Letter Signed "Sidmouth" to an unnamed correspondent.

Two pages, 4to, copperplate text by secretary, fold marks, marks of sellotape (half inch square at most) at edge, small chip bottom corner,m text cleqar and complete. Sidmouth, who has received a letter in favour of the condemned John Vartie, forger, informs his correspondent that "the Case of this unfortunate Person had the most full and deliberate consideration, at the time when the Report was made to the Prince Regent in Council. I am therefore under the painful necessity of acquainting you, that I cannot consistently with my Public Duty, advise His Royal Highness to extend the Royal Mercy to the Prisoner in question." Note from Net: "A youth named John Vartie, who received an excellent classical education in this school [Kirkby-Stephen], having obtained a situation in a bank at Gravesend, rashly committed forgery, in order to enable him to accomplish a resolution which he had formed of going into France to study the Hebrew and other oriental languages; but being apprehended and found guilty, was offered as a sacrifice to the laws of his country. His body lies buried at Gravesend, where a monument is erected to his memory. While under sentence of death he wrote on the wall of his cell, a few lines in Latin, of which he gave the following translation:-"Thou hapless wretch, whom justice calls,To breath within these dreary walls;Know, guilty man, this very cellMay be to thee the porch of hell:-Thy guilt confessed - though Christ forgiven,Mysterious change! it leads to heaven."