what was the particular subject of this complaint; she herself took no part in the quarrel. Does not remember to have written a challenge for Mr. How nam. A letter was here shown to the witness, folded down.] She could not say that it was her hand-writing; it seemed rather unlike the character of her hand. Left the princess in November 1817. At the time she left her, she knew all respecting the conduct of her royal highness, which she has detailed.

Mr. Williams then proceeded to examine the witness as to a number of expressions respecting the princess, all conveying the warmest eulogies upon her; to each of these, the witness answered, that she probably had written or spoken to the effect of the passages quoted, but she could not recall the particular form of expression.

The Attorney General objected to the course of examination pursued by Mr. Williams. It appeared that he was cross-examining as to the contents of a letter, which should only be opened to the House, by proving the letter itself, and afterwards reading it as a part of the Queen's evidence."

After a discussion of some length, the following two questions were referred to the Judges:

"Whether on cross-examination a party would be allowed to represent in the statement of a question the contents of a letter, and to ask the witness, whether he wrote such a letter to any person with such contents, or contents to the like effect, without having first shown to the witness the letter, and having asked the witness whether he wrote that letter, and his admitting

that he wrote such letter?

Secondly, "Whether when a letter is produced, the Court would allow a witness to be asked, upon showing the witness only a part of, or one or more lines of such a letter, and not the whole of it, whether he wrote such part, or such one or more lines; and in case the witness shall not admit that he did, or assert that he did not write the same, he can be examined to the contents of such a letter?"

The learned Judges (by the mouth of the lord chief-justice Abbot) answered the first question in the nega tive, on the well-known rule of law, that the contents of a written instru ment should be always proved by the

production of the instrument itself; one of the reasons of which, his lordship observed, was this: that in such a case as that which gave rise to the question, the cross-examining counsel might put the Court in possession of only a part of the written paper, and thus the Court may never be in possession of the whole, though it may happen that the whole, if produced, may have an effect very different from that produced by the statement of a part.

With respect to the second question, the judges divided it. The first part of the question, whether "the Court would permit a witness to be asked, showing only a part of a letter, whether he wrote such part ?" They answered in the affirmative; and the second part of the question, namely, whether, "in ease the witness shall not admit that he did, or did not write such part, he can be examined as to the contents of that letter? They an swered in the negative. This opinion of the judges being adopted by the House, and communicated to the coun sel on both sides, Mr. Williams handed in three letters, which were admitted by the witness to be of her handwriting.

The Attorney General objected to any questions being put upon the contents of these letters, inasmuch as the written

instruments should have been themselves produced.

After a short discussion, the fol

lowing question was referred to the Judges:

"Whether, when a witness is crossexamined, and upon the production of a letter to the witness under crossexamination, the witness admits that he wrote that letter, the witness can be examined in the courts below, whe ther he did or did not in such letters make statements such as the counsel witness, inquire, are or are not made shall, by questions addressed to the therein, or whether the letter itself must be read as the evidence, to manifest that such statements are or are not made therein? And in what stage of the proceedings, according to the practice of the courts below, such letter could be required by counsel to be read, or permitted by the court below to be read."

To this, the Judges replied (by the mouth of the lord chief-justice Abbot), "that counsel were not at liberty to

ask questions with respect to the contents of a document, until the document had first been read. And according to the ordinary rule of evidence, the document should be read as part of the evidence of the counsel producing it; and in his turn of examination, after he has opened his case; but in a case where the production of a document, at any earlier period, tends to elucidate a cross-examination, then, for the furtherance of justice, the general rule is dispensed with, and the document is permitted to be read at the suggestion of counsel; still, how ever, considering it as the evidence of the counsel producing it, and subject to all the consequences of having it considered as part of his evidence."

Examination resumed.

Witness (Louisa Demont) came to England, accompanied by Mr. Sacchi, a friend, Krouse, a messenger, and one of her sisters; was examined at Milan by Vimercati, the counsellor, and three other gentlemen; states upon her oath that she expects nothing for coming to England.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 2.

Louisa Demont was again brought forward.

Cross-examination resumed.

