recollection. He might have been oftener: and once again at Deal Castle. Captain Manby landed there with some boys the Princess takes on charity. I saw Captain Manby at East Cliff one morning, not particularly early. I don't know of any presents which the Princess made Captain Manby-have seen Captain Manby at Blackheath one Christmas. He used to come to dine the Christmas before we were at Ramsgate-it was the Christmas after Mrs. Austin's child came. He always went away in my presence; I had no reason to think he staid after we, the ladies, retired. He lodged on the Heath at that time—I believe his ship was fitting up at Deptford. He was there frequently, I think not every day-he generally came to dinner-three or four times a week, or more-I suppose he might be alone with her, but the Princess is in the habit of seeing gentlemen and tradesmen without my being present.-I have seen him at luncheon and dinner both. The boys came with him, not to dinner, and not generally; not above two or three times-two boys; -1 think Sir Sidney Smith came also frequently the Christmas before that, to the best of my recollection. At dinner, when Captain Manby dined, he always sat next her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The constant company were, Mrs. and Miss Fitzgerald and myself; we all retired with the Princess, and sat in the same room. He generally retired about eleven o'clock; he sat with us till then. This occurred three or four times a week, or more. Her Royal Highness, the Lady in waiting, and her Page, have each a key of the door from the Greenhouse to the Park. Captain Manby and the Princess used, when we were together, to be speaking together separately-conversing separately, but not in a room alone together, to my knowledge. He was a person with whom she appeared to have greater pleasure in talking than to her Ladies. She behaved to him only as any woman would who likes flirting. I should not have thought any married woman would have behaved properly who should have behaved as her Royal Highness did to Captain Manby. I can't say whether she was attached to Captain Manby, only that it was a flirting conduct. Never saw any gallantries, as kissing her hand, or the like. I was with her Royal Highness at Lady Sheffields's last Christmas, in Sussex. I inquired what company was there when I came. She said only Mr John Chester, who was there by Her Royal higeness's orders; that she could get no other company to meet her, on account of the roads and season of the year. He dined and slept there that night. The next day other company came; Mr Chester remained. I heard her Royal Highness say she had been ill in the night, and came and lighted her candle in her servant's room. I returned from Sheffield Place to Blackheath with the Princess-Captain Moore dined there—I left him and the Princess twice alone, for a short timehe might be alone half an hour with ber-in.the room below, in which we had been sitting-I went to look for a book, to complete a set her Royal Highness was lending Captain Moore. She made him a present of au inkstand, to the best of my recollection. He was there one morning in January last, on the Princess Charlotte's birth-day; he went away before the rest of the company: I might be absent about twenty minutes the second time I was away, the night Captain Moore was there. At Lady Sheffield's, her Royal Highness paid more attention to Mr. Chester than to the rest of the company. I knew of her Royal Highness walking out alone twice wirh Mr. 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. Her attentions to him were not uncommon; not the same as to Captain Manby. I am not certain whether the Princess answered any letters of Lady Doug I was 1 las. I was at Catherington with the Princess. Remember Mr. now Lord Hood, there, and the Princess going out airing with him alone in Mr. Hood's little whiskey, and his servant was with them. Mr. Hood drove, and staid out two or three hours more than once. Three or four times. Mr. Hood dined with us several times. Once or twice he slept in an house in the garden. She appeared to pay no attention to him but that of common civility to an intimate acquaintance. Remember the Princess sitting to Mr. Lawrence for her picture at Blackheath, and in London. I have left her at his house in town with him, but I think Mrs. Fitzgerand was with her; and she sat alone with him, I think, at Blackheath. never in her Royal Highness's confidence, but she has always been kind and good-natured to me. She never mentioned Captain Manby particularly to me. I remember her being blooded the day Lady Sheffield's child was christened. Not several times, that I recollect; nor any other time; nor believe she was in the habit of being blooded twice a year. The Princess at one time appeared to like Lady Douglas. Sir John came fregusutly. Sir Sidney Smith visited about the same time with the Douglases. I have seen Sir Sidney there very late in the evening, but not alone with the Princess. I have no reason to suspect he had a key of the Park gate. I never heard of any body being found wandering about at Blackheath. I have heard of somebody being found wandering about late at night at Mount Edgcumbe, when the Princess [was] there. I heard that two women and a man were seen crossing the hall. The Princess saw 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 he had offered a rudeness to her son. She told me she had heard he had spoken disrespect per fully of her, and therefore I believe wrote to him by Sir Samuel Hood. (Signed) HESTER LISLE. Sworn before us, in Downing-street, this third day Before your arrival in Downing-street last night, I bespoke the indulgence of the Lords of his Majesty's Council for inaccuracy as to dates, respecting any attendance at Blackheath, before 1803. Having only notice in the forenoon of an examination, I could not prepare myself for it to any period previous to that year, and I now hasten as fast as the examination of my papers will permit, to correct an error into which I fell, in stating to their Lordships, that I attended her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in the Spring of 1802, and that I then met his Royal Highness the late Duke of Gloucester at Blackheath. It was in the Spring of 1801, and not in 1802, that, after attending her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales for ten or twelve days, I had the honour of seeing the Duke of Gloucester at her house. A true Copy, I have the honour, &c. J Becket. FR. MILMAN, (No. 29.) Earl Cholmondeley, sworn July 16th, 1806. I HAVE seen the Princess of Wales write frequently, and I think I am perfectly acquainted with her manner of writing. A letter produced to his Lordship marked (A.) A paper produced to his Lordship, marked (B) with a kind of drawing and the names of Sir Sidney Smith and Lady Douglas. This paper appears to me to be written in a disguised hand. Some of the letters remarkably resemble the Princess's writing; but because of the disguise, I cannot say whether it be or be not her Royal Highness's writing. On the cover being shewn to his Lordship also marked (B), he gave the same answer. His Lordship was also shewn the cover marked (C), to which his Lordship answered, I do not see the same resemblance to the Princess's writing in this paper. CH-OLMONDELEY. Sworn before us, July 16th, 1806. ERSKINE, SPENCER, A true Copy, J. Becket. |