JET. 43.] THE TRIAL. 395 



rectly informed ; they were in all respects favourable. 

 But five minutes sufficed to prove my apprehensions 

 well founded; namely, that she would lie without 

 scruple and without bounds, and that Copley would 

 only have to ask her leading questions on matters on 

 which there had been evidence undeniably accurate, 

 and admitted by our case to be so, and he could obtain 

 whatever answers she thought best served the case of 

 the Queen. For instance, it having been clearly 

 proved that different persons had been in the Queen's 

 bedroom (which was explained by the habits of the 

 country, and by those persons coming for orders, or 

 simply to deliver verbal messages), I called her atten- 

 tion to that, and asked if such a thing ever happened ; 

 she said at once " Oh ! never at any time or on any 

 occasion." I tried her in several other matters of the 

 same kind, and she always answered in the same way. 

 It was plain, therefore, that we durst not call her. 

 Wilde indeed used, till checked by us, to propose that 

 Vizard, or whoever examined our witnesses, should 

 present things to their mind, retaining as he did his 

 old habits of an attorney, and regarding it as quite 

 justifiable to suggest things to a witness. But this 

 was out of the question in any case ; and as to M me - 

 Oldi, it would have required a very full and particular 

 suggestion to put her on her guard against the cross- 

 examination she was sure to undergo. Our whole 

 case would have been destroyed by her ready per- 

 juries. For we were in this peculiarly dangerous posi- 

 tion as compared with that of our adversaries: if 

 their case failed in nine points, and they succeeded in 

 a tenth, provided that one was sufficient to support 

 the bill, they could rely safely on this instance, not- 



