SIRE,

To the King.

I TRUST your Majesty who knows my constant affection, loyalty, and duty, and the sure confi-. dence with which I readily repose my honour, my character, my happiness in your Majesty's hands, will not think me guilty of any disrespectFul or unduteous impatience, when I thus again address myself to your Royal grace and justice.

It is, Sire, nine weeks to day, since my counsel presented to the Lord High Chancellor, my letter to your Majesty, containing my observations, in vindication of my honour and innocence upon the Report, presented to your Majesty by the Commissioners, who had been appointed to examine into my conduct. The Lord Chancellor informed my counsel, that the letter should be conveyed to your Majesty on that very day: and further, was pleased, in about a week or ten days afterwards, to communicate to my Solicitor, that your Majesty had read my letter, and that it had been transmitted to his Lordship with directions that it should be copied for the Commissioners, and that when such copy had been taken, the original should be returned to your Majesty.

Your Majesty's own gracious and royal mind will easily conceive what must have been my state of anxiety and suspence, whilst I have been fondly

indulging in the hope, that every day, as it passed, would bring me the happy tidings, that your Majesty was satisfied of my innocence; and convinced of the unfounded malice of my enemies, in every part of their charge. Nine long weeks of daily expectation, and suspence, have now elapsed; and they have brought me nothing but disappointment. I have remained in total ignorance of what has been done, what is doing, or what is intended upon this subject. Your Majesty's goodness will therefore pardon me, if in the step which I now take, I act upon a mistaken conjecture with respect to the fact. But from the Lord Chancellor's communication to my Solicitor, and from the time which has elapsed, I am led to conclude, that your Majesty had directed the copy of my letter to be laid before the Commissioners, requiring their advice upon the subject; and, possibly, their official occupations, and their other duties to the state, may not have, as yet, allowed them the opportunity of attending to it. But your Majesty will permit me to observe that, however excusable this delay may be on their parts, yet it operates most injuriously upon me; my feelings are severely tortured by the suspence, while my character is sinking in the opinion of the public.

It is known, that a Report, though acquitting me of crime, yet imputing matters highly disreputable to my honour, has been made to your Majesty; that that Report has been communicated to me;-that I have endeavoured to answer it; and that I still remain, at the end of nine weeks from

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series which this delay so severely aggravates, and in justice to my innocence and character, to urge the Commissioners to an early communication of their advice.

To save your Majesty and the Commissioners all unnecessary trouble, as well as to obviate all probability of further delay, I have directed a duplicate of this letter to be prepared, and have sent one copy of it through the Lord Chancellor, and another through Colonel Taylor to your Majesty.

I am,

Sire,

With every sentiment of gratitude and loyalty, Your Majesty's most affectionate,

and dutiful Daughter-in-law,

Servant and Subject.

. C. P.

Montague House, December 8th, 1806.

creased. But on this topic, as possibly not much affecting the justice, though it does the hardship, of my case, I forbear to dwell.

Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to recollect, that an occasion of assembling the Royal Family and your subjects, in dutiful and happy commemoration of her Majesty's Birth-day, is now near at hand. If the increased occupations which the approach of Parliament may ccasion, or any other cause, should prevent the Commissioners from enabling your Majesty to communicate your pleasure to me before that time; the world will infallibly conclude(in their present state of ignorance,) that my answer must have proved unsatisfactory, and that the infamous charges have been thought but too true.

These considerations, Sire, will, I trust, in your Majesty's gracious opinion, rescue this address from all imputation of impatience. For, your Majesty's sense of honourable feeling will naturally suggest, how utterly impossible it is that I, conscious of my own innocence, and believing that the malice of my enemies has been completely detected, can, without abandoning all regard to my interests, my happiness, and my honour, possibly be conten ted to perceive the approach of such utter ruin to my character, and yet wait, with patience, and in silence till it overwhelms me. I therefore take this liberty of throwing myself again at your Majesty's feet, and intreating and imploring of your Majesty's goodness and justice, in pity for my mi:

series which this delay so severely aggravates, and in justice to my innocence and character, to urge the Commissioners to an early communication of their advice.

To save your Majesty and the Commissioners all unnecessary trouble, as well as to obviate all probability of further delay, I have directed a duplicate of this letter to be prepared, and have sent one copy of it through the Lord Chancellor, and another through Colonel Taylor to your Majesty.

I am,

Sire,

With every sentiment of gratitude and loyalty, Your Majesty's most affectionate,

and dutiful Daughter-in-law,

Servant and Subject..

Montague House, December 8th, 1806.

C. P.