during the period of these events resided ▸ in America, may not be the readers may not be unacceptable of this letter is in 1783. "A thousand times did I read this ́ short but expressive letter; still I did not implicitly believe that it was written by the prince; I rather considered it as an experiment made by Lord Malden, either on my vanity or propriety of conduct. On the next evening the viscount repeated his visit: we had a card-party of six or seven, and the Prince of Wales was again the subject of unbounded pane gyric. Lord Malden spoke of his royal highness's manners as the most polished and fascinating; of his temper as the most engaging; and of his mind, the most replete with every amiable senti ment. I heard these praises, and my heart beat with conscious pride, while memory turned to the partial but deli cately respectful letter which I had res ceived on the preceding morning." For some months a confidential correspondence was carried on between the ce lebrated parties, through the agency of Lord Malden, and Mrs. Robinson, among other tokens of inviolable regard, received the prince's portrait in miniature, painted by the late Mr. Meyer. Within the case, containing the picture, was a small heart cut in paper; on one side was written, Je ne change qu'en mourant; on the other, Unalterable to my Perdita through life. An interview at length was arranged between the fair Perdita and the admiring Florizel. The account, written by Mrs. Robinson, in a letter to a friend, of the lovers' meeting, is couched in eloquent and glowing language, and with much apparent ingenuousness. We shall now copy it, for it presents an interesting portrait of the urbane and polished manners, of his royal highness at that period of his life. "At length, after many alternations of feeling, an interview with her royal lover was consented to by Mrs. Robinson, and proposed, by the management of Lord Malden, to take place at his lordship's residence in Dean-street, May-fair. But the restricted situation of the prince, controlled by a rigid tutor, rendered this project of difficult execution. A visit to Buckingham-house was then mentioned; to which Mrs. Robinson positively objected, as a rash attempt, abounding in peril to her august admirer. Lord Malden being again consulted, it was determined that the prince should meet Mrs. Robinson for a few moments at Kew, on the banks of the Thames, opposite to the old palace, then the summer residence of the elder princes. For an account of this incident, an extract from a letter of Mrs. Robinson, written some years afterwards to a valued and since deceased friend, who "At length an evening was fixed for this long dreaded interview. Lord Malden and myself dined at the inn on the island between Kew and Brentford. Wel waited the signal for crossing the river in a boat which had been engaged for the purpose. Heaven can witness how many conflicts my agitated heart endured at this most important moment! I admired the prince; I felt grateful for his affection. He was the most engaging of created beings. I had corresponded with him during many months, and his eloquent letters, the exquisite sensibility which breathed through every line, his ardent professions of adoration, had combined to shake my feeble resolution. The hand kerchief was waved on the opposite shore; but the signal was, by the dusk of the evening, rendered almost imperceptible. Lord Malden took my hand, I stepped into the boat, and in a few minutes we landed before the iron gates of old Kew palace. The interview was but of a moment. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (then bishop of Osnaburg) were walking down the avenue. They hastened to meet us. A few words, and those scarcely articulate, were uttered by the prince, when a noise of the people approaching from the palace startled us. The moon was now rising; and the idea of being overheard, or of his royal highness being seen out at so unusual an hour terrified the whole group. After a few more words of the most affectionate nature uttered by the prince, we parted, and Lord Malden and myself returned to the island. The prince never quitted the avenue, nor the presence of the Duke of York, during the whole of this short meeting. Alas! my friend, if my mind was before influenced by esteem, it was now awakened to the most enthusiastic admiration. The rank of the prince no longer chilled into awe that being, who now considered him as the lover and the friend. The graces of his person, the irresistible sweetness of his smile, the tenderness of his melodious yet manly voice, will be remembered by me till every vision of this changing scene shall be forgotten. 666 Many and frequent were the interviews which afterwards took place at this romantic spot; our walks sometimes continued till past midnight, the Duke of York and Lord Malden were always of the party, our conversation was composed of general topics. The prince had from his infancy been wholly secluded, and naturally took much pleasure in conversing about the busy world, its manners and pursuits, characters, and scenery. Nothing could be more delightful or more rational than our midnight perambulations. I always wore a dark-coloured habit; the rest of our party generally wrapped themselves in great coats to disguise them, excepting the Duke of York, who almost universally alarmed us by the display of a buff coat, the most conspicuous colour he could have selected for an adventure of this nature. The polished and fascinating ingenuousness of his royal highness's manners contributed not a little to enliven our promenades. He sung with exquisite taste; and the tones of his voice breaking on the silence of the night, have often appeared to my entranced senses like more than mortal melody. Often have I lamented the distance which destiny had placed between us: how would my soul have idolized such a husband! Alas! how often, in the ardent enthusiasm of my soul, have I formed the wish that that being were mine alone! to whom partial millions were to look up for protection."" This state of enjoyment, however, was of very short duration; for a letter was received from the Prince to the effect that they must meet no more! Mrs. Robinson did not censure the Prince; for she says, "I did then, and ever shall, consider his mind as nobly and honourably organized; nor could I teach myself to believe that a heart, the seat of so many virtues, could possibly become inhuman and unjust." Mrs. Robinson afterwards visited the continent, where she was attacked with a most