After leaving the princess's service, witness went to her mother's house in Switzerland; remained there about 13 months; went from thence to Milan; returned to Switzerland; remained there 3 months; came to England; Mr. Sacchi came for her to go to Milan; Sacchi was a military man, but what he is now witness does not know; knew him first in the princess's service; does not know what service he was in when he came to look for witness to go to Milan, -this was a year ago last December; it was about the beginning of 1819. Up to that time witness had lived with her mother, and continued to do so three months more, and then she came to England. Her expenses were paid to Milan, and nothing more. All the time from leaving the princess's service witness has lived upon her own funds; her expenses have however been paid in England; witness was examined only once at Milan, but was several days undergoing this examination; the days were successive; wit

ness has not been examined since she came to England, but has been once sworn by a magistrate at the house of Mr. Powell; this was about 2 months ago. Witness saw her own paper at Mr. Powell's house. Witness has signed a deposition, but she does not know whether that was the one she saw at Mr. Powell's; the paper contained the witness's evidence; Mr. Powell examined witness in Italy; Mr. Powell never examined witness at any time in England, though he has seen her as many as 20 times in Eng. land. Mr. Powell did not visit wit. ness upon the subject of her evidence; witness cannot say, whether Mr. Pow. ell never spoke about her evidence, because she does not remember; witness was regularly sworn by a magistrate in Mr. Powell's house.

Mr. Brougham interposed. He objected to the farther examination of a witness produced under the obligation of a double oath. He demanded of the House, whether such was not a gross violation of the ordinary administration of justice.

The Lord Chancellor observed, that the objection clearly did not go to the competency of the witness; and if it were directed against her credit, this was not the proper period for counsel to avail themselves of it.

Mr. Brougham then caused the let ters to be read, which are as follow: "Columbier, 8th Feb. 1818.

"Dear and good Mariette; "Although you have not said four words in your last letter, yet I love you too well not to pardon you for it, and it is with real pleasure that I reply to you. I am enchanted, my good sister, that you are perfectly happy ; but I ought not to doubt it, so well as I know the extreme goodness of her royal highness, and of all those with whom you may have any thing to do. Endeavour to preserve always such valuable kindness, by continuing the same way of life which has procured it for you. May experience not be useless to you! and keep always before your eyes the trouble which arises from folly and inconsistency; you have lately had sufficient proofs of that.

“You will, no doubt, be very desirous of knowing what is my situation in our little country. I assure you, my dear, I have been received in such a manner as you could have no idea

he would trust it to no one else. I went down stairs, and desired him to come up into my room. Judge of my astonishment when I broke the seal; a proposal was made to me to set off for London, under the false pretence of being a governess. I was promised a high protection, and a most brilliant fortune in a short time. The letter was without signature; but, to assure me of the truth of it, I was informed I might draw at the banker's for as much money as I wished. Can you conceive any thing so singular? Some lines, escaped from the pen of the writer, enabled me easily to discover the cheat, and I did not hesitate to reply in such terms as must have convinced him I was not quite a dupe. Notwithstanding all my efforts, I could draw no eclaircissement from the bearer; he acted with the greatest mystery. You see, my dear, with what promptitude the enemies of our generous benefac tress always act. There must always be spies about her, for no sooner had I left Pesaro than it was known, with all its circumstances, in the capital of Europe. They thought to find in me a person revengeful and very ambitious; but, thank God, I am exempt from both those failings; and money ac quired at the expense of repose and duty, will never tempt me, though I should be at the last extremity.

"The Almighty abandons no one, much less those who do that which is agreeable to him. A good reputation is better than a golden girdle.

"Since I have introduced the subject of money, my dear sister, I must give you some advice. Economise as much as possible, retrench every superfluity; did you but know the regret I feel in not having done so! I do not think I ever was guilty of extravagance, but I have not deprived myself of many things which were almost useless to me. You know that every one here, as elsewhere, fancies the princess of Wales throws her money out of the window, and I am supposed to have returned with a considerable fortune; from a species of self-love, and to extol still more her generosity, I do not try to undeceive any one; consequently, though I have great need of money, I have not yet dared to ask my guardian for any: I know how to be moderate, and run into no expense. I have time to reflect, and to think that if I had al

ways acted in the same way, I should not be in the situation in which I am; every one should economise as much as possible against the time when one can no longer gain any thing. Profit by the lesson I have just given you, and be assured it will be salutary to you, for I speak from experience. You will know Mr. Le Notte has not deli. vered the parcel; I wrote to him at Milan, and at Paris; I expect his answer one of these days. If it should be lost, it would be very disagreeable, as the cloth costs a great deal: if I had known, it should not have been purchased, as my mother has a good spencer, and might very well have done without it. I regret also the velvet very much, of which I have shortened myself for my hat, in making it much smaller; besides we did not get that either for nothing, and the three louis are well worth lamenting, without reckoning the other baubles; all that does not come by whistling for it; a sous here and a sous there soon make a livre, and twenty-four livres make a Napoleon; you see I am become an adept in arithmetic. I will answer for it, however, that Mr. Le Notte shall have the goodness to make all good if he have lost any thing. I shall show him no favour, and have written to him in such a manner as sufficiently shows I am not very well satisfied with his negligence.

