The National Register.
London, England, 1815-12-31 00:00:00

i

$4,,"

In this letter the Cardinal says, the Pope Hatters himself,
that the Government of Great Britain would by no means exact
from the Catholics any other oath but such as, whilst it gives
to the Government itself a still surer pledge of the fidelity of,
the Catholics, may, at the same time, neither clash in the least
with the principles of the Catholic religion, nor cast any affront
upon the same most holy religion of Christ ; and in case the
aforesaid emancipation be enacted, his Holiness will permit
them to take either one of the following forms of oath which the
Government shall think most advisable.

.4 The first is as follows :
" I swear and promise, upon the Holy Evangelists, obedience
and fidelity to his Royal Majesty George 111. ; I also promise that
I will not hold any communication, be privy to any plot, nor keep
any suspicious connexion, either at home or abroad, to iminre the
public peace ; and if it shall come to my knowledge that any thing
is projecting, either in my diocese or elsewhere, to the prejudice
of the State, I will, reveal the same to Government."

" The second runs thus :
" I swear and promisa that I will continue faithful and entirely
subject and obedient to his Royal Majesty George 111 ;_ and that *I
will not, in any wise, disturb the peace and tranquility of this realm,
nor give ally aid or assistance to any Power who either directly or
indirectly may be an enemy to his Majesty and the present Go-
vernment of England."
" The Third

" I swear and promise obedience and trite fidelity to our most
beloved Lord George M. whom I will, with all my might, defend
against all conspiracies, assaults, or attempts whatsoever, against
his Person, Crown and dignity ; and if it shall come to my know-
ledge, that any such are forming against him, I will reveal the same
to his aforesaid Majesty. Moreover, I also faithfully swear and
promise that I will, with all my might, preserve, support, and defend
the succession of the Crown in the family of his Majesty, against
any persons whatsoever, within or without the realm, who may
boast or pretend a right to the Crown thereof."

ESCAPE OF LAVALETTE.
•
Lavalette escaped from prison on the 20th inst. the night be-
fore orders were expected for his execution. A Private Cor-
respondent communicates the following details :
" hladame de Lavalette's health has been, as you know, very
seriously imprired by her late sufferings. For several weeks
past, in order to avoid the movement of her carriage,, she has
used a sedan chair. She has been accustomed to be carried in
this vehicle into the prison, when it is constantly deposited in
the passage of the under turnkey's room ; thence passing through
a door, the yard and corridor lead to the prisoner's apartments.
At four yesterday afternoon Madame de, Lavalette arrived as
usual with a bonnet ala Francaise and a large veil, accompanied
by her daughter, a young lady 11 years old. She was assisted
lip stairs, and .dined with her husband. About half-past five
lA. de Lavalette, arrayed in her clothes, taking his daughter by
the arm, and supported by one of the turnkeys, slowly descend
ed to the chair. No uncommon circumstance occurring to
excite suspicion, he passed before a!1 the Inspectors and Guar-
dians of that horrible abode, and, at the unbarring of the last
gate, was restored to the fresh air, to his friends and libel tv.
In the mean time Mad. de Lavalette, who had thrown over her
the large cloak of her husband, was seated, breathless, in his
arm chair, with a book in her hand, and the candle burning be-
hind her on a table. At half-past six a gaoler entering the
room, spoke to her, but met with no reply ; he repeated the
question, and astonished at the continued silence, he approach-
ed nearer to the lady, when, with a smile succeeded by strong
convulsions, she exclaimed—"ll est parti "—You may imagine
the contusion. The Prefect of Police was acquainted with the
event at a quarter before seven ; estafettes were dispatched in
every direction, and the barriers closed. It was at first ru-
snourenhe Ministers themselves had concurred in his evasion;
that an English Gentleman had conducted him away in his car-
riage, which was waiting at the end of the street for him ; that
one of the turnkeys had tied with him, &c. The first of these
reports is absurd, the others I am neither able to confirm nor
contradict.
"'the Police traced the chair two streets distant ; there, it ap-
pears, M.. de Lavalette alighted and stepped into the carriage

