The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-12 00:00:00

tents, erl ich I think Inatetial far the Aeferce of mysalr, acid
or my (timid Ca, sin Coi ttdn. .1 lie charge it.. Mot us is that
of daliberate arid vitro. mud ; and as nay conscience wholly
acquits me of any craw, l rely with confidence ti vets your
ver.Lct in our favour Indeed. Gentiemen, by vultiecuity sur-
reyitirg otaiselve to take our trial at the bar, we have vett a
solemn pledge of our iespect for an English Jury—And not-
withstanding all the it limn, all the calumny, at the inf reline
senta ions, and all th- falsehood% which Lave Leen rain upon)
me caara:tei, by malignant and viadictiveperlollt, I au I know
that I shall be tried by an umight Jetts!, and a datas,ionate
Jury. The neesaapers, anal even the pulpit, have been prosti-
tuted, I may say prafitioad, by ioveetives agaiust me, cod even
e deavours have been made to stir up the very persons who
now sit upon my trial. But, Gentlemen, 'notwithstanding all
these odious aspersimira I have Mile rto been silent, removing
myself for your impartial hearine, a id solemaly tlec'are that
while I state the eirceinstances of this unfoomnate and melee,
choly affair; I ant more solicitous to preserve my honour titan
niv life, and I know my friend would aot wish one to save him
by uttering a falsehood.
My fancily perhaps is known to youth have been for
some time settled in Liverpool, and though I was boot there,
and .pent my childhorel in that town, yet when I came iii the
winter succeeding my father's death to reside there, I was in a
great measure a perferEt stranger. I had spent some scars in
the university, and in the army, in the service of an illustrious
Prince, who has in the most liandmine manner 'ilium% a latter
in my favour; and though I am not sure whether the rules of
law will allow me to produce it in this Court, yet, however, I
au proud to have in my possession so honourable a testimonial,
the grateful recollection of which death alone cau eflltee.
In November, 1802, I first expretacil to the daughter of Mr.
Renshaw my affoetion for her; at which time also, I first ex-
pressed to him that I had conceived an affection for has datigh-
ter ; alt affection both honourable and sincere, and I have still,
I assure you, the highest nine of her merits and her virtues
Foe her 'rake, Gentlemen, I have borne much—l have been si •
lent under the oust odious calumnies I feel greatly for the
aflictine situation in which the rashness of her telations has
placed her, and I feel reluctant mid unwilling to &dries her
more tit ua toy saying that after a ern ahort acquaintance I made
proposals, which were evgerly accepted by her father: and as
I proposed after my marriage to reside at Petton, an estate in
Slitupshire, I went there with my friend. Mr. holden, to pre-
pare nich animations and addition, to the house as were deemed
neceasaiy.
We left Liverpool on Melnik.; the t'.9th of Nnvembar, and
returned from Petran, on Satisiday, the 4th of Dacamber.
The ..beret of my journey will be folly explained by %Ir. I;oalen.
We aro ived In Liverpool, on Saturday, the 4th of December,
in the afternom I visited Mr. Renshaw, and returned home to
my hour* at St Domingo, where 1 found the letter which has
Mortise... 4 so much mischief; it was without a signature, and
had bran pat into the post office at Live, Lend, in my A.
The commits I shall nut state further ; but briefly remark, that
so ere of the circumstances meatione4 in it, I knew could aim
ba true, yet, there were others, which, if true, wuaald hare af-
fooled elia..ctiom to my color:cline with the family. I was num!,
afflict:el at the commits of that letter; yet at nay acqitaintaace •
with tl, Renshaw family had been ashen ilinatiou, I thought
no nitrite:ohm mad attach time me for ihscontiniang my
addreues to the la le, noile• these citetimatatres. until 411 ex.
planation hui lAN' place. This (lO Ole meat painful sub-
ject) much perplexed me; but I canceiveil it would be the
most lemourable and proper cows • 1 reblild laurste, to chew
t'-e letter immediately to Mr 'Unship., and I hoped the
whole would prove to be a nowt milli:mu; fabrication.
