A32 
middle one, that I might have time 
enough to meet him before he could 
pass. I threw myselr at his feet, 
and told him in French that I was 
the unfortunate Countess of Niths- 
dale, that he might not pretend to 
be ignorant of my person. But, 
perceiving that he wanted to go off 
without receiving my petition, I 
caught hold of the skirt of his coat, 
that he might stop and hear me. 
He endeavoured to escape out of 
my hands; but I kept such strong 
hold, that he dragged me upon my 
knees from the middle of the room 
tothe very door of the drawing-room. 
At last one of the blue ribbons who 
attended his Majesty, took me 
round the waist, whilst another 
wrested the coat out of my hands. 
The petition which I bad endea- 
voured to thrust into his pocket, fell 
down in the scuffle, and I almost 
fainted away ‘through grief and dis- 
appointment. 
One of the gentlemen in waiting 
picked up the petition; andas [ 
knew that it ought to have been 
given to the Lord of the Bed-Cham- 
ber, who was then im waiting, I 
wrote to him andintreated him to 
do: me the favour toread the peti- 
tio which I had had the honour to 
present tohis Majesty. Fortunately 
for me, it happened to be my Lord 
Dorset, with whom Mrs. Morgan 
was very intimate. Accordingly, 
she went into the drawing-room, 
and delivered him the letter ; which 
he received very graciously. He 
could not read it then, as he was at 
cards with the Prince; but as soon 
as. ever the game was over, he read 
it, and behaved, as I afterwards 
learned, with the warmest zeal for 
my interest; and was seconded by 
the Duke of Montrose, who had 
seen me in the anti-chamber, and 
vou desired, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
wanted to speak tome. But I made 
him a sign not to come near me,.. 
lest his acquaintance: might thwart 
my designs. They read over the 
petition several times, but without 
any success ;, but it became:the: to- 
pic of their conversation the rest of 
the evening; and the harshness 
with which I had been treated soon 
spread abroad, not much. to the ho-~ 
nour of the King. Many people 
reflected, that they had themseives. 
presented petitions to the late King, 
and that he had never rejected any, 
even from the most indigent ob- 
jects; but that this behaviour to a 
person of my quality, was a strong 
instance of brutality. 
These reflections, which circu- 
lated about, raised the King to the 
highest pitch of hatred and indig- 
nation against my person, as he has. 
since allowed: For when all the 
Jadies whose husbands had been 
concerned in the affair, presented 
their petitions for dower, mine: was 
presented amoog the rest; but the 
King said I was not entitled to the 
same privilege; and, in fact, I was 
excluded; and it was remarkable 
that he would never suffer my name 
to be mentioned. For these rea- 
sons, every body judged it prudent 
for me to leave the kingdom; for, so 
long as this hatred of the King sub- 
sisted, it was not probable that I could 
escape from falling into his hands. 
I accordingly went abroad. 
This is the full narrative of what 
and of all the transac- 
tions which passed relative to this 
affair. Nobody living, besides your- 
self, could have obtained it from me; 
but the obligations I owe you, throw 
me under the necessity of refus~ 
ing you nothing that lies in my 
power to do. 
As this is for yourself alone, your 
indulgence 
i 
