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the heath, while her companion went into the house.

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Mrs. Lasley inquired for Mr. Stikeman, the page, thinking him the most likely person to succeed with the ladies; but he not being in the house at the time, they returned.. Meeting Mr. Stikeman, however, as they were crossing the heath, Mrs. Lasley spoke to him and said, this is the poor woman for whom I solicited a letter of recommendation into the hospital." Mr. Stikeman observed, he was very sorry he could not obtain one for her; but said the ladies would give her a letter to be attended at home. Mrs. Austin told him she had once before lain in at the Brownlow Street Hospital, and would like to go there if she could, it not being so convenient for her to lay in at home. He said he should be happy to serve her if he could, but in this case he could not, as he had already asked the ladies the question.

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Being unsuccessful in procuring a letter from Montague House, she applied to a friend in town of the name of Wilson, who obtained one for her from Mr. Hoare, the banker, in Fleet Street; and was admitted into the Hospital on Sunday the 11th of July, 1802. ON THIS DAY, Mrs. Austin was delivered of a son, who was baptized at the house of the Institution, on the 35th of the same month, and named WILLIAM.

A few days after its birth, the child was observed to have a mark of red wine on its right hand, completely encircling the thumb; but this

mark has since gradually disappeared, and is not at present discernible..

Mrs. Austin continued in the Hospital until the 29th of July, at which time she left it, and returned with her son to Deptford; calling in her way at Mr. Hoare's, to leave a letter of thanks, as is usual in such cases.

Austin being still out of employ, and his wife hearing that several persons had made successful application to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, to procure a reinstatement in His Majesty's Dock Yard, she was advised to try this expedient on behalf of her husband. Mrs. Austin proposed to him to write a petition, and she would take it to Her Royal Highness, and endeavor to get him replaced in his former situation. Austin, however, hesitated for some time to embrace his wife's offer, conceiving that the attempt would be quite fruitless. At length, to satisfy Mrs. Austin, he consented to the measure. His wife accordingly took the petition, and went with the child (William) in her arms, on Saturday, the 23rd of October, 1802, to Montague House. Here she inquired for Mr. Stikeman, whom she had seen but once only before, when she applied for a letter of recommendation to the Brownlow Street Hospital.

Mr. Stikeman appearing, she requested him to present the petition, stating that the object of it was, to get the husband reinstated in the Dock Yard, from whence he had been lately diseharged with many others. He said he was

"denied doing such things; having applications of a similar nature almost daily." She urged her great distress, telling him she had another child at home, and no prospect of any provision for them, her husband being quite destitute of employment. He then gave her a shilling, took the petition and put it into his pocket, observed she had a fine child in her arms, and asked how old it was; Mrs. Austin answered, about three months. Mr. Stikeman replied, if it had been about a FORTNIGHT OLD, HE COULD HAVE GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF FOR HER; she observed to him that she thought it a better age to be taken from the mother, than if it were younger; he answered, "Ah, true." He then turned up the child's clothes and looked at its legs, saying, "It is a fine child, give it to me." He accordingly took the child into the house, and as he went along the passage, danced it up and down, talking to it.

(Want of room compels us to omit the remainder of this statement; which, however minute, is one of the most satisfactory description, and amply and decidedly sets at rest, for ever, the question of young Austin's identity. Imagining that it would be pleasing to the reader, to have the latest intelligence of the Illustrious Lady, who has long occupied the sympathizing attentions of the British public, we subjoin, (from one of the public and recognized sources of authentic information) the latest intelligence.

While the remains of his late revered Majesty were yet uncommitted to the tomb of his great ancestors, letters were received by certain quarters, from Her Majesty, of which the following are extracts.

Extract of a letter from Her Royal Highness the
Princess of Wales, dated Marseilles.

Dec. 26th, 1819.

"DURING the five years of my long absence from my dear Old England, I can assure you it has been the first real happy moment I felt, having received such satisfactory information respecting the feelings of the people of England towards me. It has been the most gratifying communication to my mind, and I trust to heaven I shall ever continue to deserve their good opinion. My traducers and enemies in England have again held secret inquisitions at Milan, through the means of spies and many old servants, who have been sent from the house for bad conduct.

"A Mr. C., M. H., a Colonel B., and Lord S., have been making all sorts of inquiry into my private conduct. My legal advisers were informed of this in April last, and I should have gone to London at that period, had I not been otherwise advised, it being the wish of my legal advisers, that they should first see me in France. I came to Lyons for that purpose, and after wait

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ing anxiously their arrival for some weeks, I found they could not meet me. The air being too cold for my health, I took the resolution of fixing my winter residence at Marseilles, where I have been two months, and expected to see my legal advisers, but I have been again disappointed, and Heaven knows when they will be able to meet me. I have been much alarmed about a rumour relating to our ever-beloved and lamented King's health; and, on the event of any thing happening to our revered monarch, I put my only trust in the generosity of the great nation, to protect me from the hands of my enemies. I have the pleasure to inform you, that all my debts in England and Italy have been paid.

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Extract of a letter from Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, dated Marseilles.

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Jan. 6th, 1820.

1 should not have taken up my pen so soon to trouble you, if I had not received this morning a letter from Paris from a particular friend, which communication stated to me that the English Ambassador mentioned the impossibility of his paying me due respect, and assured my friend that the government at Paris, he feared, would make my residence there far from agreeable, and my friend advised me not to visit Paris under such circumstances. 1 never had any wish to visit that metropolis, but the desire alone of

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