of unfavourable bias, and their veracity, in the judgment of the Commissioners, not to be questioned.

Under these circumstances, Sire, what could I do? Could I forbear, in justice to myself, to announce to your Majesty the existence of a conspiracy against my honour, and my station in this country at least, if not against my life? Could I forbear to point out to your Majesty, how long this intended mischief had been meditated against me? Could I forbear to point out my doubts, at least, of the legality of the Commission, under which the proceeding had been had or to point out the errors and inaccuracies, into which the great and able men, who were named in this Commission, under the hurry and pressure of their great official occupations, had fallen, in the execution of this duty? Could I forbear to state, and to urge, the great injustice and injury that had been done to my character and my honour, by opinions pronounced against me without hearing me? And if, in the execution of this great task, so essential to my honour, I have let drop any expressions which a colder, and more cautious prudence, would have checked, I appeal toyour Majesty's warm heart,and generous feelings, to suggest my excuse, and to afford my pardon.

What I have said, I have said under the pressure of much misfortune, under the provocation of great and accumulated injustice. Oh! Sire, to be unfortunate, and scarce to feel at liberty to lament; to be cruelly used, and to feel it almost an offence and a duty to be silent,

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is a hard lot; but use had, in some degree inured me to it: But to find my misfortunes and my injuries imputed to me as faults; to be called to account upon a charge, made against me by Lady Douglas, who was thought at first worthy of credit, although she had pledged her veracity to the fact, of my having admitted that I was myself the gressor in every thing, of which I had to complain, has subdued all power of patient bearing; and when I was called upon by the Commissioners, either to admit, by my silence, the guilt which they imputed to me, or to enter into my defence, in contradiction to it no longer at liberty to remain silent, I, perhaps, have not known how, with exact propriety, to limit my expressions.

In happier days of my life, before my spirit had been yet at all lowered by my misfortunes, I should have been disposed to have met such a charge with the contempt which, I trust, by this time, Your Majesty thinks due to it; I shoul have been disposed to have defied my enemies to the utmost, and to have scorned to answer to any thing but a legal charge, before a competent tribunal; but, in my present misfortunes, such force of mind is gone. I ought, perhaps, so far to be thankful to them for their wholesome lessons of humility. I have, therefore, entered into this long detail, to endeavour to remove, at the first possible opportunity, any unfavourable impressions; to rescue myself from the dangers which the continuance of these suspicions might occasion, and

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preserve to me your Majesty's good opinion, in whose kindness, hitherto, I have found infinite consolation, and to whose justice, under all circumstances, I can confidently appeal.

Under the impression of these sentiments I throw myself at your Majesty's feet. I know, that whatever sentiments of resentment; whatever wish for redress, by the punishment of my false accusers, I ought to feel, Your Majesty, as the Father of a Stranger, smarting under false accusation, as the Head of your illustrious House, dishonoured in me, and as the great Guardian of the Laws of your Kingdom, thus foully attempted to have been applied to the purposes of injustice, will not fail to feel for me. At all events, I trust your Majesty will restore me to the blessing of your Gracious Presence, and confirm to me, by your own Gracious Words, your satisfactory conviction of my innocence.

With

I am,
SIRE,

every sentiment of Gratitude and Loyalty, Your Majesty's most affectionate

and dutiful Daughter-in-Law,

Subject and Servant,

Montague-House, 2d October, 1806.

C. P.

The Deposition of Thomas Manby, Esquire, a Captain in the Royal Navy.

Having had read to me the following passage, from. the Copy of a Deposition of Robert Bidgood, sworn the 6th of June last, before Lords Spencer and Grenville, viz.

"I was waiting one day in the anti-room; Captain "Manby had his hat in his hand, and appeared to "be going away; he was a long time with the "Princess, and, as I stood on the steps, waiting, I "looked into the room in which they were, and, in "the reflection on the looking-glass, I saw them sa"lute each other-I mean, that they kissed each "other's lips. Captain Manby then went away. "I then observed the Princess have her handker"chief in her hands, and wipe her eyes, as if she was crying, and went into the drawing-room. I do solemnly, and upon my oath, declare, that the said passage is a vile and wicked invention; that it is wholly and absolutely false; that is impossible he ever could have seen, in the reflection of any glass, any such thing; as I never, upon any occasion, or in any situation, ever had the presumption to salute Her Royal Highness in any such manner, or to take any such liberty, or offer any such insult to her person. And having had read to me another passage, from the same Copy of the same Deposition, in which the said Robert Bidgood says

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"I suspected that Captain Manby slept frequently in "the house; it was a subject of conversation in the "house. Hints were given by the servants; and I "believe that others suspected it as well as myself." I solemnly swear, that such suspicion is wholly unfounded, and that I never did, at Montague House, Southend, Ramsgate East Cliff, or any where else, ever

sleep in any house occupied by, or belonging to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales; and that there never did any thing pass between her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and myself, that I should be in any degree unwilling that all the world should have seen.

The Deposition of Thomas Lawrence, of Greek Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Portrait Painter.

Having had read to me the following Extract from a Copy of a Deposition of William Cole, purporting to have been sworn before Lords Spencer and Grenville, the 10th day of June, 1806, viz.

"Mr. Lawrence, the painter, used to go to Montague "House about the latter end of 1801, when he was

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"painting the Princess, and he has slept in the house "two or three nights together. I have often seen "him alone with the Princess at eleven or twelve σε o'clock at night; he has been there as late as one ❝or two o'clock in the morning. One night I saw "him with the Princess in the blue room after the "ladies had aetired; sometime afterwards, when I "supposed he was gone to his bed-room, I went to see that all was safe, and found the blue room door "locked, and heard a whispering in it, and then went away.