spondence to be kept up with my charity boys, when on board of ship, as the nature of their situation will admit of, and as Mr. Sicard is the person who manages all matters concerning them, and enters into their interests with the most friendly anxiety, he certainly was apprized of the probability of the ship's arrival off Southend, before she came. And here I may as well perhaps, by the way, remark, that as this correspondence with the boys is always under cover to the captain; this circumstance may account to your Majesty for the fact, which is stated by some of the witnesses, of several letters being put into the post by Sicard, some of which he may have received from me, which were directed to Captain Manby.Soon after the arrival of the Africaine, however, Bidgood says, the Captain put off in his boat. Sicard went to meet him, and immediately brought him up to me and my Ladies;-he dined there then, and came frequently to see me. It would have been as candid if Mr. Bidgood had represented the fact as it really was, though perhaps the circumstance is not very material:-that the Captain brought the two boys on shore with him to see me, and this, as well as many other circumstances connected with these boys, the existence of whom, as accounting in any degree for the intercourse between me and Captain Manby, could never have been collected from out of Bidgood's depositions, Sicard would have stated, if the Com missioners had examined him to it. But though he is thus referred to, though his name is mentioned about the letters sent to Captain Manby, he does not appear to have been examined to any of them, and all that he appears to have been asked is, as to his remembering Captain Manby visiting at Montague House, and to my paying the expense of the linen furniture for his cabin. But Mr. Sicard was, I suppose, represented by my enemies to be a confidant, from whom no truth could be extracted, and therefore that it was idle waste of time to examine him to such points; and so unquestionably he, and every other honest servant in my family, who could be supposed to know any thing upon the subject, were sure to be represented by those, whose conspiracy and falsehood, their honesty and truth were the best means of detecting. The conspirators, however, had the first word, and unfortunately their veracity was not questioned, nor their unfavourable bias suspected. point, the matter foremost in their minds, when Mr. Bidgood then proceeds to state the situa tion of the houses, two of which, with a part of a third I had at Southend. He describes No. 9, as the house in which I slept; No. 8, as that in which we dined; and No. 7, as containing a drawing-room, to which we retired after dinner. And he says, "I have several times seen the "Princess, after having gone to No. 7, with Captain Manby and the rest of the company, "retire with Captain Manby from No.7, through "No. 8, to No. 9, which was the house where "the Princess slept. I suspect that Captain Manby slept very frequently in the house. "Hints were given by the servants, and I believe "that others suspected it as well as myself."What those hints were, by what servants given, are things which do not seem to have been thought necessary matters of inquiry. At least there is no trace in Mr. Bidgood's, or any other witness's examination, of any such inquiry having been made. In his second deposition, which applies to 46 66 were exposed to sight, as if to declare that he was there. It is tedious and disgusting, Sire, I am well aware, to trouble your Majesty with such particulars; but it doubtless is true, that I bid him not to take the candles away from No. 9. The candles which are used in my drawing-room, are considered as his perquisites. Those on the contrary which are used in my private apartment are the perquisites of my maid. I thought that upon the whole it was a fairer arrangement, when I was at Southend, to give my maid the perquisites of the candles used at No. 9; and I made the arrangement accordingly, and ordered Mr. Bidgood to leave them. This, Sire, is the true account of the fact respecting the candles; an arrangement which very possibly Mr. Bidgood did not like. But the putting out the candles myself, was not the only thing, from which the inference is drawn, that Captain Manby slept at my house, at No. 9, and as is evidently insinuated, if not stated, in my bed-room. There were water jugs, and basons, and towels left in the passage, which Mr. Bidgood never saw at other times. At what other times does he mean? At other times than those at which he suspected, from seeing them there, that Captain Manby slept in my house? If every time he saw the basons and towels, &c. in the passage, he suspected Captain Manby slept there, it certainly would follow that he never saw them at times when he did not suspect that fact. But Sire, upon this important fact, important to the extent of convicting me, if it were true, of High Treason, if it were not for the indignation which such scandalous licentious wickedness and malice excite, it would hardly be possible to treat it with any gravity. Whether there were or were not basons and towels sometimes left in a passage at Southend, which were not there generally, and ought to have been never there, I really cannot inform your Majesty. It certainly is possible, but the utmost it can prove, I should trust, might be some slovenliness in my servant, who did not put them in their proper places; but surely it must be left to Mr. Bidgood alone to trace any evidence, from such a circumstance, of the crime of adultery in me. But I cannot thus leave this fact, for I trust I shall here again have the same advantage from the excess and extravagance of this man's malice, as I have already had on the other part of the charge, from the excess and extravagance of his confederate Lady Douglas. What is the charge that he would insinuate? That I meditated and effected a stolen, secret, clandestine intercourse with an adulterer? No.Captain Manby, it seems according to his insinuation, slept with me in my own house, under circumstances, of such notoriety that it was impossible that any of my female attendants at least should not have known it. Their duties were varied on the occasion; they had to supply basons and towels in places where they never were supplied, except when prepared for him; and they were not only purposely so prepared, but prepared in an open passage, exposed to view, in a manner to excite the suspicion of those who were not admitted into the secret. And what a secret was it, that was thus to be hazarded! No less than what, if discovered, would fix Captain Manby and myself with High Treason! Not only therefore must I have been thus careless of reputation, and eager for infamy; but I must have been careless of my life, as of my honour.-Lost to all sense of shame, surely I must have still retained some regard for life. the same fact, after saying that we went away | the day after the Africaine sailed from Southend, he says, "6 Captain Manby was there three times a week at the least, while his ship lay for six "weeks off Southend at the Nore; he came as "tide served in a morning, and to dine, and "drink tea. I have seen him next morning by "ten o'clock. I suspected he slept at No. 9, the "Princess's. She always put out the candles "herself in the drawing-room at No. 9, and bid me not wait to put them up. She gave me the "orders as soon as she went to Southend. I used "to see water jugs, basons, and towels, set out opposite the Princess's door in the passage. "Never saw them so left in the passage at any "other time, and I suspected he was there at that " time; there was a general suspicion through "the house. Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald there, "and Miss Hammond (now Mrs. Hood) there. "My suspicion arose from seeing them in the glass," &c. as mentioned before." Her beha"viour like that of a woman attached to a man'; "used to be by themselves at luncheon, at South"end, when the ladies were not sent for; a num"ber of times. There was a poney which Cap"tain Manby used to ride; it stood in the stable 66 ready for him, and which Sicard used to ride." Then he says, the servants used to talk and laugh about Captain Manby, and that it was matter of discourse amongst them; and this, with what has been alluded to before, respeoting Sicard's putting letters for bim into the post, which he had received from me, contains the whole of his deposition as far as respects Captain Manby. And, Sire, as to the fact of retiring through No. 8, from No. 7, to No. 9, alone with Captain Mauby, I have no recollection of ever having gone with Captain Manby, though but for a moment, from the one room in which the company was sitting, through the dining room to the other drawing-room. It is, however, now above two years ago, and to be confident that such a circumstance might not have happened, is more than I will undertake to be. But in the only sense in which he uses the expression, as retiring alone, coupled with the immediate context that follows, it is most false and scandalous. I know no means of absolutely proving a negative. If the fact was true, there must have been other witnesses who could have proved it as well as Mr. Bidgood. Mrs. Fitzgerald is the only person of the party, who was examined, and her evidence proves the negative so far as the negative can be proved; for she says, "he dined "there, but never staid late. She was at South"end all the time I was there, and cannot recol"lect to have seen Captain Manby