malignant fever, which ultimately deprived her of the use of all her limbs. On her return to London she devoted herself to literary pursuits, and she frequently was honoured with a call from the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. A gradual decline at length terminated all her earthly sufferings; when on her deathbed she requested that a lock of her hair might be presented to his royal highness; and this mark of her regard, it is said, was received by the Prince with strong feelings of solicitude and care. On August 12, 1783, his royal highness attained his majority, and that event was celebrated with great joy. An income of 50,000l. a year, exclusive of the revenues of the duchy of Cornwall, which amounted to 13,000l. a year, was granted by Parliament. At the opening of parliament, 11th of November, 1783, his royal highness was introduced into the House of Peers, sup, ported by his uncle the Duke of Cumber land, and the Dukes of Richmond and Portland; and took the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and made and subscribed the declaration; and also took and subscribed the oath of abjuration. The first time his royal highness ever spoke in parliament was upon the motion of the Marquess of Abercorn, for an amendment to the address of the Commons upon his majesty's proclamation for preventing seditious meetings and writings; and in a manly, eloquent, and, we may add, persuasive manner, delivered his sentiments. He said, that on a question of such magnitude he should be deficient in his duty as a member of parliament, uns mindful of the respect he owed to the constitution, and inattentive to the welfare, the peace, and the happiness of the people, if he did not state to the world what was his opinion on the present question. He was educated in the principles, and he should ever preserve them, of a reverence for the constitutional liberties of the people; and, as on those constitutional prin ciples the happiness of that people de pended, he was determined, as far as his interest could have any force, to support. them. The matter in issue was, in fact, whether the constitution was or was not to be maintained; whether, the wild ideas of theory were to conquer the wholesome maxims of established practice; and, whether those laws, under which we have flourished for such a series of years, were to be subverted by a reform unsanctioned by the people. As a person nearly and dearly interested in the welfare, and, he should emphatically add, the happiness and comfort, of the people, it would be: treason to the principles of his mind, ift he did not come forward and declare his disapprobation of those seditious publica tions which had occasioned the motion. now before their lordships; and his ins terest was connected with the interest of > the people; they were so inseparable, that, unless both parties concurred, hap piness could not exist. On this great, on this solid basis, he grounded the vote which he meant to give, and that vote. should unequivocally be for a concurrence with the Commons in the address they had resolved upon.. His royal highness spoke in a manner that called not only for the attention, but the admiration of the house; and these words were remark. ably energetic-" I exist by the love, the friendship, and the benevolence of the people; and their cause I will never for sake as long as I live." The prince then concluded by distinctly saying, “I give my most hearty assent to the motion for concurring in this wise and salutary address." The year 1786 was distinguished by a circumstance in the history of the illustrious subject of these memoirs. The prince possessed a narrower income than former princes of Wales, and his royal highness was found at this period to have contracted a debt to the amount of between two and three hundred thousand pounds. In this situation he felt like a man of honour, and with a promptitude that did honour to his spirit as a man, resolved, in justice to his creditors, to immediately suppress the establishment of his household, to abridge himself of every superfluous expense, and to set apart a large annual sum, which was rumoured to be to the amount of 40,000l. Indeed he sold off his favourite stud of horses at Newmarket, his hunters, and even his coach horses, to satisfy the claims of his creditors. The interior decorations in Carlton House were also stopped. No matter of great moment transpired in the life of his royal highness until his marriage in 1795. This marriage had been long determined upon before it was officially announced; and the princess Caroline Louisa, daughter of his late Serene Highness Charles William Fer inand, duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle, and of her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, sister to George III. was selected, it is said, by the king himself, to be the partner of his eldest son, and the future queen of Great Britain. The British parliament granted a princely provision for the royal pair. Carlton House was superbly furnished for their reception, and it was stipulated. that the prince, on his marriage, should be exonerated from his debts; towards the liquidation of which, however, 25,000. was to be deducted from 125,000l. per annum; his royal highness's annual income having been raised from 60,000l. to that magnificent sum. In addition to this, 26,000l. was voted for furnishing Carlton House, 27,000l. for the expenses of the marriage, and 28,000l. for jewels and plate. His majesty's ship, Juno, of 50 guns, four frigates, two sloops of war, and two royal yachts, were appointed to escort the princess to the British shores; and the 8th of April, 1795, was the day appointed for the solemnization of the nuptials; which took place in the evening, in the Chapel Royal, at St. James's. The Archbishop of Canterbury officiated on the occasion; and the evening concluded with very splendid illuminations, and other public demonstrations of joy, throughout London and Westminster. On the 7th of January, 1796, her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was safely delivered of a princess, at Carlton House, and on the 11th of February following, in the evening, the royal infant was baptized and received the names Charlotte Augusta. Notwithstanding the general joy that prevailed throughout the nation on the birth of a princess, her parents, either from a dissimilarity of tastes and habits, or other causes, determined on a separation, and the princess had apartments assigned to her in Kensington Palace. Her