the subject forward hereafter, when the same motive might no longer operate to keep him silent. This result I communicated, to the best of my recollection, the following day to the princess, who seemed satisfied with it; and from that day to the present one, I never have heard the subject named again in any shape, until called upon by the prince to make known to him the circumstances of this transaction, as far as I could bring them to my recollection."

Soon after this sir John and lady Douglas, signed the following statement:

Statement of Lady Douglas.

"HIS royal highness the prince of Wales having judged proper to order me detail to him, as heirapparent, the whole circumstances of my acquaintance with her royal highness the princess of Wales, from the day I first spoke with her to the present time, I felt it my duty, as a subject, to comply without hesitation with his royal highness's commands; and I did so, because I conceived, even putting aside the rights of an heir-apparent, his royal highness was justified in informing himself as to the actions of his wife, who, from all the information he had collected, seemed so likely to disturb the tranquillity of the country; and it appeared to

1

me that, in so doing, his royal highness evinced his earnest regard for the real interest of the country, in endeavouring to prevent such a person from, perhaps, one day placing a spurious heir upon the English throne, and which his royal highness has indeed a right to fear, and communicate to the sovereign, as the princess of Wales told me, " If she were discovered in bringing her son into the world she would give the prince of Wales the credit of it, for that she had slept two nights in the year she was pregnant in Carlton-house."

"As an Englishwoman, educated in the highest respectful attachment to the royal family; as the daughter of an English officer, who has all his life received the most gracious marks of approbation and protection from his majesty, and from his royal highness the prince of Wales; and as the wife of an officer whom our beloved king has honoured with a public mark of his approbation, and who is bound to the royal family by ties of respectful regard and attachment, which nothing can ever break, I feel it my duty to make known the princess of Wales's sentiments and conduct, now, and whensoever I may be called upon.

"For the information, therefore, of his majesty, and of the heir-apparent, and by the desire of the heir-apparent, I beg leave to state, that sir John took a house upon Blackheath in the year 1801, because the air was better for him, after his Egyp

tian services, than London, and it was somewhat nearer Chatham, where his military duties occasionally called him. I had a daughter born upon the 17th of February, and we took up our residence there in April, living very happily and quietly; but in the month of November, when the ground was covered with snow, as I was sitting in my parlour, which commanded a view of the heath, I saw, to my surprise, the princess of Wales elegantly dressed in a lilac satin pelisse, primrose-coloured half-boots, and a small lilac satin travelling-cap, faced with sable, and a lady, pacing up and down before the house, and sometimes stopping, as if desirous of opening the gate in the iron-railing to come in. At first I had no conception her royal highness really wished to come in, but must have mistaken the house for another person's, for I had never been made known to her, and I did not know that she knew where I lived. I stood at the window looking at her, and, as she looked very much, from respect curtsied (as I understood was customary); to my astonishment she returned my curtsey by a familiar nod, and stopped. Old lady Stuart, a West Indian lady, who lived in my immediate neighbourhood, and who was in the habit of coming in to see me, was in the room, and said, "You should go out, her royal highness wants to come in out of the snow." Upon this I went out, and she came immediately to me and said, "I be

lieve you are lady Douglas, and you have a very beautiful child; I should like to see it." I answered that I way lady Douglas. Her royal highness then said, I should like of all things to see your little child. "I answered, that I was very sorry I could not have the honour of presenting my little girl to her, as I and my family were spending the cold weather in town, and I was only come to pass an hour or two upon the heath. I held open the gate, and the princess of Wales and her lady, Miss Heymen (I believe) walked in and sat down, and stayed above an hour, laughing very much at lady Stuart, who being a singular character, talked all kind of nonsense. After her royal highness had amused herself as long as she pleased, she inquired where sir John Douglas and sir Sidney Smith were, and went away, having shook hands with me, and expressed her pleasure at having found me out, and made herself known: I concluded that sir Sidney Smith had aquainted her royal highness that we resided upon the heath, as he was just arrived in England, and having been in long habits of friendship with sir John, was often with us, and told us how kind he should think it if we could let him come to and fro without ceremony, and let him have an airy room appropriated to himself, as he was always ill in town, and from being asthmatic, suffered extremely when the weather was foggy in town. Sir John gave him that hospitable reception

he was in the habit of doing by all his old friends, (for I understand they have been known to each other more than twenty years), and he introduced him to me as a person, to whom he wished my friendly attention to be paid; as I had never seen sir Sidney Smith in my life, until this period, when he became, as it were a part of the family. When I returned to town, I told sir John Douglas the circumstance of the princess having visited me; and a few days after this, we received a note from Mrs. Lisle (who was in waiting) commanding us to dine at Montague house. We went, and there were several persons at the dinner. I remember lord and lady Dartmouth, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot, &c. &c. From this time the princess made me frequent visits, always attended by her ladies, or Mrs. Sander (her maid). When Sander came, she was sent back, or put in another room; but when any of her ladies were with her, we always sat together. Her royal highness was never attended by any livery servants, but she al ways walked about Blackheath and the neighbourhood only with her female attendants. In a short time, the princess became so extravagantly fond of me, that, however flattering it might be, it certainly was very troublesome. Leaving her attendants below, she would push past my servant, and runt up stairs into my bedchamber, kiss me, take me in her arms, and tell me I was beautiful, saying she

M