—I desired my mother to atrinat ,t Mr Renshaw with
its contents. Age, Via:, Mr. Renshaw expo...sad a desire to
tee me, and I had an interview with him. bloat happened
on that occasion, Mr. Bolden can state. I shall only say, that
some circuntatinces were eealain-01, bid there were others
which requital farther exalanatiart, tad Mr. Renshaw pro
utisad to stake inqiiiriaste that pia pose. At parting. Mr Ren-
shaw took at twi by the hand, and naologiveil fire me taking
off his glove ; this took place on tVerlatesday the Bth of Ikeem
her. It material to nba Tye to sou, that we then lived hear
mioagh to have cal:lied %V. Renshaw to have ared, doing the
course of the some evenitie, what farther comasunicationv he
might aaa„sia.,„glie aecewary to have marl! to me on this sub-
fel*, to highly interesting to us bath. And, Gentlemem, the
reason why the letter era not sheen him earlier is this, °neat
his daughters, then late:), deal, was not buried until Minalat
the 6th, sad I thought it improper to intrude upon his afilic-
tioll. But, Gentlemen, how hate I been calumniated I
It has been said that i received the letter the day before
went to Pinyon, and that I continued my vista en purpose to
insult the family, with that letter in my pocket; sad it was
one of the aggravating aarinations against me, that I purposely
these the very time when Lis daughter lay dead in the house!
Gentlemen, these calumnies are so strong, they sae warmly
within the limits of belief, or the scope of possibility. That
I went tea Petton in the highest spirits, and with the gayest
prospects of my mirriage, and impatient of any absence, is
most true. And I mow aelemilly declare, that fatten I Tamest lit
that I had not men this anonymous letter before its journey to
Petton, nor kiinwii that the eircurnstaucas, or that the Mate,
tions mentioned in it existed), I saeak the words of truth and
sincerity, and should expect to he detested if it were otherwise.
The letter was given up Po Mr. Renshaw by me, anal I waited
with anxiety without receiviug any communication from him.
I conceived that as we lived on'y two mile; from each other,
my not hearing from hint was quite unaccountable, and
being in great uneasiness OM this account, I resolved to
got from haunt. I wrote to Mr. B olden prey into to my
leaving home, saying, if any thing required nay presence
I would return. On the 12th, Me Renshaw sent a note
to Mr. Bolden, reptiring Mr. Bolden called
at his I se that evening, gave loisn the adaress, and after
some conversation. in wiitch Mr Renshaw related, the
letter wcred remove all my futile objections, and saying.
s. You, Mr. Belden, and I can talk calmly of these miners. and
even laugh at them ;" Mr Bolden proposed my health, which
Mr. Renshaw drank,* and then dance! that latter in his pre-
setter--a letter to clear up all difficulties. What a letter !
Gaud God! Geatlersert, you would scarcely believe that this
letter, though bent under the aionearance of friendship, was
filled with invectives and aspersion. toe alines fur me to dwell
upon. Gentlemen, I must beg leave to read it as his :
" SIR.
" As It was entirely for my own satisfaction, that I insisted
upon seeing you ; so is it for the same reason that I now think
it worth while to address you ; few as the mmutes are, which
it will require, and which, God knows, bad! not this induce-
ment, I could not apologise eves to myself, for /Well an un-
worthy application of my time. I have enaiiir d as far back
as living testimony can be hid, into the health et my family,
and Mut both to any _comfort and conviction, though I am
aware that it will impart neither the one nor the other to cost,
that the imputation you had heard, anal was so fain to believe,
must have been engendered In the vilest depravity of heart.
The testimony on which I ground my belief is beyond your
power to impeach. It goes back to the unusual extmit of more
than eighty-six years; it is testimony to which any one may
ramt, mato which I will introduce the mist scrapuloirs en-
quirer, and it is on the validity of this testimony that I dare to
proncomioe, with-out intoning the censure trf presumption ; for
what preaumption can there he ill comparaig me sod mine with
roil anal yours? that ins family ha. always been as et now is, as
pure to its blond, as it was till lately superior to yours in fur.
tune, end ever I trust will remain in character and desert. My
father's indispreltion, to which, elicit you alluded, I bid you
throw aside el &limey, though the advise was unueceearv,
born as you were without one generous sentiment, and haring
imbibed Marlene* in its pure* state at your mother's breast,
was the fiat obpiet of my anii,itt enquiry. And what think
you war the cause! Was his father a lineal descendant from
Laments! Ito ; he was a venerable, healthy, and I will amid a re-
spectable gentlemaia—Whence then del it ;-.ice d ? Why,
Sir, it proves to have taken place when at *hoot ; it was owing
to the exertions of such alt active mind and body, as natter:
thought it unworthy of her to bestow upon you. It was but
of very short duration; it has had no recurrence, sad it n-ow
remains only to be known throagh the mistalsen management
which prevailed in those days. It was such as lam prof Aston-

• For the illustration of these woiJ•, 1 refer you to you,
mother.