To which His Royal Highness answered, "I won't believe you upon it;" but the Lord Privy Seal did not exactly hear what His Royal Highness answered to the Duke of Roxburgh. ROXBURGH. KENT. KINGSTON, C. P. S.1 Upon receipt of this report the King ordered the Prince not to leave his own apartments till further order, that is, to consider himself under arrest, which occasioned his first and second letters. These not being deemed satisfactory, the Prince received imperative orders to quit the palace immediately, with option to the Princess to remain, which she declined. The third letter announces his departure. He first took up his residence at Lord Grantham's, (the Princess's Chamberlain,) in Albemarle Street, and soon after at Leicester House, which he purchased and made his London residence till the time of his ascending the throne, June 11, 1727.3 THE PRINCE OF WALES' FIRST LETTER TO THE KING. SIRE, Le 11me Decembre, 1717. J'ai reçu avec la soumission que je dois les ordres que V. Majesté a envoyé de demeurer dans mon appartement, jusqu'à que V. Majesté m'a fait sçavoir ses volontés ulterieures. Cette marque forte de l'indignation de V. Majesté m'a infiniment surpris, n'ayant jamais eu d'autres sentimens à l'egard de V. Majesté que ceux qui conviennent à un fils très obéissant. On m'avoit fait croire, que V. Majesté avoit paru assez facile sur le choix que j'avois fait du Duc de York pour être Parain de mon fils, et qu'il pourroit être representé par le Duc de Newcastle, sans qu'il le fût lui même; et en étant persuadé, je ne pouvois m'empêcher de regarder comme un traitement inoui, qu'il vouloit être Parain de mon enfant, en depit de moy; mais lorsque V. Majesté jugea à propos de l'ordonner, je me suis soumis. Le procédé du Duc de Newcastle m'a touché sensiblement, et j'en fus si indigné, que le voyant dans l'occasion, je ne pus m'empêcher de lui en donner des marques. Mais comme le respect que j'ay toujours eu pour Vôtre Majesté, m'avoit empêcher de lui en temoigner aucun ressentiment, quand il étoit chargé de vos ordres, j'espère qu' Elle aura la bonté de ne pas regarder ceque j'ay dit, au Duc en particulier, comme un manque de respect envers V. Majesté. ' Duke of Roxburgh; Duke of Kent; and Duke of Kingston, Custos Privati Sigilli (Keeper of the Privy Seal). 2 It is a curious circumstance that twenty years later, (July 9, 1737,) when the breach took place between George II. and his son, Frederic Prince of Wales, the Prince took up his residence in this very house, as his father had done before him. It is also worthy of remark that Addison's Cato was performed here by the junior branches of the Prince's household, the Prince's son, afterwards George III., playing the part of Portius. See Cunningham's Handbook of London. Cependant, si j' ay eu le malheur d' offenser V. Majesté, contre mes intentions, je lui en demande pardon, et je la supplie d'être persuadé du respect avec lequel je suis, &c. Sire, De Vôtre Majesté Le très humble et très obeissant Fils et serviteur, GEORGE P. THE PRINCE OF WALES' SECOND LETTER TO THE KING. Seconde Lettre du Prince au Roi. Le 12me Decre. 1717. SIRE, J'espère que V. Majesté aura la bonté de m'excuser, si dans l'état où je me trouvois, quand je pris la liberté d'ecrire à V. Majesté, j'ay omis de lui dire, que je ne temoignerois aucun ressentiment contre le Duc de Newcastle, sur ce qui s'est passé ; et je prends cette occasion d'en assurer V. Majesté, étant avec un très profond respect, &c. Sire, De Vôtre Majesté Le très humble et très obeissant Fils et serviteur, GEORGE P. THE PRINCE OF WALES' THIRD LETTER TO THE KING. Troisième Lettre du Prince au Roi. SIRE, Le 13me Decre. 1717. Je viens d'obeïr aux ordres de V. Majesté, en quittant St. James. La Princesse m'accompagne, et nos domestiques sortent du Palais avec nous avec toute l'expedition possible. Je suis, &c. Sire, De Votre Majesté Le très humble et très obeissant Fils et serviteur, GEORGE P. Of these three curious letters of the Prince of Wales to his father translations appear to have escaped to the public in some journal of the day, "by what means I know not," says Sir Gustavus Hume, in an interesting letter on the subject, dated Dec. 24, 1717, and printed in the Marchmont papers, vol. ii. page 84. Official copies of these translations being preserved among the Egerton Papers in the British Museum, we annex them. OFFICE TRANSLATION OF THE PRINCE'S FIRST LETTER. SIRE, December 11th, 1717. I received with all submission your Majesty's commands, confining me to my own apartment till your Majesty should signify your further pleasure to me. So great a mark of your Majesty's displeasure surprised me extremely, never having entertained a thought of your Majesty unbecoming a most dutiful son. made to believe your Majesty appeared easy in the choice I had made of the Duke of York to be godfather to my son; and that the I was Duke of Newcastle might represent him, and not be godfather himself. Being persuaded of this, I could not but look upon it as an unaccountable hardship that he would be godfather to my child in spite of me. But when your Majesty thought it proper to command it, I submitted. This treatment of the Duke of Newcastle touched me sensibly, and so far raised my indignation, that, at the sight of him on this occasion, I