Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill - Plaidy Jean. Страница 54

'I will write at once to Orleans and thank him for his generosity while I tell him that I shall be unable to take advantage of his goodness.'

Sheridan sighed with relief.

The Prince was amenable. He would go to Chertsey without delay and tell Charles that Maria Fitzherbert was the best possible influence the Prince could have and that he, Charles, and she should lose this distrust they had for each other.

Betrayal in the House

Charles James Fox had been doing his best to persuade the Whig Party to support the Prince in his plea to Parliament for a settlement of his debts; but, with the exception of Sheridan* he had found little support. There was one question which Fox knew was making his friends hold back, and that was the all-important one of the Prince's marriage.

Only those who had actually been present when the officiating clergyman had pronounced the Prince and Maria Fitz-herbcrt man and wife could swear that the marriage had taken place. These were the Prince and Maria, her brother, her uncle and the Reverend Robert Burt; all these had pledged their secrecy, and in any case by assisting at such a ceremony they were guilty of the vague but serious crime of pnemunire. So no one could be absolutely certain.

Fox believed he was, however, because he had in his possession a letter from the Prince categorically denying that the marriage would ever take place; and it was on this that he based his case.

He wanted to bring up the matter in Parliament because he was certain that he could win. The Prince's debts must be paid; the Prince's allowance must be increased; and the King must be shown up for the mean old skinflint that he was. The

country must understand that the King was a foolish and disagreeable old gentleman who quarrelled with every member of his family. The Prince was the hope of the future. Pitt was the King's man; Fox was the Prince's; and a wise electorate would choose the gay and charming Prince with Fox, rather than Pitt and the stupid unpleasant old King.

Never had the King been so unpopular. This was the time to strike; and Fox believed he was ready.

He knew, of course, why Portland and the others were holding back. They were unsure whether or not the Prince was married. If it came out that he was—and since his financial affairs would be under discussion it might well do so—then the Prince's popularity would be immediately lost. At the moment the affair was wrapped in mystery and the people loved a mystery. The papers were full of the love affair between Maria and the Prince. But what if it were admitted that the Prince of Wales had in fact married a lady, twice widowed, six years his senior ... well, that might be accepted. But she was a Catholic; and ever since the Smithfield fires the people of England had determined never to have a Catholic on the throne. James II had lost his crown because of this; the Hanoverian succession had come into force because of it; the recent Gordon riots showed without a doubt that the feeling was as strong as ever.

It was clear to Fox that the reason the Whigs as a party would not support the Prince was because of the fear that he had married Mrs. Fitzherbert and that this would be disclosed; and if it were so, and he was associated with the Party, then the Party would suffer great harm and perhaps for years to come be linked with the Catholic cause.

The marriage was not mentioned because the Prince was present at most of the discussions and it was considered too delicate a matter and one of which he had no wish to talk. Everyone who knew him well knew also that he greatly disliked discussing anything which was unpleasant to him.

Fox, however, was not disturbed. He believed he knew what had happened; and he felt confident.

If the Prince would only state openly to his friends that there had been no ceremony, then there would have been no

difficulty in persuading them to support him; but this he would not do.

Fox believed he understood. The Prince was romantic; he was deeply in love with Maria Fitzherbcrt. If people believed that there had been a ceremony of marriage, let them go on believing it. It was doubtless what Maria wished. She preferred people to believe that she had gone through a ceremony of marriage; and the Prince wished to please her.

It all seemed clear enough to Fox.

The Duke of Portland, however, was adamant. He declared that he—as head of the Whigs—could not allow the Party to bring up the matter of the Prince's debts.

The Prince was angry and cut Portland when next they met. Portland shrugged his shoulders. He was sorry to displease the Prince but he had the Party to think of.

'I am determined,' the Prince told Fox, 'to have the matter brought up in Parliament. Quite clearly I cannot continue in this state.'

Fox said: 'Certainly it shall be brought up. Never fear, we shall do without Portland. Sherry and I are worth the rest of the Party put together. We'll get an independent member to bring up the subject. I know the man: Alderman Newnham. As a rich city merchant he carries weight. I think he's our man.'

Within a few days Fox was able to report to the Prince that he was indeed the man.

Alderman Newnham would bring up the matter of the Princes debts in the House of Commons during the next sitting.

On April 20th Alderman Newnham addressed Mr. Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, which office he held in addition to that of Prime Minister.

'Is it the design of His Majesty's ministers to bring forward any proposition to rescue the Prince of Wales from his present very embarrassed condition? His Royal Highness's conduct during these difficulties has reflected greater honour and glory on his character than the most splendid diadem in Europe, yet

it must be very disagreeable to his Royal Highness to be deprived of those comforts and enjoyments which so properly belong to his rank.'

Mr. Pitt rose and replied: 'It is not my duty to bring forward a subject of such nature as that suggested by the honourable gentleman except at the command of His Majesty. I have not been honoured by such a command.'

Mr. Pitt sat down and Alderman Newnham was immediately on his feet to announce that he would bring up the matter again on the 4th May.

Fox was amused. 'We have begun,' he told Lizzie. 'Pitt has been taken by surprise. He did not believe the Prince would allow the matter to be brought up.'

'Why not? He knows the Prince cannot continue as he is.'

'This is really a question of Is the Prince married or is he not? Pitt thinks His Highness daren't risk an enquiry into his affairs.'

'But surely His Highness does not wish for such an enquiry?'

'His Highness wishes his debts to be paid—and I intend to see that they are.'

Pitt sprang a surprise on the House by referring to the matter before Alderman Newnham brought it up again. He chose an opportunity when the House was full to ask whether the honourable magistrate, Alderman Newnham, intended to persevere with the motion and what scope and tendency it would take.

Newnham replied that it was simply to rescue the Prince of Wales from his present embarrassing position.

Pitt's reply was threatening.

'The principal delicacy of the question,' he remarked, 'will lie in the necessity for enquiring into the causes of the circumstances.'

Fox knew what that meant.

Ever since Maria's return from the Continent there had been cartoons and paragraphs about her and the Prince in the

papers; but just at this time, when the question of the Prince's debts was about to be brought up in the House, John Home Tooke, a politician who also enjoyed writing pamphlets and was renowned for his eccentricities, produced one of his papers entitled The Reported Marriage of the Prince of Wales. His motive seemed to be to expose the iniquities of the Marriage Act and to pour ridicule upon it, for since as he believed the Prince had married in spite of it, what use was it? He ended by writing: