be brought for Bergami's accommodation, into the diningcabin, and this bed was so placed, that when the door of the Queen's sleeping room was open, she and Bergami could see each other while in bed, and hold conversation together. The only access to her Majesty's bed room was through the eating room in which Bergami slept, and when the door of this room was shut, there was no means of access to the Queen's. The door of the eating cabin was constantly shut after they retired to rest, and through it, as he had stated, was the only communication to the Queen's sleeping apartment. Now he would ask their lordships what conclusion could be drawn from this arrangement but that which the others he had stated had suggested? What other reason except that of facilitating in adulterous intercourse could be assigned for her Majesty having, either by land or sea, access to her sleeping apartment open only to Bergami, and closed to all the rest of her suite? Her Majesty proceeded, as he had stated, to Tunis, and from thence to Utica. In the house in which she slept there were only two bed-rooms; one was allotted to her Majesty and Victorine, and another to the Countess of Oldi and the other female attendants. The rest of her suite were accommodated at the houses of different consuls in the town. It would appear in evidence, that when her Majesty stopped at this place, Bergami came in the morning at a very early hour before her Majesty was up, and entered her apartment. Without asking leave or giving the slightest notice, he passed into her bed-room, and there remained alone with her for a considerable time. Here he might be permitted to ask, why Bergami took this liberty?-why he went to her Majesty's apartment without being desired? Their lordships would say whether it was to be supposed she would thus admit him to her bed-room, if gross familiarity and licentious intercourse had not previously taken place. It was true, she had by this time procured for Bergami titles and dignities, but her having raised him from obscurity to distinction did not furnish any ground for thus admitting him to her bed-room. Their lordships might perhaps consider the details he had to state as fatiguing, from their sameness. But though many of the facts he had stated, and had still to relate, were unimportant in themselves, they were material as leading to the conclusion he had endeavoured to press on their lordships minds -that the chain of circumstance could only be accounted for on the existence of an adulterous intercourse between Bergami and her Majesty. He had now to call their lordship's attention to a fact which was calculated to remove every doubt from their minds, if any yet remained. Her Majesty visited Savona. The house in which she slept there had only two rooms, and the outer 100m, which was assigned to Bergami, had no bed. [Here the Lord Chancellor asked at what date this took place. They were at Savona on the 12th of April; they had been at Utica on the 8th. [A noble lord asked where Savona was situated.] The place was in Africa, near Tunis. It was called either Savona or Savenba. He had it Savona. As he had stated, at this place, the outside room, assigned to Bergami, had no bed; the inner room, which was occupied by her Majesty had one, and a very large one. There was no access to the bed in the inner room except through Bergami's. It would be proved in evidence, that in the morning, after her Majesty had slept here, her bed had the appearance of having been slept in by two persons. Their lordships would recollect that he had stated that there was only one passage to her Majesty's bedroom; that that passage led from Bergami's room, and that in his room there was no bed. In any ordinary case this would be sufficient proof to a jury that the crime of adultery had been committed that night; because, when their lordships found that there were no means of access to the Queen's bedroom but through Bergami's apartment, and that her Majesty's bed bore in the morning the marks of two persons having lain in it, they could come to no other conclusion but the natural one-that they had committed adultery. When, too, they found circumstances of this kind occurring night after night, from time to time, and in different places, there was no one could doubt that the evidence bore out the charge of a continued course of adultery. From the coast of Africa her Majesty sailed to Athens, and touched at Malta in her way. They arrived at Athens on the 22d of April, 1816, and afterwards visited the Greek Islands, and stopped some time at Mileto. Excursions were also made to Troy and Ephesus. He would state a fact which occurred at Athens, which would show how little of the respect due to her rank was paid by Bergami to the Princess. At Athens, the captain of an English ship which touched there landed, and called on her Royal Highness. He was introduced to her Royal Highness sitting in an alcove in a garden, in which were also the Countess of Oldi and Bergami; the latter seated, and wearing a foraging-cap. Her Royal Highness rose with the politeness which distinguished all persons of high rank, to receive the officer, and desired him to be seated. Bergami continued seated; and, after a short time, left the place without making the least obeisance, or paying those marks of respect which the officers of a court were always expected to pay he left the room as if he was a person of equal rank to her Royal Highness. Why did he mention this fact? Because it showed that the familiarity which had taken place between them had been carried to such an extent that he considered his Royal mistress to be reduced to a level with himself. This fact was nothing of itself, but it was one which, taken in connexion with others, was very important, and would have weight with a jury. It plainly showed the assumption of authority by Bergami, and how completely he thought himself relieved from the necessity of paying any mark of respect to her Majesty. From Athens her Royal Highness proceeded by the way of Contantinople to Ephesus. Here another circumstance of a very remarkable nature occurred. Her Majesty directed a bed to be placed under a vestibule, which fronted a church shaded by trees. Dinner was prepared, but the weather was hot, and her Majesty had retired to the vestibule to repose herself. Bergami was seen coming from this vestibule en dishabile, when no other person was supposed to be there but her Majesty. Dinner was afterwards ordered to be served in the vestibule for her Majesty and Bergami. She sat on the small bed, and he beside her. None of the attendants were admitted to the vestibule, and she and Bergami remained alone together for a considerable time. Now if her Royal Highness required any attendance within this vestibule, why were not the females of her suite employed for that purpose? Why was Bergami, and Bergami alone, admitted to her bedroom? Soon after her Majesty proceeded to Aun, a place in Syria, where again Bergami was treated with the same extraordinary familiarity. A tent was erected for her Royal Highness, and a bed fitted up for her within it. While she was in bed in this tent, Bergami was seen sitting in his shirt-sleeves, and almost undressed, on the side of the bed. From this tent he was afterwards seen coming in a state of undress. Now if her Majesty required any attendance in this tent, why had she not called upon the Countess Oldi, or some other female of her suite? How did it happen that Bergami should be the person required to attend her while she was in bed, and that he should wait upon her dressed in the unbecoming manner which had been described? This was certainly a circumstance of strong suspicion. But it perhaps might be said that it required something more to prove adultery. He must observe, however, that he believed that in any ordinary case this would be enough to prove the commission of that crime before any court. But their lordships would besides recollect, that strong as it was, this was not an isolated fact. It was of a series of the same sort, and he might venture so assert that such familiarity could not be supposed to exist between such persons without a guilty intercourse. No woman could allow such a liberty to be taken with her, unless by a man to whom she had granted the last favour. This might be said not only in the case of a Princess and a man who had been her courier, but in the case of any man and woman of respectability in rank of life. From Aun her Majesty proceeded to Jerusalem. Here not satisfied with the dignities she had already procured for her favourite nor even with having made him her chamberlain, and pro M. BARTOLOMO PERGAMI. Emgraved by permission from a. Miniature in the possession of. Mad. Ternot Published J |