Volume 1

Letters to the Right Honourable Lord Mansfield. From Andrew Stuart, esq. [On the Douglas Peerage Cause.] / [Andrew Stuart].

  • Andrew Stuart
Date:
[1773]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters to the Right Honourable Lord Mansfield. From Andrew Stuart, esq. [On the Douglas Peerage Cause.] / [Andrew Stuart]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    63/208 (page 19)
    [ *9 ] to know what account has been received from the hufband of Lady Jane, in fupport of his own and her honour, and of the rights and interefts of the perfon he acknowledged to be his fon 5 for although Menager, in a matter to him fo indifferent, at the time of receiving his intelligence, and,, for many years afterwards, might eafily be under fome miftake in this matter; or, from fome motive or other, might have given a falfe account; yet neither of thefe fuppofitions can take place with regard to Sir John Stew¬ art. As he could not he ignorant of the perfon by himfelf employed for the delivery of his wife, and to whofe care one of the children, horn to fuch expectations, was by him entrufted during fo many' months immediately fubfequent to the delivery, fo he had every motive to declare the truth with regard to the accoucheur, if Lady Jane really had been delivered by Delamarre of Paris, or by any other perfon. He muff have been fenfible that nothing hut a genuine ftate of faCts could avail him, and that every deviation from the line of truth, particularly with regard to the perfon employed to affift at the birth, muff have been moffc pernicious to his own honour and intereft, and to the ho¬ nour and intereft of thofe moft dear to him. If any thing could add weight to thefe motives, it was the folemnity of the occafion upon which he was called to give evidence in this matter ; an examination before the Supreme Judges of his country, upon fo interefting an occafion, muft have made him very attentive to abftain from any falfe relation of fads. If it fhall appear that, upon this folemn occafion, he gave evidence totally exclufive of Delamarre of Paris ; and if notwithftanding fuch evidence, it is ftill to be I 2 fuppofed