royal highness subsequently purchased a house at Blackheath, and continued in England until the 9th of August, 1814, when the princess embarked at Worthing, in an English frigate, called the Jason, to return by way of Hamburgh to Brunswick. For some years the princess resided in Italy, but on the death of the late mo. narch she returned to England in order to assert her rights and privileges as queen of Great Britain, and to challenge by public trial, an investigation of cer tain charges involving her moral character and conduct. On a subject of so much delicacy, (and what man or child from Land's End to John O'Groats, is ignorant of the circumstances relating to the late unfortunate queen ?) we shall refrain from wearying our readers with comments of our own, and as we are anxious to give a detailed compilation of truisms, we shall adhere to dates and facts, to the utter neglect of our own opinions on the matter in question. To return to the illustrious subject of our memoir. Our attention is now called to that important event, the assumption of the regency of these realms, by his royal highness the prince of Wales, in consequence of the recurrence of his late majesty's alarming indisposition. In that important trust his royal highness continued until the death of his royal father, on January 29, 1820, when he succeeded to the throne of Great Britain, and was proclaimed the next day. The marriage of his majesty's only daughter to prince Leopold, which was celebrated on the 2nd of May, 1816, at Carlton House, was regarded by the nation as a most propitious one. The attachment of the youthful couple was reciprocal, and in a political point of view the match was prophetic of much future good to the country, in the prospect of the accession of so amiable, noble minded, and virtuous princess to the British throne. His majesty gave away the royal bride; and as soon as the ceremony was concluded, she embraced her royal parent. This circumstance has been happily alluded to by the Rev. George Croly. sited in the family vault of her illustrious house at Brunswick. The coronation of George IV. took «Proud was the marriage pageant, fair the bride, place at Westminster, on the 19th of Who stood that evening by the altar's side; sprung, She rose, and round her sire her white arms finng: And met his press, fond, deeply, silently Pleasure may smile, but love and joy must sigh. Immediately after the marriage congratulatory addresses poured in from all parts of the kingdom; but the happiness of the royal family, and the hopes of the nation, were early blasted by the untimely death of the princess Charlotte, which occurred on the 6th of November, 1817. During the time of her royal highness's confinement, she manifested the utmost firmness and resignation; and when informed that the child to which she had given birth was dead, she exclaimed, "It is the will of God; praise be to him in all things." Of this amiable and illustrious princess, most truly may we say "She was a pearl too pure on earth to dwell, And waste her splendour in this mortal shell." In the year 1820, her late majesty, queen Caroline, returned to England, and in August was tried by the house of peers, and after a painful and harrassing investigation was acquitted. On the 10th of July, 1821, the queen transmitted three memorials to his majesty, asserting her legal right to participate in the honours of the approaching coronation, and praying that the necessary arrangements should be taken. They were all referred by his majesty to the privy council, who, after hearing counsel at length on both sides, decided that as the queens consort of this realm are not entitled of right to be crowned at any time, her majesty was not entitled as of right to be crowned at the time specified in her majesty's memorials. The queen did not long survive this event; in the early part of August, she felt herself greatly indisposed in consequence of having taken a very large dose of magnesia, which was supposed to have created an obstruction in the bowels, which was followed by inflammatory symptoms. Her majesty's sufferings were excruciating, and she lingered until the 7th, when death relieved her from all pains, both mental and physical. Her remains were depo July, 1821, and was celebrated with immense magnificence and splendour. On the 31st of August, his majesty embarked for Ireland, where he was received with enthusiastic welcomings by his Irish subjects; and on his return to England, after making a short stay, sailed from Ramsgate on the 24th of September for Hanover. The following year, on the 10th of August, 1822, his majesty visited Scotland, where he was received with the warmest tokens of loyal affection and esteem, and having personally appeared amongst his faithful people of Ireland and the Land o' Cakes, we are convinced his subjects are bound to him by an additional tie, inasmuch as his majesty has increased claims on their recollection and regard. We have introduced several anecdotes of his majesty in our memoir of the late duke of York, which closed our last volume, and as the death of that prince is the latest event which it is our duty to register in connexion with a history of his majesty's life, we beg to refer our readers to our last number of our last volume, and to the early numbers of this volume for information relating to the illness and death of the illustrious prince. In conclusion we cannot but advert to the public character and popularity of England's monarch. His majesty has ever been a friend to the arts and sciences of Britain, and he has lately, with a view to the gratification and admiration of his subjects, submitted his fine collection of pictures to public exhibition. To charitable institutions and societies for the relief of the distressed part of the community, his majesty has also been a munificent patron; and to the support of deserving individuals, we could draw up a lengthy catalogue, for which the means have been annually supplied from his majesty's private purse. As patron to the Literary Fund and numerous other magnificent institutions for the purpose of awarding merit to literary genius-to relieve the wants of indigent literati to succour the distressed and afflicted artist to all these noble purposes has his majesty's benevolence been directed, and, from such causes, will his name be reverenced and held in the highest esteem by his trusty British subjects. or Printed and Published by J. LIMBIED, 143, Strand, (near Somerset House) and stid by all Newsmen and Booksellers. |