*

DPP. 81,

that was in !ca' ess f . lt. Clitljtl.tliuell Ile ..,(0
Bavaria, where lis i nimate friend and relation the Prince
Beauharnois will receive him with open arms, and the influence
of that distinguished character is so great with the King, that
should he reach his territories, there can be little doubt of his
future safety. This well-conducted plan was executed with
peculiar felicity, and at the decisive moment ; for M. Barbe
Marbois. after several invitations, was reluctantly obliged to
send yesterday evening to his Majesty's Attorney-General the
papers which er-dicio passed through his hands from the Cour
de Cassation. It is said he has in some degree committed him-
self by keeping those important documents full t%O days longer
than the law authorises, in his possession. The Attorney-Ge-
neral most have done his duty immediately, and Lavalette
would have been to-night a headless trunk.
" Madame de Lavalette slept in prison. You would with
difficulty conceive the interest she has every where inspired."

The French papers give the following account, which agrees
nearly with the above :
Paters, Dec. 22.—Some persons have been astonished, and
have perhaps even complained of the slowness of a famous
cause, which has just been decided with the most awful solem-
nity. This slowness arose from the rigorous observance of all
the forms of legal authority, from which it was judged the less
proper to deviate, the more celebrated the criminal was, and
the more evident the crime. The same regularity, the same
attention to forms, had been shewn in the trial of M. Lavalette.
There were no delays but those of justice and the law.
The pronunciation of the sentence was transmitted on Mon-
day to the keeper of the gaol, who received, at the same time,
the demaad of a delay (sursis.)
The following day this demand was presented to his Majesty.
There could not then be any result, any turn given to this ne-
cessar♦ and legal delay, till yesterday, the very day on which
the prisoner absconded from justice or from cleaency.
The following are some details or the escap. of M. Lavalette„
which we can answer for as being exact.

Yesterday, at half past three o'clock, Madame Lavalette, ac-
companied as usual by her daughter, of 12 years of age, and by
a female attendant, entered the Conciergerie to dine with her
husband. At seven, the daughter and her femme de chambre
shewed themselves at the grate to leave the prison, both sup-
porting a person who seemed to he Madame Lavalette. This
person, dressed in the same clothes as Madame Lavalette wore
when she entered the Conciergerie, was wrapped up in a fur
cloak, the head covered with a hat, and a handkerchief before
the eyes. All the officers of the prison were present. Accus-
tomed to see these three women leave the prison every evening,
perhaps also moved by pity for the misfortune and bad health
of Madame Lavalette, they neglected to assure themselves or,
the identity of her person.
Three minutes afterwards, the gaoler went into the prisoner's
room. How was lie surprised to find there the wife instead of
the husband. i" Ah, Madame !" said he, as she has declared
herself, ,‘ what have you done: you have ruined me !" She
conjures him not to make any noise, fearing lest her husband
should be overtaken if he is pursued, she holds the gaoler fast
by the arm, and tears the sleeve of his coat.
The gaoler in despair runs to the Gre;', informs the keeper
of the prison of what has happened, and calls to them to hasten
in all directions to seek the prisoner. They direct their course
several different ways. Two of them meet upon the Pont Neuf
the same sedan chair in which Madame Lavalette used to come •
to the prison, and in which she came yesterday. They imme-
diately stop it, but the prisoner had already quitted it.
As soon-as the escape of Lavalette was known, orders were
given to shut the barriers, and they remained shut this morning
at 7 o'clock. Numerous researches have been made in Paris,
and expresses have been sent to all parts of the kingdom, to dill*
tribute every where the description of the prisoner's person.
Immediately after the news of his escape, the Minister and
the Prefect of-the Police repaired to the Conciergerie; his Ex-
cellency interrogated all the officers of the prison. He ordered
the gaoler and a turnkey to be arrested. The first semis to