The National Register.
London, England, 1813-03-14 00:00:00

TriT NATIONAL RETSTEL

►fITICI-1 14.

as suosi:t 41 4:lrgeS iu theinselv..s, but es matters in sm.porr of the 1
princip 41 accusation ; that thran:4) the pr-sstire and weiLtot of 01441
nth i+h
1!
occuivitions, they did_ not —perliapS could not.---bc.strow th t al• ,
tention on the case, which, it gavel' to it, 'oust have enabled them to
detect the villainy an-1 filsehold of my 11ee119.14, and their fold conspi-
racy against me and most have preserved lily character from the
wriatatv imputation which the authority of the Conimissioners has for a
time-cas" upon it ; but 41.i.,ve all, that tle.y shot 141 upon this er.paric
examination. witho,,t beating one nand that I could urge, have reported
to your Majesty on opinicn_ on these matters. sv prejudicial to my ho-
nour, and from which I can have no appeal to the laws of the country
(because the charges Constituting no kcal offence cannot he made the •
ground of a judicial inquiry); these, and many o. her circumstances•
cooltected with the length of the proceoditigs, which have cruelly ag.
gravated t*, my ter the- pain as attendant trpOn this in-
qatity, I shall not be able to refrain Itre,l stmine and 'mine as
mallets of serious looteutatlcn at least—if not of well grounded emu.
plaint.
In commenting nrn any part cf the circumstances which have oc-
curred in the caurse of this inquiry, whatever ohs. rvati'mis I may be
compelled to make upon any at them, 1 trust I shall never f.rget what
is due to officers in ni.,11 station end employ latent uu ter ;roar Majesty.
No ap .logy, therefore, can be molted for any reserve in any expres-
sions toaards them. But al. in vindicating my innocence against the
injustice and the Jll ,lire of my enetuies, 1 should appear t your Ma-
jesty not to express iiaN self with all the warmth and indignation which
innocence so foully calumniated must feel, your hlaiesty wall, I trust,
not attribute my forbearance to any insens.ihiity to the grievous
in-
juries I have sastained, hut will graciously be rieased to ascribe it to
the rest; aon I have imposed upon nayself, lest, in endeavouring to de-
scribe, in just terms, the motives, the conduct, the perjury, and all the
foul circumstances which characterise and establ sly the malice of my
accusers, I night use language. which, °mut!' nut unjustly applied to
them, might be improper to be used by me to any body, or unfit to be
enip!oyed by any body. !volubly, respectfully. and dutifully addressieg
your Majesty. That a fit opportunity has occurred for buying open my
heart to your Maj, sty, perhaps I shall hereattet have reason to 14.
moo ; for more than two Sears I had been i formed, that upon the
presumpli-n of some misconduct in ice, my behaviour had been the
sulij4 ct of investigation, and my neighbour's servants had been era-
stabled concerning it ; end for some time I had received mysterious
and indistinct intimations. that some great mischief was meditated to-
wards me ; and in all the circumstances of my very peculiar situation,
it will not he thought strange, that however conscious I was, that I had
no just cause for fear, i should yet feel some uneasiness on this account.
With surprise certaihly, (because the first tidinats were of a kind et-
cite surprise,) but without alerm, I received the intelligence, that for
some reason, a formal investigation of some parts of my conduct had,
been advised, and had taken place.
Ilia Royal Highness the Duke of sent, on the 7th of June, 180 d,
announced it to site. He announced to me, the Princess of Wales, the
near approach of two Attornies (one of them, the Solicitor employed
by Sir John Douglas) cleiming to enter my dwelling with a warrant to
take away one-hdf of my ll••nsehAld, for imm-diate examinntion upon
a charge against myself,.• Of the nature of that ch. rge I was then un-
informed. It now apneas it was the charge • f High Treason, com-
mitted in the infamous crime of Adultery. His Royal Highness wilt,
I am sure, do me the jostle(' to represent to your Majesty, that I Oe-
trayed no fear—that I manifested no symptoms of conscious guilt—
that I sought no excuses to prepare or to tutor my servants, for the ei•
*ruination which they were to undergo The only request which I
made to his Royal Hiehness was, that he would have the eoodness to
remain with me till the servants wire . one, that he might bear witness
that I had no conversation with them before they went. In truth,
Sire, my anxieties under k knowledge that some serious mischief was
planning against me, and while 1 was tetnorant of its crudity and es-
tent, had been so great, that 1 could nut but rejoice at an event which
'Weaved to promiAt me an early opportunity of aseertihnug what the
Malice of any enemies intended against me. It has not been, Weed,
without impatience the most painful; that I have passed the baterval
*lnch has snipe elapsed. When it was not only known to thv. world
(tor it was known to the woad), that enquiry of the era est nature
bad been instituted into in. conduct. i look. d to the c nelitsion with all
the eagerness that c-111.1 balm 10 an ibsolote convict:oh that my inno-
cence and my bottom., to the disgrace and confusion of ms occnser-s
"mild be estdhlished, and that the Vtailltdi ss illahee and I' justice of
the whole charge would be manifested to the world, as widely as the
eshunny had been circulated. I knew that the resnit of an et pate
• en , I, Wu tl. sea v nature, could u t. unless it fulls asserted any en-
tre innoceuce. be in any degree just; and I hint tnuald myself more
firmly to bekcit. that it was'utterly impossible that any opinion which
tbismatiebt deAree work 'a prejudice to my bunvur and cha,

