and disgrace, may, at the same time, expose the truly malicious and unjust quality of the proceedings which have been so long carried on against me.This unreasonable, unjust, and cruel interposition of His Royal Highness, as I must ever 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 my self too much, when I feel assured, that my just entreaty, founded upon the reasons which I