without any ground whatever beyond conjecture founded upon the general knowledge of a disagreement between the parties, &c, We shall now trace these rumours to their source, and, aided by the clue of probability, explore a labyrinth of error and perplexity, till we arrive at a more evident degree of certainty upon the subject, than has hitherto been obtained.

In the year 1806, during the existence of the Talent Administration, it for the first time transpired, that very serious disputes existed between the Prince and his Royal Consort, and that his Majesty corresponded with the Princess upon the subject, and finally issued his command, that an Investigation should take place, and which was accordingly undertaken by a special committee chosen from a certain number of noblemen.

On the part of one of these eminent personages, the whole of this business was conducted by Mr. Perceval, and, when concluded, it was Mr. Perceval that caused the whole proceedings to be thrown into the form of a Book, and two large impressions of them to be printed, notwithstanding every indi

vidual person engaged in this business was sworn to observe the most inviolable secresy !!!

That it was the object of Mr. Perceval in his proceedings relative to the Book, from its first composition, to secure to himself the high office he filled, can no longer be doubted. In vain was the anxiety of persons expressed for its publication; for from the moment it suited Mr. Perceval's purpose to conceal it, it was determined the public should not be gratified. One or two copies for his Royal Master, as far as Mr. Perceval knew, were sufficient for his purpose. The Book was the stepping stone to the height of the late Minister's ambition, and he saw and availed himself of the moment when any thing he chose to ask could not be denied. The contents of the Book were concealed as a sacred deposit, and Mr. Perceval kept the key; and thus for a while seemed to consider himself a King of Kings!

On this high ground, feeling himself without a rival, which Mr. Perceval could brook as little as any man in power, he went on nearly three years before he attended to

the whispers that some copies of the MYSTERIOUS BOOK were in the hands of several persons. This rising uneasiness, it is supposed, produced the following advertisement.

"THE BOOK."-Any person having in their possession a CERTAIN BOOK, printed by Mr. Edwards, in 1807, but never published, with W. Lindsell's name as the seller of the same on the title page, and will bring it to W. Lindsell, bookseller, Wimpole street, will receive a handsome gratuity."-Times Paper, 27th March, 1809.

Mr. Perceval's fears on this head were not groundless; for several persons, encouraged by the large sums asked by a few holders of the book, came forward; some received five hundred, some eight, and one person fifteen hundred guineas for a copy. In fact, it is supposed, that not less than twenty thousand pounds were expended in buying up and concealing Mr. Perceval's MYSTERIOUS BOOK from the public

eye.

But in spite of all these precautions, it was Mr. Perceval's fate to be again visited with dreadful forebodings, in relation to the

Book, only a short time before his decease, when the Bill for making provision for the Princesses was before the Commons. He then sent for every person whom he knew was acquainted with the Book, and expressed his apprehensions that its contents had been improperly divulged. As it might be expected on such an occasion, these persons attested their innocence, and Mr. Perceval either was, or pretended to be, satisfied.

All this, upon which the public may rely, ought to convince them likewise of the little reliance that should be placed upon what has been called "The Spirit of the Book," or any other publication which has pretended to narrate a history of the difference between two exalted personages.

Relative to what has been said in Parliament with respect to this MYSTERIOUS BOOK, we shall refer to what was said respecting the Prince Regent's Message, delivered on Wednesday, March 20th, relative to provision for the Princesses, when referring to the speech of Mr. Bennett, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that

"with regard to the separation of the Royal Persons alluded to, he should say nothing. He might and did lament it as much as any one could, but neither as a Minister, nor in any other character, did he feel himself called upon to say any thing on the subject. (Hear, hear, hear!) As to what had been said respecting the grant of the 10,0001. additional to the Queen, the committee must be aware, that it was entirely of a different nature from that now under consideration. Its object was to enable the Queen to meet expences which she would be likely to incur unconnected in any manner with the Princesses. There was no increase in the Civil List of the Prince of Wales above that of the King, on the contrary, there was a diminution.

"Mr. Whitbread defended his Hon. Friend (Mr. Bennett), from the charge of inconsistency, and thought it most natural, that he should wish to see the Princess of Wales placed in that situation in which he believed every person in the country wished to see her. It was rather alarming to understand from the Right Honourable Gentleman, that if a reconciliation should take place in a quarter where every one must desire it, the Right Honourable Gentleman would have to come down' to the House to ask a new grant. There was no impropriety in inquiring as to the situation of the Princess of Wales. The Right Hon. Gentleman had said, that he would state nothing as Minister