364 DEFENCE OF QUEEN CAROLINE. [1820. 



Apprehensive that proceedings might be instantly 

 taken on the Queen's arrival in London, which I had 

 too much reason to believe would be immediate, and 

 anxious that nothing should be done in Parliament 

 until I was in my place, I addressed the following 

 letter to Lord Liverpool : 



(Most secret.) 



11 ST OMER, Sunday night, June 4, 1820. 



" MY LORD, My letter of last night may have pre- 

 pared your Lordship for hearing that, five minutes 

 after the Queen had rejected Lord Hutchinsori's pro- 

 position, which she did the moment it was made 

 this evening at five o'clock she set out for Calais, hav- 

 ing previously prepared everything for her journey, 

 and sent all her Italian attendants off to Italy. I had 

 not advised her to accept that proposal, but I strongly 

 urged her to offer terms viz., to stay abroad, pro- 

 vided she were acknowledged and respected as Queen. 

 I did this in the spirit which has always regulated my 

 conduct in this affair that of preventing whatever 

 tended only to annoy, and to force on discussions 

 unnecessary in themselves and hurtful to the country. 

 In the same spirit I have most earnestly urged her 

 Majesty to go (if she finally resolves to go) as secretly 

 as possible ; and I wrote to her at Calais to-night to 

 repeat my remonstrances, and to entreat that at least 

 she would give Lord Hutchinson time to send a courier 

 to London for fresh instructions. Your Lordship will 

 see from the enclosed what view I have taken of this 

 matter. 



" I sincerely regret the failure of this negotiation, on 

 every account. But even if the Queen had listened to 



