Volume I Part 20 (2/2)
That certain property, of a large amount, had been bequeathed to her; but that for many years she had been deprived of all interest arising from it. That Dr. Sir Richard Croft, accoucheur to her late royal highness, the Princess Charlotte, was an attendant witness to the will of her mother, by whom the property had been willed,--her father having engaged, upon his return from abroad, to put his daughter in possession of her rightful claims, proving her descent, &c. That, during her unprotected state, her guardian had caused her to sign bonds to an enormous amount; and, in consequence, she had been deprived of her liberty for nearly twelve months. As Dr. Sir Richard Croft was her princ.i.p.al witness and friend, she frequently consulted him on different points of her affairs, and also gave him several private letters for his inspection; but these letters not being returned to her when she applied for them, she reproached the doctor with his inattention to her interests. In consequence of this, Dr. Croft called upon her, and promised to send the letters back the next day. The doctor accordingly sent her a packet; but, upon examination, she found them to be, _not the letters alluded to_, but letters of VAST IMPORTANCE, from the HIGHEST PERSONAGES in the kingdom, and elucidating the most momentous subjects.
Some time after, she sealed them up, and sent a servant back with them, giving him strict injunctions to deliver them ONLY into Sir Richard's hand. While the servant was gone, the doctor called upon her, and, IN GREAT AGITATION, inquired if she had received any other letters back besides her own. She replied she had, and said, ”Doctor, what have you done?” He walked about the room for some time, and then said, abruptly, ”I suppose you have read the letters?” She replied, ”I have read enough to make me very uncomfortable.” After some further remarks, he observed, ”I am the most wretched man alive!” He then said he would communicate to her all the circ.u.mstances. Sir Richard commenced his observations by stating, that he was not the perpetrator of the deed, but had been made the instrument of others, which the letters proved. He then alluded, by name, to a n.o.bLEMAN; and said the circ.u.mstance was first discovered by the NURSE'S observing that a SEDIMENT WAS LEFT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP IN WHICH THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE TOOK HER LAST BEVERAGE, and that Mrs.
Griffiths directly charged the doctor with being privy to the act. He examined the contents of the cup, and was struck with horror at finding that it was the SAME DESCRIPTION OF MEDICINE WHICH HAD BEEN OBTAINED FROM HIS HOUSE, A FEW DAYS PREVIOUS, BY THE n.o.bLEMAN BEFORE ALLUDED TO!!! However, he endeavoured to persuade the nurse that she was mistaken; ”but,” said the doctor, ”the more I endeavoured to persuade her, the more culpable, no doubt _I_ appeared to her.”
Sir Richard said he was farther strengthened in his suspicions of the said n.o.bleman by a conversation he had had a few days before with his lords.h.i.+p, who said, ”If any thing should happen to the princess,--IF SHE WERE TO DIE,--it would be a melancholy event; yet I consider it would, in some considerable degree, be productive of good to the nation at large.” Dr. Croft asked him how he could say so. ”Because,” said the n.o.bleman, ”every body knows her disposition sufficiently to be convinced, that she will ever be blind to her mother's most unequalled conduct; and I think any man, burdened with such a wife, would be _justified_ in using ANY MEANS in seeking to get rid of her! Were it my case, the friend who would be the means of, or a.s.sist in, releasing me from her shackles, I should consider would do no more than one man ought to do for another so circ.u.mstanced.” Dr. Croft then said, he went to this n.o.bleman directly after the death of the princess, and charged him with committing the crime. He at first denied it; but at length said, ”It was better for one to suffer than that the whole country should be put into a state of confusion, which would have been the case if the princess had lived,” and then alluded to the Princess of Wales coming into this country. The n.o.bleman exonerated himself from the deed; but said ”IT WAS MANAGED BY PERSONS IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THE DOCTOR'S PERSON.”
