tual friends, the Duke says there is no difficulty
whatever in procuring Lady W----'s consent to it; she has repeatedly
offered it, and is now ready to abide by such a reference. With
regard to the child, this is a subject that must be decided by the
Court, and cannot, and ought not, to form a part of the reference.
If the father is entitled to take his child, he will, of course,
have it; and there seems to be no doubt on this point. The real
question of reference would be the litigation which is now carrying
on between Lord W---- and Mr. W----, and the pecuniary arrangements
and formal separation of the parties.

The Duke says, that, with regard to the dispute between Lord W----
and Mr. W----, it stands independent of all other subjects; and as
Lord W---- is now compelled to put in his answer (the rule being
made absolute), and as the case must ultimately be most injurious
and disgraceful in all its bearings to Lord W---- (as it affects
his conduct to Mr. W----), he thinks the best advice to be given to
Lord W----, and the best course for him to follow, would be for him
to write a letter to Mr. W----, saying that though he still
condemns, and shall never cease to condemn, the injurious manner in
which Mr. W----'s counsel had thought proper and been advised to
treat him in his pleadings, yet he was sorry for the conduct he had
adopted to Mr. W---- in consequence thereof, and was ready to offer
his apology. This would satisfy W----, and stop his further
proceedings, and thus end this part of the business. The second
consideration--namely, the separation and allowance--this must now,
of course, be decided, and under some strict and clear covenant;
and which, undoubtedly, could best be done by arbitration of mutual
friends. Lord C---- would guarantee any pledge or engagement on the
part of his sister, and the same could be done on the part of Lord
W----. Indeed, if she were disposed to make difficulties, her
family would urge her to it. The Duke is quite satisfied that she
would now most willingly do what she has repeatedly offered--namely,
to decide the question by a reference to friends; and to show how
far he has before effected this object, he put into my hands the
enclosed, which was the terms agreed to in 1819 by both parties,
and which the Duke is convinced, if they had been acte