m ?*&-«* »; i Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN MEMOIRS OF HER LATE CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA OF WALES, AND OF S AXE-CO BOU RG ; CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF HER JUVENILE YEARS— EDUCATION— MARRIAGE WITH PRINCE LEOPOLD— ACCOUCHEMENT— DEATH— AND FUNERAL. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE $Utt0tt'tott0 f*?0tt0t of 23rungtotr&, BROUGHT DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME ; SHEWING The Actual State of the Succession to the Throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. BY THOMAS GREEN, ESQ. " Loveliness was around her as light. She saw the Youth, and loved him. Her blue eves roll'd on him in secret, and she blest the Chief." " Thou hast left no Son, but thy name shall live in song. Narrow is thy dwelling now, thou who wert so great before." OSSIAM. <£aj:r.on }0re0s(: PRINTED BY HENRY FISHER, LIVERPOOL, Printer in Ordinary to His Majesty. Sold at hi3 Warehouse, 87, Bartholomew Close, London : and by the Bookseller: of the United Kingdom. PA LIBRARY UMTOWITY OF CALTFOKNU V> O BJLS7A m **PWL Ar q PREFACE. The object of the Author of these Memoirs has been, to present a correct draught of the amiable character of the late lamented Princess Charlotte. Whatever defects the Reader discovers, he will not, it is hoped, find any attempt to impose the absurd idea, that the Princess was entirely exempt from human weakness ; although the noble and benevolent disposition which Her Royal Highness manifested, the numerous and interesting anecdotes, and, above all, the excellence of her moral and religious ex- ample, especially during the uninterrupted felicity of her married life, will not only be found worthy of perusal, but of imitation. From the specimens of her more retired life, and of her benevolence, which have been suffered to transpire, the Reader will join the Author in regretting that the wide chasms of so interesting a history could only be closed IU«*a* ktr-U Preface. up with the less important details of fashion- able life : but there is, at least, this consola- tion, that — like the sun-beams breaking; forth through the fluctuating clouds which conceal the luminary from our eyes — these specimens convince us, that the Princess Charlotte pur- sued the same course when hidden, as when revealed; and, had she lived to ascend the Throne, would theu have issued with the greater glory from those secluded shades to which she delighted to retire. Since, how- ever, the Divine Providence has been pleased to destroy all these fair expectations, we next turn our attention to the suddenness of her removal from the very summit of earthly hap- piness, and contemplate it as a signal proof of the utter instability of earthly things. The particulars of her illness, death, and funeral, possess a peculiar interest; and, it may be safely added, that so full and authentic an account has not hitherto appeared. The histories of the Houses of Brunswick and Stuart are prefixed to these Memoirs; and the present state of the Succession to the PREFACE. V Throne is subjoined, in order to dissipate the universal alarm which naturally pervaded the public mind on account of this unexpected calamity. The former, also, is especially intended to shew the principles upon which the House of Brunswick ascended the British Throne, and to mark the progressive advance- ment of our general prosperity, as a nation, since that happy event, which consolidated the Constitution in Church and State. The glorious reign, and private virtues, with many anecdotes, of our present venerable Sove- reign, (further interesting particulars of whom will be found, among other valuable matter, in the Appendix,) have been particularly re- corded. The history of the House of Saxe- Cobourg, and the Life of Prince Leopold, with anecdotes of the Prince Regent, &c. are also inserted in their proper order; together with accounts of the universally sorrowful sensation which the Death of the Princess Charlotte produced, and of the solemn man- ner in which the day of her Funeral was observed. VI PREFACE. The Plates, and execution of this Work, are now before the Public ; and, as the sale suffi- ciently testifies that they have recommended themselves, it is needless to say any thing in their favour. The Author may also be at least permitted to add, that as this Book con- stitutes a literary monument to the memory of the Princess Charlotte, beside being cal- culated to promote the diffusion of loyal sen- timents, and moral and religious truth, with- out regard to sect or party; it forms a very suitable present for those young Ladies and Gentlemen upon whose opening minds their friends desire to impress those important principles, which equally conduce to individual prosperity and to the security of the State. CONTENTS. Chap. I. — History of the House of Brunswick, to the time of their Connexion with the Stuart Family; with a brief Account of that Family, brought down to the Death of Queen Anne P. 9. Chap. II. — History of the House of Brunswick resumed, from the Accession of King George I. to the Birth of Her Royal Highness the late Princess Charlotte ; with Anecdotes of His present Majesty.— Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, &c P. 38. Chap. III. — Separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. — Education of the Princess Charlotte. — Juvenile Anecdotes. — Result of the Delicate Investigation. — Education, Habits, Anecdotes, &c. of the Princess Charlotte continued P. 70. Chap. IV. — Remarks on Constitutional Government. — Eulogium on His present Majesty. — Regency Adminis- tration. — Party at Carlton House. — Anecdotes. — Letter of the Princess of Wales to the Prince Regent. — Princess Charlotte's Residence at Windsor. — Musical Anecdotes. — Birth-day observed on her coming of Age. — Fete at Carlton House. — Resides at Warwick House. -^-Further Anecdotes. — Removes to Cranbourn Lodge. — Rejects the Prince of Orange. — Sudden Departure of the Princess of Wales from England. — First Meeting of the Princess Charlotte with Prince Leopold. — His hasty Return to the Continent. — History of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld. — Memoir of Prince Leo- pold, &c P. 118. CHAP. V. — Indisposition of the Princess Charlotte. — Resides at Weymouth. — Judicious Benevolence. — Visits the Isle of Portland, and Abbotsbury Castle. — Marine Excur- sions. — Anecdote. — Returns to Cranbourn Lodge. — Appears at the Queen's Drawing-room. — Visits her Royal Father at Brighton. — Anecdote of the Prince Regent. — Prince Leopold recalled. — Anecdote. — Par- liamentary Provision. — Marriage Articles. — Account of Claremont. — Preparation for the Nuptials. — The Wed- ding Dresses. — Marriage Ceremony. — Addresses of Con- gratulation. — Residence at Claremont. — The Nuptial Drawing-room. — Visits the Places of Public Amuse- ment. — Princess of Wales's Visit to Tunis. — The Prin- Mil CONTENTS. cess Charlotte's Indisposition. — Marriage of the Princess Mary and the Duke of Gloucester. — Miscarriage of the Princess Charlotte. — Further Account of Claremont. — Religions Deportment and Domestic Felicity of the Royal Pair. — Dame Bewley's Cottage. — Anedotes, &c. — List of the Establishment at Claremont. — Celebration of the Princess Charlotte's Birth-day. — Festivities at Claremont. — Queen's Birth-day. — Notices of the Princess of Wales. — Princess Charlotte's Pregnancy, and Anni- versary of her Marriage. — Flitch of Bacon Anecdote. — Queen's Entertainment at Fiogmore. — Anecdote of the Princess Charlotte and Lady Albemarle. — Mrs. Griffiths, the Nurse's, first Visit to Claremont. — Anecdote. — Her Majesty leaves Town for Bath. — The Poem called the " Quarrel of the Months/' P. 191. Chap. VI. — Accouchement of the Princess Charlotte. — The Royal Infant still-born. — Attempts to restore it to Animation. — Authentic Account of what passed before. — Patient Resignation of the Princess. — Her Sudden Illness and unexpected Death. — Indescribable Distress of Prince Leopold, and of the Prince Regent. — Uni- versal Public Alarm and Mourning. — The Embalmment. — The Prince Regents Visit of Condolence to Prince Leopold, and Letter to Sir Richard Croft. — Real Cause of the Princess Charlotte's Death — Country Accounts of the deep Sorrow manifested on account of that Calamity. — Preparations for the Funeral. — The Royal Sepulchre. — The Coffins, Urn, &c. — Funeral Proces- sion. — Account of the Manner in which the Day of the Funeral was observed throughout the Kingdom. — Appli- cation and Improvement of the awful Event. — Fortitude and Munificence of Prince Leopold. — Description of the Interior of Claremont House. — Benevolence of the Prince Regent. — The Princess of Wales receives the Intelligence of her Daughter's Death. — Addresses of Condolence. — Intended Monument to the Memory of the Princess Charlotte. — Conclusion. — Present State of the Succession to the Throne P. 378. Appendix. — Medical Reports. — Memoir of the late Sir Richard Croft, with an Account of his Death. — Account of tiie King's first Illness in 1788. — Of the Jubilee in 1809, &c— Letter of Queen Charlotte to the late King of Prussia. — Poetical Effusions P. 535. MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE LATE PRINCESS 'CHARLOTTE=AUGUSTA. CHAP. I. History of the House of Brunswick, to the time of their Connexion with the Stuart Family; with a. brief Account of that Family, bj ought down to the Heath of Queen Anne. I HE origin of the illustrious House of Brunswick, the Lunenbun>h branch of which has now filled the British throne for more than a century with such unrivalled glory, is entirely lost in remote antiquity. 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 fami- lies of Europe proudly trace their pedigrees ; but they certainly have advanced little, except its pro- bability, in behalf of that supposition. Most authors, however, concur in deriving the House of Bruns- wick from Albert Azo 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 1. k 10 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Marquis of Este, great-grandson of Azo I. who they say descended from Caius Aetius, a relative of the Emperor Augustus. This Caius Aetius being- a Roman of note, is said to have resided at Ateste, or Este; from which the family name is, in conse- quence, derived. There is, however, scarcely any doubt that Albert Azo II. Marquis of Tuscany, and proprietor of the Milanese, who was a very powerful prince in Lombardy during the eleventh century, and lived to the great age of 101 years, is the most remote ancestor of the Brunswick family, of whom any thing certain is known. About the year 1040, he married Cunigunda, or Cuniza, heiress of the first Welphs, or Guelphs, earls of Altorf in Suabia; and their son, Welph or Guelph IV. of Este, obtained the duchy of Bavaria of Henry IV. in 1071, and is the acknowledged head of the ancient Guelph family, which was so considerable in the German empire; and a branch of which reigned in Bur- gundy. Guelph IV. first married Ethelina, daugh- ter of Otho, Duke of Bavaria, whom the Emperor Henry IV. proscribed, and deprived of his title; which he conferred upon Guelph. His second and last wife was Judith of Elanders. After zealously serving the cause of the Emperor against the Pope, he espoused that of the Pope against the Emperor ; undertook a voyage to the Holy Land, and died at the island of Cyprus. " His son Guelph V. Duke of Bavaria, though said to have been a very pious, as well as a very valiant prince, joined the Emperor Henry V. who had revolted against his father. Whatever doubts, how- ever, may exist as to his piety, he does not appear to have been deficient in policy ; as by his marriage with Matilda of Este, he concentrated all the scat- tered possessions of the house of Este in his own person ; and afterwards steadily opposed Pope Paschal II. in the Emperor's behalf. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 1] His successor Henry, surnamed the Black, by his marriage with Wilfenden, daughter of Magnus Billing, Duke of East Saxony, acquired the duchy of Lunenburgh. Though the father of this princess lost all his feudal possessions by proscription, to her the royal families of Norway and Denmark, by her father's side, and that of Hungary, by her mo- thers, trace their origin. Her husband also was a principal actor in the important scenes of that tur- bulent time ; and one of the mediators between the Emperor Henry V. and Pope Calixtus II. He was succeeded by Henry the Superb: having been deprived of his duchies of Bavaria and Sax- ony, (the latter of which he inherited from the Emperor Lothaire I. through his marriage with Gertrude, heiress of Saxony and Brunswick,) he raised an armv; with which he marched against the Emperor Conrad III. who compromised the difference, by restoring his Saxon dominions ; but withheld Bavaria, which was given to Leopold of Austria. This brought him to an early grave : but after his decease, his brother Guelph VI. assisted by the king of Sicily, made the most vigorous exer- tions for the recovery of the confiscated duchy ; and, after several indecisive engagements, was compelled to surrender at discretion, after being closely be- sieged by the Emperor in the Castle of Weinsberg ; which is so deservedly celebrated for the conjugal fidelity and affection of the ladies of the place, to whom the Emperor granted permission to leave the castle, and take with them whatever they deemed most valuable, and were able to carry away : in consequence of which, they marched out, each bearing her husband on her back ; which so affect- ed the Emperor, that he burst into tears, generously forgave Guelph, and restored the duchy of Bavaria to his family. In this war arose the two famous factions of the Guelphs and Ghibelines, so much referred to on the page of European history. 12 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Henry the Lion, the sixth duke of Bavaria, though a minor at that time, took part in the above war under the guardianship of his uncle Guelph ; and at length beeame the most powerful prince in the Empire. His possessions were bounded by the German ocean on the north, the Elbe on the east, on the south by Italy, and on the west by the Rhine. This excited the jealousy of the Emperor Frederick I. suruamed Barbarossa; who stripped him of all his dominions, after putting- him to the ban of the empire, because he refused to appear, on being summoned to the diet, upon the pretext of his having oppressed his subjects, and committed many outrages against his neighbours. After some time, however, he excited the compassion of the Emperor, and prevailed upon him to promise that the territories of Brunswick and Lunenburgh should be protected, on behalf of his children. He had two wives ; the first was Clementia of Zeninghen, the second Matilda, or Maude, daughter of the English King, Henry II. and after obtaining the above assurance from the Emperor Frederick Barba- rossa, he retired to England ; where he was hospi- tably entertained by his father-in-law ; and where his wife Matilda bore him a fourth son, Henry Otho, who succeeded his father, and is often called the first Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburgh. This Prince, being^vigorously supported by the English king Richard Cceur de Lion, and by Pope Innocent III. was elected Emperor, in opposition to Frederick II. sou of Frederick Barbarossa; while Philip duke of Suabia, elected King of the Ro- mans, who was a third competitor, found a powerful patron in the King of Prance; and remained undis- puted master of the empire, after many desperate conflicts : which obliged Henry Otho to seek refuge in England. Philip, however, was soon after basely assassinated ; of which Otho was no sooner ap- prized, than he hastened to Halberstadt, where his THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 13 election was renewed by the princes of Saxony, Misnia, and Thuringia ; after which he conciliated the adverse faction, by his marriage with Beatrice, the daughter of Philip, the murdered Regent. This prince was a native of England, being born at Winchester in 1184 : he became one of the hos- tages for his great friend and protector, Richard I. of England, during the cruel imprisonment of that prince by Leopold Duke of Austria; but was at last solemnly deposed, at the Popes instigation, and compelled to seek a retreat in Brunswick ; where he died, after a short and unfortunate reign. In William, his grandson, the son of Henry the Lion, and Matilda, eldest daughter of Henry II. of England, was united the Saxon and Norman blood. His son, Otho the Young, is generally called the first Duke of Brunswick Lunenburgh, though some say that his father, and others his grand- father, was the first that bore that title ; nor is it possible to decide which opinion is cor- rect, though the probability seems to be, that Henry, called Otho IV. afterwards Emperor, was the first Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburgh, and re- signed that title to his brother upon his own ele- vation to the empire. On the death of Henry Count Palatine, in 12*27, William, having died in 1213, his nieces, Agnes and Hermengarde, daugh- ters of Henry, having sold Brunswick to the Emperor Frederick III. ; Otho the Young seized that duchy, and entered into an alliance with the Danish king Waldemar II. against the Emperor, but was defeated, and taken prisoner. He then submitted to the Emperor, his former enemy, whom he assisted so vigorously against the Pope, that, being moved with the generosity of his conduct, Frederick consented to acknowledge him Duke of Brunswick ; on account of which, it appears probable, he has often been supposed to have been 14 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the first duke of Brunswick. His eldest son, John, was the founder of the House of Lunenburgh. Albert, called the Great, the son of Otho the Young, succeeded his father in 1252. He was twice married, first to Eliza of Brabant, and after- wards to Adelaide of Montfort. This prince con- quered Wolfenbuttle, and having taken Gerard, Archbishop of Mentz, and Conrad, Count of Eberstein, prisoners, barbarously commanded the latter to be hung up by the feet. He is nevertheless said to have been a valiant prince; and died of a wound received in a battle which he fought against the Marquis of Misnia. He was succeeded by his three sons, who divi- ded his dominions. Henry founded the House of Grubenhagen ; William, that of Brunswick Wolfen- buttel ; and Albert the eldest, surnamed the Fat, who was the next duke of Brunswick-Lunenburgh. This prince married Richsa of Mecklenburgh, by whom he had five sons, Magnus the Elder, Otho the Liberal, the friend of the Emperor Lewis of Ba- varia, Albert Bishop of Halberstadt, Henry Bishop of Hildesheim, and Ernest surnamed the Rich, founder of the House of Gottingen. Otho govern- ed, jointly with his brothers Magnus and Ernest, who, when he died in 1334, divided their domi- nions. Magnus the Elder acquired Land berg, Sangerhausen, and Petersberg, by his marriage with Sophia of Brandenburg. Albert, though a bishop, was a celebrated warrior, and became in- volved in great difficulties through a league formed against him by the other princes of the empire. To Magnus the Elder succeeded Magnus, called Torquatus, from his wearing a silver chain round his neck. He disputed the succession of Lunen- burgh with Albert duke of Saxony ; and being put to the ban of the empire, proved victorious, but was afterwards slain in a single combat, by Otho, Count of Schaucnburgh. 