In Mold Church, in Flintshire, is an epitaph on Dr. William Wynne, written by himself, in which are these words :"In conformity to an ancient usage, From a proper regard to decency, And a concern for the health Of his fellow-creatures, He was moved to give particular directions for being buried in the adjoining churchyard, And not in the church." In 1776, the king of France prohibited the burying in churches. In America, the practice of burying in churches is not yet abolished, either by law or by common sense. But ideas of a better mode are gradually advancing among them; and in time we shall probably observe an absolute divorce pronounced between the church and the cemetery, so that they shall not only cease to be one and the same, but even be removed from each other's neighbourhood. JESUIT'S BARK. THE first book on the virtues of this medicine was printed at London in 1682, and entitled, The English Remedy; or, Talbor's Wonderful Secret for Curing cf Agues and Fevers. By Sir Robert Talbor. This work was a mere translation from a French book, written by the surgeon to the duke of Orleans. In 1683, Dr. Gideon Harvey published a small tract, called The Conclave of Phisitians, with a Discourse on the Jesuit's Bark, in which he treats some of the greatest names in his profession with much scurrility and contempt. Alluding to Dr. Talbor, he says, "Though this Jesuit's powder is not a medicine newly found out, but revived by a debauched apothecary's apprentice of Cambridge, in the application to all intermittent fevers, and he, in this empirical practice, most diligently imitated by our most famous physic doctors, as their Esculapius and first master (a hopeful tribe, in the mean time, that shall leave their sense, reason, and dog-mata, to follow a quack or empiric.)" Dr. Birch notices, that, in 1680, Talbor's febrifuge of the bark was mentioned to the Royal Society. Madame de Motteville, in the Memoirs of Queen Anne of Austria, vol. 5, p. 208, says, that in 1663, the queen being ill of a fever, the physicians gave her the Jesuit's bark, which removed it for a time. This shows the practice of it before Sir Robert Talbor was applied to. Madame de Motteville, who was never absent from the queen, and is minute to a great degree in whatever concerned her, could not be mistaken. The contents of Talbor's book are given in Mr. Baker's manuscripts. The Gatherer. "I am but a Gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."- Wotton. A FILTHY wretch, in a red jacket, who frequents Merrion-square, Dublin, ob serving an elderly lady alone, implored charity in the name of all the saints of the calendar, vowing to God, if she did not give him a tenpenny, he would, that day, be driven to do a deed his nature shuddered at; yet he would do it before sunset. Alarmed at his situation, the pious old lady, imagining he meditated suicide, gave him the money, and im. plored him to think of his immortal soul, and do nothing rashly, adding-" But pray, my poor friend, what is it you would have been driven to do 2” “Ah, my lady!" said the arch wag, tossing up the tenpenny, "I should have been driven to work for the bit, which I won't do, please God, while this holds, any how!" NOTICE TO READERS. THE present number, with a Supplement, which forms No. 261 of the MIRROR, containing a fine Portrait on Steel, with a Biographical Memoir of his Majesty, completes our Ninth Volume Our new volume will be commenced during a period of great literary interest: for, two im portant works from the pens of eminent master spirits of the age will appear during the week of the publication of our first number. In order therefore to keep up the character and spirit of the MIRROR, we intend producing a Supplement devoted to select extracts from the new works of Sir Walter Scott and Thomas Moore, and which will be published with the current number of the MIRROR, on Saturday next, July the 7th. Printed and Published by J. LIMBIRD, 143, Strand, (near Somerset-House,) and sold by ak Newsmen and Booksellers. OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION. No. 261.] SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER. [PRICE 2d. Memoir of his Majesty, George the Fourth. BEFORE we enter upon our memoir of his present majesty, it will be necessary to trace the origin of the house of Brunswick, the Lunenburg branch of which has now filled the British throne for more than a century. The German genealogists suppose it to have descended through females from the Saxon family, so renowned in the early periods of our history, and up to which most of the royal families of Europe proudly ascribe their pedigrees. Most authors, however, concur in deriving the house of Brunswick from Albert II. of Este; but from what ancestors he himself came, they have not been able to decide: some contending that he descended from Charlemagne ; others from Hugh, king of Italy; and some again, deriving his origin from Hugh, Marquis of Este, great-grandson of Azo I., who it is said was descended from Caius Aëtius, a relative of the Emperor Augustus. This Caius Aëtius being a Roman of note, is supposed to have resided at Ateste, or Este; from which the family name is, in consequence, derived. Our learned historian, Gibbon, has drawn from Ecard's Origines Guelfice, a description of the antiquities of the house of Brunswick, published in his posthumous works, but which unhappily he did not live to finish. From that source we extract the following passage, in which the writer concisely traces the genealogy of the illustrious house. 