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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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London , with the same attendants , and , as before , I pot up at the smallest inns , and arrived safe once more . On my arrival the report was still fresh of my journey to Scotland , in defiance of their prohibition . A lady
informed me that the king was extremely incensed at the news , and had issued orders to have me arrested , adding , that I did whatever I pleased , in despite of all his designs , and that 1 had given him more trouble and anxiety than all the other women in
Europe . For which reason I kept myself as closely concealed as possible , till the heat of this rumour had abated . In the mean while I had the opinion of a very famous lawyer , a man of the strictest probity , he advised me to go off as soon as they had ceased
searching for me . I followed his advice , and in about a fortnight after I escaped without any accident whatever . The reason he alleged for his opinion was , that though in other circumstances a wife cannot be prosecuted for saving her husband ' s Jife , yet in
cases of high treason , according to the rigour of the law ; the head of the wife is responsible for that of her husband ; and as the King was so highly incensed , there could be no answeringfor the consequences . He therefore intreated me to leave the kingdom .
The King ' s resentment was greatly augmented by the petition which I had presented , contrary to his express orders . But my Lord was very anxious that the petition might be presented , hoping that it would be serviceable to me . I was in my own mind convinced that it would answer
no purpose , but as I wished to please my Lord , I desired him to have it drawn up , and 1 undertook to make it come to the King ' s hands , notwithstanding all the precautions he had taken to avoid it . So the 6 rst day
that I heard that the King was to go to the drawing room , I dressed myself in black , as if I had been in mourning . I sent for Mrs . Morgan , the same -who accompanied me to the Tower , because as I did not know his
Majesty personally , I might have mistaken some other person for him . She staid by me and told me when be was coming . I had also another lady with roe , and we three remained in a room between the King ' s apartment and tfoe drawing room , so that lie was
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obliged to go through it , and as there were three windows in it , we sat in the middle one , that I might have time enough to meet him before he could pass . I threw myself at his feet , and told him , in French , that I was the unfortunate Countess
ofNithsdale , that he might not pretend to be ignorant of my person . But perceiving that he wanted to go off without receiving my petition , I caught hold of the skirt of his coat , that he might
stop and hear me . He endeavoured to escape out of my hands , but I kept such strong hold , that he dragged me upon my knees from the middle of the room to the very door of the drawing room . At last one of the blue ribbons
which attended his majesty took me round the waist , while another wrested the coat out of my hand . The petition which I had endeavoured to thrust into his pocket , fell down in the scuffle , and I plmost fainted away through grief and disappointment . One of the
gentlemen in waiting picked up the petition , and , as I knew it ought to have been given to the Lord of the bed-chamber , who was then in waiting , I entreated him to do me the favour to read the petition , which I had
the honour to present , to his Majesty . Fortunately for me it happend to be Lord Dorset , witb whom Mrs . Morgan was very intimate ; accordingly she went into the drawing room , and delivered him the letter , which he
received very graciously . He could not read it then for he was at cards with the prince , but as soon as the game was over , he read it , and behaved , as I afterwards learnt , with the warmest zeal for my interest , and was seconded by the Duke of Moatrose , who had seen me in the anti-chamber and
wanted to speak to me , but I made him a sign not to come near me , lest his acquaintance should thwart my design . They read over the petition several times , but without any success , but it became the topic of their conversation the rest of the evening , and the harshness with which 1 had been treated
soon spread abroad , not much to the honour of the King . Many reflected , that they had themselves presented petitions to the late King , and that he never rejected any , even the most indigent object , but that this behaviour to a person of my -quality * w *» ft strong instance of brutality . These
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466 Lady Nithsdales Relation of Lord Nithsdales Escape .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1817, page 466, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2467/page/18/
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