4 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 15 By his wife Catherine of Brandenburg, he left four sons; Frederick, afterwards emperor, who was murdered in 1400 ; Otho, Archbishop . of Bre- men ; Henry, first duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle ; and Bernard his successor, who acquired the coun- ty of Homberg : he married Margaret of Saxony, united the city of Ultzer to Lunenburgh, and en- gaged in many ruinous wars with the Moravian Margraves. After his death, in 1434, Frederick the Just succeeded conjointly with Otho the Lame ; he yielded the government to Bernard, his eldest son : but the young prince dying in 1464, he was suc- ceeded by his brother Otho the Magnanimous, who married Anne of Nassau, and died in 1471, leaving two sons, Henry Junior, and William, who died a minor. This prince was universally beloved for his bravery, and inflexible justice in punish- ing bands of robbers, from which he cleared his country. Upon Othos death, his father Frederick the Re- ligious was compelled to resume the government, and was a blessing to his country, till he died, in 1478, when his grandson, Henry Junior, became the ward of his mother; who, although she had, after the death of Otto the Magnanimous, married Philip, Count of Cortzen Elnbogen, returned to Zell upon the death of her father-in-law, and became regent for the young prince, Henry Junior; who, when he came of age, engaged in several wars, particularly in conjunction with John, bishop of Hildesheim, against his two cousins, Henry Senior, and Eric I. Duke of Calenberg, over whom they obtained a complete victory, near the town of Peine, in the year 1519; in which Eric and the Bishop of Minden, together with William the brother of Henry of Brunswick, were taken pri- soners. The Emperor Charles V. interposed, and commanded that all hostilities should cease, and 1(3 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS that the noble prisoners should be set at liberty ; but the conquerors absolutely refused to comply with the Emperors mandate. This refusal pro- voked Charles to proscribe them : in consequence of which, Henry Junior divided his possessions among his children ; and, by voluntarily resigning* the government, preserved the duchy from the rapacious designs of his opponents, who were not authorized, by the laws of the Empire, to carry the severe sentence upon the father, into execution against the sons, who had not incurred the dis- pleasure of the Emperor. He died at Paris in 1532, leaving three daugh- ters and five sons; the fourth of which, Ernest the Pious, of Zell, ultimately succeeded to the duke- dom : he declared himself in favour of the Refor- mation, and recommended the Lutheran doctrine to his people, without the least attempt to compel them to assent, for, being himself convinced by reason, he thought it his duty to publish those arguments which determined his opinion, that every one of his subjects might have the same opportunity of examining the weak foundation upon which the pretensions of the Romish church were built. His candour and moderation had the desired effect, and men began to examine into the rise and progress of the Romish ecclesiastical mo- narchy ; a liberty from which they had before been precluded. Reason soon prevailed, and Ernest, with great satisfaction, saw the greatest part of his subjects profess themselves Lutherans. In consequence of this, the Pope procured a motion to be made, in the diet held at Spires, in 1529, to put the ban of the empire, which had been de- clared against Luther, into execution, and also to include in it all who had adopted his religious principles. His Holiness, however, completely failed : for Ernest, with many other members of the Empire, protested against this extension of the ban, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 17 and opposed it with such vigour and intrepidity, that the Emperor was afraid, though perfectly willing, to gratify the vindictive Pontiff and his bigoted adherents. At the famous diet held at Augsburg, in 15.50, Ernest and the other princes of the Empire, who were then first called Pro- testants, from their famous protest against the exten- sion of the ban, appeared, and delivered in an account of their faith; which so completely exposed the corruption of the Romish See, and the dread- ful perversion of the doctrines of the Gospel, by its adherents, that it became impossible for the oppos- ing parties to join in the intended accommodation. After the diet was closed, finding the Romish party intended to have recourse to force, the Pro- testants found it necessary to unite their forces, and entered into the alliance, or League of Smalcald, which was of so extensive a nature, that they became firmly united, as one people, against their insidious enemies ; this confederacy was to last for five years, and when that time had elapsed, it was prudently renewed for ten more. Ernest was the soul of this union, and stands first among the foremost of those illustrious Reformers, to whose instrumentality the Protestant states of Europe owe their happy emancipation from the bondage and tyranny of papal Rome. This pious and magnanimous prince died Jan. 11, 1546; leav- ing, by his wife Sophia of Mecklenburg, four sons and six daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son Francis ; upon whose decease, in 1560, Henry II. having been slain in battle seven years before, the two survivors, Henry and William, reigned jointly for ten years, with remarkable unanimity ; at the end of that time, the former resigned his share of the sovereignty to his brother William, who reigned alone over Lunenburgh, for twenty-three years after the resignation of Henry. The zeal of this prince for 1. e 13 MEMOIRS Or HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the cause of the Reformation, in which his un- daunted father had acquired so much real glory, induct d him to compose and publish a creed, which he entitled Corpus Doctrinae JLuneuburgicum, to which it was necessary for every candidate for holy orders, in his dominions, to subscribe. He made considerable additions to his patrimonial possessions, and acquired the character of a pious, just, and pacific prince. By Dorothy, daughter of Christian HI. of Denmark, he had seven sons and eight daughters. Margaret, the sixth of which, mar- ried John Cassimir, Duke of Saxe-Cobourg. His seven sons nobly resolved not to degrade the dignity of their ancient family, by partitioning their inherit- ance, as was the common custom in Germany, and agreed that the eldest should first take possession of the duchy, and enjoy it during life, and that, at his death it should descend to the next eldest sur- viving brother. They also determined, that, to pre- serve harmony among themselves, and to prevent competition among their respective heirs, only one should marry. For this last advantage, they cast lots, and the lot fell upon the sixth son, George. Ihese painful restrictions were adhered to by each of the amiable brothers, with a firmness and punctu- ality which excited the applause and commanded the admiration of all Europe. Ernest, the eldest, enjoyed the dukedom twenty- nine vears, and died in 1011. Christian, the second son, succeeded to Lunenburgh upon the death of Ernest, and annexed to his other possessions the duchy of Grubenhagen, which was adjudged to belong to him by the Emperor. This brave prince, though an experienced commander, Mas often de- feated, through the insubordination of his own officers; and, in a battle near Eloriac, when he was marching to the relief of Bergen-op-Zoom, then besieged by the Marquis Spinola, he lost his left arm, and afterwards wore a silver one in its THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 19 stead. He died in 1633, and was succeeded by Augustus, the next surviving- brother, who only lived three years afterwards ; but before he died, gave up the regency to his brother Frederick, the fourth son, who was present at the famous siege of Buda, in 1602, and was made Dean of Bremen in the same year: he drove the Swedes out of his duchy, in 1640, with the assistance of his brother George ; and, upon the demise of William, the last of the line of Harpurg, united that district to the House of Lunenburgh. This prince died in 1648. George, the sixth son, upon whom rested the lot cast to determine which of the brothers should marry, acquired a knowledge of the military art under the celebrated general of infantry, Maurice, Prince of Nassau, then engaged in a war against Spain ; he afterwards entered into the service of Christian IV. King of Denmark, during the war between that monarch and Charles IX. of Sweden, and became a general in the Danish army ; he signed the confederacy of Leipzig against the Emperor, in 1631, and gave two signal defeats to the Imperial armies, one in each of the two follow- ing years, besides subduing many of the strong fortresses belonging to the Emperor. The Swedes, however, afterwards disgusted him, and in 1635 he signed the treaty of Prague, in favour of the Em- peror, though, in a few years after, he was so fully convinced of that potentate's tyrannical principles, that, in 1640, he formed a second alliance with the Swedes ; but when at Hildesheim, in the pre- ceding year, where he was assisting at a banquet with General Bannier, an execrable wretch, a monk, contrived to administer poisoned wine to several of the chiefs; and, although he only drank a little of it, from that time his strength visibly abated, till a fever carried him oft" on the 2nd of April, 1641, in the midst of warlike preparations, which his death rendered almost ineffectual. He married Anne* 20 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Eleanor, daughter of Lewis V. Landgrave of Hesse- Darmstadt, and had issue four sons and four daugh- ters. To preserve harmony among his sons, he settled the order of succession by his will; and left to Christian Lewis, his eldest son, the principalities of Zell and Grubenhagen, and to George-William, his second son, that of Calenberg ; and, provided either of these should die without issue, the third son, John-Frederick, was to supply his place; and in case of his decease, Ernest-Augustus, the fourth son. He further directed, that whenever death produced a change in the succession, the eldest surviving brother should have his choice of the two governments. Every one of the brothers successively enjoyed these privileges ; but the three eldest dying without issue, the principalities became reunited, and de- scended to the posterity of the younger brother. The eldest, and two youngest daughters, died in- fants: Sophia- Amelia, the second daughter, was married to Frederick III. king of Denmark, whom she survived, dying a widow in 1685. Christian-Lewis, the eldest son, succeeded his father in the principalities of Calenberg and Gottin- gen, and fixed his residence at the metropolis, Han- over. Upon the decease of his uncle Frederick, he chose the principalities of Zell and Grubenhagen, and relinquished Calenberg and Gottingen to his brother George-William. The bishopric of Walken- reid was confirmed to the house of Lunenburgh, by the peace of Westphalia, in 1648 ; and two years afterwards, Neinberg, and several other places, were recovered from the Swedes. He died, in 1665, without issue by his wife Doro- thy, daughter of Philip, Duke of Holstein-Glucks- burg; and the family dominions then devolved upon George-William, the next brother, who chose the dukedom of Zell, agreeably to his fathers will. He signally defeated the French army under Mar- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 21 vshal Crequi, in 1675, and reduced the city of Treves. In the following year, he forced the Swedes to aban- don Stade. He established peace in Hamburgh in 1686, and three years afterwards acquired the duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, upon the death of Julius- Francis. Between this prince and William Prince of Orange, afterwards king of England, a perfect friendship subsisted; indeed that monarch relied so much upon the judgment and advice of this faith- ful friend, that by it his conduct toward the English nation was entirely regulated : so that in the glorious reign of that distinguished warrior and statesmen, William III. the British nation may trace the be- nefits arising from the energy and wisdom of the House of Brunswick, long before Divine Providence saw fit to place them on the British throne. The love and veneration which the inhabitants of his duchy bore to this prince, were conspicuous during his last illness ; when they thronged the churches, to pray for his recovery, as if their happiness entirely depended on the continuance of his reign. He died August 28, 1705, in his 82nd year, leaving by his wife, Eleanora d'Esmurs, daughter of Alexander d'Olbreuse, one daughter, Sophia-Dorothy, of Zell, afterwards the wife of his nephew George-Lewis, who inherited his dominions ; and was the first prince of his illustrious family that wore the British crown. John-Frederick, the third brother, then succeeded, and reigned fourteen years: he died in 1679, and, leaving only four daughters, his possessions fell to his brother Ernest-Augustus, who became bishop of Osnaburg in 1662, according to the terms of the peace of Westphalia ; whereby the House of Bruns- wick obtained the alternate succession to that bi- shopric. It is remarkable, that the citizens of Osnaburg, who had refused to acknowledge his predecessors, and more than once disclaimed all obedience to their prelates, immediately submitted 22 MEMOIRS OP HER ROYAL HIGHNESS to him : which singular mark of their esteem in- duced him to take up his residence at Osnaburg, where he built a fine palace at his own expense : but upon succeeding his brother John-Frederick in the Hanoverian dominions, he appointed a regency at Osnaburg, and went to reside at Hanover ; where he soon afterwards abolished the impolitic custom of dividing the patrimonial lands among the several sons, and established the right of primogeniture ; to which salutary regulation George-William, of Zell, whose only daughter, Sophia, was married to the next successor, under this settlement, readily con- sented. He manifested great zeal for the Empire in general ; and had already exposed his own per- son, and lost two of his children in the wars ; while three more were hazarding their lives against the Turks and the French. These ser- vices made such an impression upon the Emperor, and upon many of the neighbouring princ.s, that at a diet held at Augsburg in 1689, in order to elect a King of the Romans, it was the opinion of a majority of the members, that the house of Lunenburgh had merited a seat in the Electoral College. This honour would have naturally fallen upon his elder brother George-William, had he not declined it in favour of Ernest-Augustus : and at the diet held in Ratisbon on Dec. 2. 1H9'2, a majority of the electors resolved, that, in consi- deration of the great merits of his Highness Ernest- Augustus, and of his predecessors, his power and rank in the empire, and the great succours he had already granted, and was willing to continue for the future, and for other great and weighty reasons, the dignity of Elector of the Roman Empire should be conferred on him, and on his heirs-inale. Against this resolution the college of princes pro- tested : but notwithstanding their protest, the Em- peror solemnly invested the plenipotentiary of Ern- est-Augustus with the electoral dignity, as proxy for THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 23 his master; and this was afterwards confirmed by the three colleges of the Empire : at which confir- mation, the office of arch-standard-bearer was also added. Ernest- Augustus wisely embraced this fa- vourable opportunity, to obtain the sanction of the Emperor for his act of primogeniture, already men- tioned ; in which he fully succeeded : for all par- titions of the electoral estates were from that time declared void. The estates belonging to the elec- torate Mere expressly specified to be the principali- ties of Zell, Calenberg, and Grubenhagen ; the counties of Hoya and Diepholtz, including the ter- ritories, cities, and bailiwicks ; together with all of those possessions which the two brothers, George- William and Ernest-Augustus, previously enjoyed. In addition to the vote in the college of electors, to which this new dignity entitled the House of Bruns- wick, they at the same time retained three votes in the college of princes, for the principalities of Zell, Calenberg, and Grubenhagen. By his marriage with the Princess Sophia, the youngest daughter of Frederick, elector palatine, and king of Bohe- mia, by Elizabeth the eldest daughter of James I. of England, and VI. of Scotland, Ernest-Augustus connected the House of Brunswick with the House of Stuart, and ultimately seated his descendants on the throne of Great Britain. 24 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS History of the Royal Family of Stuart. The importance of the union of the two house* renders it necessary here to introduce a succinct account of the Royal Family of the Stuarts; which will naturally lead to the resumption of the history of the House of Brunswick : by whom they were succeeded in the sovereignty of these realms. The marriage of Margery Bruce, daughter of Robert I. Bruce, with Walter III. Stuart, united the male branch of the ancient royal family of Scot- land, who descended from Malcolm I. slain in 958, with the male branch or house of Stuart; who trace their descent from Mogallus, son of that prince, and father of (jirimus, who was deposed by Malcolm II. and died in the year 1003. The issue of this mar- riage was Robert II. the first Stuart who reigned in Scotland : he succeeded his uncle David, who had been deposed, and was crowned at Scone, March 26, 1371, at the advanced age of 55. Among the first acts of his government was, the dispatch of ambassadors to France, to negotiate a treaty; sti- pulating, that neither the king of Scotland, nor the king of France, should be obliged to make war upon England ; that not even the dispensation of the Pope should release either party from their engagements to each other ; that in the event of a competition for the crown of Scotland, the king of France should take care to exclude English influ- ence, and acknowledge the king who should be elected conformably to the laws; and that no Frenchman should serve against Scotland, nor any Scotchman against France. This prince kept up a friendly correspondence with Edward III. of Eng- land, though the borderers of their respective king- doms were engaged in perpetual hostilities. He was succeeded by his eldest son, who assumed the 2 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. O-S title of Robert III. and had commanded armies and negotiated treaties in early life, with ability and success ; but was living in retirement when his father died. In his reign, a violent feud broke out between the clans of Chattan and Kay ; which for nearly three years raged with the most ruthless fury. The Earl of Crauford was sent to restore peace ; but fearing that the employment of force might induce the contending parties to unite against the government, he had recourse to an artifice, which throws much light upon the character of the High- landers, and the general state of society in that age. He proposed, that their quarrel should be decided by thirty champions from each clan, who should fight with the sword only, in the presence of the king and his court. This proposal, which was perfectly agreeable to the spirit of the feudal laws, received the sanction of both parties. A level spot, near Perth, was fixed upon for the scene of action ; but one of the Chattan combatants failed to appear. In this dilemna, it was suggested that one of the Kay clan should be withdrawn; but they all of them indignantly refused to relinquish the honour of the combat. Various other expedients were ineffec- tually suggested, until Henry Wynd, a smith, en- tirely unconnected with either clan, offered to sup- ply the place of the cowardly absentee ; and was readily accepted. The champions on both sides now joined battle ; and, after a conflict of the most unparalleled fury, the Chattan clan remained vic- torious ; owing principally to the superior heroism of Wynd, who, with ten of his comrades, all despe- rately wounded, alone survived the deadly contest. Of the Kay clan, one only was left alive, who, being unhurt, threw himself into the Tay, and escaped. This singular combat took place in the year 1396. In 1402, Henry Percy, called Hotspur, defeated the Douglas, in the celebrated battle of Homeldon- hill. Three years afterwards, the king of Scotland 1. d 20 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS died ; and the states of that kingdom nominated the* dnke of Albany regent, as James, tin' right heir, was taken prisoner, and detained by the English. Uis regency was distinguished by the foundation of the University of St. Andrew's, the first institution of the kind of which Scotland can boast. The Earl of Athol died in 1420; and, as Prince James had not yet obtained his liberty, the Scottish people, who held the Earl's memory in great veneration, conferred the regency on Murdoch his son. In 1424, James was released from his captivity, and proclaimed King of Scotland. The whole reign of this prince passed in peace till within a month of his death. The seizure of the royal estates at once created him many virulent enemies, and at length proved the cause of his murder. He was a prince of superior abilities, and may be justly ranked among the greatest of the Scottish kings. If his measures were sometimes too severe, he had to deal, be it remembered, with a set of men who regarded moderation as imbecility, and whose lawless habits could only be restrained by the most summary examples of justice. James II. who next ascended the throne of Scot- land, was only seven years old at his fathers assas- sination, but denounced the severest penalties of the law against the regicides. His minority ren- dered a regency necessary : to which Archibald, Earl of Douglas, was appointed; but unfortunately died within the year. The states of the kingdom afterwards divided the government between Sir William Critchton, the chancellor, and Sir Alex- ander Livingston, as keeper of the king's person, with the title of Governor. They soon quarrelled; and the former requested the young Earl of Douglas to support him : but the Earl haughtily answered, that he was an enemy to all parties, and had deter- mined to assume the government himself. As soon as James attained his fourteenth year, he declared THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. O7 himself of age, and took the government into his own hands. Four years afterwards, he married Mary, the daughter of Arnold, Duke of Gueldres. The Earl of Douglas having engaged in treasonable practices, and solicited the protection of England, the king, who was informed of it, induced him to visit the Court of Stirling, and had him conducted into a secret chamber; where James suddenly en- tered, and mildly told him, that he was apprized of the league which he had made, and advised him to annul such illegal engagements. Douglas treated the proposal with his accustomed arrogance: upon which, the monarch, in a transport of fury, exclaimed, " If you will not break this league, by God, I shall;" and, drawing a dagger, instantly stabbed Douglas to the heart. This monarch af- forded an asylum to Margaret of Anjou, dating the captivity of Henry VI. in the war of the Roses ; and was killed at the siege of the castle of Rox- burgh, by the accidental bursting of a cannon, on the 3rd of August, 1460. The nobility, who were present, concealed his death, from the fear of dis- couraging the soldiers : but the spirited conduct of the queen soon made this precaution unnecessary. Her younger son James, having arrived in the camp a few hours after his father's death, she presented, him to the army as their king, and declared she would act the part of their general herself. He married Margaret of Denmark ; which led to the final annexation of Orkney and Zetland, or Shet- land, to the Scottish crown. The pretended science of judicial astrology, by which this prince was inla- tnated, converted him into the mere tool of worth- less men, and eventually led to his ruin. The barons rebelled against his tyranny, and placed the heir apparent at their head; who advanced to meet the royal army : to which he gave battle, upon nearly the same ground which had been already consecrated by the victorv of Bannockburn. The •±tt MEMOIRS OF BEB ROYAL HIGHNESS king was compelled to retreat; and in passim: through the village of Bau nock burn, was murdered by one of the rebels, who, pretending to be a priest, was conducted to him by a miller's wife. The Earl of Rothsay succeeded, by the title of James IV. and at length became a great favourite with the Scotch, by his zeal for the improvement of the king- dom. The arts of ship-building and of architecture were the particular objects of his patronage; and indeed to so high a pitch did he carry his anxiety to establish a navy, that he brought himself into serious financial difficulties. This distinguished monarch closed his reign and his life in the bloody battle of Flodden-field ; where most of his nobility perished with him. His son, James V. succeeded him, though only a year and half old. James displayed an excellent capacity for govern- ment: his friendship was anxiously sought by all the great sovereigns of Europe ; and he received from the Pope the same compliment with which that pontiff regretted his having flattered the vanity of Henry VIII. of England, in the title of " De- fender of the Faith." This prince afterwards had the misfortune so greatly to disgust his principal nobles, that they forsook him in a critical juncture, when he was about to attack the English ; to whom they rather chose to submit, than to obey his orders : which so affected him-, that he died of grief in his 31st year ; and was succeeded, in 1542, by the cele- brated Mary of Guise, his infant daughter, then only eight days old. During the war with England, for her personal security she was sent to France ; where she married the Dauphin, Francis. She became the willing instrument of the bigoted house of Lorrain, in their strenuous endeavours to crush the Reform- ation in Scotland ; although she at first professed, that, until she should take final orders concerning religion, with advice of parliament, any attempt to alter or subvert the Protestant religion, which she THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 29 found universally practised in the realm, should be deemed a capital crime. She married Henry Earl of Darnley; but his vices and ingratitude soon alienated her affections from him : and the murder of her secretary Rizzio, is said to have converted her dislike into the most malignant hatred. After Rizzio's death, she took up her residence in the castle of Edinburgh ; where she was delivered of her only son, James VI. the successor of Queen Elizabeth. Her tragical history is well known : her subjects rebelled against her ; she was obliged to abandon her kingdom, and threw herself under the protection of Queen Elizabeth ; who caused her to be beheaded at Fotheringav-castle, after a cruel imprisonment of eighteen years. This unhappy princess, owing to her personal beauty and accom- plishments, as well as to an excess of that cour- tesy which is always due to her sex, has invariably been called the unfortunate Mary : the epithet imprudent might, however, have been more justly applied, if historians had not manifested more re- gard for her beauty and misfortunes, than for the sacred rights of truth. Although she was a most bigoted papist, James her successor had been happily educated in the Protestant Faith, during the regency of the Earl of Murray; who was invested with that dignity after Mary had been deprived of the crown, and her infant son proclaimed in her stead. After the assas- sination of Murray, the Earl of Morton became regent, until he was basely put to death, as an accessary to the murder of the young prince's father, Lord Darnley, without sufficient proof of his guilt. James himself then began to exercise the sovereign authority ; and exerted himself on every occasion to secure the Reformed Church from being over- thrown by the Catholic party, which continued very powerful while his mother lived. Upon the condemnation of his exiled mother by Queen Eliza- 30 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGSNESS brtli, James remonstrated strongly against the proceeding; and after the barbarous execution of the -sentence, he declared war against England: but the English queen sooiirffound means to soothe bis anger, and to regain his friendship ; which some writers have pretended to account for, upon the pro- bability of his having been fully convinced, that Mary had at least connived at his father's assassi- nation. During the whole of his reign, James's life was in danger from the Popish lords, to whom he was more lenient than the dictates of prudence or sound policy could require. In return for this lenity, many attempts were made to murder him before his accession to the throne of Great Britain, in 1603, when Queen Elizabeth died. The character of this prince, says a celebrated writer, has been greatly underrated. In the Hanip ton Court Conference, concerning a New Transla- tion of the Bible, he certainly shewed a clear and ready comprehension of every subject brought before him; extensive reading, and a remarkably sound judgment. For the best Translation into any lan- guage, we are indebted under God to King James, who was called a hypocrite, by those who had no religion; and a pedant, by persons who had not half Iris learning. Both piety and justice require that, while we are thankful to God for the gift of his word, we should revere the memory of the man who was the instrument of conveying the water of life, through a channel by which its purity has been so wonderfully preserved.* This, no doubt, stimulated the partizans of that church, which prohibits its members from reading the word of God, and from possessing any copy of the Bible, to the renewed exertions they soon afterwards made, in order to destroy a monarch whom they * See the Preface lo Dr. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 31 consequently viewed as an incorrigible heretic. The Gunpowder Plot was next formed; and the first symptoms of its existence were discovered by the king himself, with a degree of sagacity scarcely infe- rior to the celebrated judgment of the "sapient king," whose name has since been so insultingly converted into an epithet of unmerited derision against the pursuits, character, and penetration of the British sovereign. The disappointment of the Papists, at the failure of this plot, was no doubt severe, and they ought perhaps on that account to be tolerated in thus expressing their mortifica- tion, especially as he who was to have been the principal victim, was their providential detecter; but it would be at least ungrateful in Protestants, if they were to suffer his enemies thus to con- vert their defeat into victory, by exaggerating the private imperfections of a prince, who, considering his real virtues, and the age in which he lived, must still command the admiration and respect of every impartial mind. In 1612, the death of prince Henry, the heir apparent, who was a youth of the greatest pro- mise, the hope and darling of the nation, was a severe blow to both king and people, and presents several points of striking similarity with that se\ ere loss which the British Empire now deplores, and the melancholy details of which, together with every thing connected with the painful subject, in all its bearings, it is the object of the present work to record. The marriage of James's daughter, Elizabeth, with Frederick V. Elector Palatine of the Rhine, by which, through the subsequent union of their youngest daughter, Sophia, with Ernest-Augustus, Elector of Hanover, already noticed, the royal family of Stuart became united with the House of Brunswick, is to us the most interesting event of the rei2:n of James I. as it at length resulted in the 32 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS elevation of the Protestant branch of that house to the British throne. Charles, the second son of James I. succeeded his brother Henry, as Prince of Wales. He unfor- tunately married Henrietta of France, and acceded to the throne, with the impetuous and despotic Buckingham for his minister ; both of which circum- stances impressed on the palate of the nation a foretaste of suspicion and disgust, and led to his utter ruin. The events of the civil war, however, had little connexion with the personal character of the king: his conduct, whether in prison, at the trial, or on the scaffold, was firm, unaffected, and decent ; so that those, whose views of his political and religious character are the farthest from award- ing to him the palm of martyrdom, may creditably feel a sentiment of commiseration, not unallied to the sympathy excited by those who have really suffered for the truth. He was passionately fond of Shakspears writings, and patronized Ben Jon- son, Rubens, Vandyke, and Inigo Jones. He was succeeded, after an interregnum of eleven years, by his son Charles II. during whose dissolute reign vice seemed to triumph. He was unques- tionably a man of superior sense, although the dis- gusting details of his licentiousness are well known; and his contradictory character has been admira- bly drawn by the Earl of Rochester, in the cele- brated verse, which was called the King's Epitaph : Here lies our Sovereign Lord the King, Whose word no man relies on ; Who never said a foolish thing, Nor ever did a wise one ! In answer to which, Charles shrewdly admitted that it was true, Because, said he, my sayings are my own, but my actions are those of my ministry ! He mar- ried Catharine of Portugal, by whom he had no children : his four mistresses, however, were abun- dantly fruitful, and of course fathered them all upon THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 33 the king, who returned the compliment, by a grant of earldoms and dukedoms, which their surviving descendants still continue to enjoy. His brother, James, Duke of York, therefore became heir apparent; and having served in the French army, under the celebrated Turenne, with great reputa- tion, besides defeating the Dutch fleet in a dread- ful battle, during his brothers reign, became renowned for his prowess and spirit, as well as for his high birth. He was, however, a rigid papist, and was compelled to resign his command as Lord High Admiral, by the Test Act, after the passing of which, he exerted all his influence to restore the popish religion in England. That the king (Charles II.) though of no religion, was induced by his suggestions to concur in favouring the design, there can be little, if any doubt, when we consider that Charles II. died an apparent convert to the Church of Rome, since he treated the Church of England ministers, who attended him in his last illness, with total indifference, but received the sacrament from the hands of the Catholic priests ; and left two papers in his cabinet, written with his own hand, and containing his arguments in favour of the Romish communion. These papers James II. immediately published, and, from the moment of his succession to^ the throne, pursued, with steady determination, the two objects — of ren- dering himself absolute, and of restoring the Ro- man Catholic Church to her original supremacy in the British dominions. He began his short career, by going openly with the ensigns of his dignity to the Mass, which at that time was an illegal meeting. The rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, the natural son of his dissolute predecessor, by one Lucy Walters, placed James's disposition in its true light. The severity of his measures, and his sanctioning the inhuman proceedings of the execrable Jeiferies, 2. e 34 MEMOIRS OF HEU ROYAL HIGHNESS whom he raised to the peerage and chancellorship, produced more hatred than terror. Notwithstand- ing this, if he had not pursued with impolitic haste Ins grand design of restoring popery, it is probable all desire of resistance to his arbitrary conduct would have died away; but his eagerness provi- dentially excited all the zeal of the great body of Protestants, and brought their united force into action. The king hoped to lull their apprehensions by his delusive declaration in favour of liberty of conscience ; but they soon perceived that this was only intended to operate in favour of Catholics. He" next attacked the established church, and appointed a commission, which cited before it every clergyman whose actions had offended the court. The rights of the Universities were in- vaded, and, in particular, a mandate was issued to Magdalen college, Oxford, commanding them to elect as their president a person who had shown a disposition to become a Catholic. He next published a declaration of indulgences in matters of religion, which the clergy were commanded to read in all the churches throughout the kingdom. Seven of the bishops met, and drew up a very loyal petition against this royal ordinance; for which they were committed to the Tower, prosecuted for sedition, and brought to trial ; but were acquitted, and hailed as the saviours of their country. The general rejoicing on this occasion extended to the regiments encamped on Hounslow-Heath, and in- deed to almost the whole army. James had already si nt an embassy to Rome, in order to reconcile his kingdom to the Holy See ; and the birth of a son and heir at this time supported his confidence : but so unpopular was he become, that a general persuasion prevailed of its being a supposititious child, which was intended to be obtruded on the nation. The dangers which now threatened the liberties THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 35 and religion of the country, produced an union of parties ; and many of the nobility and gentry con- curred in an application to the Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the United Provinces, and the king's own son-in-law, for assistance. William listened to the prayer of their petitions, and, with great secrecy, prepared a fleet and army for the invasion of Eng- land. James at length became sensible of his errors, and would gladly have retraced his steps, but all confidence between him and his people was de- stroyed ; so that his concessions were justly regarded as the tokens of fear, not as the evidences of con- trition. The Prince of Orange landed, and the royal army began to desert by whole companies, and even in entire regiments ; till the bigoted mo- narch, forsaken by his subjects, and opposed by the very man who had married his daughter, found it best to retire. Even his favourite daughter, Anne, afterwards the celebrated Queen of England, who was then married to George, Prince of Den- mark, joined the invaders; which so affected him, that when the news was brought he exclaimed, in an agony of grief, " God help me! my own children have forsaken me." In 1688, he fled to France, and was received with the greatest hospitality by the French king, Louis XIV. who enabled him to recover almost the whole of Ireland, in the following year, where the Catholics possessed the chief power. The city of Londonderry, however, declared against him, and sustained a most memorable siege by the combined Irish and French army, commanded by the King in person, from December 7, 1688, to July 31, 168.0 ; on which latter day it was relieved by the arrival of some provision ships from England, when the gar- rison had been reduced to a handful of men, prin- cipally through famine; all articles of life having been expended, so that the inhabitants had been obliged to subsist on the horses of the troops, while 36 MEMOIRS OF HKi: Iil)VAL HIGHNESS any remained ; and afterwards on dogs, cats, rats, mice, &c. all of which had failed before the arrival of I lie British ships! The siege being raised, King James drew oil" his forces, and was hnally met by the English arm\, commanded by King William, on the banks of the river Boyne, near Drogheda, on the morning of July 1, 1690. After a short conflict, the Irish army was totally routed : — All Ireland was soon after reduced ; and James effected his escape to France. So infatuated was this man, notwithstanding he had been driven from the throne on account of his endeavours to subvert Protestantism, that when lie shortly afterwards held a parliament in Dublin, he there renewed the most violent mea- sures against the Protestants; which demonstrated, that neither his disposition, nor the principles upon which he meant to govern, had undergone any radi- cal change. All his other attempts to recover the English crown miserably failed ; and he spent the latter years of his life in the devotional practices of the Romish church, at St. Germain's ; dying there in 1701, aged 68 years. His son James, commonly called the Pretender, died at Rome in 1766: Charles-Edward, who in- vaded Scotland in 1745, died in 1788 ; while Henry- Benedict, cardinal of York, who was for some years supported by the inuniHcence of this country, died in 1806, and was the last surviving branch of the ancient and celebrated Stuart family. In the eleventh year of William III. and Mary II. eldest daughter of King James II. the House of Commons, (as no hope of the king's having issue to succeed remained, and in order to prevent the Roman Catholic branches of the house of Stuart from inhe- riting the crown,) came, notwithstanding the protest of the Duchess of Savoy, that she was next in the order of succession to the .Princess Anne, to the following resolution : " That, for the preserving the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 37 peace and happiness of this kingdom, and the secu- rity of the Protestant religion, by law established, it is^ absolutely necessary, a further declaration be made of the limitation and succession of the crown, in the Protestant line, after His Majesty, and the Princess, and the heirs of their bodies respectively. And, that further provision be first made for secu- rity of the rights and liberties of the people." — 7 here is little doubt that William's great friendship for Ernest- Augustus, the Elector of Hanover, hus- band of Sophia, Countess Palatine, grand-daughter of James I. of which we have already treated in our notice of thai prince, led to that happy measure, which has, in all probability, for ever precluded a Papist from swaying the sceptre of these realms. The resolution of the Commons led to the Act of Settlement ; for an abstract of which the reader is referred to the following chapter. Anne, the second daughter of James II. ascended the throne, at the death of Wiiiiam III. in 1702. The splendour and importance of her reign were more owing to the circumstances of the times, and to her ministers and favourites, than to any talents or exertion of her own; as she was of a meek and timid disposition, and surrendered herself chiefly to the direction of others. The brilliant victories of the celebrated Duke of Marlborough, and the important union with Scotland, were greatly overcast by the disgraceful peace of Utrecht, and the violent contention of parties. The deceitfulness of grandeur, as a criterion of happiness, was remark- ably verified in her person. AVhile signal success attended her arms abroad, agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and literature, advanced at hone ; every thing concurred to distinguish her reign as the most propitious and brilliant in our annals. But when we follow this princess into private life, we are struck with the distinction between external grandeur and personal felicity. She was the last 38 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIOHNESS sovereign of the house of Stuart; and her latter days were irubittered by the jealousies of her peo- ple, the turbulence of faction, and the contentions and outrage of a distracted cabinet. She survived a family of eighteen children; among whom was the Duke of Gloucester, who was destined by the act of settlement to succeed her, and who exhibited, like our late lamented Princess, every accomplishment that could elevate the hopes of the nation, and delight the heart of a parent ; but he was cut off in the twelfth year of his age, leaving the Royal Family and the Empire overwhelmed with the same grief for the irreparable loss they had sus- tained, and the same anxiety concerning the suc- cession to the crown, which has universally pre- vailed since the death of her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales. CHAP. II. History of the House of Brunswick continued, from the Accession of King George T. to the Birth of Her Royal Highness the late Princess Charlotte. IN the preceding chapter we have inserted the resolution to which the House of Commons came in the fifth parliament of King William, in obe- dience to that part of the speech from the throne in which his majesty thus addressed them : " My Lords and Gentlemen, our great misfortune in the loss of the Duke of Gloucester, hath made it abso- lutely necessary, that there should be a further pro- vision for the succession of the Protestant line, after Me and the Princess.