66 "An English subject," says Gibbon, may be prompted by a just and liberal curiosity to investigate the origin and his story of the house of Brunswick; which, after an alliance with the daughters of our kings, has been called by the voice of a free people to the legal inheritance of the crown. From George I., and his father, the elector of Hanover, we ascend in a clear and regular series to the first Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, who received his investiture from Frederic II., about the middle of the thirteenth century. If these ample possessions had been the gift of the emperor to some adventurous soldier, to some faithful client, we might be content with the antiquity and lustre of a noble race, which had been enrolled nearly six hundred years among the princes of Germany. But our ideas are raised, and our prospect is opened, by the VOL. IX. 2 G discovery that the first Duke of Brunswick was rather degraded than adorned by his new title, since it imposed the duties of feudal service on the free ana patrimonial estate, which alone had been saved in the shipwreck of the more splen did fortunes of his house. His ancestors had been invested with the powerful Duchies of Bavaria and Saxony, which extended far beyond their limits in modern geography; from the Baltic sea, to the confines of Rome, they were obeyed, or respected, or feared; and in the quarrels of the Guelphs and the Cibellines, the former appellation was derived from the name of their progenitors in the female line. But the genuine masculine descent of the Princes of Brunswick, must be explored beyond the Alps; the venerable tree which has since overshadowed Germany and Britain, was planted in the Italian soil.-As far as our sight can reach, we discern the first founders of the race in the Marquesses of Este, of Liguria, and perhaps of Tuscany. In the eleventh century, the primitive stem was divided into two branches; the elder migrated to the banks of the Danube and the Elbe; the younger more humbly adhered to the neighbourhood of the Adriatic. The Dukes of Brunswick and the Kings of Great Britain, are the descendants of the first; the Dukes of Ferrarà and Modena, were the offsprings of the second." Omitting a particular narration of the 3. Rhodri Molwnog, son of Idwal. 19. Roger, their son. 20. Edmund Mortimer, son of Roger. 21. Roger, son of Edmund, first earl of Marche. 22. Edmund, son of Roger, married Philippa, daughter and heiress of Lionel, duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III. 23. Roger, their son. 24. Anne, daughter and heiress of Roger, married to Richard of Conisburg, earl of Cambridge. 25. Richard, duke of York, their son. 26. Edward IV. eldest son of Richard. 27. Elizabeth, Edward's eldest sister, married to Henry VII. 28. Margaret, their eldest daughter, married to James IV. of Scotland. 29. James V. of Scotland, their son. 30. Mary queen of Scots, daughter of James. 31. James 1. of England, son of Mary, by lord Darnley. 32. Elizabeth, daughter of James, married to Frederic, elector of Pala tine. 33. Sophia, their daughter, married to Ernest Augustus, elector of Hanover. 34. George I. their son. 35. George II. his son. 36. Frederic prince of Wales, son of George II. and father of George III. his late majesty.* On the 25th of August, 1761, the princess Charlotte of Mecklinburgh Strelitz, embarked with her attendants at Cuxhaven, on board the royal yacht, under the salute of a squadron destined to convey her to England, as the affianced bride of his majesty George III. On the 28th she sailed, reached Harwich on the 6th, and arrived in town on the 8th of September. Her highness alighted at ne garden gate of St. James's palace, and was handed out of the coach by his majesty's brother, the duke of York. Upon her entrance into the garden, she sunk on her knee to the king, who in a most affectionate manner raised her up, saluted her, and then led her with his → York's Royal Tribes. right hand nto the palace, where she dined with his majesty, the princess dowager, and the princess Augusta. In the evening, at nine o'clock, the marriage was celebrated with great splendour and solemnity. It is a remarkable circumstance, that an heir apparent to the British throne, was born on the forty-eighth anniversary of the accession of the house of Brunswick. On the 12th of August, 1762, at twenty-four minutes after seven, his present majesty George the Fourth was born. The archbishop of Canterbury was in the room, and certain great officers of state in the room adjoining, with the door open into the queen's apartment. The person who waited on the king with the news, received a bank note of the value of £500. Immediately on the announcement of this event, and whilst the cannon were firing in the park, a long train of wagons was passing down St. James's-street, containing the treasure of the Hermione frigate, one of the richest captures recorded in the annals of the British navy. His majesty and the nobility were invited to the windows over the gateway of the palace, to view the cheering procession, and joined in the acclamations of the populace. For the gratification of the public, it was announced. before