Charles Earl of Middleton one of His Majesties principal Secretaries of State, deposeth,
THat the 10th of June last past, betwixt 8 and 9 of the Clock in the morning, he had notice that the Queens Majesty was in Labour; whereupon the Deponent made what haste he could to St. James's; The Deponent found the Earl of Craven waiting at the Queens Bed-chamber door towards the Drawing Room, which was then shut; just after the King open∣ed it, and called the Earl of Craven and the Deponent in; The Deponent ask∣ed His Majesty, How the Queen was? He was pleased to answer the Depo∣nent, you are a married Man, and so may know these Matters; The Water is broke or come away, or to that effect; and then bid the Deponent go into the Dressing Room within the Bed-Chamber, where the Deponent found several Persons of Quality; above half an hour after, to the best of this Deponents Me∣mory, all the company in that Room were called into the Bed-chamber; the Deponent stood near the Beds feet on the left side, where he heard the Queens Groans, and presently after several loud Shreeks; the last, the Deponent remem∣bers continued so long, that he then wondred how any body could hold their Breath so long; presently after, the Deponent heard them say, the Queen was delivered: Whereupon the Deponent stepped up to the Bed-side, and saw a Woman, he supposes, the Midwife, kneeling at the other side of the Bed, who had her Hands and Arms within the Bed clothes for a pretty while, then the Deponent saw her spread a Cloath upon her Lap, and laid the end of it over the Bed-clothes, and then fetch a Child (as the Deponent firmly believes, for he could not then see it,) out of the Bed into that Cloth, and give it to Mr Labadie, who brought it round to the side where the Deponent stood, an•• carried it into a little Room, into which the Deponent immediatly fol∣lowed the King, and saw her sit down by the Fire, and heard her say, It is a B••••; upon which the King said, let me see it; thereupon she laid open the Cloath, and shewed all the Child, saying, There's what you wish to see; The Deponent doth not charge his Memory with the very Words, but the sense of of what he heard. The Deponent looked upon the Child at the same time, which appeared to be very foul. This Deponent desireth pardon if he doth not know the proper Expression, but hopes his meaning is plain.
Middleton.