* The happiness of the * Anne of Denmark, afterwards Queen Anne. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 3y nation, and the security of our religion, which is our chiefest concern, seem so much to depend upon this, that I cannot doubt that it will meet with a general concurrence : and I earnestly recommend it to your early and effectual consideration." The resolution which this important declaration of the king produced, was immediately followed by an act of parliament, entitled, " An Act forthe further limitation of the crown, and better securing the rights and liberties of the subject." This was the famous Act of Settlement, the grand barrier erected by our renowned forefathers, against the civil and political usurpations of the Romish See. This Act, cap. 3. sec. 1. enacted, " That the most excellent Princess, Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, daughter of the most excel- lent Princess Elizabeth, late Queen of Bohemia, daughter of our Sovereign Lord King James the First, of happy memory, be, and is hereby declared to be, the next in succession, in the Protestant line, to the imperial crown and dignity of the said realms of England, France, and Ireland, with the domi- nions and territories thereunto belonging, after His Majesty, and the Princess Anne of Denmark ; and in default of issue of the said Princess Anne, and of His Majesty, respectively : And that from and after the deceases of His said Majesty our now sovereign lord, and of Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne of Denmark; and in default of issue of the said Princess Anne, and of His Majesty, respectively, the crown and regal government of the said kingdoms of England, France, and Ire- land, and of the dominions thereunto belonging and appertaining, shall be, remain, and continue to the said most excellent Princess Sophia, and the heirs of her body, being Protestants: And there* unto the said Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, shall, and will, in the name of all the People of this realm, most humbly and faithfully 10 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS submit themselves, their li.us •• ..I posterities; and do faithfully premise, That after the deceases of His M y, and Her Royal Highness, atid the failure of the heirs of their respective bodies, to stand to, maintain, and d( fend, the s-.tid Print Sophia, and tiie heirs of her body, being Protes- tants, according to the limitation and succession to the crown in this Act specified and contained, to the utmost of their powers, with their lives and estates, against all persons whatsoever that shall attempt any thing to the contrary."' After this Act was passed, the king ordered it to be finally engrossed, and sealed with the great seal of England. His Majesty next appointed the Earl of Macclesfield to go over to the court of Hanover, and present this copy of the Act to Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia. The Earl was also commissioned bv his Sovereign, to invest the Elector George-Lewis, son of the Electress Sophia, and afterwards King George I. with all the insignia of the most noble Order of the Garter; and was most splendidly entertained by Her Serene Highness, upon his arrival at Hanover. In commemoration of this great honour, the Princess Sophia caused a noble medal to be struck, the face bearing the head of Her Royal Highness, and the reverse that of Matil- da, or Maud, daughter of Henry IJ. king of Eng- land, who, we have already stated, was married to Henry, surnamed the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria; from whom the Lunenburgh and Palatine families are both lineally descended. In the same spirit of affection and veneration, Queen Anne, soon after her accession, ordered the Princess Sophia to be prayed for, in the Prayer for the Royal Family, contained in the liturgy of our church ; and, in the fourth year of her reign, gave the royal assent to " an Act for naturalizing the Princess Sophia, and the issue of her body;" and also to " an Act for the greater security of Her THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 41 Majesty's person and government, and of the succes- sion of the crown of England in the Protestant line." In which last Act, among other things, it is enacted, " That if it should happen that the next Protestant successor be, at the time of the demise of Her Majesty, out of the kingdom of England, and in parts beyond the seas; It is therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That for continuing the administration of the government in the name of the said next Protestant successor, the seven officers hereafter named, who shall be in possession of their offices at the time of the said demise of Her Majesty, (that is to say,) The Lord Archbishop of Canter- bury for the time being; the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, for the time being; the Lord Treasurer of England for the time being ; the Lord President of the Council for the time being ; the Lord High Admiral of England for the time being; and the Chief Justice of the Queens Bench for the time being, shall be, and are, by virtue of this Act, constituted and appointed Lords Justices of England ; and by virtue of the said Act, shall have, and have power, in the name of the said successor, and in his or her place, to exercise and execute all powers, authorities, matters, and acts of government ; and the administration of the govern- ment, in as full and ample manner as the said suc- cessor may do, if he or she was present in person in this kingdom, until that the said successor arrives, or that an end be otherwise put to their authority." This Act also empowered the person who, by the aforesaid limitations, was, or should be, next in succession to the crown, after the demise of Her Majesty, without issue of her body, to name and constitute, during the Queens life, by three instru- ments signed and sealed, (which instruments might be revoked or changed at pleasure,) such and so many other persons, natural born subjects of Eng- land, as should be thought fit to be added to the 2. F 42 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS seven great officers before-named ; who should ha?e power, by authority of this Act, to act with them as Lords Justices of England, as fully, and in the same manner, as if they had been particularly named in this Act: which Lords Justices, or any five of them, might execute the powers and authorities, by this Act granted, in as full and ample manner as if they had been all assembled. To consolidate and confirm these most import- ant legislative provisions, the second article of the Treaty of Union between the two kingdoms of Eng- land and Scotland, further enacted, " That the succession to the monarchy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and of the dominions thereunto belonging, after Her most sacred Majesty, be, re- main, and continue, to the most excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Han- over, and the heirs of her body, being Protestants; upon whom the crown of England is settled, by an act of parliament made in England in the twelfth year of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Third, intituled, An Act for the further Limi- tation of the Crown, and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject : And that all Papists, and 'persons marrying Papists, shall be excluded from, and be for ever incapable to inherit, possess, or enjoy, the imperial crown of Great Britain, and the dominions thereunto belonging, or any part thereof: And in every such case, the crown and government shall, from time to time, descend to, and be enjoyed by, such person, being Protestant, as should have inhe- rited or enjoyed the same, in case such Papists, or person marrying a Papist, was naturally dead, ac- cording to the provision for the descent of the crown of England, made by another act of parliament in England, in the first year of the reign of their late Majesties King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An Act declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and settling the Succession of the Crown/' THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 4,'i This Act, as well as those which preceded it, have been equally misrepresented by the friends of demo- cracy on the one hand, and of despotism on the other. The former contend, that by the Act of Set- tlement, the Sovereign of Great Britain holds his crown solely as the gift of the people, who may depose him at their pleasure, and transfer the go- vernment to whomsoever they shall think fit, in his stead. The latter, with equal injustice, but more effrontery, assert, the divine right of kings to tram- ple under foot the liberty of their people, to coerce their consciences, and wantonly sacrifice their lives and properties upon the altars of luxury or of ambi- tion. The immortal statesmen, who devised the Act of Settlement, perceived the danger on both hands, and avoided each extreme. We have seen how careful they were to recognize the principle of legitimacy, as far as was consistent with the rights and liberties of the subject, by their settling the descent of the crown upon the nearest Protestant descendants of the Royal Family of Stuart, while any Protestant of that family remained ; and with what solicitude they provided for the maintenance of genuine liberty, by the Exclusion Act, which made it impossible for even a Protestant, who had married a Roman Catholic, to inherit the crown ; which they ultimately confined to the issue of the Electress So- phia, with that express limitation. They were inti- mately acquainted with the nature and tendency of that ecclesiastical monarchy, whereof Papal Rome is the regal seat ; under the galling yoke of which ail Europe had long groaned, and from which England herself had been but recently emancipated. They foresaw the horrible consequences that must have ensued, had they suffered the sworn disciples of superstition, and' bigotry, and arbitrary power, to have resumed the British sceptre. Through the wisdom and vigour of their councils, under the blessing' of Divine Providence, they avoided the 44 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS danger: and the illustrious House of Brunswick ascended the throne. The accession of George-Lewis, the son of the Princess Sophia and of the Elector Ernest-Augustus, took place in 1714, when he was in his 54th year. This prince, who served three campaigns in the Imperial army against the Turks, was an illustrious warrior, and highly celebrated for the wisdom and justice of his government. The ministry who, in the latter reign, had concluded the disgraceful treaty of Utrecht, were justly impeached, and many of them driven into exile. In 171-5, the Earl of Man- attempted to restore the Pretender, whom he pro- claimed King ; but was soon overthrow n, and many of his adherents lost their lives upon the scaffold. The destruction of the Spanish fleet by Sir George Byng; the discovery of the conspiracy against the government, for which bishop Atterbury was ba- nished ; the disastrous expedition to Portobello ; and the first siege of Gibraltar by the Spaniards, which had then been only a few years in our pos- session, were among the most prominent events of this reign. The kins: seemed latterly to have sur- mounted all his political difficulties ; the toils and dangers which he had undergone appeared about to be rewarded with glory, happiness, and repose. Thinking every circumstance favourable for revisit- ing his electoral dominions, he embarked at Green- wich, on the 3rd of June, 17*27, with that intention, and landed in Holland on the 7th. In his journey to Hanover, however, he was attacked with a para- lvtic seizure: and feeling that he was near his end, said to his attendant, C est fait de moi, " It is over with me;"" and soon afterreached the house of his bro- ther, the bishop of Osnaburg, where he expired in the b'8th year of his age, and the thirteenth of his reign. All Europe acknowledged George I. to have been a prudent, able, and fortunate prince, and an un- questionable friend to civil and religious liberty. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-ALG I STA. 45 His son, George-Augustus, who had been created Prince of Wales in 1714, and was constituted Regent, during the king's absence, in 1716', next succeeded to the crown : he married Wilhelmina- Carolina of Anspach, grandmother of His present Majesty. Owing to some private differences exist- ing between himself and his father, he had lived for some time estranged from the court; but, upon his ascending the throne, adopted the same ministers and measures which had governed the nation during the life of George I. \Vhen France and other powers treacherously combined to deprive Maria- Theresa of her inheritance, George II. sent an Eng- lish army to the continent ; with which, joined by a large body of Hanoverian troops, he espoused the cause of the injured queen: he joined the army under the Earl of Stair; and at the battle of Dettin- gen displayed great bravery, fighting at the head of bis own regiment the whole day. The next year, the Duke of Cumberland fought and lost the bloody bat- tle of Fontenoi; after which, the French acquired the superiority in Flanders, during the remainder of the war. This encouraged the Pretender to renew 7 his attempts: his son, the grandson of James II. was accordingly landed on the Scottish coast, in the month of July, by the assistance of the court of France. The Duke of Cumberland at length arrived from Flanders, brin^ins: over several Eno-lish re°i- ments; with which he so completely defeated the rebels, especially on April 15, 1745, at Culloden Moor, that from that time the Pretender ceased to be an object of terror or alarm. The government of the House of Brunswick became firmly esta- blished: for the great majority of the nation had indissolublv connected the interests of religion and liberty, with the support of those principles which had called the illustrious family of the reigning prince to the throne. In 1751, the king lost his eldest son Frederick, who had lived a considerable 40 MEMOIRS OF IIKR ROYAL HIGHNESS time at variance with his father ; but was reconciled, after AValpole had been dismissed. This prince, the father of our present venerable sovereign, was exceedingly amiable, and well disposed : so that the fondest hopes were entertained of the excellence he would have exhibited on the throne, to which he was heir; but of which he was deprived by an early death. His Koyal Highness married the Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, mother of King George III.; in honour of v. horn, and of Her present most gra- cious Majesty, the late lamented Princess Charlotte- Augusta received her baptismal names. Kins: George II. had no sooner called the cele- brated Earl of Chatham to his councils, than the tide of success set full in upon the measures of his government. The French power in the East Indies was annihilated; their West Indian colonies were reduced ; Canada was conquered ; and the famous battle of Minden exalted the reputation of the Bri- tish soldiery; while the English navy triumphed upon the ocean, and reduced that of Prance to an insignificance from which it never since entirely recovered. In the midst of this success, the king died suddenly, after having lived to see himself the most successful of all the English monarchs. He was a firm friend to the established laws and liber- ties of the kingdom ; and even his enemies, highly to his honour, were compelled to admit that the civil and religious principles of his administration were both liberal and just. That, although of an irritable temper, his disposition was naturally good, the following authentic anecdote, communicated by an aged officer, who was present on the occasion, will sufficiently show: An Irish lady of rank, who had the honour of being presented to His Majesty, greatly delighted him, by her beauty, and the native wit and sprightliness of her conversation. The king inquired if she had yet visited all the places of public resort, and seen the various collections of ■ ■ ■ ■ l^/i '//,' ,-/ K/yyr/ _ /Jy//////. //•. i ■ Sax ■//. 1. ivr/', ■!■/ /■',/ THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 47 curiosities with which the metropolis abounded? Her ladyship replied in the affirmative. His Ma- jesty then observed, that she had perhaps seen every thing- that she wished to see. To which she inadvertently rejoined, " Every thing, please your Majesty, except a coronation ?" The insulted mo- narch instantly said, " Oh! very well; thank you, thank you," with considerable emotion : but perceiv- ing- the confusion and distress in which this uninten- tional but crue! affront to her Sovereign had involved the unfortunate Lady, he resumed his wonted jrood humour, and took no further notice of a circum- stance, which he did not long survive. On various occasions, he gave signal demonstrations of personal bravery ; nor did the general tenor of his conduct afford less striking proofs of his rectitude and inte- grity : and he will be long remembered for his noble declaration, " That during his reign, there should be no persecution for conscience sake." Our present venerable sovereign, George III. whose baptismal names are George-William-Frede- rick, immediately succeeded his grandfather. He was married on the 8th of September, 1761, to the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, Her present most gracious Majesty. At their nuptials, Ed ward- Augustus, Duke of York, His Majesty's younger brother, was chief supporter to the royal bride, walking on her right hand; and at the coro- nation, which followed on the 22nd of the same month, he appeared in his robes as the first prince of the blood ; but died in 1767, at the early age of twenty-eight. It would be impossible, as well as irrelevant, here to introduce notices of the great historical events which have so closely followed each other since His Majesty assumed the British sceptre: it is also needless to dwell upon occur- rences which are still fresh in the memories of most persons, and the records of which are open to all ; we shall, therefore, confine ourselves to the biogra- 1 48 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS phy of the Royal Family, and touch upon those political circumstances only, which immediately relate to them as either personal or characteristic. The deep interest which must ever attend His Majesty — as the father of his people — as the great- est sovereign of his age — and, especially, as the revered grandsire of our departed Princess — render it necessary, in the progress of our work, particu- larly to notice whatever relates personally to Him. He is, says an elegant writer, the glory of his family, the pride of his subjects: he is not dead, and yet partakes not of the joys or the afflictions of his kin- dred or people : withdrawn from all eyes, but those which watch to supply his necessities — in silence, and in darkness — to him there is neither sun, nor moon, nor kingdom, nor wife, nor children, nor subjects. He is alone, in the midst of the living; and almost as far removed from them as the dead. The little world in which he dwells is a solitude, peopled only by imagination ; but the inhabitants of it are not those that haunt the guilty mind, even when reason is not overthrown. Yet he is not for- saken in his hoary hairs, nor in his deep humiliation, by that God, whose loving-kindness is better than life, and all its pleasures, if all its pleasures could be enjoyed for ever. The venerable Father of the British people, we have reason to believe, whatever else may have failed him, is happily conscious of that presence Which is the hope of earth, and the joy of heaven. The hand of Mercy may have shut him up from the sight of evils that would have grieved his eyes and wrung his heart, had reason been preserved to him to the end of his lengthened days. His Majesty's first speech from the throne is truly descriptive of the exalted character here drawn, and which he has ever since sustained : — that part of it which is most important, and which has been universally admired, we here present to our readers. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 4[) " My Lords and Gentlemen, " The just concern which I have felt in my own breast, on the sudden death of the late king, my royal grandfather, makes me not doubt that you must all have been deeply affected with so severe a loss. The present critical and difficult conjuncture has made this loss the more sensible; as he was the great support of that system by which alone the liberties of Europe, and the weight of influence of those kingdoms, can be preserved ; and gave life to measures conducive to those im- portant ends. " I need not tell you the addition of weight which immediately falls upon me, in being called to the government of this free and powerful country, at such a time, and under such circumstances. My consolation is in the uprightness of my own inten- tions, vour faithfulness and united assistance, and the blessing of Heaven upon our joint endeavours, which I devoutly implore. " Som and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton ; and the peculiar happiness of my life will ever consist in promoting the welfare of a people, whose loyalty and warm affection to me I consider as the greatest and most permanent security of my throne ; and I doubt not, that their steadiness in those principles will equal the firmness of my invariable resolution to adhere to and strengthen this excellent constitution in Church and State, and to maintain the Toleration inviolable. The civil and religious rights of my subjects are equally dear to me with the most valuable prerogatives of my crown: and as the surest foundation of the whole, and the best means to draw down the Divine favour on my reign, it is my fixed purpose to coun- tenance and encourage the practice of true religion and virtue." Shortly after the coronation, His Majesty attended divine service at St. James's; upon which, the *> r. 50 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS preacher took the opportunity of eulogizing his sovereign in his sermon. The next day, the minis- ter received a message, informing him, that His Majesty desired lie would not repeal such adulation ; us the King went to church to hear God praised, and not himself. At Windsor, on a similar occasion, the King, who had never failed to join in the responses, remained entirely silent, as soon as the minister began to read the Athanasian Creed. Observing this, the clergy- man began it again with a louder voice. The King still continued silent. The minister then began to read the Apostles' Creed ; in which His Majesty immediately followed him, in an audible tone, and with his accustomed fervour. Conversing with William, Duke of Cumberland, his uncle, not long before the death of that prince, in 1764, His Majesty observed, it was with concern that he remarked the Duke's augmenting corpu- lency. " I lament it not less," replied His Royal Highness, " but it is constitutional ; and I am much mistaken, if Your Majesty will not become as large as myself, before you attain to my age." " It arises from your not using sufficient exercise," answered the King. " I use, nevertheless," said the Duke, " constant and severe exercise of every kind : but there is another effort requisite, in order to check this tendency; which is much more difficult to practise, and without which no exercise, however violent, will suffice. I mean, great self-denial and temperance. Nothing else can prevent Your Majesty from growing to my size." The King made no reply ; but the Dukes words sunk deep, and pro- duced a lasting impression on his mind. From that day, as he assured Lord Mansfield, he formed the resolution of checking his constitutional inclination to corpulency, by unremitting restraint upon his appetite ; a determination which he carried into complete effect, in defiance of every temptation. 3 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 51 It has been justly remarked, that no prince in Europe has so munificently contributed to the advancement of learning and science, and to the reward of literary merit, from his own private purse, as our present venerable and afflicted King-. His interview with the celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson, who had long partaken of his bounty, also proves, that His Majesty's judgment was equal to his libe- rality. In reply to a question in which the King asked, If he were then writing any thing? Dr. John- son assured His Majesty that he was not ; for, added he, " I have pretty well told the world what I knew, and must now read to acquire more knowledge." The King replied, " I do not think you borrow much from any body." Johnson observed, that " he thought he had written enough already." Upon which, the Monarch elegantly rejoined, " I should have thought so too, if you had not written so well." This appropriate compliment to our great moralist and lexicographer, who, with all his defects, was one of the greatest men this island ever produced, does as much honour to the discernment, as his pension of £300. per annum from the privy purse, did to the munificence of the King. The following anecdote will show that His Ma- jesty once voluntarily underwent, with great good humour, something resembling that indignity which: his great predecessor Alfred patiently submitted to from necessity. In the month of July, 1773, riding from Windsor, he was overtaken by a violent storm of rain; and, being separated from his company, made towards a cottage belonging to a man of the name of Styles, near Stoke. Here he alighted, and, going into the house, found no person but a girl turning a goose, which was hanging before the fire by a string. The King desired the girl to put his horse under the shed ; which she consented to do, at the same time requesting him to mind the goose ! While she was gone, Styles entered, and recog- 52 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS nizing the King, was greatly surprised to find him so employed. He however had the presence of mind to relieve His Majesty, who, with his wonted good nature, conversed on this mode of cookery, and the advantage of a jack : soon after which he went away. When be was gone, the farmer per- ceived a paper on the shelf ; and having opened it, found five guineas, with these words written in pencil, "To buy a jack I" The following sketch of the mode of living, adopted by Their Majesties during their summer residence at the Royal Palace of Kew, in the v< ar 1775, is highly interesting: "At six in the morning they rise, and enjoy the two succeeding- hours, which they call their own. At eight, the Prince of Wales, Duke of York, the Princess Royal, and Princes William and Henry, are brought from their several houses to Kew House, to breakfast with their illustrious relations. At nine, their youngest children attend, to lisp or smile their Good-morrows; and whilst the five eldest are closely applying to their task, the little ones, with their nurses, pass the whole morning hi Richmond Gardens. The King and Queen fre- quently amuse themselves with sitting in the room while the children dine; and once a week, attend- ed by the whole number in pairs, make the delightful tour of Richmond Gardens. In the afternoon, the Queen works, and the King reads to her: and what- ever charm ambition or folly may conceive to await so exalted a situation, it is neither on the throne, nor in the drawing-room, in the splendour or toys of sovereignty, that they place their felicity; it is in social and domestic gratifications, in breathing the free air, admiring the works of nature, tasting and encouraging the elegancies of art, and in living to the approbation of their own hearts. — In the evening all the children again pay their duty at Kew House, before they retire to bed ; and the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 53 same order is observed through each returning day. The Sovereign is the father of his family; not a grievance reaches his knowledge, and remains un- redressed, nor a character of merit or ingenuity disregarded : his private conduct is as exemplary as it is amiable. " Though naturally a lover of peace, his per- sonal courage cannot in the smallest degree be impeached; he exercises his troops himself, under- stands every martial manoeuvre as well as any general id his service, and has the articles of war at his fingers' ends. Topography is one of his fa- vourite studies ; he copies every capital chart, takes models of all the celebrated fortifications, observing the strong and weak sides of each, and knows the soundings of the chief harbours in Europe. " Exercise, air, and light diet, are the grand fundamentals in the King's idea of health and sprightliness : His Majesty feeds chiefly on vege- tables, and drinks little wine. The tradesmen's bills are regularly discharged once a quarter; and the whole household is judiciously and happily conducted. " The Prince of Wales and Duke of York bid fair, however, to excel the generality of mankind in learning, as much as they are their superiors in rank : eight hours close application to the lan- guages and the liberal sciences, is daily enjoined them, and their industry is unremitting: all the ten are indeed fine children, and it does not yet appear that parental partiality is known at Court." Such is the picture drawn by an inmate of our excellent Sovereign's household forty-two years ago; wherein every attentive observer must instantly trace the original draught of that finished picture of domestic happiuess, which his beloved grand- daughter has so recently exhibited to an admiring people; and the sudden removal of whom we shall long continue to deplore. 54 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS How nobly the other illustrious branches of the Royal Family have since redeemed the pledges lure given of their future excellence, notwith- standing- the slanders and calumnies wherewith they have been unjustly assailed, the course of this memoir will afford us ample opportunities to prove, upon the most undeniable kind of testimony — that of their calumniators ! AVhen the late celebrated Dr. Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaft', in the year 1793, published his excellent sermon entitled " The wisdom and goodness of God in making both rich and poor ;" with an appendix respecting the then circumstances of Great Britain and France, a strong spirit of in- subordination and discontent was prevalent in these islands. The common people were in every village talking about liberty and equality, like many of their superiors, without understanding the terms. The King, at his Levee, says the venerable prelate, complimented me in the wannest terms, in the hearing of Lord Dartmouth, on, he was pleased to say, the conciseness, clearness, and utility of this little publication ; and the then Archbishop of Canterbury afterwards informed me, that His Majesty had spoken to him of the publication in the same terms, two months before. " On this occasion, (continues the bishop,) when the King- was praising what I iiad written, I said to him, ' I love to come forward in a moment of danger.' His Majesty's reply was so quick and proper, that I will put it down : — " I see you do, and it is a mark of a man of high spirit !" His Majesty one day observed to the late Col. Price, that he had an intention of ordering a cer- tain tree to be cut down, asking at the same time the Colonel's advice, but evidently expecting an entire acquiescence in the idea. Colonel Price respectfully ventured to say that he was of a dif- ferent opinion. " Aye," observed the King, some- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 55 what hastily, " that's your way ; you continually contradict me." ' If your Majesty,' replied the Colonel, ' will not condescend to hear the ho- nest sentiments of your faithful servants, you never can come at the truth.' After a short pause, the monarch, laying his hand very kindly upon the Colonel's shoulder, said, " You are right, Price, the tree shall stand !" The attempt of the maniac Hadfield, in the year 1800, to assassinate the King, afforded a remark- able instance of that high and generous spirit which was the peculiar characteristic of the Princess Charlotte. It is well known, that attempts had been previously made to dissuade His Majesty from attending the theatre ; but the King fearlessly declined to follow that advice. He had scarcely entered the royal box, when Hadfield, who was in the pit, cocked his pistol, which he levelled at the King, and was in the act of firing ; when a gentle- man, sitting next to him, perceiving his murderous intention, attempted to seize the arm of the luna- tic, and, in so doing, considerably raised it, which caused the ball to enter the ceiling of the royal box ; after which, Hadfield was immediately seized, examined, and found to be a lunatic. The Princess Charlotte, then very young, was informed of these circumstances, and at first shewed great indignation at the assassin, but relented into tears of pity when informed that the unhappy man was insane. Every anecdote which relates to our revered and afflicted Monarch, is highly interesting, and worthy of preservation : the following are sub- joined, from respectable authorities. In the summer of 1814, the King had lucid intervals ; the Queen desired to be informed when that was the case : — she was so ; and, on entering the room, she found him singing a hymn, and ac- companying it on the harpsichord. When he had 50 MEMOIRS OF HER ROVAL HIGHNESS finished it, lie knelt clown, and prayed aloud for Her Majesty, then for his Family, and the Nation, concluding- with a prayer for Himself, that it might please God to remove bis heavy calamity from him, but, if not, to give him resignation to submit to it: he then burst into tears, and his reason again fled. One morning, when the passing-be)] was tolling at Windsor, His Majesty inquired who was dead : his attendants did not at first answer him ; but on his repeating the question, they answered, ' Please your Majesty, Mrs. 8 ' "Mrs. S (rejoined the King,) she was a linen-draper, and lived at the corner of street, (naming the street) ; aye, she was a good woman, and brought up her family in the fear of God — she's gone to Heaven — 1 hope 1 shall soon follow her." About two years ago, the King said, " I must ha\e a new suit of clothes, I will have them in black, in Memory of George tLe Third!" His Majesty lately expressed a wish to have a chair made of a peculiar shape, from an idea of feeling more ease when sitting. The upholsterer was directed to make a model agreeable to the King's instructions: the model was produced, and explained to His Majesty; who gave his approval, and the chair was made. In December last, this piece of furniture was sent to Windsor, placed in the royal apartment, and the King expressed him- self highly pleased with its construction, from the ease and comfort he experienced it to afford. From the above circumstance, it appears that our venerable Sovereigu sometimes has lucid intervals : in one of these, not quite three weeks since, he mentioned the name of Bonaparte. The gentleman m attendance ventured to tell His Majesty, that Napoleon was confined ; when the King, with a look of great indignation, immediately replied, "No such thing; I should have known it, if he had ; no such thing, no such thing." THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 57 The Inscription on the Pedestal of the Statue of His Majesty, erected in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall of the city of London, is as follows: GEORGE THE THIRD, born and bred a Briton, endeared to a brave, free, and loyal People by his public virtues, by his pre-eminent example of private worth in all the relations of domestic life, by his uniform course of unaffected piety, and entire submission to the will of Heaven. The wisdom and firmness of his character and councils enabled him so to apply the resources of his Empire, so to direct the native energies of his subjects, that he maintained the dignity of his Crown, preserved inviolate the Constitution in Church and State, and secured the commerce and prosperity of his dominions, during a long period of unexampled difficulty ; in which the deadly contagion of French principles and the domineering aggressions of French power, had nearly dissolved the frame, and destroyed the independence, of every other government and nation in Europe. The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of the City of London, have erected this Statue, in testimonv of their undeviating loyalty, and grateful attachment to the best of kings, in the fifty-fifth year of his reign, A. D. 1815. The celebrated Dr. Beattie, who received a pen- sion of £200 a year from the privy purse, as the author of the Essay on Truth, in which the infidel notions of Gibbon and Hume are controverted, irives the following account of the interview with the King and Queen, with which he and his friend Dr Majen- die were honoured in the year 1773. " We were 3. H 58 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS received in the most gracious manner possible by both their Majesties. I had the honour of a conver- sation with them, nobody else being present but Dr. Majendie, for upwards of an hour, on a great variety of topics ; in which both the King and Queen joined, with a degree of cheerfulness, affability, and ease, that was to me surprising, and soon dissipated the embarrassment which 1 felt at the beginning of the conference. They both complimented me in the highest terms on my Essay, which, they said, was a book they always kept by them ; and the King said he had one copy of it in Kew, and another in Town; and immediately went and took it down from a shelf. I found it was the second edition. ' I never stole a book but one,' said his Majesty, speaking to me, ' and that was yours, which I stole from the Queen, for Lord Hertford to read.' After many questions concerning my works, we had much conversation on moral subjects; from which, both their Majesties let it appear that they were warm friends to Christianity; and so little inclined to infidelity, that they could hardly believe that any thinking man could really be an atheist, unless he could brino: himself to believe that he had made himself; a thought which pleased the King exceed- ingly, and he repeated it several times to the Queen. He asked, if any thing had been written against me? I spoke of a late pamphlet, telling him, that I had never met with any man that had read it, except one Quaker. This brought on some discourse about the Quakers, whose moderation and mild behaviour the King and Queen commended. I was asked many questions about the Scotch Universities; the revenues of the Scotch clergy, their mode of praying and preaching; the Medical College of Edinburgh ; Dr. Gregory, and Dr. Cullen; the length of our va- cation at Aberdeen, and the closeness of our attend- ance during winter; the number of students that attend my lectures; my mode of lecturing, whether THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 59 from notes, or completely written lectures; about Mr. Hume, and Dr. Robertson, and Lord Kinnoul, and the Archbishop of York, &c. His Majesty also asked what I thought of my new acquaintance, Lord Dartmouth? I said, there was something in his air and manner which I thought not only agreeable, but enchanting, and that he seemed to me to he one of the best of men : a sentiment in which both of their Majesties heartily joined. ' They say that Lord Dartmouth is an enthusiast,' observed the King ; ' but surely he says nothing on the subject of religion, but what every Christian may and ought to say.' " The King asked, whether I did not think the English language on the decline at present? I an- swered in the affirmative; and His Majesty agreed, and named the Spectator as one of the best stand- ards of the language. When I told him, that the Scotch clergy sometimes prayed a quarter or even half an hour at a time; he asked, whether that did not lead them into repetitions? J said it often did. 1 That/ said he, 'I do not like in prayers; and, excellent as our liturgy is, I think it somewhat faulty in that respect.' Your Majesty knows, said J, that three services are joined in one, in the ordinary church service; which is one cause of these repe- titions. ' True,' he replied, ' and that circumstance also makes the service too long.' From this, the King took occasion to speak of the composition of the church liturgy; on which he very justly bestowed the highest commendation : ' Observe,' bis Majesty said, ' how flat those occasional prayers are, that are now composed, in comparison with the old ones.' We discussed a great many other topics ; for the conversation lasted upwards of an hour: the Queen bore a large share in it. Both the King and Her Majesty showed a great deal of good sense, acute- ness, and knowledge; as well as of good nature and affability. At last, the King took out his watch, 60 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS (tor it was now almost three o'clock, his hour of dinner,) which Dr. Majendie and I took as a signal to withdraw : we accordingly bowed to their Majes- ties ; and J addressed the King in these words, " I hope, Sire, your Majesty will pardon me, if I take this opportunity to return you my humble and most grateful acknowledgments for the honour you have been pleased to confer upon me." His Majesty immediately answered, ' I think I could do no less for a man who has done so much service for the cause of Christianity : I shall always be glad of an opportunity to show the good opinion I have of you/ " The Queen sat all the while, and the King stood, sometimes walking about a little. Her