'Ealing; April 14, 1753. 'His Grace the Duke of Newcastle.' '_Endorsed_: Ealing, April 14th, 1753 Mr. Fielding. R. 16th.' 'My Lord Duke,--I am extremely concerned to see by a Letter which I have just received from Mr. Jones by Command of your Grace that the Persons concerned for the Prosecution have not yet attended your Grace with the Affidavits in Canning's Affair. I do assure you upon my Honour that I sent to them the moment I first received your Grace's Commands, and having after three Messages prevailed with them to come to me I desired them to fetch the Affidavits that I might send them to your Grace, being not able to wait on you in Person. This they said they could not do, but would go to Mr. Hume Campbell their Council, and prevail with him to attend your Grace with all their Affidavits, many of which I found were sworn after the Day mentioned in the Order of Council. I told them I apprehended the latter could not be admitted but insisted in the strongest Terms on their laying the others immediately before your Grace, and they at last promised me they would, nor have I ever seen them since. 'I have now again ordered my Clerk to go to them to inform them of the last Commands I have received, but as I have no Compulsory Power over them I cannot answer for their Behaviour, which _indeed I have long disliked_, and have therefore long ago declined giving them any advice, nor would I _unless in Obedience to your Grace have anything to say to a set of the most obstinate fools I ever saw, and who seem to me rather to act from a Spleen against my Lord Mayor, than from any motive of Protecting Innocence, tho' that was certainly their motive at first_.[3] In Truth, if I am not deceived, I suspect that they desire that the Gipsey should be pardoned, and then to convince the World that she was guilty in order to cast the greater Reflection on him who was principally instrumental in obtaining such Pardon. I conclude with assuring your Grace that I have acted in this Affair, as I shall on all Occasions, with the most dutiful Regard to your Commands, and that if my Life had been at Stake, as many know, I could have done no more. I am, with the highest Respect, 'My Lord Duke, 'Yr. Grace's most obedient and most humble Servant, 'HENRY FIELDING. 'Ealing; April 27, 1753. 'His Grace the Duke of Newcastle.' _Endorsed_: 'Ealing: April 27th, 1753. Mr. Fielding.' [Footnote 3: My italics. Did Fielding abandon his belief in Elizabeth?] II _THE MURDER OF ESCOVEDO_