could not help showing it. But, as the respect I have always had for your Majesty always hindered from expressing any resentment against him, whilst he was charged with your Majesty's orders, I hope your Majesty will have the goodness not to look upon what I said to the Duke in particular as a want of respect to your Majesty. However, if I have been so unhappy as to offend your Majesty, contrary to my intention, I ask your pardon, and beg your Majesty will be persuaded that I am with the greatest respect, Sire, your Majesty's most humble GEORGE P. TRANSLATION OF THE PRINCE'S SECOND LETTER. SIRE, December 12th, 1717. I hope that your Majesty will have the goodness to excuse me if, in the situation in which I found myself when I took the liberty to write to your Majesty, I omitted to say that I would not show any resentment against the Duke of Newcastle, and I take this opportunity of assuring your Majesty thereof, Being with the most profound respect, &c. GEORGE P. TRANSLATION OF THE PRINCE'S THIRD LETTER. SIRE, December 13th, 1717. I am about to obey the orders of your Majesty by leaving St. James's. The Princess accompanies me, and our servants quit the palace with us, with all possible expedition. I am, &c. GEORGE P. Soon after the Prince had quitted the Palace, propositions were made to him in the name of the King, advised and drawn up by his confidential Minister, (the Prince's enemy,) Baron Bernsdorff, the sinister object of which was to widen the breach. They were communicated by the Speaker of the House of Commons, to whom the Prince gave his replies verbally. THE KING'S PROPOSITIONS. THE PRINCE'S REPLIES. Response que le Prince a fait intentions de Monseigneur le faire de bouche à ces Articles par Prince de Galles, à l'égard de ses soumissions à faire à Sa Majesté, sont telles, comme on doit les attendre d'un bon Fils, le Prince ne pourra pas manquer de convenir des Articles suivants. I. De ne prendre personne à son service qu'avec l'agrément du Roi, et de n'avoir pas dans sa famille des personnes desagréables à Sa Majesté. II. De n'avoir aucune correspondance avec ceux que le Roi lui fera declarer lui être disagréables. III. De traiter avec bienséance les ministres et serviteurs du Roi. IV. De faire des honnêtetez requises aux Ducs de Newcastel et Roxbourg. V. Le Roi aiant incontestablement le droit d'établir auprès de ses petits fils et petites filles, comme enfans de la Couronne de l'Orateur de la Chambre des Communes au Baron de Bernsdorff. I. Que quant au premier Article il ne pretendoit pas de prendre personne à son service, sans auparavant en avoir informé le Roi; et que si sa Majesté avoit quelque bonne objection contre tels ou telles personnes, il en nommeroit quelques autres. Mais que Son Altesse Roiale ne vouloit en aucune maniere admettre les simples objections exprimées dans ce premier article, nommement que tel et tel est desagréable au Roi. II. Quant à ce 2 Article le Prince dit qu'il n'avoit jamais entretenu aucune correspondance avec personne, qui ne fut bien affectionné au Roi et à sa famille, et ne voudra jamais en entretenir avec d'autres. Mais que le mot desagréable étoit si général qu'il ne savoit pas comment il devoit l'entendre. III. Qu'il avoit repondu au 3 Article qu'il avoit toûjours traité avec bienséance les ministres et serviteurs du Roi, excepté ceux qui avoient offensé Son Altesse Roiale dans des points si delicats, comme tout le monde sait. IV. Que quant au 4 Article le Prince dit qu'il s'étoit déja aquitté de son devoir par raport au Duc de Newcastel, et que pour ce qui regarde le Duc de Roxbourg il n'avoit jamais eu intention de l'offenser. V. Que le 5 Article avoit paru plus dur au Prince, que le precedent message du Roi, puisque dans celuilà, la somme avoit été OFFICE TRANSLATIONS OF THE ABOVE. THE KING'S PROPOSITIONS. THE King is persuaded that if the intentions of his Royal Highness, as to the submissions to be made to his Majesty, are such as ought to be expected from a good son, the Prince will not fail to agree to the following articles: I. Not to take any person into his service, but with the King's approbation, nor to entertain in his family such persons as are disagreeable to his Majesty. II. Not to hold any correspondence with such as the King shall cause to be declared to him to be disagreeable to his Majesty. III. To use in a decent man THE PRINCE'S REPLIES. The Prince's verbal replies communicated by the Speaker of the House of Commons to the Baron de Bernsdorff (and by him to the King). I. That with regard to the first Article, he does not presume to take any person into his service without first having informed the King, and if his Majesty had any good objection against such person or persons he would name others. But that his Royal Highness would not, in respect to this first Article, in any manner be willing to admit simple (unexplained) objections, namely, that such or such person is disagreeable to the King. II. With regard to this second Article the Prince says, that he has never maintained any correspondence with any one who was not affectionately disposed towards the King and his family, and never would maintain any with others. But that the word disagreeable was so general that he did know in what manner to understand it. III. That he replied to the |