there, or "known him to be there, later than nine, or half 46 past nine." Miss Fitzgerald and Miss Hammond, (now Mrs. Hood) are not called to this fact; although a fact so extremely important, as it must appear to your Majesty; nor indeed are they examined at all. As to the putting out of the candles, it seems he says, I have the orders as soon as I went to Southend, which was six weeks before the Africaine arrived; so this plan of excluding him from the opportunity of knowing what was going on at No. 9, was part of a longmeditated scheme, as he would represent it, planned and thought of six weeks before it could be executed; and which when it was executed, your Majesty will recollect, according to Mr. Bidgood's evidence, there was so little contrivance to conceal, that the basons and towels, which the Captain is insinuated to have used, Captain Manby too with a folly and madness equal to his supposed iniquity, must then have put his life in the hands of my servants and depended for his safety upon their fidelity to me, and their perfidy to the Prince their master. If the excess of vice and crime in all this is believed, could its indiscretion, its madness, find credulity to adopt it almost upon any evidence? But what must be the state of that man's mind, as to prejudice, who could come to the conclusion of believing it, from the fact of some waterjugs and towels being found in an unusual place, in a passage near my bed-room? For as to his suspicion being raised by what he says he saw in the looking-glass, if it was as true as it is false, that could not occasion, his believing, on any particular night, that Captain Manby slept in my house; the situation of these towels and basons is what leads to that belief. But, Sire, may I ask, did the Commissioners believe this man's suspicions? If they did, what do they mean by saying that these facts of great indecency, &c. went to a much less extent than the principal charges? And that it was not for them to state their bearing and effect? The bearing of this fact unquestionably, if believed, is the same as that of the principal charge: namely, to prove me guilty of High Treason. They therefore could not believe it. But if they did not believe it, and as it seems to me, Sire, no men of common judgment could, on such a statement, how could they bring themselves to name Mr. Bidgood as one of those witnesses on whose unbiassed testimony they could so rely? or how could they, (in pointing him out with the other three as speaking to facts, particularly with respect to Captain Manby, which must be credited till decidedly contradicted, omit to specify the facts which he spoke to that they thus thought worthy of belief, but leave the whole, including this incredible part of it, recommended to belief by their general and unqualified sanction and approbation. known it; as your Majesty finds one witness ap -The remaining part of the case which respects Captain Manby, relates to my conduct at East Cliff. -How little Mrs. Lisle's examination affords for observations upon this part of the case, except as shewing how very seldom Captain Manby called upon me while I was there, I have already observed. Mr. Cole says nothing upon this part of the case; nor Mr. Bidgood. The only witness amongst the four whose testimonies are distinguished by the Commissioners as most material, and as those on which they particularly rely, who says any thing upon this part of the case, is Fanny Lloyd. Her deposition is as follows" I was at Ramsgate with the PrinBut the falsehood of this charge does not 66 cess in 1803. One morning when we were rest on its incredibility alone. My servant Mrs. "in the house at East Cliff, somebody, I don't Sander, who attended constantly on my person, "recollect who, knocked at my door, and de and whose bed-room was close to mine, was ex- "sired me to prepare breakfast for the Princess. amined by the Commissioners; she must have "This was about six o'clock; I was asleep. known this fact if it had been true; she posi-" During the whole time I was in the Princess's tively swears," that she did not know or believe" service, I had never been called up before to that Captain Mauby staid till very late hours "make the Princess's breakfast. I slept in the with me; that she never suspected there was any "housekeeper's room, on the ground floor. I improper familiarity between us. M. Wilson," opened the shutters of the window for light. who made my bed, swears, that she had been in "I knew at that time that Captain Manby's ship the habit of making it ever since she lived with "was in the Downs. When I opened the shutme; that another maid, whose name was Ann "ters, I saw the Princess walking down the Bye, assisted with her in making it, and swears "Gravel-Walk towards the sea. No