the jury, that the witness has sworn thus and thus, repeating, as nearly as possible, the words of the witness; but, observe, though the Judge does not minute down the questions; though he does not state the questions to the jury; the jury have HEARD THEM ALL; and, when they are told by the Judge, that the witness has said so and so, they have fresh in their mind the question in answer to which he so said; and that, by that means, they are enabled to give to the answer its precise value, which no one who has not heard the question can be able to de. You will please to bear in mind, that it was the King who was to decide upon Mrs. Lisle's testimony. It was to him, that the Four Lords made their report upon that evidence, and that it was to him, that her deposition was sent. And, it is necessary for you to keep in mind also, that Mrs. Lisle was one of the four witnesses, mentioned at the close of the Report, as having given testimony calculated to give rise, and, indeed, which must necessarily give rise, to very unfavourable interpretations as to the conduct of the Princess. The other three of these four witnesses, Cole, Bidgood, and Fanny Lloyd, we have seen enough of before: but Mrs. Lisle, a lady of unimpeached character, who had been with the Princess for many years, and who has remained with her almost up to this time, was, and is, worthy of serious attention. It was the King, you will perceive, who was to decide upon the value of every expression of Mrs. Lisle, and the King was not present, as a juror is, to hear the questions as well as the answers; and, therefore, as Mr. Whitbread contended, the King had not the best means of arriving at a just opinion of the value of Mrs. Lisle's evidence. The same might be said of the public. They saw only the answers; and, though the Four Lords did not publish the depositions, the depositions were published; the auswers of Mrs. Lisle were published; and, therefore, Mr. Whitbread thought it just; he thought it necessary to a right decision by the people, that the questions as well as the answers should be publicly known. When it was contended, that Judges in their minutes and Justices in their examinations took down and recorded only the answers of witnesses, it might have been recollected, that, in other cases, the questions as well as the answers are taken down. In trials before Committees of the House of Commons, for instance, this is the practice; and, the reason of it appears to be this: that the House itself, who is to decide upon any special report of their Committees, are not present to hear the examinations and, therefore, must have question as well as answer to enable them to judge correctly of the real value and amount of the evidence. And, as to trials that are published, the question, as well as the answer, is invariably given, as being absolutely necessary to give the public a clear insight of the matter. The fact appears to me to be this; that, where the party who is to decide is not present at the examination, the question as well as the answer is necessary to the ends of fair decision. The Four Lords, looking upon themselves apparently as judges or magistrates, followed the usual practice of judges or magistrates; but, they do not appear to have adverted to the circumstance of the king not being present as jurors are; and, as to the capacity of magistrate, they did, unfortunately for the Princess and fortunately for Lady Douglas, soon find, that they were not acting in that capacity. The vast difference between a report of evidence in question and answer, and one only in the answers, will appear in a moment, if we take a passage from this very evidence of Mrs. Lisle, in which, for instance, she says; "At Lady Sheffield's Her Royal High"ness paid more attention to Mr. "Chester than to the rest of the Gom pany. I knew Her Royal Highness "walk out alone with Mr. Chester "twice in the morning; once a short "time it rained-the other not an hour "not long. Mr. Chester is a pretty young man." Now, this, though quite sufficient for a judge, or for a jury, who had heard the questions, must have, on mere readers of the deposition, a very different effect from that which would naturally be produced by the reading of the same thing in question and answer; thus: At Lady Sheffield's did Her Royal Highness pay more attention to Mr. Chester than to the rest of the company?Yes. Did you know Her Royal Highness walk out alone with Mr. Chester?—Yes; she walked out twice in the morning once a short time it rained-the other not an hour-not long.—Is Mr. Chester a handsome young man?-He is pretty. You see, my friend, the statement is precisely the same in words; but, the im- " flirting;" and, in another place she calls pression it conveys is very different indeed. the conduct of the Princess "ONLY a As the story stands in the deposition, " flirting conduct." The word to flirt stripped of the form of question and answer, means, in its proper sense, to banter or it would appear to come voluntarily from jeer. I know not, for my part, what other Mrs. Lisle; and the circumstance of Mr. sense can be given to it; and, therefore, all Chester being a prelly young man would that Mrs. Lisle says here is, that the naturally, in the mind of the mass of read- Princess behaved with Captain Manby like ers, appear to have occurred to Mrs. Lisle a woman who likes bantering and joking. herself as the CAUSE of the Princess's Lord preserve all our wives from such attention to him more than to the rest of the a scrutiny! I am really afraid, that it company, and also as the CAUSE of the would be too much even for those most walks with him alone. Therefore, though amiable and most virtuous of creatures, the it was the duty of the four Lords to use all sleek sisterhood of Pennsylvania. And yet, possible means to get at the truth as to every as you see by the Report, Mrs. Lisle's