raster, could even he expressed in any terms, by any persons in .
port trie:ii a solemn ftirtuM Enquiry, and more especially to yuur Ma+
ssty witeout ray" •ea Flog some notice • met some upppreqpit4 441,216.1.11
110 and I was convinced, that if the preceeding alloweci
tare an npini m was espressed, the ordinary mean' Aetna accused pert. •
sous hoe of vindicating their honour mid their upinmen. which em.al4
then be eepressed, be fully :vindicated and .effectually establish.d.
What then, !sire, must have bceti my nstonislittesnt and my dismay,
when save that nutwithstaudirig the piincipal accusation w;ms found to
be utterly s abie,•yet some of the witnesses to those charges which tient
browlit in support of the prisiciptil accweition, wit. esses whom
interested to have pr tested my character, mould easily have
i
shown out of their own mouths,-to lee utterly •snsvoitily of credit,
confeeeratei in joint conspiracy with roy accusets, are reportea
di
to be tree frost, all suspicion ut unfavourable bias: their veracity, in
the judgment of the Cummii.sioners, not to be questioned ;" and theit
Ml:awn' • e.ortes and insinuatmons againet me to be such as desservo
time most *serioas consideration," and as such to be credited •6 till deci•
sively contradicted''
'I lie Itiqeily, after 1 thtus had notice of it, continued for stove two
months. I venture not to cOmplain, a, if it Inid been otinceescatii)
protrac,ed. The imp .rtant duties and oticial avucations sit' time
Lords appointed to carry it on, may tetturolly account fur and excu4
some delay : but however excusable it may have been, your MAJESiti
wily conceive the pain and attemety which the interval of euspence hid
occasioned ; and your Msiraty will not be surprised it 1 Wither ter
present, that I 'save found a peat aegrevati n of my patutul sufferiregh
in the delay which occurred in comotuslicat mg the K. port to tue ; frit
though it i, dated on the 14th of July. 1 did nut 'vetoer it till the
of August. notwithstanding your rakujesty's giacious corn :iamb.* .
was due unquestionably to vour Mitje,ty, that time result of an loquir,
commanded by your Majesty, up in advice inch had been offere
touching matters of the highest import, should he fast and immediate!
c eitinsutticated to you. The respect and honour due to the Prince•
Wales, the interest which he 'mist necessarily have taken lii this lop
quiry, combined to make it indispensably fit that the result -Shottid be
forthwith also stated to his Its al Highness. I cseeplain not berefere
that it was MO early communicated to any one ; lc uiplain Indy, apt
I complain most seriously, (for 1 feltit most seromusly), of the delay id
its coininunieuti to me.
Rumour has informed the world that the Report_had been end,
comiussnieated to your Majesty and to his Reyal 1-Ugliness I did nok
receive the benefit intended (or site, by sour Majesty's roust graciuus
co monand, till a month after this Reyeet was sigised. But time same
rumour has represented tee, to my iiifin to prejudice. as in possession
of the Report. during that 'smith : and the in mli e of those who wished
to stain my honour,; has not fteled to sucgest all that Dialler c
inter (roan its remaining in that possession so :orig. Mal lbe pr mil-
ted to say. that IT the Repo:t acqtets tue, my ititeme,emce entitles me to
receive from Ouse to whom your Majesty's commands laud been gieest,
an immeili•ste tiotificatiim of the tact that it did acquit me. Sere.
retire ehould nut have been left to tootle in any mind, much less upon
your Majesty'', for a month before
I could even begin to prepare rue
an answer, which when begun, could nut speedily he, concluded ; anti
that if the Report could be represeuted as both acquitting inn' cent,
demising, me, the reasons which stigeeqed time propriety of an earl
ripplication in each of the former cases, combined to make it propet
and tiecessaly in the Litter.
And why all considerations* of my feelings was then cruelly neg.
lected-+why i was kept upon the rack daring all 'ids time, ignorant
of the result of a charge which affected my honour and my lite -and
wits, especially in a case where ancit graver matters were to continuo
to be credited to the prejudice mo -may honour, till the. were decidedly
contradicted, the meet's of knowing what .t was, that L might at least
endeavour to runtradict, were witi.holdeo Irons me a'single ummeces-
silty hour. 1 know nor, anti I mill not trust nry•elf to atteiuk:it to cutt•
lecture.
On the 11th Of August, homy :vet, 1 at length received 'from the
Lord C tifitnoeiltir a p.act, containing copies of the Warrant-or Cone.
mission authorising the Inquiry of the Report and at the Exastii-
rations on watch the Renort .Was foundee, ; and sour Majm-sty may *tee
graciously pleas. d to recollect, that on tt
e 11:h re tinted toy gr may
thanks to your Majesty tor having mint. se these Papers to be seat to
ine. mar Mljesty•will readily itmsagine, eeat upon a -object of uch
importance, I could not venture to tiust only to my own advice, and
tit se wi•li whote 1 advised. -ug4ested limit the Declaration or lhaige,
noon which the Inqu.rt s•roceeded, ..o:d which the Co lonic.
smon rs r ter to in their Report, and reore,•en to be the es-voted
found.ltion of the whole proceedings, di.; not smccempai..y the Exanit•
nation and the Report, and also that the Papers theinicives were not
auth:nticated.
1 ventured, therefore, to address yam. Majesty rte
the simpposed
detect in mhe comittueicatim, anti • huinblir reqtessted t iemt the tutees
Of the repels 'Midi I thca retaraid ungls.t) -atter beiriosithincti gat&

orina. by any immons in a Ref•

plimirmil