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 accompany ing papers, have come unauthenticated 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 originals. I am far from insinuating that the want of such attestations was intentional. No doubt it was omitted through inadvertence; but its importance is particularly confirmed by the state, in which the copy of Mrs. Lisle's examination has been transmitted to me. For in the third page of that examination there have been two erasures; on one of which, some words have been, subsequently, introduced 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 ob. servation, 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 ne cessary 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 de scribed 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 authors of the original declarations, who may be collected from the report to be sir John and lady Douglas, are my only accusers; and the declarations which are said to have followed, are the declarations of persons adduced as witnesses by sir John and lady Douglas to confirm their accusation; or whether such declarations are the charges of persons, who (N 3)

have

have made themselves also, the authors of distinct accusations against

me.

The requests, which, I humbly hope, your majesty 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 I should be furnished with copies of these declarations; and, if they are rightly described in the report, as the necessary foundation of all the proceedings of the commissioners, your majesty could not, I am persuaded, but have graciously intended, in directing that I should be furnished with a copy of the report, 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 secure to me a speedy return of these papers, accom. panied, I trust, with the further information which I have solicited; but at all events a speedy return of 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

[1813.

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 lay, these my humble requests, before your ma, jesty, 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 satisfied, 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 protection, and justice, to every description of your ma jesty'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 satisfactorily 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, (Signed) C. P. To the king.

Montague-bouse, Dec. 8, 1806. Sire, I trust your majesty, who knows my constant affection, loyalty, and duty, and the sure confi

dence

1

dence with which I readily repose my honour, my character, my hap. piness in your majesty's hands, will not think me guilty of any disre. spectful or unduteous impatience, when I thus again address myself to your royal grace and justice.

It is, sire, nine weeks to-day, 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 commissioners, 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 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 suspense, 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 permitted 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 esti mation 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 least equivocal, and my virtue is su(N 4) spected.

spected. 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 I 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 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 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 pleased to recollect, that an occasion of assembling the royal family and your subjects, in dutiful and happy commemoration of her ma jesty'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 commissioners from enabling your majesty to communicate your pleasure to me be fore that time; the world will in fallibly conclude, (in their present state of ignorance,) that my answer must have proved unsatisfactory, and that the infamous charges have been thought to be 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 happi ness, 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 jus tice, 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, and another through colonel Taylor, to your majesty. I am, &c. (Signed) C. P.

To the king.

Jan. 28, 1807. The lord chancellor has the ho, nour 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 majesty'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.

To ber royal bigbness the

princess of Wales.

The king having referred to his confidential servants the proceeding 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 examinations taken on the 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 inquired 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 bearings, 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 majesty's government, or any other proceedings instituted upon it, except such only as his majesty'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 receiving the princess into his royal presence.

The king sees, with great satisfaction, the agreement 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 examinations, 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 advisers, 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 princess 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 personal feelings of his majesty, in the propriety and correctness of her con duct. 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 justify those marks of paternal regard and affection, which the king always wishes to shew to 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 subject, should also be communicated to his dearly beloved son the prince of Wales.

Montague