The National Register.
London, England, 1813-03-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

'Slept there that night. The next day er company came. Mi•
heater remained ; I heard her Royal Hig!ifless say that she had
been II in the night, and came out for a light, and lighted her candle
in the servant's room; I retuned from Shetfield-pLce to Blackheath
with the Princess. Captain Moore diucd there. I left hint and
, the Princess twice alone for a short time; be might be alone half
..IM hour with her. In the room below in which we had b'en sit •
ting, I went to look for a book to complete a set her Royal High-
new was lending Captain Moore. Site made him a present of an
Inkstand, to the best of my recollection. He was there one morn-
ing in January last, on the Princess Charlotte's Birth-day. He
went • away before the rest of the company ; I might be absent
twenty minutes the second time. 1 was away the night Captain
- Moore was tlWre. At Lady Sheffield's her Royal Highness paid
mote attention to Mr. Chester titan to the rest of the company. I
knew of her Royal Highness walking out twice linme witinMr.
Chester in the morning alone ; once a Short time it rained—the
other not an hour—not long. Mr. Chester is a pretty young man.
tier attentions to him were not uncommon, not the same as to Cap-
tain Mattby. lam not certain whether the Princess answered any
letters a Lady Douglas. I was at Catherington with the Will-
ie-au. jtpinember Mr. Hood, now Lord Hood, there, and the
'Privieetaritoteg out airing with him alone in Mr. Hood's little xvhis-
Aey, and-his servant man with them. Mr. Hood drove ; stall nut
;two nr ibree hours ; more than once, three or fuer times. Mr.
Allred with us severaLtintes, once, or twice he slept in a horse
in the garden. She appeared to pay no attention to him but that
of couttitoti civility to an intimate acquaint anf!e. I remember
the Priitceits sitting to Mr. Lawrence for her picture at Blakheati.
'wain IlAndou ; I have left her at his house in to n with him. I
was wryer in her Royal Highness's confidence, but she has aiwys
• been kW and good-natured to me. She never mentioned Captain
Manby particularly to me. I remeinher her being blooded the day
Lady Sheffield's child was christened, not several times tluit I recol-
lect, nor any other time, nor believe she was in the habit of heify,
blooded twice a year. The Princess at one time appeared to like Lady
Douglas; Sir John came frequently; Sir Spiticy Smith visited
about the smile time with the Douglas's ; I have seen Sir Sydney
there very late in the evening, but not aloae with the Princess ;
bave no reason to suspect tie had a key of the Park gate_; I never
heard of any body being, found wand Bring about at Blackheath. I
have heard of somebody being leutal Avanderint! about late at night
at Mount Edgenmbe, when the Princess was there. I heard that
two women and a man were seen crossing ball. The Princess
aaw a great deal of company at Mount Edgcumbe. Sir Richard
.Strachan ;was reported to have spoken freely of the Princess. I
did not hear that lie had Whirled a rudeness tr tier person. She
told me site had heard he had spoken disrespectfully of her, and
faerefore, I believe, wrote to him by Sir Samuel Hood.
(Signed) HESTER LISLE.
Sworn befivre us, in Downing-street,
Otis ;id day of.bily, 180 ti.
(Signed) ERSKINE, GRENVILLE,
SPENCER, ELLENBOROUGH.
THE DEPOSITION OF THOMAS EDMEADES,
Of the Count:' of Kent, Surgeon.
On Tuesday. May 20, 1806, I waited upon the Earl of
-Moira, by -his appointment ; who, havinn; introduced me to
Mr. Conant, a Magistrate for Westminster, proceeded to
anentioif a charge preferred against toe by one of the fetna!e
servants of her: Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, of my
having said that her
.Royal H4,othe'ss had been pregnant.
His LordAiip then asked .me if I bad not bled her .R,)val
Ilighness,—and whether at that time I did not mention to a
servant, that I thought her Royal Hitzhness in the family
way,—and whrlher I did itof also a•li if the.Prinee had been
down to Montagne-house? I answered, that at bad never
entered my mina that her Royal Highness was in such a
situation ; and that, thetefote, certainly I never made the
remark to any one, nor had I asked whether his Royal High-
.liess had visited the house. I.said, at .that repent
'of the nature alluded to was prevalent, but tl;at trttated it
as the infamous lie of the day. His Lordship adverted to
the circumstance of her -Royal Highness having token a
her lions? ; and.ohserved, how d:eodful miAakes
:cession ,to the Throne wev, .and Kiat. ccaosiou