evicircumstance; and though they, in re- dence did, in the opinion of the Four cording the evidence, followed the usual Lords, give rise to unfavourable interprepractice of judges and magistrates, we can- tations. Judge, then, to what a pitch we, not help lamenting that they did not think in this country, carry our notions of female it necessary to put down and report the decorum! questions as well as the answers. Lord Ellenborough appears to have thought, that he and his coadjutors had been charged with a falsification of evidence; a suppression of evidence; but, really, I did not so understand Mr. Whitbread. I understood him simply to say; that, if the questions as well as the answers, in the case of Mrs. Lisle, had been given, the impression produced by her evidence, upon the mind of the reader of it, would be different from what it must be while nothing but the answers were seen. It seems to have been understood, that Mr. Whitbread had stated, that the evidence was taken down by the four Lords in question and answer, and that they put only the answers into the deposition. But, this is not the way in which I understood him. I understood him to say, that he had obtained a copy of the answers accompanied by the questions; but, not to say that the questions had been taken down by the four Lords, and afterwards suppressed by them; and, in short, the only points upon which there seems to have been any real difference of opinion were these: whether, in the first place, it was right to put leading questions; and whether, in the next place, the questions ought not, in this case to have been given as well as the answers. The word ONLY seems, however, to take the sting completely out of this part of Mrs. Lisle's evidence; for, if she had meant by the word flirting, any thing criminal, any thing vicious, any thing indecent, any thing gross, any thing indecorous, any thing improper, she would never have prefixed to it the word ONLY. She would not have said only criminal, only vicious, only indecent, only gross, only indecorous, or, only improper; and, if it was, something, which was neither criminal, vicious, indecent, gross, indecorous, nor improper; if it was neither of these, in the name of common sense, what harm was there in it; and, in what way could it possibly give rise to unfavourable interpretations? You see, too, that Mrs. Lisle must have had some question put to her which drew forth the word ONLY; so that, this word must be taken to exclude all that is not included in the word flirting; and, of course, to shut out every thing of a higher cast than that of flirting, which means neither more nor less than bantering. You yourself are a very sober, grave man, and not at all likely to wink at improper conduct in any woman, especially a married woman, though separated from her husband without any fault of her's; but, would you, if you were told, that such a woman were given to banter, and did actually banter, with a man in the presence of several other women, think it right to give an unfavourable interpretation to her conduct on that account? The defence of the Princess is so complete and every way satisfactory upon the evidence of Mrs. Lisle, that I can hardly think it necessary for me to say any thing more about it; but, there is one point or two on which I cannot refrain from making a few observations. She says, that "Her "Royal Highness behaved to Capt. Manby "ONLY as any woman would who likes" But, Mrs. Lisle says, as is stated in the deposition (see Register, p. 466), that "she would not have THOUGHT that any married woman would have behaved pro altogether, I think it right to notice a letter, published on the 27th of March by Earl Moira, who, as you will have perceived, has been pretty much concerned in some part of these transactions. In this letter his Lordship denies having gone to Lord Eardley's to seek, amongst the servants there, for evidence against the Princess. He as His Lordship then gives his explanation as to the much more important point; the examination, by him, of Messrs. Mills and Edmeades, on the subject of the fact stated by Fanny Lloyd, respecting what one of those gentlemen had said as to the supposed pregnancy of the Princess. This is a point "perly, who behaved as the Princess did "to Captain Manby." Now, you will observe, that Mr. Whitbread stated, that there was a question put here as to whether Mrs. Lisle would have liked to see such conduct in her own daughter, who had just then died; and that she replied, that her daughter lived in the same house with her husband. However, leaving this circum-serts, that the information came first from stance quite out of the question, does not Lord Eardley to the Prince; that the Prince the Princess, in her defence, complain with listened to it reluctantly; that the servants some reason of having the opinion of Mrs. came to Lord Moira, and he did not go to Lisle, or of any body else, set up against them; that he found their stories unworthy her conduct? When witnesses are called of notice; that he, therefore, advised the and sworn as to the acts of accused persons, Prince to do nothing in the business; and is it usual to ask the opinions of those wit- that it was his advice and the Prince's denesses as to the nature of those acts? Be-sire that no talk should take place on the sides, the opinion here given was in answer subject. to a general question. Any married woman; not any married woman living separated from her husband, which makes all the difference in the world. For, you will readily agree, that the bantering ascribed to the Princess, the talking more to Captain Manby than to the ladies, might be very excusable in a married woman living sepa- of so much consequence, that, in justice to rated from her husband, though it might the character of his Lordship, I shall insert not be so easily excused in one living with the whole of