109. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 97–98.
[London]
July 7th 1820
My ever dearest Ba
I am afraid you will think me inconscionably stupid when I tell you that I can give you no information with regard to the interesting yet detestable secret committee [1] except what you must have already heard, and the only breath of news that I can collect to regale poor dying Ba; is that her counsel desired the day before yesterday to be heard in her defence but the House refused to hear them at the same time promising that yesterday they should be heard and yesterday Mr Brough[a]m and Mr Denman made speeches[.] I have not yet seen the paper for to day and therefore cannot tell you any thing about them. I doubt their effects very much in the House but I think they will certainly make a great impression amongst the people as they will tend to proove more forcibly her innocence and their guilt in charging an innocent person with such crimes as they have accused her ofi! They have already dropped the charges of forgery and murder; do you not think that they who attempt to accuse any person, much more their Queen upon English ground of what they knew them not to be guilty ought to suffer the same punishment as he whom they accused would have suffered had he been guilty and prooved so. Nothing more is to be done at present in the House of Commons and the bill must pass through the House of Lords before any thing can be done. In my energetically enthusiastic opinion she stands but a poor chance of escaping from the shot of these experienced menslayers such as Castlereigh and Canning innocent as she is they will find some means of finding her guilty if she is really guilty she deserves but I would rather have the guilty escape unpunished than that such proceedings as these should pass unnoticed in England no if they do give the unjust sentence guilty! let her throw herself upon the mercy of her countrymen at large, though english justice may have flown from the hearts heads and hands of such men as Castlereigh and Sydmouth it still lingers in the breasts of the people Oh yes! “The laurel though faded still is there.” Mr Mc Swiney was here yesterday and was so kind as to set me lessons both in Latin and Greek and promised to be here to day to hear me. In your next letter pray tell me what are your reasons for not thinking the pamplet [sic] written by him. Granny sends you her best love and gives you ten thousand thanks for your letter. Give our best love and kisses to every body round
Believe me my dearest Ba
Your affect Brother
E M Barrett.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Edward R. Moulton-Barrett.
1. This and following references are to the cause célèbre of 1820, the trial of Queen Caroline. Caroline Amelia Elizabeth (1768–1821), second daughter of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, had married George, Prince of Wales on 8 April 1795, but had lived apart from him, on the Continent, since 1814. Upon the death of George III and the accession of her husband, she returned to England on 6 June 1820. Two days later, a secret committee of the House of Lords was appointed to investigate charges against her of adultery. Following the report of the committee, the Prime Minister, the Earl of Liverpool, proposed on 5 July “A Bill to deprive her Majesty, Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, of the title, prerogatives, rights, privileges, and pretentions of Queen-Consort of this realm, and to dissolve the marriage between his Majesty and the said Queen.” The effort against the Queen stirred high feelings, both in and out of Parliament, but came to no clear-cut conclusion. She was, however, excluded from the coronation of her husband, George IV, on 19 July 1821. She died on 7 August of that year. The Queen was popular with the public, who for the most part thought her innocent of the charges.
The Queen appointed Henry Peter Brougham (1778–1868) her attorney-general, and Thomas Denman (1779–1854) her solicitor-general. Other references are to Viscount Castlereagh (1769–1822), George Canning (1770–1827) and Viscount Sidmouth (1757–1844).
EBB wrote an unfinished poetic drama (“Oh! why so sad”) on Caroline’s 1814 departure from England (see Reconstruction, D743). It can be found in HUP, I, 150–161.
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