Majesty speaks the English language with surprising ele- gance, and little or nothing of a foreign manner; so that if she were ouly of the rank of a private gentle- woman, one could not help taking notice of her, as one of the most agreeable women in the world. Her face is much more pleasing than any of her pic- tures; and in the expression of her eyes, and in her smile, there is something peculiarly engaging." The piety of our afflicted and beloved Sovereign was always unquestionable; and of the liberality of his religious sentiments, the following circumstances are indubitable proofs. - It was His Majesty's cus- tom, as far as possible, to employ an equal number of tradesmen, of each particular religious profession, in the neighbourhood of the Roval residences. This rule also operated in His Majesty's choice of domestics: so that the King's household exhibited almost as great a variety of different sects, as his dominions contained. That the King, notwithstanding his exalted sta- tion and great personal acquirements, entertained very humble views of himself, is evident from the following circumstance. Some years back, Kew was one of His Majesty's favourite residences. A °-7'/' ^/^/> THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 61 lady, on a visit at the palace there, was shown over the apartments, and in His Majesty's bed-chamber observed the good old book of Family Prayers, by Melmoth, called "ANew Manual of Devotion." The first prayer for the Lord's Day, in this book, contains the following words : " Guide and defend our most gracious Sovereign Lord King George: let his days be many, his councils wise and reli- gious, and his reign happy to himself and his people." Upon this prayer the lady opened the book, and could not help remarking, that the words King George were struck out, and Thy Servant, in His Majesty's hand-writing, interlined in their stead. Many illiberal and disaffected persons have basely attempted to decry the superior talents and sound understanding, of which the anecdotes already re- corded plainly prove His Majesty to have been pos- sessed : but a single, and an incontrovertible fact, which has transpired, will entirely defeat their male- volent intentions. The King's taste for agriculture would have been sufficiently known, had it never been celebrated by the unprincipled writer, who, in making it the main object of his ridicule, has penned his own condemnation. A gentleman, well qualified to judge of literary compositions, having read His Majesty's letters on agriculture, in his own hand- writing, declares that they contain not only inherent proofs of a thorough acquaintance with the subject, but of a mind abundantly stored with all kinds of knowledge, conveyed in an elegant, but simple and perspicuous style; such as could only be the pro- duct of a person well versed in literary compositions. It is generally believed that His Majesty's last relapse into his former malady, was occasioned by the loss of his favourite daughter, the Princess Amelia. Among the many anecdotes of no autho- rity which have appeared upon this subject, there is, however, one of an interesting nature, which, being indisputably authentic, we have much plea- 62 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS sure iii recording. Jn the cloisters of St. George's Chapel, Windsor, there is a tablet which was erected by His Majesty's command, four months after the commencement of his present illness, at a time when the weekly bulletins of the physicians was — " His Majesty proceeds favourably in his recovery." The inscription placed on the tablet, by the King's direction, is as follows: KING GEORGE THE THIRD caused to be interred near this place the Body of Mary Gascoign, Servant to the Princess Amelia, and this Tablet to be erected in testimony of his grateful sense of the faithful services and attachment of an amiable young Woman to his beloved Daughter, whom she survived only three months. She died the 19th Feb. 1811, Aged 31 years. It has been often observed, that no one of the present potentates of Europe has been blessed with so fine a progeny as the British Sovereign. With unspeakable delight he beheld them rising up to maturity, and shone like a patriarch in the midst of his charming family, with whom he passed most of those hours which were not preoccupied by the concerns of the state. Remarkable as all the Royal Family are acknowledged to be for their personal beauty and accomplishments, none were more sin- gularly gifted, in every respect, than His Majesty's eldest son, the present Regent. The proficiency which his Roval Hisrhness made in his studies at an early age, has been already observed ; nor did he in the least fall short of that high degree of excel- lence to which it was then predicted he would one THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 63 day arrive. In the person of the Prince of Wales, the nation beheld the singular phenomenon of a youthful heir to the throne addressing each of the ambassadors at his Father's court in the languages of their respective countries, at an age when other young men could hardly speak with propriety in their own ! " He is (said one of his earliest friends, whose testimony cannot now be doubted,) a prince not less replete with the most graceful charms of person and manners, than with candour, liberality, and high spirit; with every charm which our more polished age can give: his heart warm, generous, and benevolent; too noble to suspect, or by arts to evade, his enemies, or to shew aversion to bad men, otherwise than by being honourable himself." The whole life of his Royal Highness has proved the truth of these observations. When his superior mind detected the snares laid by his professed friends to procure his consent to measures which he could not approve, the Prince of Wales (and it Mas the first time he ever spoke in parliament) came forward upon the motion of the Marquis of Aber- corn, 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 truly add, persua- sive 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, unmindful 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 constitu- tional liberties of the people; and, as on those con- stitutional principles the happiness of that people depended, he was determined, as far as his interest could have any force, to support them. The matter 64 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS 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 nourished 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, if he did not come forward and declare his disapprobation of those seditious publications which had occasioned the motion now before their Lord- ships : and his interest was connected with the interest of the people; they were so inseparable, that, unless both parties concurred, happiness 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 remarkably energetic—" I exist by the love, the friendship, and the benevolence of the people; and their cause I will never forsake 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." It is a lamentable fact, that the important law which is absolutely necessary to prevent members of the Royal Family from intermarrying with sub- jects, must almost necessarily prove destructive of their matrimonial happiness. Royal marriages are in consequence contracted without any possible pre- vious choice, at least on the part of the heir appa- rent, who is legally incapable of leaving the king- dom, even for the momentous purpose of selecting his future bride. A private individual, thus re- 5 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 65 stricted, would certainly prefer celibacy itself to such a compulsory engagement ; but even that pri- vilege is denied to the heir of the throne, who must therefore marry, and seems born only to sacrifice his personal comforts for the safety of the state. Jt is state policy alone, not mutual affection, producing voluntary choice, that forms most of the royal matri- monial connexions in our own country: — who then tr can be surprised that the political marriage of the Prince of Wales should have so soon produced unhappiness, and terminated in separation? This marriage had been long determined upon before it was officially announced ; and the Princess Caroline-Louisa, daughter of his late Serene High- ness Charles-William-Ferdinand, Duke of Bruns- wick-Wolfeubuttle, and of Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, sister to our present venerable Sovereign, was selected, it is said, by the King him- self, to be the partner of his eldest son, and the future Queen of Great Britain. The British parliament granted a princely pro- vision 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 liqui- dation of which, however, £25,000 was to be de- ducted from £125,000 per annum: His Royal High- ness's annual income having been raised from £6*0,000 to that magnificent sum. In addition to this, £26',000 was voted for furnishing Carlton House, £27,000 for the expences of the marriage, and £28,000 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 snores: and the 8th of April, 1795, was the day appointed for the solemnization of the nuptials; which took place on the evening, in the Chapel Roval, at St. James's.— The Archbishop of Canter- 3. X 6'fl MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS bury officiated on the occasion ; and the procession to and from the Chapel was in the following order: THE PROCESSION OF THE BRIDE. Drums and Trumpets. Kettle Drums. Serjeant Trumpeter. Master of the Ceremonies. Bride's Gentleman Usher between the Two senior Heralds. His Majesty's Vice Chamberlain. His Majesty's Lord Chamberlain. THE BRIDE, In her nuptial habit, with a Coronet, led by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. Her train borne by four unmarried daughters of Dukes and Earls, viz. Lady Mary Osborne, Lady Caroline Villiers, Lady Charlotte Spencer, Lady Charlotte Legge. Her Royal Highness was also attended by the ladies of her household. On entering the Chapel, the Princess was con- ducted to her seat, prepared for her near Her Ma- jesty's chair of state, by the Master of the Cere- monies and the Gentleman Usher, who afterwards retired to the places assigned them. The Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain, with a Herald, then returned to attend the Bride- groom ; while the senior Herald remained in the Chapel, to conduct the several persons to their respective places. x THE BRIDEGROOM'S PROCESSION, In the same order as that of the Bride, with the addition of the Officers of his Highness's Household. - His Royal Highness the PRINCE OF WALES, In his Collar of the Order of the Garter, supported by Two unmar- ried Dukes, — Duke of Bedford, and Duke of Roxburgh. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 67 His Royal Highness having been conducted to his seat in the Chapel Royal, the Lord Chamberlain, Vice Chamberlain, and Two Heralds, returned to attend His Majesty. THEIR MAJESTIES' PROCESSION. Drums and Trumpets, as before. Knight Marshal. Pursuivants. Herald. Treasurer of the Household. Master of the Horse. Two married Dukes, Duke of Leeds. Duke of Beaufort. Lord Steward of the Household. Provincial King of Arms. Lord Privy Seal. "\ Archbishop of York. / Serjeant at J Lord p resident of the CounciI . I Serjeant at Arms. ^ _ „. . .. C Arms. Lord High Chancellor. W Archbishop of Canterbury. J Gentleman f Garter Principal King of Arms, j Gentleman ■ Usher. 1 with his Sceptre. j Usher. The Earl Marshal with his Staff. Princes of the Blood Royal. Prince William. His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Vice Chamberlain of the Household. Sword of State, borne by the Duke of Portland. Lord Chamberlain of the Household. HIS MAJESTY, In the Collar of the Order of the Garter. Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. Colonel of the Life Guard in waiting. Captain of the Band of Gentlemen Pensioners, The Lord of the Bedchamber in waiting. Master of the Robes. Groom of the Bedchamber. 08 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Vice Chamberlain to the Queen. The Queen's Lord Chamberlain. HER MAJESTY. The Queen's Master of the Horse. Their Royal Highnesses Princess Augusta-Sophia, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Marv, Princess Sophia, Princess Amelia. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York. Princess Sophia of Gloucester, Supported severally by their Gentlemen Ushers. The Ladies of Her Majesty's Bedchamber. Maids of Honour. Women of Her Majesty's Bedchamber. At the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, their Majesties retired to their chairs of state under the canopy, while the anthem vvas sung; and the even- ing concluded with very splendid illuminations, and other public demonstrations of joy, throughout the metropolis. The City of London, and various other places, presented addresses of congratulation ; — and the Princess was shortly afterwards pronounced pregnant, to the great joy of the nation, upon the pleasing prospect of an uninterrupted succession to the throne. His Majesty manifested great anxiety on this important occasion, by his continual inquiries con- cerning the health of the Princess, his daughter-in- law. The great Officers of State were summoned to attend : and on the morning of the 7th of January, 179G, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was safely delivered of a daughter, in the presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Gloucester, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of the Council, the Duke of Leeds, the Lord Chamberlain, Earl Cholmondeley, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 69 Lord Thnrlow, and the Ladies of Her Royal Highness's Bedchamber. On the 1 1th of February following', in the evening, the Royal Infant was baptized, according to the form of the Church of England, and received the names Charlotte-Augusta, to which we have already alluded, the former being the name of her paternal, and the latter of her maternal grandmother. This ceremony, in which his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury officiated, was performed in the great Drawing-room at St. James's. The sponsors were their Majesties in person, and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Brunswick, represented by Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary. Congratulatory addresses were presented from all parts of the kingdom ; and the Poet Laureat, in his appropriate Ode for the New Year, thus elegantly alluded to this happy event: Now strike a livelier chord ! — this happy day, Selected from the circling year, To celebrate a name to Britain dear, From Britain's sons demands a festive lay. Mild Sov'reign of our Monarch's soul, Whose eye's meek radiance can control The pow'rs of care, and grace a throne With each calm joy to life domestic known; Propitious Heav'n has o'er thy head Blossoms of richer fragrance shed, Than all th' assiduous Muse can bring, Cull'd from the honey'd stores of Spring. For see amid wild Winter's hours, A Bud its silken folds display, Sweeter than all the chalic'd flowers That crown thy own ambrosial May. O ! may thy smiles, blest Infant, prove Omens of concord and of love. — Bid the loud strain of martial triumph raise, And tune to softer mood the warbling reed of praise! 70 MEMOIKS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS CHAP. III. Separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. — Education of the Princess Charlotte. — Juvenile Anecdotes. — Result of the Delicate Investigation. — Hints towards forming the Character of a young Pri?icess. — Further Account of the Education, Habits, fyc. of the Princess. — Anecdotes, fyc. Notwithstanding the general joy which prevailed throughout the country upon the auspi- cious birth of our late most sincerely lamented Princess, her august parents, who had been unhap- pily bound together by mere state policy, without any intimacy with, or affection for each other, soon felt, and expressed their mutual dissatisfaction ; of which the following letters bear testimony. Windsor Castle, April 30, 1796. Madam, As Lord Cholmondeley informs me, that you wish I would define in writing the terms upon which we are to live, I shall endeavour to explain myself upon that head with as much clearness, and with as much propriety, as the nature of the subject will admit. Our inclinations are not in our power, nor should either of us be held answerable to the other, because nature has not made us suitable to each other. Tranquil and comfortable society is, however, in our power ; let our intercourse, therefore, be restricted to that, and I will distinctly subscribe to the condition which you required through Lady Cholmondeley, that, even in the event of any accident happening to my daughter, which, I trust, Provi- dence in his mercy will avert, I shall not infringe the terms of the restriction, by proposing at any period a connexion of a more particular nature. I shall now finally close this dis- ),/ '/'/>'/'//, J n -y >/'■",/.'// Y, y. ,v THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 71 agreeable correspondence, trusting, that as we have com- pletely explained ourselves to each other, the rest of our lives will be passed in uninterrupted tranquillity. I am, Madam, With great truth, very sincerely yours, (Signed) George P. The following is a Translation from the French of the original Answer of the Princess of Wales to the preceding Letter. "The avowal of your conversation with Lord Cholmon- deley neither surprises nor offends me. It merely confirmed what you have tacitly insinuated for this twelvemonth. But after this, it would be a want of delicacy, or rather, an un- worthy meanness in me, were I to complain of those condi- tions which you impose upon yourself. " I should have returned no answer to your letter, if it had not been conceived in such terms as to make it doubtful whether this arrangement proceeds from you or from me; and you are aware that the credit of it belongs to you aloue. " The letter which you announce to me as the last, obliges me to communicate to the King, as to my Sovereign and my Father, both your avowal and my answer. You will find inclosed, the copy of my letter to the King.* I apprise you of it, that I may not incur the slightest reproach of dupli- city from you. As I have at this moment no protector but His Majesty, I refer myself solely to him upon this subject; and if my conduct meets his approbation, I shall be, in some degree at least, consoled. I retain every sentiment of grati- tude for the situation in which I find myself, as Princess of Wales, enabled by your means to indulge in the free exercise of a virtue dear to my heart, — I mean, charity. " It will be my duty likewise to act upon another motive, — that of giving an example of patience and resignation under every trial. " Do me the justice to believe that I shall never cease to pray for your happiness, and to be Your much devoted Mag 6, 1796. Caroline." * No Copy of this Letter has ever yet appeared. 72 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Whatever was the original cause of this lamenta- ble rupture, the Princess Charlotte passed the first eight years of her life in the enjoyment of the fond attentions of her mother, whom she usually accom- panied in her carriage, sitting on her knee, or stand- ing upon a stool ; when her smiling, healthful, and intelligent countenance, universally delighted those who saw her. The following interesting account of Her Royal Highness, when only five years old, is from the Diary of the pious and justly celebrated Dr. Porteus, late Lord Bishop of London : " Yesterday, the Oth August, 1801, 1 passed a very pleasant day at Shrewsbury House, near Shooter's Hill, the residence of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. The day was fine, the prospect extensive and beautiful, taking in a large reach of the Thames, which was covered with vessels of various sizes and descriptions. We saw a good deal of the young Princess ; she is a most captivating and engaging child, and, considering the high station she may hereafter fill, a most interesting and important one. She repeated to me several hymns with great cor- rectness and propriety ; and on being told, when she went to South End, in Essex, (as she afterwards did, for the benefit of sea-bathing,) she would then lie in my diocese, she fell down on her knees, and begged my blessing. 