that part of his letter which her husband, and whose duty it would be relates to it. "The interviews with Dr. to avoid every sort of familiarity likely to Mills and Mr. Edmeades did not take give that husband the smallest degree of place till between three and four years uneasiness. Mrs. Lisle might very consist-after the examination of Lord Eardley's ently have thought, that the Princess's con- servants, and had no reference to it. duct to Captain Manby was perfectly inno-Fanny Lloyd, a maid servant in the cent and right, and yet she might have thought, that such conduct would not be right in any married woman without exception, and without attention being paid to the peculiar circumstances of the case. She" does not say, you will observe, that such" conduct would, in her opinion, have been in NO married woman. You will proper pay particular attention to that. She only says, that, such conduct would not, in her opinion, have been proper in ANY mar- and to have him meet the Magistrate ried woman without exception; that is to "there, to avoid the publicity and obsersay, that it would not have been, in her "vation should be entailed by his being opinion, a conduct proper for all married summoned to the Office in Marlboroughwomen, meaning, of course, to be under-street. Dr. Mills came early, and then stood to be speaking of women living as married women generally live. Princess's family, had, in an examination to which I was not privy, asserted Dr. "Mills to have mentioned to her that the "Princess was pregnant; a deposition which obviously made it necessary that Dr. Mills should be subjected to exami nation. This happened to be discussed before me; and it was my suggestion that it would be more delicate to request the attendance of Dr. Mills at my house, it was immediately discovered that it was "his partner, Mr. Edmeades, who had bled Fanny Lloyd, though the latter "(knowing the Princess's apothecary to be Dr. Mills, and imagining it was that apothecary who had bled her) had con"founded the names. Dr. Mills was Is this splitting of hairs? If it be, the fault is not mine. Importance has been given to trifles, and it is not, therefore," our fault if we treat them as being impor tant. I Dicondiend, said every" therefore dismissed, without being exaI have ow thing toon dat Tallink tutkessary to say "amined by the magistrate; and he was relative to charges against the Princess of " begged to send Mr. Edmeades on anWales Buy before dismiss the subject" other morning. Mr. Edmeades came NN 66 "accordingly, and was examined before" presented itself, to throw an honest doubt "the magistrate. An attempt is made to upon her veracity. Mr. Edmeades was "pervert an observation of mine into an very differently circumstanced. A cha"endeavour to make Mr. Edmeades alter" racter for dangerous chattering was abso"his testimony injuriously for the Prin-lute ruin to him in his profession. He cess. So far from there being any thing" had the strongest of all motives to exo" of conciliation in my tone, Mr. Connant "nerate himself from the charge, if he "must well remember my remark to have" could hit upon any equivocation by which "been made as a correction of what I" he might satisfy himself in the denial of "deemed a premeditated and improper" it. And the bearing of my remark must "pertness of manner in Mr. Edmeades.-"not be misunderstood. No man would "It was an unmitigated profession of my" infer any thing against the Princess on "belief that he was using some subterfuge" the ground of such a random guess as "to justify his denial; a declaration little" that of Mr. Edmeades' must have been, "calculated to win him to pliancy, had I "unless Mr. Edmeades should support his "been desirous of influencing his testimony." proposition by the adduction of valid rea66 My conviction on that point remains un- "sons and convincing circumstances; but changed. One or other of the parties" there was a consequence ascribable to it "was wilfully incorrect in their statement ; "in its loosest state. His having been "if Fanny Lloyd were so, it was down-" sufficiently indiscreet to mention his spe"right perjury; Mr. Edmeades might "culation to others as well as to Fanny "have answered only elusively. I have" Lloyd, would well account for what was "been told that some individual, pointing" otherwise incomprehensible; namely, the "at the direct opposition between the affi- "notion of the Princess's pregnancy so ge"davits of Mr. Edmeades and Fanny "nerally entertained at Greenwich and in "Lloyd has indicated the preferable cre- "that neighbourhood. It was my convic"dit which ought to be given to the oath "tion that such indiscretion had taken "of a well-educated man, in a liberal "place, not any belief of the fact to which "walk of life, over that of a person in the "it related, that I endeavoured to convey "humble station of a maid servant. "by remark.This construction is not "shall not discuss the justice of the prin- " put upon the circumstances now, for the "ciple which arbitrarily assumes deficien- "first time. A paper of mine submitted cy of moral rectitude to be the natural" to His Majesty at the period of the in"inference from humility of condition. "vestigation, and lodged with the other "The inculcation in the present instance" documents relative to that inquiry, re"would have been somewhat more ra- "buts in the same terms the base attempt "tional, had it advised that, in a case of "of insinuating conspiracy against the "such absolute contradiction upon a simple "Princess. Why that paper has not seen "fact, the comprehension of which could" the light with the other documents may be have nothing to do with education, you "surmised. I had thought it incumbent "should consider on which side an obvi- on me, from the nature of the transaction, "ous temptation to laxity appears. Fanny not to furnish any means for its publica"Lloyd was not