"But, my dear Mariette, I perceive I have almost finished my letter with out speaking of our dear relations: our good mother is tolerably well, though her asthma and pains in her bowels torment her sometimes, but nothing compared to what she has suffered this summer. Your father is very well. Henrietta is always charming; I give her every day lessons in writing and reading; she sews very well, and irons as well; she has already ironed several frills for me, and some gowns, with which I am very well satisfied. Her desire of travelling is the same; pray to get her a situation; I am convinced she will give you no cause to regret it. She is much altered for the better: she is gay, and always in good humour; mild, obliging, in short, of a character to make herself beloved wherever she goes, for she has an excellent heart, and knows how to be contented in all

* Sic.

try

situations. Margaret is entirely amiable, of a pretty figure, and so lively, that she makes one half dead with laughing; Louisa is also very genteel. I assure you, dear Mariette, they are all changed very much for the better, and I am quite contented with them.

"I have been, since the month of January, in my favourite chamber at Collombier, where some repairs have been done; for example, a very good chimney, and a small cabinet, wherein I sleep. I often make little excursions in our environs, and frequently receive visits, which afford me some amusement. I think I hear you say, well dear Louisa, what do you mean to do? Won't you marry? What does Mons. - do? I will tell you, word for word; I every day feel more and more repugnance to marriage. Mr. has done all in his power to induce me to accept a heart which he says he has preserved for me these seven years. What heroical constancy, and little worthy of the age in which we live. I have not, however, been dazzled by it, and although he be rich, charming, and amiable, I would not retract the refusal I gave him four years ago. If this amuse you, I will tell you I have several other lovers, not less desirable than he; I am very foolish perhaps to refuse them, for they are infinitely better than I am; perhaps I may one day repent it. You know the proverb "qui refuse muse,' (he who will not, &c.) but I cannot do otherwise; recent events have created in me a sort of antipathy to all men. I can have no tiés, no communications with any of them. I love and cherish sweet liberty alone, and wish to preserve it as long as I can. Dear Mariette, I conjure you imitate my example, never think of marrying. My mother and I forbid it as long as her royal highness shall wish to keep you in her service. You can have no greater happiness, it is impossible. Beware of forming any attachment or tie with any one; you are too young for that; remain free; be assured you will be a thousand times more happy. I do not recommend prudence to you, because I know you too well to distrust you, and to suspect you do not possess it; for whatever may have been said of me, I would have died rather than abandon it for an instant, and deviate from the strict path of virtute; the most

precious good we possess; yet I have known some persons have cuspected my conduct; but I have God and my own conscience for witnesses. Are they not sufficient for my peace? at least no one can deprive me of them.No, I have nothing to reproach myself with on that head, and you know it as well as myself, therefore I can give you advice, with the assurance that you will follow it, especially as it is also that of our mother.

"Dear sister, if you dare, place me at the feet of her royal highness beseeching her to accept my humble 'respects. Do not fail, I entreat you, when she speaks to you of me, to endeavour to convince her that my repentance for having displeased her is still the same; that I conjure her to restore me to her favour. Tell me if her royal highness is still so very angry with me, and if there is not any appearance of a full pardon; but tell me always the truth. Try also, I pray you, Mariette, to persuade her royal highness that I am and always shall be so entirely devoted to her, that no sacrifice I could make for her would appear too great, and that she might even dispose of my life, which shall for ever be consecrated to her. Tell the baron also, that I am very sensible of his remembrance, and beg him to accept the assurance of my perfect gratitude. Embrace for me the charming Victorine; repeat also my thanks to the count, and assure him I shall never forget his late kindness. Remember me to the countess, Madame Livia, and Mr. William, begging them to receive the assurance of my sincere friendship.

"Dear Mariette, if I were to tell you all those who send you salutations, I should want two more pages, for every one is much interested for you, and they never cease to put up vows for your continued happiness. You are sensible, however, that the most sincere are made by us at home

"You will tell Mr. Hieronymus that John is quite well, and that Mr. Simonin is very well pleased with him in all respects; his board is not paid for, and tell Mr. H. on the receipt of this letter I beg he will immediately send an order to Mr. Demolin for the six months board, and address it to me; he must not delay, for I have need of money. You will not, I