1 gave it to her with all my heart, and with my earnest secret prayers to God that she might adorn her illustrious station with every Christian grace; and that if ever she be- came the Queen of this truly great and glorious country, she might be the means of diffusing vir- tue, piety, and happiness, through every part of her dominions." It will not be thought irrelevant here to introduce an authentic anecdote, which strongly marks that exquisite sense of propriety with which His Royal Highness the Prince Regent dignifies and adorns THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 73 his exalted station. When the Princess Charlotte was about seven years old, a gentleman, who at that time had the honour to be intimate with the Prince of Wales, saw her Royal Highness at Carlton House. The great flow of spirits which she pos- sessed, her beauty, and the native frankness of her manners, immediately attracted his attention, so that, forgetting her exalted rank, and the wide dis- tinction necessary to be observed between the infant Heiress of the British throne, and other children, he took her familiarly by the hand, in- quired how she did, and then saluted her, in the presence of the Prince; who immediately signified his displeasure at the gentleman's presumption, by desiring him, in the most dignified manner, instantly to leave his presence. Though the Princess, at this time, lived under the personal inspection of her Mother, she appears to have had a separate establishment at Shrewsbury House, and was only permitted to receive the visits of maternal fondness once a week, that those natural endearments might not interfere with the course of her education. The Dowager Lady Elgin, with her assistants, Miss Garth and Miss Hunt, super- intended her education till she attained the sixth year of her age ; and the whole week, except the day set apart for the visit of her august Mother, was invariably devoted to study. By the laws of the realm, His Majesty is the guardian of all infants, and more especially of the infants of his own family; and in the year 1806, the Bishop of Exeter, afterwards translated to the see of Salisbury, was appointed by his Sovereign to the important office of private tutor to the Princess. That the King could hardly have selected a more proper person, is well known. The Rev. Dr. Nott received the appointment of sub-preceptor; and the Lady De Clifford, the important and respon- sible situation of governess. Lnder their superin- 3. k 74 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS tendence, the Princess pursued her studies with great assiduity, and with singular success. A strong enthusiasm of character, which has been construed into natural violence of temper, manifested itself in Her Royal Highness at that early period, when young prisons often give way to those sallies of impetuosity, which require restraint and regula- tion, but ought never to be entirely suppressed. A remarkable instance, of this impetuosity of spirit occurred one morning at Warwick House. As soon as the Bishop of Salisbury arrived, he was informed that the insolence and misconduct of a servant had provoked his fair Pupil to indict a summary correc- tion with her own hands. His Lordship, after representing the impropriety of such a step to Her Royal Highness, asked her why she did not take his advice, and repeat the Lord's Prayer before she proceeded to resent the provocation she had re- ceived ? To which the Princess instantly replied, " 1 did, my Lord Bishop, or 1 should almost have killed her." On another occasion, having forgotten to perform a task enjoined her by her reverend tutor, the amiable Prelate jocularly desired that Her Royal Highness would do penauee for the omission, by wearing a charity-school girl's habit, which his Lordship ordered to be provided for that purpose. Next morning, when the Bishop attended the Princess, he was most agreeably surprised by Her Royal Highness's appearance in that homely garb, and facetiously asking his Lordship how he liked her in her new dress; passing her hand playfully down each arm, and remarking, as she surveyed herself, that it was as excellent a tit as if made on purpose! The time was now fast approaching when Her Royal Highness was to experience the severe adlic- tion of being removed from the society of her Mother, and from circumstances which threw a THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 75 melancholy shade over the opening years of her life; the nicest feelings of her affectionate heart were to be lacerated by the unfortunate dissensions of her parents, and, to her young and sensible mind, a choice of evils presented itself, from which she saw no immediate relief: the ardent love which she felt for her Mother, impelled her to espouse her cause; and the sincere affection which she justly entertained for her Father, prompted her to exonerate him from every imputation of harshness towards her Mother. The conduct of the amiable Princess towards each of her august parents certainly conveys a strong cen- sure upon the conduct of those, who, forgetting the wholesome old English maxim, of non-interference in family disagreements, widened the breach till it became irreparable ; by basely availing themselves of the existing disputes, to gratify their own private pique and malignity. The accusation of the Princess of Wales by Sir John and Lady Douglas, which led to the Delicate Investigation in the year 1807, is not of a proper nature to be here introduced : but the occasion and result of that investigation will be suf- ficiently explained, by the following copies of ori- ginal Documents, which it would be injudicious to withhold: Minute of the Cabinet, Jan. 25, 1807. Downiny-street, Jan. 25, 1807. PRESENT, The Lord Chancellor, Lord Viscount Howick, Lord President, Lord Grenville, Lord Privy Seal, Lord Ellenborougb, Earl Spencer, Mr. Secretary Windham, Earl of Moira, Mr. Grenville. Lord Henry Petty, Your Majesty's confidential servants have given the most diligent and attentive consideration to the matters on which 7(> MEMOIRS OF HER ROVVL HIGHNESS your Majesty lias been pleased to require their opinion and advice. They trust your Majesty will not think that any apology is necessary on their part, for the delay which has attended their deliberations on a subject of such extreme importance, and which they have found to be of the greatest difficulty and embarrassment. They are fully convinced that it never can have been His Majesty's intention to require from them, that they should lay before your Majesty a detailed and circumstantial examination and discussion of the various arguments and allegations con- tained in the letter submitted to your Majesty, by the law advisers of the Prince of Wales. And they beg leave, with all humility, to represent to your Majesty, that the laws and constitution of their country have not placed them in a situ- ation in which they can conclusively pronounce on any question of guilt or innocence affecting any of your Majesty's subjects, much less one of your Majesty's Royal Family. They have, indeed, no power or authority whatever to enter on such a course of inquiry as could alone lead to final results of such a nature. The main question on which they had conceived themselves called upon, by their duty, to submit their advice to your Majesty, was this: Whether the circumstances which had, by your Majesty's commands, been brought before them, were of a nature to induce your Majesty to order any further steps to be taken upon them by your Majesty's government. And on this point they humbly submit to your Majesty their opi- nions as to the answer to be given by your Majesty to the request contained in the Princess's letter ; and as to the man- ner in which that answer should be communicated to Her Royal Highness. They have, therefore, hrdutiful obedience to your Majesty's commands, proceeded to re-consider the whole of the subject, in this new view of it; and, after much deliberation, they have agreed humbly to recommend to your Majesty the draft of a message, which, if approved by your Majesty, they would humbly suggest your Majesty might send to Her Royal High- ness, through the Lord Chancellor. Having before humbly submitted to your Majesty their opinion, that the facts of the case did not warrant their advis- ing that any further steps should be taken upon it by your Majesty's government, they have not thought it necessary to advise your Majesty any longer to decline receiving the Princess into your royal presence. But the result of the whole case does, in their judgment, render it indispensable THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 77 that your Majesty should, by a serious admonition, convey to Her Royal Highness your Majesty's expectation that Her Royal Highness should be more circumspect in her future conduct ; and they trust, that in the terms in which they have advised that such admonition should be conveyed, your Ma- jesty will not be of opinion, on a full consideration of the evidence and answer, that they can be considered as having at all exceeded the necessity of the case, as arising out of the last reference which your Majesty has been pleased to make to them. A Copy of the Message alluded to in the above Minute, was forwarded to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales by the Lord Chancellor, in his own hand writing; it is as follows: " The King having referred to his confidential servants the proceedings and papers relative to the written decla- rations which had been laid before His Majesty, respecting the conduct of the Princess of Wales, has been apprized by them, that after the fullest consideration of the examinations taken on that subject, and of the observations and affidavits brought forward by the Princess's legal advisers, they agree in the opinions submitted to His Majesty in the original Report of the four Lords by whom His Majesty directed that the matter should, in the first instance, be inquired into ; and that in the present stage of the business, upon a mature and deliberate view of this most important subject in all its parts and bearings, it is their opinion that, the facts of this case do not warrant their advising that any further step should be taken in the business by His Majesty's government, or any- other proceedings instituted upon it, except such only as His Majesty's law servants may, on a reference to them, think fit to recommend, for the prosecution of Lady Douglas, on those parts of her deposition which may appear to them to b« justlv liable thereto. " In this situation, His Majesty is advised that it is no longer necessary for him to decline receiving the Princess into his royal presence. " The King sees, with great satisfaction, the agreement of his confidential servants, in the decided opinion expressed by the four law lords upon the falsehood of the accusation of pregnancy and delivery brought forward against the Princess by Lady Douglas. On the other matters produced in the 70 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS course of (lie Inquiry, the King is advised, that none of the facts or allegations stated in preliminary examinations, car- ried on in the absence of the parties interested, are to be considered as legally or conclusively established. But in those examinations, and even in the answer drawn in the name of the Princess by her legal advisers, there have appeared cir- cumstances of conduct on the part of the Prim-ess, which His Majesty could never regard but with serious concern. The elevated rank, which the Princess holds in this country, and the relation in which she stands to His Majesty and the Royal Family, must always deeply involve both the interests of the State, and the personal feelings of His Majesty, in the pro- priety and correctness of her conduct; and His Majesty, therefore, cannot forbear to express, in the conclusion of the business, his desire and expectation, that such a conduct may in future be observed by the Princess, as may fully justify those marks of paternal regard which His Majesty wishes to show to every part of the Royal Family. " His Majesty has directed, that this message should be transmitted to the Princess of Wales by his Lord Chancellor; and that copies of the proceedings which have taken place on this subject should also be communicated to his dearly beloved son, the Prince of Wales." In consequence of the remarks of the Princess of Wales upon this Message, in her long letter to the King, another Cabinet Council was held : Minute of Council, April 2'2, 1807. PRESENT, Lord Chancellor, (Eldon) Earl Bathurst, Lord President, (Camden) Viscount Casllereagh, Lord Privy Seal, (Westmoreland) Lord Mulgrave, The Duke of Portland, Mr. Secretary Canning, The Earl of Chatham, Lord Hawkesbury. Your Majesty's confidential servants have, in obedience to your Majesty's commands, most attentively considered the original charges and report, the minutes of evidence, and all the other papers submitted to the consideration of your Majesty, on the subject of those charges against Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA- 71) In the stage in which this business is brought under their consideration, they do not feel themselves called upon to give any opinion as to the proceeding itself, or to the mode of investigation in which it has been thought proper to con- duct it. But adverting to the advice which is slated by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to have directed his conduct, your Majesty's confidential servants are anxious to impress upon your Majesty their conviction, that His Royal Highness could not, under such advice, consistently with his public duty, have done otherwise than lay before your Majesty the statement and examinations which were submitted to him upon this subject. After the most deliberate consideration, however, of the evidence which has been brought before the commissioners, and of the previous examinations, as well as of the answer and observations which have been submitted to your Majesty upon them, they feel it necessary to declare their decided concurrence in the clear and unanimous opinion of the com- missioners, confirmed by that of all your Majesty's late con- fidential servants, that the two main charges alleged against Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, of pregnancy and delivery, are completely disproved ; and they further submit to your Majesty their unanimous opinion, that all the other particulars of conduct brought in accusation against Her Royal Highness, to which the character of criminality can be ascribed, are either satisfactorily contradicted, or rest upon evidence of such a nature, and which was given under such circumstances, as render it, in the judgment of your Majesty's confidential servants, undeserving of credit. Your Majesty's confidential servants, therefore, concurring in that part of the opinion of your late servants, as stated in their Minute of the 25th of January, that there is no longer any necessity for your Majesty being advised to decline receiv- ing the Princess into your royal presence, humbly submit to your Majesty, that it is essentially necessary, injustice to her Rova! Highness, and for the honour and interests of your Majesty's illustrious Family, that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales should be admitted, with as little delaj as possible, into your Majesty's royal presence, and that she should be received in a manner due to her rank and station in your Majesty's court and Family. Your Majesty's confidential servants also beg leave to sub- mit to your Majesty, that, considering that it may be neces- sary that your Majesty's government should possess the means of referring to the true state of the transaction, it is of the 1 80 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS utmost importance that these documents, demonstrating the "-round on which your Majesty has proceeded, should be pre- served in safe custody; aud that for that purpose the originals, or authentic copies of all these papers, should be sealed up, and deposited in the oflicesof your Majesty's principal Secre- tin of State." This distressing discussion here terminated for the present, by Her Royal Highness's re-appearance at court. From these painful details, it is pleasing to turn our attention to the interest which the person and prospects of our young Princess had excited in the mind of an author who is an honour to her country and her sex. We allude to that important work of the celebrated Miss Hannah More, entitled, " Hints towards Forming the Character of a Young Princess;' which she judiciously dedicated to the Bishop of Exeter, Her Royal Highness's tutor. It has been asserted, that this eminent and pious lady had pre- viously been requested to undertake the education of the infant Princess; which she is also reported to have declined : but whether those statements be well or ill founded, the publication, in which she has treated with consummate ability upon the various points connected with the important object of form- ing the character of an heir to the throne of a great Empire, entitles her to the esteem and gratitude of the nation at large. There are strong reasons to conclude this work did, in fact, largely contribute to the growth and developement of those excellent qualities which the Princess Charlotte subsequently displayed: and as many passages tend materially to illustrate her character,* and will lead the reader to resume the thread of her short but brilliant career with more comprehensive views of her character and intentions, no apology can be necessary for their insertion. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 81 I call, (says Milton, in the motto which Miss More has prefixed to her work,) that a complete and generous education, which fits a person to per- form justly, skilfully, and magnanimously, all the offices of public and private life, of peace, and of war." This is an apt allusion to the enlarged view of her subject, which this accomplished writer has taken. The importance of which subject she thus notices in her preface : " if we were to inquire what is, even at the pre- sent critical period, one of the most momentous concerns which can engage the attention of an Eng- lishman, who feels for his country like a patriot, and for his posterity like a father ; what is that object, of which the importance is not bounded by the shores of the British islands, nor limited by our colonial possessions; — with which, in its consequences, the interests, not only of all Europe, but of the whole civilized world, may hereafter be, in some measure, implicated; — what Briton would hesitate to reply, The Education of the Princess Charlotte of Wales ?" In the second chapter the following observation occurs: "A Prince should be ignorant of nothing which it is honourable to know ; but he should look on mere acquisition of knowledge not as the end to be rested in, but only as the means of arriving at some higher end. — Hemav have been well instructed in history, belles lettres, philosophy, and languages, and yet have received a defective education, if the formation of his judgment has been neglected. For, it is uot so important to know every thing, as to know the exact value of every thing; to appreciate what we learn, and to arrange what we know. " But above all, there should be a constant, but imperceptible habit, of turning the mind to a love of truth, in all its forms and aspects; not only in matters of grave morality, but in matters of business, of common intercourse, and even of taste : for there is a truth both in moral and mental taste little short 4. l 82 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of the exactness of mathematical truth ; and the mind should acquire an habit of seeking perfection in every thing. This habit should be so early and insensibly formed, that when the pupil comes after- wards to meet with maxims, and instances of truth and virtue, in historical and moral writings, she may bring to the perusal tastes, tempers, and dis- quisitions, so laid in, as to have prepared the mind for their reception. As this mode of preparatory and incidental instruction will be gradual and in- woven, so it will be deep and durable; but as it will be little obvious to ordinary judges, it will excite less wonder and admiration than the usual display and exhibition so prevalent in modern edu- cation. Its effects will be less ostensible, but they will be more certain." Treating of the Education of a Sovereign, as a specific education, the author says, " The formation of the character is the grand object to be accom- plished. This should be considered to be not so much a separate business, as a sort of centre to which all the rays of instruction should be directed. All the studies, it is presumed, of the royal pupil, should have some reference to her probable future situation. Is it not, therefore, obviously requisite that her understanding be exercised in a wider range than that of others of her sex ? and that her princi- ples be so established, on the best and surest foun- dation, as to fit her at once for fulfilling the peculiar demands, and for resisting the peculiar temptations, of her station? Princes have been too often inclined to fancy that they have few interests in common with the rest of mankind, feeling themselves placed by Providence on an eminence so much above them- But the great aim should be, to correct the haughti- ness which may attend this superiority, without relinquishing the truth of the fact. Is it not, there- fore, the business of those who have the care of a royal education, not so much to deny the reality of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 83 this distance, or to diminish its amount, as to account for its existence, and point out the uses to which it is subservient? " A Prince is an individual being, whom the hand of Providence has plnced on a pedestal of peculiar elevation: but he should learn, that he is placed there as the minister of good to others ; that the dig- nity being hereditary, he is the more manifestly raised to that elevation, not by his own merit, but by providential destination ; by those laws, which he is himself bound to observe with the same reli- gious fidelity as the meanest of his subjects. It ought early to be impressed, that those appendages of