these examinations, I must protest against it; protest against the nature of the proceeding, because its result cannot be fair, I must protest, as long at least as it remains doubtful, against the legality of what has already passed, as well as the legality of its repetition.-If the course be legal, I must submit to the laws, however severe they may be. But I trust new law is not to be found out, and applied to my case. --If I am guilty of crime, I know I am amenable, I am most contented to continue so, to the impartial laws of your Majesty's kingdom; and I fear no charge brought against me, in open day, under the public eye, before the known tribunals of the country, administering justice under those impartial and enlightened laws. But secret tribunals, created for the first time for me, to form and pronounce opinions upon my conduct, without hearing me; to record, in the evidence of the witnesses which they report, imputations against my character upon ex parte examinations, ---till I am better reconciled to the justice of their proceedings, 1 cannot fail to fear. And till 1 am better informed as to their legality, I cannot fail in duty to my dearest interests, most solemnly to remonstrate and to protest against them.

If such tribunals as these are called into action againstmebythe false charges offriends turned enemies, of servants turned traitors, and acting as spies by the foul conspiracy of such social and domestic treason; 1 can look to no security to my honour in the most spotless and most cautious innocence.

By the contradiction and denial which in this case I have been enabled to procure, of the most important facts which have been sworn against me by Mr. Cole and Mr. Bidgood ;--by the observations, and the reasonings, which I have addressed to your Majesty, I am confident, that to those whose sense of justice will lead them to wade through this long detail, I shall have removed the impressions which have been raised against me.-But how am I to insure a patient attention to all this statement? How many will hear that the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, the First Lord of the Treasury, and one of your Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, have reported against me, upon evidence which they have declared to be unbiassed and unquestionable; who will never have the opportunity, or if they had the opportunity, might not have the inclination, to correct the error of that Report, by the examination of my statement.

I feel, therefore, that by this proceeding, my character has received essential injury. For a Princess of Wales to have been placed in a situation, in which it was essential to her honour to request one gentleman to swear, that he was not locked up at midnight in a room with her alone: and another, that he did not give her a lascivious salute, and never slept in her house, is to have been actually degraded and disgraced.-I have been, Sire, placed in this situation, I have been cruelly, your Majesty will permit me to say so, cruelly degraded into the necessity of making such re

quests. A necessity which I never could have been exposed to, even under this Inquiry, if more attention had been given to the examination of these malicious charges, and of the evidence on which they rest.

Much solicitude is felt, and justly so, as connected with this Inquiry, for the honour of your Majesty's illustrious Family. But surely a true regard to that honour should have restrained thosewho really felt for it, from casting such severe reflections on the character and virtue of the Princess of Wales.

If, indeed, after the most diligent and anxious Inquiry, penetrating into every circumstance connected with the charge, searching every source from which information could be derived, and scrutinizing with all that acuteness, into the credit and character of the witnesses, which great experience, talent, and intelligence could bring to such a subject; and above all, if, after giving me some opportunity of being heard, the force of truth had, at length, compelled any persons to form, as reluctantly, and as unwillingly as they would, against their own daughters, the opinion that has been pronounced; no regard, unquestionably, to my honour and character, nor to that of your Majesty's Family, as, in some degree, involved in mine, could have justified the suppression of that opinion, if legally called for, in the course of official and public duty. Whether such caution and reluctance are really manifest in these proceedings, I must leave to less partial judgments than my own to determine.

In the full examination of these proceedings, which justice to my own character has requir ed of me, I have been compelled to make many observations, which, I fear, may prove offensive to persons in high power-Your Majesty will easily believe, when I solemnly assure you, that I have been deeply sorry to yield to the necessity of so doing. This proceeding manifests that I have enemies enough; I could not wish unnecessarily to increase their number, or their weight. I trust, however, I have done it, know I it has been my purpose to do it, in a manner as little offensive as the justice due to myself would allow of; but I have felt that I have been deeply injured; that I have had much to complain of: and that my silence now would not be taken for forbearance, but would be ascribed to me as a confession of guilt. The Report itself announced to me, that these things, which had been spoken to by the witnesses, "great improprieties and indecencies of conduct," "necessarily occasioning most unfavourable interpretations, and serving the most serious consideration," "must be credited till decidedly contradicted." The most satisfactory disproof of thesecircumstances (as the contradiction of the accused is always received with caution and distrust) rested in the proof of the foul malice and falsehood of my accusers and their witnesses. The Report announced to Your Majesty that those witnesA a

ses, whom I felt to be foul confederates in a base conspiracy against me, were not to be suspected of unfavourable bias, and their veracity, in the judgment of the Commissioners, not to be questioned.

Under these circumstances, Sire, what could I do? Could I forbear, in justice to myself, to announce to Your Majesty the existence of a conspiracy against my honour, and my station in this country at least, if not against my life? Could I forbear to point out to Your Majesty, how long this intended mischief had been meditated against me? Could I forbear to point out my doubts, at least, of the legality of the Commission under which the proceeding had been had? or to point out the errors and inaccuracies, into which the great and able men who were named in this commission, under the hurry and pressure of their great official occupations, had fallen, in the execution of this duty? Could I forbear to state, and to urge, the great injustice and injury that had been done to my character and my honour, by opinions pronounced against me without hearing me? And if, in the execution of this great task, so essential to my honour, I have let drop any expressions which a colder, and more cautious prudence, would have checked, I appeal to Your Majesty's warm heart, and generous feelings, to suggest my excuse, and to afford my pardon.

What I have said, I have said under the