the young prince was twelve days old, that his royal highness was to be seen at St. James's, from one until three o'clock, on drawing-room days. The crowd of ladies whom this offer tempted to flock to court to see the royal infant, and taste her majesty's caudle and cake, soon became immense; the daily expense for cake alone, was estimated at £40. and the consumption of wine was more than could have been conceived. All persons of fashion were admitted to see the prince, under the following restrictions, viz. that in passing the greatest caution, and did not offer to through the apartment, they stepped with touch his royal highness. For the greater security in this respect, a part of the apartment was latticed off in the Chinese manner, to prevent curious persons from approaching too close. On the 17th of August, his royal highness was created prince of Wales by letters patent. The mode of conferring this dignity is by investiture with a cap, coronet, gold verge, and ring, and by issue of letters patent under the great seal. His present majesty is the twen tieth prince of the royal family of England that has borne the title. The last prince of Wales, except his present majesty, who was born during the reign of his father, was prince Charles, afterwards Charles II On the joyous occasion of the birth of an heir-apparent, congratulatory addresses flowed in on their majesties from all parts of the kingdom. A most appropriate and excellent address from the Quakers was presented to his majesty on the 1st of October, and read by Dr. Fothergill, as follows: "To George the Third, king of Great Britain, and the dominions thereunto belonging. "The humble address of his Protestant subjects, the people called Quakers. "May it please the king, "The satisfaction we feel in every event that adds to the happiness of our sovereign, prompts us to request admittance to the throne, on the present interesting occasion. "The birth of a prince, the safety of the queen, and thy own domestic felicity increased, call for our thankfulness to the Supreme Dispenser of every blessing; and to the king our dutiful and unfeigned congratulations. "In the prince of Wales we behold another pledge of the security of those inestimable privileges, which we have enjoyed under the monarchs of thy illustrious house-kings, distinguished by their justice, their clemency, and regard to the prosperity of their people; a happy presage, that under their descendants, our civil and religious liberties will devolve, in their full extent, to succeeding generations. "Long may the Divine Providence preserve a life of so great importance to his royal parents, to these kingdoms, and to posterity; that formed to piety and virtue, he may live beloved of God and man, and fill at length the British throne with a lustre not inferior to his predeces The King's Answer. "I take very kindly this fresh instance of your duty and affection, and your congratulations on an event so interesting to me and my family. You may always rely on my protection." In 1765, the young prince was elected a knight companion of the Order of the Garter, and installed at Windsor, July 25, 1771. The education of the royal offspring was conducted on the principle of utility as well as elegance, of which the following instance is related by Mr. Arthur Young, as having occurred when the Prince of Wales was scarcely more than twelve years of age. A spot of ground in the garden at Kew was dug by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and by his brother, the Duke of York, who sowed it with wheat, attended the growth of their little crop, weeded, reaped, and harvested it, solely by themselves. They threshed out the corn, and separated it from the chaff; and at this period of their labour were brought to reflect, from their own experience, on the various labours and attention of the husbandman and farmer. The princes not only raised their own crop, but they also ground it, and having parted the bran from the meal, attended to the whole process of making it into bread, which it may well be imagined was eaten with no slight relish. The king and queen partook of the philosophical repast, and beheld with pleasure the very amusements of their children rendered the source of useful knowledge. Dr. Markham, the late archbishop of York, was his majesty's preceptor. The sub-preceptor was Dr. Cyril Jackson, who was offered the primacy of Ireland, but refused it. Drs. Markham and Jackson continued preceptors to the prince till the year 1796, when Dr. Hurd and Mr. Arnold succeeded; both celebrated tutors at Cambridge. The system of education adopted by the tutors of the prince was certainly admirably calculated to render him an excellent scholar and an accomplished gentleman; but so severe and rigid was the system, and so strictly was the prince prohibited from any intercourse with society, that when emancipated it is not a matter of surprise with us that, with the ardour of youth, he plunged into the felicities of life, and committed foibles, for which his inexperience may be charitably received as an apology. Long previous to his royal highness's being of age, he had made great proficiency in his studies, and his personal attractions and accomplishments had very early gained him warm friends and admirers. About this time an incident of the most romantic character