2994 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
removal of the plaintiff from Italy, 
his marriage with a Spanish lady, 
his attachment to the French au- 
thoritiés, and his acquisition of 
property near the village in Spain, 
where his Lordship had then ar- 
rived. For this libel the Duke de 
Sorentino brought the present 
action. 
The Attorney General in open- 
ing the case, reprobated the man- 
ner in which the writers of modern 
travels frequently attacked the 
characters and conduct of persons 
with whom they became acquaint- 
ed. In this instance there was 
not a syllable of truth in the as- 
sertions of Lord Blaney; and as 
the statement was circulated on 
the Continent soon after its pub- 
lication, it became important to 
the Duke de Sorentino to give it a 
direct positive and public contra- 
diction; such was his motive for 
this proceeding. As early as pos- 
sible he addressed a temperate but 
firm letter to Lord Blaney, charg- 
ing his Lordship with having en- 
tirely mistaken the individual, de- 
claring that he had never disposed 
of any antiques excepting two 
gems, which had been sold after- 
wards in England for 750/. to 
Mr. Payne Knight, and for which 
he took others in exchange; that 
he had never been turned out of 
the English fleet as a French spy ; 
on the contrary, that he had been 
treated with the utmost attention 
by Lord Nelson, at whose house 
at Merton he spent some time 
and referring to the wounds he 
bore, as ample proof of his enmity 
to France ; that the terrible impu- 
tation which made him shudder. 
that hehad been detectedin cheat 
ing at Palermo, was wholly false ; 
and that Lord Blaney had ‘con- 
founded him with an Italian Count} 
who had been'so guilty, and ex~ 
pelled the city inconsequence, and 
that he could establish his inno- 
cence of all these offences laid to 
his charge by many witnesses. 
The letter concluded in these 
words, ** I know well the honour 
and the character of a Peer and 
an Englishman, and I am persuad- 
ed that [ risk nothing by referring 
to your Lordship the manner of 
doing me justice and of effacing 
theimpression occasioned by anat- 
tack as outrageous as it is unjust.” 
Such being the sentiments of his 
client, and being aware of the 
disposition of the noble defendant 
to make every reparation, the At- 
torney-General abstained from 
making those remarks upon the 
libel that, under other circum- 
stances, he should think it well 
merited. — 
Before any witnesses were call- 
ed, Mr. Scarlett, on behalfof Lord 
Blaney, expressed his readiness to 
admit all the facts necessary to 
entitle the plaintiff to a verdict. 
Lord Blaney was as sensible as the 
Duke of Sorentino of the injury 
he had done, and was, if possible, 
more anxious that it should be re- 
paired. As soon as he was con- 
vinced, by the letter of the plain- 
tiff, of the error into which he had 
fallen, he stopped the sale of his 
work, published a new and amend- 
ed edition, with an advertisement 
stating his reasons, and doing jus- 
tice to the plaintiff. As a noble- 
man and a soldier, Lord Blaney 
did not think it now unbecoming 
to make an apology by his Counsel, 
and to express his sincere regret 
at the unintentional mistake; it 
was inipossible to say a single 
word in justification of the false 