orders had from what she observed, that she never had any "been given me over-night to prepare breakfast reason to believe that two persons had slept in it. "early. The gentleman the Princess was with Referring thus by name to her fellow-servant," was a tall man. I was surprised to see the who made the bed with her; but that servant," Princess walking with a gentleman at that why I know not, is not examined. As your "time in the morning. I am sure it was the Majesty then finds the inference drawn by Bid-" Princess."What this evidence of Fanny good to amount to a fact so openly and undisguisedly profligate, as to outrage all credibility; as your Majesty finds it negatived by the evidence of three witnesses, one of whom, in particular, if such a fact were true, must have Lloyd applies to, I do not feel certain that I recollect. The circumstances which she mentions might, I think, have occurred twice while I was there; and which time she alludes to, I cannot (To be continued.) Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent-Garden. TO JAMES PAUL, OF BURSLEDON, IN LOWER DUBLIN TOWN- My dear Friend, Letter VI. bility; and, as the Princess's defence does, in my opinion, demolish the testimony of the other three, Mrs. Lisle alone remains as a witness whose testimony has some weight. It was, therefore, in the opinion of Mr. Whitbread, of great conséquence to explain every circumstance relating to the mode which the Four Lords pursued in getting at and in recording this testimony. I will not, for fear of mistakes, attempt to make This Letter will conclude the remarks any abstract, or abridgment, of his speech which I mean to address to you, relative to upon this occasion; but, will insert it just the interesting affair of the Princess of as I find it reported in the Times newsWales. I have, indeed, already gone into paper of the 18th of March, that being the the whole of the subject as far as it is ne- fullest report that I have been able to find cessary for me to go into it, seeing that the of Mr. Whitbread's speech, which, as far Defence of the Princess leaves so very little as related to the subject before us, was as to be said by any one. But, there have follows: "He must," he said, "trouble arisen certain matters, forming the sequel" the House for a few minutes with some of the disclosure, which are well worthy" passages in Mrs. Lisle's evidence, relaof your attention; and, of these, the most "tive to the Princess and Captain Manby. important are, the debates, or, rather, the" Mrs. L. could not say there was any atremarks and counter-remarks, which have "tachment; and she never saw any kissing been made in the two Houses of Parlia-" hands, &c. He wished to confine himment, relative to the deposition of Mrs." self to material points. After the eviLisle, which deposition you will find in"dence was given, the depositions were the Register, at page 393. "taken; and he was not surprised, under MR. WHITBREAD, in the House of Com-"all the circumstances, at Mrs. Lisle's mons, on the 17th of March, last past, re- signature to the deposition; but he was, ferred to this affidavit, or deposition, and " he must confess, surprised to find leading he animadverted upon the conduct of the" questions put to her by his Learned Four Lords, who took it down. The Four" Friend, the Lord Chancellor Erskine Lords, in their place, in the House of" questions on which that Noble and LearnLords, a few days afterwards, entered into "ed Lord, when an advocate, would have an explanation, vindicated their own con- "expired, sooner than have permitted to duct, and spoke in very severe terms of the" be answered by any witness of his, on a attack which had been made upon them. "trial in a Court of Law. One would be Before I enter further into this matter, I" tempted by the deposition to think, that beg you to observe, that it is of very great "Mrs. L. said all in one breath as it were. importance; because, as you will have "The question in the examination was put perceived, of the whole of that crowd of" to Mrs. L." Did Captain Manby sit witnesses, who were examined upon this" next to the Princess at dinner?" Yet, in occasion, Mrs. Lisle is the only one, to "the deposition, it seemed as if she stated whose testimony the Princess appears to at-it voluntarily. Then Lord Erskine asks tach any importance; and, indeed, she is " Mrs. L. "whether they all sat just as the only witness whose testimony seems to "the four Noble Lords sat round their merit any serious refutation. She is, as "table with her?" Mr. W. remarked on was observed in my last Letter, one of the" various other questions put to Mrs. L., four persons, upon whose testimony the" and expressed his astonishment that so charge of impropriety of conduct did, in "many leading