At this part of the narrative, the doctor became very much agitated, and the lady said, ”Good G.o.d! who did do it?” To which question he replied, ”_The hand that wrote that letter without a name, in conjunction with one of the attendants on the nurse!_” The lady further stated, that the doctor said, ”Certain ladies are depending upon me for my services as accoucheur, and I will not extend life beyond my attendance upon them.”
This conversation took place just after the death of the Princess Charlotte.
Before Dr. Croft left the lady, she informed him of her anxiety to return the letters as soon as she discovered their importance, and mentioned that the servant was then gone with them. Sir Richard quickly exclaimed, ”You bid him not leave them?” and inquired what directions had been given to the servant. Having been informed, he said, ”Don't send them again; keep them until I come and fetch them, and that will be to-morrow, if possible.” But the lady never saw him afterwards, and consequently retained the letters.
The gentleman then received exact copies of all the letters before alluded to. We here present our readers with three of the most important, which will substantiate some of our former statements.
COPY OF A LETTER FROM SIR B. BLOOMFIELD TO DR. SIR RICHARD CROFT.
”MY DEAR CROFT,
”I am commanded by his royal highness to convey to you his solicitude for your health and happiness; and I am to inform you, that the aid of so faithful a friend as yourself is indispensable. _It is by her majesty's command I write this to you._
”We have intelligence by the 20th ult. that the Princess of Wales is to take a road favourable to the accomplishment of our long-desired wishes; that we may keep pace with her, there is no one upon whose fidelity we can more fully rely than you yourself.
”A few months relaxation from the duties of your profession will banish all gloomy ideas, and secure the favour of her majesty.
”Come, my boy, throw physic to the dogs, and be the bearer of the happy intelligence of a divorce, to render ourselves still more deserving the confidence of our beloved master, whose peace and happiness we are bound in duty to secure by every means in our power.
”Remember this: the road to fortune is short; and let me see you to-day at three o'clock, without fail, in my bureau.
”Yours faithfully,”
”Carlton House, ”Monday, 9th November, 1817.”
COPY OF A LETTER FROM DR. CROFT TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT.
”The gracious a.s.surance of his royal highness for my happiness was this day conveyed to me, by _the desire of her most gracious majesty_.
”The many former favours and kindnesses bestowed by my royal benefactor is retained in my mind with the deepest sense of grat.i.tude.
”That I regret, with heartfelt grief, the invisible power that determined my inevitable misery, and marks the hand that gave the blow to my eternal peace. Could no other arm inflict the wound than he who, in happier moments, indulged me with the most apparent unfeigned friends.h.i.+p? That I shall not, to my latest breath, cease to complain of such injustice, heaped upon me in the eyes of the world, and before the nation, who at my hands have lost their dearest hopes.
”My conscious innocence is the only right I plead to a just and Almighty G.o.d! That I consider this deed of so foul a nature as to stamp with ignominy, not only its perpetrators, but the throne itself, now to be obtained by the death of its own offspring, _and that death enforced by the Queen of England_, whose inveterate hatred is fully exemplified, by heaping wrongs upon the unfortunate partner of your once happy choice, who now only impedes your union to another.
”To remove now this only remaining obstacle, I am called upon by the ministers. With a view of tranquillizing my mind, every rest.i.tution is offered me. But, no doubt, many will be found amongst them, who can, without a pang, enjoy the reward of such services--_as her majesty will most liberally recompense_.
”It has ever been my highest ambition to fulfil the arduous duty of my situation; to be rewarded by upright encomiums; and to merit, as a subject and a servant, the approbation of my most gracious benefactor, as conveyed to me on the 9th of this month by Sir B. Bloomfield, would have been a sufficient recompense to me under any circ.u.mstances of life.
”I can, therefore, only a.s.sure his royal highness, with unfeigned sincerity, that I should feel happy upon any occasion to forfeit my life for his peace and happiness; nor can I more fully evince the same than by a.s.suring his royal highness, that this melancholy circ.u.mstance shall be eternally buried in my mind.
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