merely a reluctant witness," tion from the copy in my possession. "but had expressed the greatest indigna-"The present explanation unavoidably "tion at being subject to examination." states all the material points contained in "When she swore positively to a circum- "it. But it will be felt by every one that I "stance admitting of no latitude, the only" the detail has been extorted from me." "thing to be weighed was, what probabi- I will offer you no remark upon his "lity of inducement existed for her swear- Lordship's explanation as to the point "ing that which she knew to be false. It above dwelt upon. He still gives the pre"will appear that her testimony on that ference to the testimony of Fanny Lloyd; point was not consonant to the partiality and it is not for me to express any doubt "which she had proclaimed; that by the of his sincerity; but, I must still be al"other parts of her evidence she was bar-lowed to express my wonder, that, when "ring the way to reward, if any profligate Fanny Lloyd's Declaration was laid before "hopes of remuneration led her to risk the the King amongst the documents confirm"falsehood; and that she could not be in-atory of Lady Douglas's Statement, the op"Huenced by malice against Mr. Ed-posing declarations of Dr. Mills and Mr. meades, with whom it was clear she Edmeades were not laid before the King "was unacquainted. Nothing, therefore, along with it. The King would then have been able to form his opinion of the veracity of the parties respectively. only in the confusion and disgrace of her perjured calumniators. No discovery" "whatever, that could by the most forced "construction of the most inveterate, be In the couclusion of the paragraph of the letter of Lord Moira above cited, he complains of a paper of his having been kept" deemed injurious to Her Royal Highness, out of sight; and says, that the reason "could, by possibility, be made or pro"may be surmised." I wish his Lordship" duced against her; and the public will had helped me in this; for, I must con- "rejoice to hear, that this heart-rending fess, that I cannot surmise it. The other" question, excepting only as far as redocuments have been published through "gards the punishment of her infamous the same channel that was selected for the" and perjured accusers (for which, in the' conveying of his Letter to the public; and" name of justice, and in the crying cause why his paper has been kept back I, for" of injured innocence, we shall never my part, cannot imagine. It was, it cease to call) is thus completely, most seems, intended to rebut the insinuation," satisfactorily and happily, set for in the Princess's defence, against him as "ever at rest. May this joyous result having been a participator in a conspiracy" prove the first step towards the respect against her. But, it was, at any rate, in" which justice and propriety require to be the hands of his friends, the present mi- " shewn to this illustrious Lady; and still nisters, under whom he is serving in a further we pray, may it be the happy very high situation. He has, certainly," prelude to the re-establishment of connot to blame his old friends and colleagues, "cord, peace, and bliss, among all the the Whigs, for keeping this paper back." branches of that Illustrious Family, în The fault, if it lie any where, must lie" whose tranquillity and happiness every amongst those with whom he has, for somet "good and loyal subject must feel so deep time past, been connected; and, there- "and serious an interest." fore, he has, in some sort, himself only to blame. Aye, you caitiff Editor, but you said, " only six weeks ago, that all those who, like myself, were labouring to establish, in the eyes of the world, the innocence of this injured Princess, were enemies of the Royal Family, and belonged to a desperate and bloody-minded faction; aye, and it is only your own baseness, your base fear of the effects of popular hatred, that has induced you to change your tone. 66 Before I conclude this my last letter upon the subject, I must observe to you, that there never was, perhaps, any one occasion, in which public opinion was so decided and unanimous as upon this. There is not a creature to be found, in any rank of life, who is not on the side of the Princess; who does not regard her as the most calumniated of women, and who does not Well, but the "joyous result" of which hold her base assailants in detestation. You you are speaking, is the first step, it seems, will recollect the passages, which, in my which justice and propriety require to be first Letters upon the subject, I quoted" shown to this illustrious Lady.' What from our hired news-papers, reviling the is the second? Why, that which I proadvisers of the Princess; calling them a posed more than a year ago; namely, the disloyal faction; attributing to her rash-enabling of Her Royal Highness to hold a ness, weakness, folly, and even impu- court. This is as just now as the receiving dence; menacing her with a fresh inquiry; and, in short, abusing every person, who, in any way, seemed to take her part. You will remember, on the other hand, that I said, she was pursuing good advice, and that the result would prove the advantages of her showing her resolution no longer to submit in silence. of her at court was in 1807. Her husband is now become Regent, clothed with all the powers and splendour of a king; and, why is she not to hold her court? Why is she to be kept in obscurity? A free intercourse with her daughter follows of course; but, a court is absolutely necessary to wipe away all remains of imputation; to do her complete justice in the eyes of the whole world. In the mean while, however, the news-' papers inform me, that the Citizens of London are about to meet in order to present to Her Royal Highness a loyal and affectionate address upon this occasion." That this is a proper measure, and worthy |