Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small][ocr errors][graphic]
[ocr errors]

crossed the passage to which I have already alluded, and entered the cabinet. Ido not know where Bergami was at that time. Neither do I know what her Royal Highness did in the cabinet; as soon as she returned into the bed-room, she told me to forbid Wm. Austin to sleep

Wm. Austin slept in a small cabinet where he remained all the time. That cabinet was near to the chamber of her Royal Highness, and there was a door of communication between them. I saw that door shut on the night in question. When that door was shut, there was no communication between the cabinet and the passage. There were two beds in her Royal Highness's chamber: a large bed and a travelling

in this country six months; but a subsequent question being put to her in English, she did not seem to understaud it, or to be able to give an answer (cries of "Go on, go on.") The examination then proceeded in French. Witness said, I am a native of the Pays de Vaud. I had resided at Bo-in her room, as she wished to be quiet. logna before I went into the service of the Princess of Wales. I am a Protestant. I engaged with the Princess at Lausanne. I first had the situation of femme-de-chambre. I went with the Princess to Milan. In the suite of her Royal Highness were four gentlemen: Sir Wm. Gell, Mr. K. Craven, Dr. Holland, and Mr. Hesse. The ladies with her were Lady Elizabeth Forbes and Lady Lindsay. When we arrived at Milan, we lodged at the Royal Ho-bed. She usually slept in the traveltel. I remember a person of the name ling bed. It was made up for her that of Bergami being engaged in that place night. I saw afterwards that there as courier to the Princess. This was were no sheets on the other bed. I fourteen or fifteen days before we went remained some minutes with her Royal from thence. During that period Ber-Highness before I left the room. I gami waited at table,and wore the dress of a courier. From Milan her Royal Highness passed through Rome to Naples. I recollect a person of the name of Wm. Austin being with her Royal Highness. He was in the habit of I do not recollect precisely the hour sleeping in the room of her Royal at which I saw her Royal Highness the Highness. On the night before we next morning. It was about eleven entered Naples, the Princess slept at ao'clock, nearly her usual hour of rising. country house. I cannot say whether on that night Wm. Austin slept in her Royal Highness's room. Her Royal Highness told me on that evening, that Wm. Austin was too big to sleep in her room, and that he must have a chamber to himself. Up to this period, Ber-in. It was not much deranged, Mr. gami breakfasted and dined with the other servants. I do not remember the room in which Bergami slept on the first night of his arrival in Naples. The second night he slept in a room near to that of the Princess. There was an internal communication between the two rooms.

saw her Royal Highness extremely agitated. I do not know where Bergami slept that night. I believe

Mr. BROUGHAM.-We do not want your belief.

I did not see Bergami the whole of the morning. The first time I saw him that day was at dinner. I took notice of the travelling bed that morning. I observed that nobody had slept in it, but that the larger bed had been slept

Jeronymus slept near her Royal Highness. That was in a room before entering the room of the Princess. It was in a room off the corridor. The two doors opened into the same passage. I have seen Bergami in the Princess's bed-room often at Naples. There was a small cabinet I assisted her Royal Highness in and a passage, through which an ap-making her toilette, on those occasions proach might be made from one to the I have seen Mr. William Austin and other. There was a door leading out Bergami present. Bergami was a couof the passage to the other part of the rier at that time. Wm. Austin was 13 house; when this door was fastened, years of age. I have frequently seen and the outer door of Bergami's room, Bergami in the Princess's bed-room. no person could get to the Princess's Her Royal Highness was sometimes chamber. The evening after the arri- dressed and sometimes not. Bergami val of the Princess at Naples, her Royal entered, and went in and out. I have Highness told me when she was dress-seen Bergami in the passage which I ing, that she was going to the Opera. mentioned at night. Her Royal HighShe returned early, and sent for me. Iness was then in her bed-room unwent to her chamber. The Princess dressed. I was near her Royal High

ness's bed-room, I saw Bergami come | I went in to assist her. Her Royal out of his room, and come through the Highmess took a dress something like passage, he went towards the Princess's a Turkish peasant. Bergami was in bed-room. He was not dressed at all the anti-room, and in coming out I saw (a laugh.) He had sippers on his feet; him arrayed like a Turk. I saw her I saw no stockings; he had nothing on Royal Highness going down stairs in but his shirt. The Princess had not this dress, and Bergami went with her. got into bed. When I saw Bergami in The Princess was on Bergami's arm. this way, I ran away; I escaped by a He was still a courier. The Princess little door near me out of the apart-returned immediately from the ballment of the Princess. I did not after-room. I do not remember whether wards observe the state of the smailer travelling bed. More than one appeared to have slept in the large bed. I have always seen it (meme chose) the same thing at Naples. It was part of my business at the latter end of our stay at Naples, to make the Princess's bed. I made the small travelling bed, I cannot remember whether I made it up every day. I remember a masked ball being given to her Royal Highness by Murat in a house near the sea. Her Royal Highness dressed herself in a room of the house where the ball was. Her Royal Highness went in the character of a country girl in the neighbourhood of Naples. It was my business to assist her Royal Highness in putting on the dress of that character. I went to the house, and Bergami went also at the same time. Her Royal Highness remained in that character about an hour. Her Royal Highness returned for the purpose of changing her character. The dress she took the second time was that of the Genius of History. She was obliged to change her dress entirely for that purpose. did not assist her in changing her dress. Bergami went into the room with her Royal Highness; into the room where the toilette was. I stood in the anti-room. Isaw Bergami enter the room. He remained about three quarters of an hour. Bergami came out of the room first, and her Royal -Highness came out after in a very little time in two or three minutes. Her Royal Highness went down stairs to igo to the ball in this character. She was absent about three quarters of an Hour, when she returned again into the anti-room. In the dress of the Genius of History, her Royal Highness's armis were bare, her breasts bare, and the idrapery was, as usual in that character, looped up before. I did not observe whether the arms were entirely naked. When her Royal Highness came back the second time, she went again into the dressing-room to change her dress.

