commanded sir John and sir Sidney to dine with him at Kensington Palace; but the duke of Kent did not speak to sir John upon the subject, and the matter rested there, and would have slept for a time, had not the princess of Wales recommenced a fresh torrent of outrage against sir John; and had he not discovered, that she was attempting to undermine his and lady Douglas's character. Sir John, therefore, was compelled to communicate his situation to his royal Highness the duke of Sussex, in order that he might acquaint the royal family of the manner the princess of Wales was proceeding in, and to claim his majesty's and the heir-apparent's protection. His royal highness the Duke of Sussex, with that goodness and consideration sir John expected from him, has informed his royal highness the prince of Wales, who sent sir John word, that " He desired to have a full detail of all that passed during their acquaintance with her royal highness the princess of Wales, and how they became known to her, it appearing to the heir-apparent, from the representation of his royal highness the duke of Sussex, that his majesty's dearest interests, and those of this country, were very deeply involved in the question; his royal highness the prince of Wales has commanded them to be very circumstantial in their detail respecting all they may know relative to the child the princess of Wales affected to adopt. repeat, that, being so called upon, they feel it their duty to detail what they know, for the information of his majesty and the prince of Wales, and they have so done as upon oath, after having very seriously considered the matter, and are ready to authenticate whatever they have said, if it should be required, for his majesty's further information. I have drawn up this detail in the best manner I could; and fear, from my never having before attempted a thing of the kind, it will be full of errors, and being much fatigued from writing of it, from the original, in eight and forty hours, of the facts contained therein, I believe they are correct; I am ready to assert, in the most solemn manner, that I know them all to be true. Sir John and lady Douglas (Signed) CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS. In the presence of AUGUSTUS FREDRICK. Greenwich Park, Dec. 3, 1805. CHAPTER VII.. Serious and unpleasant Reports.—A Commission issued under the Royal Sign Manual-The Visits of the Princess Charlotte to her Royal Mother limited-Depositions of Charlotte Lady Douglas-Sir John Douglas-Robert Bigood -William Cole and Frances Lloyd, against the Princess of Wales, with occasional Remarks. AS the most serious and unpleasant reports still continued to reach the ear of his majesty, a commission was issued under the royal sign manual, appointing lord Erskine, chancellor; lord Grenville, first lord of the treasury; lord Spencer, secretary of state; and lord Ellenborough, chief justice of the king's bench, the royal commissioners to investigate the truth of the allegations, to examine witnesses, and to report the result of that examination to the king. The intercourse between the princess of Wales and her daughter was now confined to only one visit in the week, and that under the conditions of being in the presence of persons appointed to watch their motions and discourse. Fortunately one of those attendants was the secret friend of the princess of Wales, by whose means a regular correspondence T was secretly kept up between the mother and daughter, whereby the latter was apprised of her royal mother's critical situation and embarrassments, and her disposition naturally prevented her from making requests or asking questions which might then have been highly injurious to the princess of Wales. The following are the depositions against her royal highness, which occasioned so much public discontent. Charlotte lady Douglas deposed that she first became acquainted with the princess of Wales in 1801. Sir John Douglas had a house at Blackheath. One day, in November 1801, the snow was lying on the ground; the princess and a lady, who the deponent believes was Miss Heyman, came on foot, and walked several times before the door. Lady Stewart was with the deponent, and said, she thought the princess wanted something, and that deponent ought to go out to her. Deponent went to her; she said she did not want any thing, but she would walk in; that deponent had a very pretty little girl. She came in and staid some time. About a fortnight after, sir John Douglas and deponent received an invitation to go to Montague house. After that deponent was very frequently at Montague house, and dined there; the princess dined frequently with them. About May or June, 1802, the princess first talked with deponent about her own conduct. Sir Sidney Smith, who had been sir John's friend for more than twenty years, came to England about November, 1801, and came to live in their house. Deponent understood that the princess knew sir Sidney Smith before she was princess of Wales. The princess saw sir Sidney Smith as frequently as they did. They were usually kept at Montague house later than the rest of the party; often till three or four o'clock in the morning. Deponent never observed any impropriety of conduct between sir Sidney Smith and the prin. cess. Deponent made the princess a visit to Montague house in March 1802, for about a fortnight. She desired her to come there, because Miss Garth was ill. In May or June following, the princess came to their house alone; she said she came to tell her something that had happened to her, and desired her to guess. Deponent guessed several things, and at last said she could not guess any thing more. She then said that she was pregnant, and that the child had come to life. Deponent did not know whether she said on that day, or a few days before, that she was at breakfast at lady Willoughby's, that the milk flowed up to her breast, and came through her gown; that she threw a napkin over herself, and went with lady Willoughby into her room and adjusted herself, to prevent its being observed. She never told her who was the father of the child. She said she hoped it would be a boy. She said, that if it was dis |