questions should have been the eyes of the Four Lords, rest for credi- " put to her. "What! did the Princess Q 66 66 66 66 66 66 "and Captain Manby sit apart? What, if "putation upon her! Let Gentlemen "sitting together, do you suppose they " bring to their consideration the situation "talked about ?" Lords Erskine and El- "of their own wives, sisters, and daugh"lenborough put these questions; and then "ters. When they left home to attend "the deposition is to go out to the world" to their public or private-business, would "to impress the sense of guilt on the part they not treat with contempt and scorn, "of the Princess. The answer of Mrs. L. "evidence such as this, if it was attempted "regarding the conversation was, that she" to charge criminality upon it? (Hear, "did not listen to it. Then Lord Erskine "hear.) They might be disposed to pro"desires her to answer him, as a woman "secute the calumniator: but Her Royal "of reason, character, and of knowledge" Highness did not stand in the situation "of the world, whether the Princess's "of a person for whom such steps could "conduct was proper for a married woman "be taken. He was ashamed of some "-he puts it to her honour as a mother? parts of the examination. It was asked, "Really, there never was a question put to "whether she went out with Mr. Hood in a female witness which could make the a whiskey? Whether he drove it? This "chords of sensibility vibrate more strong- was something like the mode of cross"ly in her heart. The answer was col- "examination. Who was there besides "Mr. Hood's servant?' 6. "lected, dignified, affectionate, and moWas he a man "therly, for the question referred to her or a boy? A laugh.) How often "own family: "my daughter," she says, "did she go out so?' Was it fair-play ""lived well with her husband." To the" to the Princess to extract answers in that ❝question again, whether the Princess" manner? Then they came to Mr. Ches"lived as a married woman ought? Mrs. ter, who was stated to be a pretty "L.'s answer was, not like the statement in young man.' (A laugh.) This was the deposition. Lord Ellenborough, in- "too ludicrous to be serious, and yet too deed, said to the Chancellor, "I suppose "serious to be ludicrous. The inference "you'd put it as any married woman. "seemed to be, that there was a preposWhat did you ever think of the" session for him, because he was hand"Princess's talking with Captain Manby?" some. It was asked, 'Is he not handwas another question: but these were some? The answer was, pretty!! "never answered, though we had some- "All that was nauseous had been read; thing about them in the deposition. He "but he should notice one point: the wit"was sorry to be obliged to animadvert " ness was asked, 'Do you recollect the upon the conduct of the four Noble Princess getting up and going out of her "Lords Commissioners; but he should be" room into another at night, for a light?? doing injustice to the cause of justice, if "Answer, I do.' Why,' say two law"he did not say, that, if the accused had yers, 'did she get up in the night?? been provided with an advocate, wit-"(laugh.) Yet this was in the deposi"nesses would have been protected, or "tion; and the shakers of heads continued prevented from answering many inter"rogatories that were put to them. • The "Princess, says Mrs. L., is free and "condescending.' That,' says the Chan"cellor, is not my question.' I thought,'" Her Royal Highness say,' says the witsays Mrs. L., that the Princess liked" ness, 'that she had been ill, and that to talk with Captain Manby, rather than "her candle was gone out.' Was not the "with the Ladies.' Let the House recol- "Princess to be in a situation common to lect, that there were, and are attached every subject of the realm? The public "to the Princess, persons of high consi- "mind must form her shield, and her "deration; yet could any body doubt that" protection. Read the evidence, and say "when new society, which afforded new "whether she has not a right to be treated "topics of conversation, broke in upon the as innocent, till she be proved guilty. sameness-the fatigue of retired and "Mrs. L.'s testimony gives an easy, namock royalty,-debarred from many" tural, and probable solution, of this ❝sources of amusement,-yet uncompen- "mysterious transaction. (Hear.) Mr. "sated by even the trappings of her state, "Chester, it seems, walked out twice "could any body doubt, or be surprised," with the Princess; and he was left at "that the Princess should find something" Lord Sheffield's. Then for Captain in it agreeable? Yet that was an im- "Moore. He dined there, and where, it 66 66 to shake, because Mrs. Lisle had deposed so and so. That was not a fair "construction of Mrs. L.'s evidence, if "the examinations were read. 'I heard |