Bergami returned with or before her. There was a garden belonging to our house in which there was a terrace. I once saw Bergami walking with the Princess on this terrace: they were alone, the Princess leaning on his arm. The Princess was in the habit of breakfasting in a small cabinet near Bergami's room. I remember an accident happening to Bergami at Naples. On that occasion there was a sofa in this cabinet. I know the theatre of San Carlos. I went there with her Royal Highness and Bergami, in a hackney carriage. Bergami went in the same carriage. Her Royal Highness went through the terrace in the garden to a small door which led out of the garden. It was a very gloomy night; it rained. When we went to the theatre we went high to the top, to the saloon where they walked. Her Royal Highness was dressed in a red cloak. Bergami was in a red domino; a large hat was on his head. After we got into the saloon we descended into the pit. When we got there many ugly Imasks surrounded us, and began to make a great noise and hiss. We had great difficulty to withdraw, and get into a small room. Her Royal Highness's dress was very ugly, mon. strous.

Lord HAMPDEN repeated-"Very ugly-monstrously ngly dress."

Mr. BROUGHAM.-I beg to call the attention of your lordships, with great humility, to what appears to me exceedingly irregular. One of the judges in this case enlarges the expression given in evidence, by a construction which the words do not bear. The witness says, "very ugly—monstrous," and a noble lord thinks himself called on-(Loud cries of "Order, order.")

Lord HAMPDEN rose, and said something which we could not hear. ("Order, order.")

The LORD-CHANCELLOR said, that if any noble lord thought the

H

answer was not correct, he had a right to have it corrected.

Lord HAMPDEN made some observation which we could not hear.

The Duke of HAMILTON said that he interposed with great reluctance, because he thought the interpreter not quite competent to the task he had undertaken: he should be wanting to himself and to his country, in a case of so much importance, on which the eyes of all Europe were fixed, if he did not take the objection, and say that the mode of interpretation as it had been conducted since this witness was called had not been satisfactory to him..

certainly appeared embarrassed sometimes, and it might be better if a gentleman could be procured more conversant with French.

The answer of the witness was repeated in the terms originally given. After this we were three or four months at Naples. Bergami served during that period. The Princess and Bergami were very familiar together. The familiarity commenced from the moment we arrived at Naples. The servants were not in the habit of going into her Royal Highness's room with- The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that out knocking, unless sent for by her. the gentleman officiating as interpreBergami never knocked. None of her ter (the Marquis de Spinetto), had Royal Highness's suite left her while shown himself an excellent Italian, but we staid at Naples. Some remained he did not seem quite so perfect in the when we went away. We went from French language. He was not aware Naples to Rome. Dr. Holland ac-that any material mistake had been companied the Princess. Lady Eliza-made by him, but the Interpreter had beth Forbes remained at Naples. Lady Charlotte Lindsay was with her Royal Highness at Rome. From Rome her Royal Highness went to Civita Vecchia and Genoa. Mr. Hannam joined her Royal Highness's suite at Genoa. Lady Charlotte Lindsay left at Leghorn. The beds of Bergami and the Princess were very near at Genoa. A single room separated them. In this room there was luggage of her Royal Highness, and she dressed there. There was a communication between that room and the room of Bergami. Her Royal Highness breakfasted at Genoa in a small cabinet at the end of the saloon. Bergami was with her. He was a courier then. Louis Bergami and Majocchi waited at break fast, Louis Bergami was Bergami's brother. I remember the garden at Genoa. I often saw the Princess and Bergami walking alone in the shrubbery. I had to do with the beds at Genoa until my sister arrived. The door between my room and that of the Princess was shut at night. The Princess turned the key inside. In the morning the Princess herself called me into the room. I observed that the bed of the Princess more often had not been slept in-by this I mean generally, in common.

The witness was now asked this question:-You said that after you were in your bed-room the Princess locked the door on the other side; I want to know whether after this you heard any noise as of a door opening? Counsel were here ordered to withdraw.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, that from the inquiries they had made they had reason to think the Marquis de Spinetto perfectly competent to discharge the duty he had undertaken. He and the interpreter on the other side had only differed regarding a single expression.

Mr. BROUGHAM attempted to speak, but was interrupted by cries of "order."

The Earl of HARROWBY admitted that the Interpreter did not seem sufficiently acquainted with the idiom of the French language, although he was uot aware that he had made any mistake; of his general intelligence and competence, as far as his own language was concerned, there could be no doubt (hear). It was necessary, however, that a person should be provided well versed in the respective idioms of the two languages, French and English.

The Earl of ESSEX, as we understood, instanced a misapprehension into which the Interpreter had fallen.

Earl GREY agreed that no unfaithful translation had been given by the Interpreter, and that his task was an arduous oné, recollecting the liability of confusing three languages, two of them not his own. He had hitherto performed his duty in his native tongue in the most satisfactory manner.(Cheers).

The Duke of HAMILTON meant

« PreviousContinue »