394 DEFENCE OF QUEEN CAROLINE. [1820. 



selves, considered the proposition not fit to be enter- 

 tained. Here I differed with the majority, but did not 

 insist upon my opinion being followed. 



A great question arose among us as to the calling 

 Countess Oldi, sister of Bergami, who had been much 

 referred to by our adversaries ; and as she was said to 

 be a person of inferior rank, the Queen's associating 

 with her was given as a proof of extreme favour to 

 Bergami. She was also described by some of the 

 witnesses as having been present at important scenes, 

 and her words were given on some occasions. Our 

 information from the Queen and others was directly 

 in contradiction to all this ; and she was represented 

 to us as a person of distinguished appearance and 

 manners. There were manifest reasons why we should 

 call her, unless we were prepared to admit all that 

 had been sworn to, and which we were told she could 

 contradict. The Queen was most anxious that she 

 should be examined. All my colleagues were clear 

 she must be called ; one or two circumstances led to a 

 different opinion, and I decided that she should not be 

 called ; but I proposed that I should, contrary to the 

 usual rule, of counsel never seeing a witness, make an 

 exception in this case, on account of her only speaking 

 Italian, and our solicitor (Vizard) not being able to 

 converse with her. It was therefore resolved that I 

 should see her, and that on the result the determina- 

 tion to call her or not should turn. I had an inter- 

 view with her at the house in St James's Square, she 

 not being previously informed of my intention, but it 

 having been ascertained at what time I was sure of 

 finding her at home. The result was decisive. Of 

 her appearance and manners we had been very cor- 