RCH 21

might be caused by any claim of this child : t ob4-rved,
that 1 was aware of it, but repeated the assertion, that • I had
never thought of a such a thing as was-suggested, and there-
fore considered it impossible, in a manner, that 1 could
have given it ut!etance. 1 observed, that 1 believed, in the
first instance, Mr. Stikcman, the Page. had mentioned this
child to 1-Icr Royal Highness. and that it came from Dept-
ford, where I went when liet Royal highness first took it, to
see if any illness prevailed in the family 'Air. Conant
olrerved, that he believed it was not an unusual thing for a
medical man, when he iniagined that a Lady was pregnant,
to mention his suspicion to some confidential domestic in
the family. 1 admitted the hare possibility, if such had
been my opinion ; but remarked, that the if must have been
removed, before 1 could have committed myself in so absurd

a manner.
Lord Moira, in a very significant manner, with his hands
behind him, his head over one shoulder, his eyes directed
towards me, with a Solt of smile observed, " that he
could not help thinking there must be something in the
servant's deposition." as if he did not give perfect credit to •
what 1 had said. He observed, that the matter was then
confined to the knowledge of a few; and that he had bored,
if there had been any foundation for the affidavit, I might
have acknowledged it, that the affair might have been
hushed. With respect to the minor rpies'ion, I observed,
that was not probable that 1 should condescend to ask any
such question as that imputed to me, of a menial servant,
and that 1 was not in the habit of conferring confidentially
with servants. Mr. Conant cautioned me to be on my
guard ; as, if it appeared on further investi_ation, I had
made such inquiry, ,it might be very unpleasant to me,
should it come under the consideration of the ivy Council.
I said, that I considered the report as a malicicus one, and
was ready to take oath before any magistrate, that I had not
at any time asserted, or even thougl•A, that her Royal
ness had ever been in a state of piegnancy since I had had
the honour of attending the household. Mr. Conant asked
me whether, whilst I was bleeding her Royal I i i ness, or
afier I had pc tformed the operation, I did not milke some
comment on the situation of her Royal Highuess from the
state of the blond, and whether_ I recommended the opetai.
tion. I answered in the negative to both questions ; I said
that her Royal Highness had sent for me to bleed her, and
that I did not then recollect on what account. l said that I
had bled her Royal 'holiness twice, bat did not remember
the dates. I asked Lord :Moira whether he intended to pro-
-1 coed in the business, or whether I might consider it as at
rest, that I might have an ()ppm tunity, if I thought neces-
. nary, of consulting my friends relative to the mode of conduct
I ou•,.ht to adopt. Ile said that if the subject was moved
any farther I should be appi ised of it, and that at present it
' was in the hands of a few. I left them ; and in about an
hour, on further consideration, wrote the note of which the
following is a copy, to which I never received any relay:--
" Mr. Edineades presents his respectful compliments to
" Lord Moira, and on mature deliberation, alter leaving-
his Lordship upon the conversation which passed at Lord
" Moira's this morning, he feels it necessary to advise with
-some friends on the prop: iety of making the particulars
" of the conversation known to her Royal- highness the
Princess of Wales, as Mr. lidmeades would be very twill
" that her Royal Highness should consider
him cAP':an biet;:ef
• " such infamous conduct as that imputed to him.
1 " deposition of a servant, by Loid Moira, this morning.
" London, May 20, 1805"
I have been enabled to state the substance of my interview

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