occurred, and which, in justice to the correct detail of our memoir, we cannot pass by. Many of our readers have doubtless heard and read of the lovely, beautiful, and, in many respects, highly talented Mrs. Mary Robinson. This lady was the wife of a careless, neglectful, and profligate young man, who left her with her fascinating mental and personal attractions exposed to the gaze of libertine rank and fashion. Her husband had separated himself from her, and, on an introduction to Garrick and Sheridan, was encouraged to adopt the stage as a profession. She accordingly came out at Drury-lane Theatre in the character of Juliet, in which she was eminently suc cessful, and obtained an engagement, at a high salary, to enact the heroines in tragedy and comedy. We shall now request the fair lady to tell us, in her own way, the circumstances that led to the friendship between her and the young prince. "The play of The Winter's Tale was this season commanded by their majesties. I never had performed before the royal family; and the first character in which I was destined to appear, was that of Perdita. I had frequently played the part, both with the Hermione of Mrs. Hartley and of Miss Farren; but I felt a strange degree of alarm when I found my namie announced to perform it before the royal family. · "In the green-room I was tallied on the occasion; and Mr. Smith, whose gentlemanly manners and enlightened conversation rendered him an ornament to the profession, who performed the part of Leontes, laughingly exclaimed, By Jove, Mrs. Robinson, you will make a conquest of the prince; for to-night you look handsomer than ever.' I smiled at the unmerited compliment, and little foresaw the vast variety of events that would arise from that night's exhibition! "As I stood in the wing opposite the prince's box, waiting to go on the stage, Mr. Ford, the manager's son, and now a respectable defender of the laws, presented a friend who accompanied him; this friend was Lord Viscount Malden, now Earl of Essex. "We entered into conversation during a few minutes, the Prince of Wales all the time observing us, and frequently speaking to Colonel (now General) Lake, and to the Honourable Mr. Legge, brother to Lord Lewisham, who was in waiting on his royal highness. I hurried through the first scene, not without much embarrassment, owing to the fixed attention with which the Prince of Wales honoured me. Indeed, some flattering re. marks which were made by his royal highness met my ear as I stood near his box, and I was overwhelmed with confusion. "The prince's particular attention was observed by every one, and I was again rallied at the end of the play. On the last curtsey, the royal family condescendingly returned a bow to the performers; but just as the curtain was falling, my eyes met those of the Prince of Wales; and with a look that I never shall forget, he gently inclined his head a second time; I felt the compliment, and blushed my gratitude. "During the entertainment Lord Malden never ceased conversing with me: he was young, pleasing, and perfectly accom plished. He remarked the particular applause which the prince had bestowed on my performance, said a thousand civil things; and detained me in conversation till the evening's performance was concluded. "I was now going to my chair, which waited, when I met the royal family crossing the stage. I was again honoured with a very marked and low bow from the Prince of Wales.-On my return home, I had a party to supper; and the whole conversation centred in encomiums on the person, graces, and amiable manners of the illustrious heir apparent. "Within two or three days of this time, Lord Malden made me a morning visit: Mr. Robinson was not at home, and I received him rather awkwardly. But his lordship's embarrassment far exceeded mine: he attempted to speak-paused, hesitated, apologized; I knew not why. He hoped I would pardon him; that I would not mention something he had to communicate; that I would consider the peculiar delicacy of his situation, and then act as I thought proper. I could not comprehend his meaning, and therefore requested that he would be explicit. "After some moments of evident rumination, he tremblingly drew a small letter from his pocket. I took it, and knew not what to say. It was addressed to Perdita. I smiled, I believe rather sarcastically, and opened the billet. It contained only a few words, but those expressive of more than common civility: they were signed Florizel.* "Well, my lord, and what does this mean?' said I, half angrily. "Can you not guess the writer ?' said Lord Malden. "Perhaps yourself, my lord,' cried I, gravely. "Upon my honour, no,' said the viscount. I should not have dared so to address you on so short an acquaintance.' "I pressed him to tell me from whom the letter came.-He again hesitated; he seemed confused, and sorry that he had undertaken to deliver it. I hope that I shall not forfeit your good opinion,' said he, but' "But what, my lord?' "I could not refuse,-for the letter is from the Prince of Wales.' "I was astonished; I confess that I was agitated; but I was also somewhat sceptical as to the truth of Lord Malden's assertion. I returned a formal and a doubtful answer; and his lordship shortly after took his leave. Those who have read "The Winter's Tale," will know the significance of these adopted names. |