royalty, with which human weakness may too probably be fascinated, are intended not to gratify the feelings, but to distinguish the person of the Monarch ; that, in themselves, they are of little value; that they are beneath the attachment of a rational, and of no substantial use to a moral being; in short, that they are not a subject of triumph, but are to be acquiesced in for the public benefit, and from regard to that weakness of our nature, which subjects so large a portion of every community to the influence of their imagination, and their senses. *• While, therefore, a Prince is taught the use of those exterior embellishments, which, as was before observed, designate rather than dignify his station ; while he is led to place the just value on every appendage which may contribute to give him impor- tance in the eyes of the multitude, who, not being just judges of what constitutes true dignity, are con- sequently apt to reverence the royal person exactly so far as they see outward splendour connected with it; should not a royal pupil himself be taught, in- stead of overvaluing that splendour, to think it a humbling, rather than an elevating consideration, that so large a part of the respect paid to him, should be owing to such extrinsic causes, to causes which make no part of himself? Let him then be taught 84 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS to gratify the public with all the pomp and circum- stance suitable to royalty; but let him never forget, that though his station ought always to procure for him respect, he must ever look to his own personal conduct, for inspiring veneration, attachment, and affection ; and ever let it be remembered, that this affection is the strongest tie of obedience; that sub- jects like to see their Prince great, when that great- ness is not produced by rendering them less; and as the profound Selden observes, " the people will always be liberal to a Prince who spares them ; and a good Prince will always spare a liberal people." He will support, with his whole weight, an institu- tion which the licentious fury of a revolutionary spirit has rendered more dear to every Englishman. On no consideration, therefore, would he pluck even a feather from those decorations of royalty, which, by a long association, have become intimately connected with its substance. In short, every wise inhabitant of the British Isles must feel, that he who would despoil the crown of its jewels, would not be far from spoiling the wearer of his crown. And as nothing but democratic folly or phrenzy would de- grade the Monarch from his due elevation, so demo- cratic envy alone would wish to strip him, not only of a single constituent of real greatness, but even of a single ornamental appendage, on which the people have been accustometTto gaze with honest joy. " Nevertheless, those outrages which have lately been committed against the sanctitv of the throne, furnish new and most powerful reasons for assidu- ously guarding Princes by every respectful admo- nition, against any tendency to exceed their just prerogatives, and for checking every rising propen- sity to overstep, in the slightest degree, their well- defined rights. " At the same time, it should be remembered, that there may be no less dangerous faults on the other side, and that want of firmness in maintaining just THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA 85 rights, or of spirit in the prompt and vigorous exer- cise of necessary authority, may prove as injurious to the interests of a community as the most lawless stretch of power. Defects of this very kind were evidently among the causes of bringing down, on tiie gentlest of the kings of France, more calamities than had ever resulted from the most arbitrary exertion of power in any of his predecessors. Fee- bleness and irresolution, which seem to be little more than pardonable weaknesses in private per- sons, may, by their consequences, prove in Princes fatal errors; and even produce the effect of great crimes. Vigour to secure, and opportunely to exert their constitutional power, is as essential as mode- ration not to exceed it. " May it not be observed, without risking the im- putation of flattery, that perhaps never, in the his- tory of the world, has any country been so unin- terruptedly blessed with that very temperament of government, which is here implied, as this empire has been, under the dominion of the House of Hanover? There has, on no occasion, been a want of firmness: but with that firmness, there has been a conscientious regard to the principles of the con- stitution. Who can at this moment pretend to pro- nounce how much we owe to the steady integrity which is so obviously possessed by our present Sovereign? And who does not remember with what good effects his resolute composure and dig- nified firmness were exerted, during a scene of the greatest alarm which has occurred in his reign — the riots of the year 1780?" "At this tumultuous period, when we have seen almost all the thrones of Christendom trembling to their foundation, we have witnessed the British constitution, like the British oak, confirmed and rooted by the shaking of that tremendous blast, which has stripped kingdoms of their crowns, le- velled the fences and inclosures of law, laid waste 80 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the best earthly blessings of mankind, and involved in desolation a large part of the civilized world. When we have beheld absolute monarchies, and republican states, alike ravaged by the tempest, shall we not learn still more highly to prize onr own unparalleled political edifice, built with such fair proportions, on principles so harmonious and so just, that one part affords to another that sup- port which, in its turn, it receives; while each lends strength, as well as stability, to all? "History is the glass by which the royal mind should be dressed. If it be delightful for a private individual, to enter with the historian into every scene which he describes, and into every event which he relates; to be introduced into the interior of the Roman senate, or the Athenian Areopagus; to follow Pompey to Pharsalia, Miltiades to Mara- thon, or Marlborough to Blenheim ; how much more interesting will this be to a Sovereign? To him, for whom senates debate, for whom armies engage, and who himself is to be a prime actor in the drama! Of how much more importance is it to him, to possess an accurate knowledge of all the successive governments of that world, in a prin- cipal government of which he is one day to take the lead ! To possess himself of the experience of ancient states, of the wisdom of every antecedent age! To learn moderation from the ambition of one, caution from the rashness of another, and pru- dence, perhaps, from the indiscretion of both ! To apply foregone examples to his own use; adopting what is excellent, shunning what is erroneous, and omitting what is irrelevant! " Reading and observation are the two grand sources of improvement; but they lie not equally open to all. From the latter, the sex and habits of a royal female, in a good measure, exclude her. She must then, in a great degree, depend on the information which books afford, opened and illus- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 87 irated by her preceptor. Though her personal ob- servation must be limited, her advantages from his- torical sources may be large and various." Of Queen Elizabeth, whom the Princess Char- lotte evidently selected as her model, Mrs. More says, " Elizabeth's great natural capacity was, as has been before observed, improved by an excel- lent education. Her native vigour of mind had been early called forth by a series of uncommon trials. The circumspection she had been, from childhood, obliged to exercise, taught her prudence. The difficulties which beset her, accustomed her to self-control. Can we, therefore, doubt, that the steadiness of purpose, and undaunted resolution which she manifested on almost every occasion during her long reign, were greatly to be attributed to that youthful discipline? She would, probably, never have acquired such an ascendency over the mind of others, had she not early learned so abso- lute a command over her own. " On coming to the crown, she found herself sur- rounded with those obstacles which display great characters, but overset ordinary minds. The vast work of the Reformation, which had been under- taken by her brother Edward, but crushed in the verv birth, as far as was within human power, by the bigot Mary, was resumed and accomplished by Elizabeth ; and that, not in the calm of security, not in the fulness of undisputed power, but even while that power was far from being confirmed, and that security was liable, every moment, to be shaken by the most alarming commotions. She had pre- judices, apparently insurmountable, to overcome; she had heavy debts to discharge; she had an almost ruined navy to repair; *he had a debased coin to restore; she had empty magazines to fill; she had a decaying commerce to invigorate ; she had an exhausted exchequer to replenish, — All these, bv the blessing of God on the strength of her 4 88 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS mind, and the wisdom of her councils, she accom- plished. She not only paid her own debts, but, without any great additional burdens on her sub- jects, she discharged those also which were due to the people from her two immediate predecessors. At the same time, she fostered genius, she encou- raged literature, she attracted all the great talents of the age within the sphere of her own activity. And though she constantly availed herself of all the judgment and talents of her ministers, her acqui- escence in their measures was that of conviction, never of implicit confidence. " Her exact frugality may not, by superficial judges, be reckoned among the shining parts of her character. Yet, those who see more deeply must allow, that it was a quality from which the most important benefits were derived to her people; and, without which, all her great abilities would have been comparatively inefficient. The parsimony of her grandfather was the rapine and exaction of an extortioner; hers, the wise economy of a provident parent. " The distinguishing qualities of Elizabeth appear to have been economy, prudence, and moderation. Yet, in some instances, the former was rigid, not to say unjust.* Nor had her frugality always the purest motive. She was, it is true, very unwilling to trouble parliament for money, for which, indeed, they were extremely unwilling to be troubled; but her desire to keep herself independent of them, seems to have been the motive for this forbearance. What she might have gained in supplies, she must have lost in power. "To her moderation, and that middle line of con- duct which she observed, much of her success may be ascribed. To her moderation in the contests * Particularly her keeping the see of Ely vacant nineteen years, in order to retain the revenue. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 89 between Papists and Puritans, it is chiefly to be attributed, that the Reformation issued in a happier medium in England, than in any other country. — To her moderation in respect to foreign war, from which she was singularly averse, may be ascribed that rapid improvement at home, which took place under her reign. — If we were to estimate Elizabeth as a private female, she would, doubtless, appear entitled to but little veneration : if as an instrument raised up by Divine Providence, to carry through the most arduous enterprises, in the most difficult emergencies, we can hardly rate her too highly. We owe her much, as Englishmen. As Protestants, what do we not owe her? If we look at the woman, we shall see much to blame; if at the sovereign, we shall see almost every thing to admire. Her great faults, though they derogated from her personal character, seldom deeply affected her administration. "Our censures, therefore, must not be lost in our admiration ; nor must our gratitude warp our judg- ment. And it may be useful to inquire, how it came to pass that Elizabeth, with so much power, so much prudence, and so much popularity, should at length be completely miserable, and die neg- lected and forsaken, her sun setting ingloriously after so bright a day of prosperity and honour? "Vanity was, too probably, the spring of some of Elizabeth's most admired actions; but the same vanity also produced that jealousy, which termi- nated in the death of Mary. It was the same vanity which led her first to court the admiration of Essex, and then to suffer him to fall a victim to her wounded pride. Her temper was uncontrolled. While we pardon her ignorance of the principles of liberty, we should not forget how little she respected the privileges of parliament, claiming a right of imprisoning its very members, without deigning to give any account of her proceedings. " Policy was her favourite science, but in that 4. m 90 MEMOIRS OF HER ROVAL HIGHNESS day a liberal policy was not understood; and Eli- zabeth was too apt to substitute both simulation and dissimulation, for an open and generous con- duct. This dissimulation at length lost her the con- fidence of her subjects, and, while it inspired her with a distrust, it also forfeited the attachment, of her friends. Her insincerity, as was natural, in- fected those around her. The younger Cecil him- self was so far alienated from his royal mistress, and tainted with the prevailing spirit of intrigue, as to be secretly corresponding with her rival, James. "That such mortifying occurrences were too likely to arise, from the very nature of existing cir- cumstances, where the dying Prince was the last of her race, and the nearly vacant throne about to be possessed by a stranger, must assuredly be allowed. But it may still be asserted, that nothing but defi- ciency of moral character could have so desolated the closing scene of an illustrious Princess. Real virtue will, in every rank, draw upon it disinterested regard ; and a truly virtuous Sovereign will net be shut out from a more than ordinary share in this general blessing. It is honourable to human nature to see the dying William, pressing to his bosom the hand of Bentinck ; but it will be still more con- solatory, as well as instructive, to compare, with the forsaken death-bed of Elizabeth, the exemplary closing scene of the second Mary, as described by Burnet, an eye-witness of the affecting event which he relates." In treating of the distinguishing characters of Christianity, Miss More remarks, that " in forming the mind of the Royal Pupil, an early introduc- tion to the scriptures, the depository of every im- portant truth, will doubtless be considered as a matter of prime concern. And, as her mind opens, it will be thought necessary to point out to her, how one great event led to another still greater; till, at length, we see a series accomplished, and an im- 3 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 91 movable foundation laid for our faith and hope, which includes every essential principle of moral virtue and genuine happiness." Speaking of flattery, this judicious writer ob- serves, that, " while every tendency to art or dis- simulation should be reprobated, the most exact caution should be inculcated, and the keenest dis- cernment cultivated, in the royal education. All that can improve the judgment, sharpen the pene- tration, or give enlarged views of the human mind, should be put in exercise. A Prince should possess that sort of sight, which, while it takes in remote views, accurately distinguishes near objects. To the eye of the lynx, which no minuteness can elude, should be added that of the eagle, which no bright- ness can blind ; for whatever dazzles, darkens. He should acquire that justness, as well as extent of mind, which should enable him to study the cha- racter of his enemies, and decide upon that of his friends ; to penetrate keenly, but not invidiously, into the designs of others, and vigilantly to scruti- nize his own. His mind should be stored, not with shifts and expedients, but with large and liberal plans; not with stratagems, but resources; not with subterfuges, but principles; not with prejudices, but reasons. He should treasure up sound maxims, to teach him to act consistently; be provided with steady measures, suited to the probable occasion, together with a pomptitude of mind, prepared to vary them, so as to meet any contingency. " In no instance will those, who have the care of forming the Royal Pupil, find a surer exercise of their wisdom and integrity, than in their endeavours to guard the mind from the deadly poison of flattery. 'Many kings,' says the witty South, 'have beeu destroyed by poison ; but none has been so effica- ciously mortal as that drunk in by the ear.' " Intellectual taste, it is true, is much refined since the Grecian sophist tried to cure the melan- 0*2 MEMOIRS OF KER ROYAL HIGHNESS choly of Alexander, by telling him, that 'Justice •was painted, as seated near the throne of Jupiter, to indicate that right and wrong depended on the will of kings; all whose actions ought to be ac- counted just, both by themselves and others.' "Compliments are not now absurd and extrava- gant, as when the most elegant of Roman poets invited his imperial master to pick out his own lodging among the constellations; nor, as when the bard of Pharsalia offered to the emperor his choice, cither, of the sceptre of Jupiter, or the chariot of Apollo; modestly assuring him, that there was not a god in the pantheon, who would not yield his empire to him, and account it an honour to resign in his favour. This meritorious prince, so worthy to displace the gods, was Nero! who rewarded Lucan, not for his adulation, but for being a better poet than himself, with a violent death. "The smooth and obsequious Pliny improved on all anterior adulation. Not content with making his emperor the imitator, or the equal of deity, he makes him a pattern for it; protesting that 'men needed to make no other prayers to the gods, than that they would continue to be as good and propi- tious lords to them as Trajan had been.' "But the refined sycophant of modern days is more likely to hide the actual blemishes, and to veil the real faults of a Prince from himself, than to attribute to him incredible virtues, the ascription of which would be too gross to impose on his discernment. There will be more danger of a modern courtier imitating the delicacy of the ancient painter, who, being ordered to draw the portrait of a Prince who had but one eye, adopted the conciliating expedient of painting him in profile. " But if the modern flatterer be less gross, he will be, on that very account, the more dangerous. The refinement of his adulation prevents the object of it from putting himself on his guard. The Prince THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 93 is led, perhaps, to conceive with self-complacency that he is hearing the language of truth, while he is only the dupe of a more accomplished flatterer. He should especially beware of mistaking freedom of manner, for frankness of sentiment; and of con- founding the artful familiarities of a designing fa- vourite, with the honest simplicity of a disinterested friend. " Where, in our more correct day, is the courtier who would dare to add profaneness to flattery so far, as to declare, as was done by the greatest phi- losopher this country ever produced, in his letter to Prince Charles, that, ' as the father had been his creator, so he hoped the son would be his redeemer?'* But what a noble contrast to this base and blasphemous servility in the Chancellor of James, does the conduct of the Chancellor of his grandson exhibit ! The unbending rectitude of Clarendon not only disdained to flatter, in his pri- vate intercourse, a master to whom however his pen is always too partial, but it led him boldly and honestly to remonstrate against his flagitious con- duct. A standing example for all times, to the servants and companions of Kings, he resolutely reproved his master to his face; while he thought it his duty to defend him, somewhat too strongly, indeed, to others. He boldly besought the King, 1 not to believe that he had a prerogative to declare vice to be virtue.' And in one of the noblest speeches on record, in answer to a dishonourable request of the King, that he would visit some of His Majesty's infamous associates; he laid before him, with a lofty sincerity, ' the turpitude of a man in his dignified office, being obliged to countenance persons scan- dalous for their vices, for which, by the laws of God and man, they ought to be odious and exposed to the judgment of the church and state.' — In this * See Howell's Letters. 94 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS instance superior to his great rival Sully, that no desire of pleasing the King, no consideration of expediency, could induce him to visit the royal mis- tresses, or to countenance the licentious favourites. " But the royal person whom we presume to advise, may, from the very circumstance of her sex, have more complicated dangers to resist; against which her mind should he early fortified. The dangers of adulation are doubled, when the female character is combined with the royal. Even the vigorous mind of the great Elizabeth did not guard her against the powerful assaults of the flattery paid to her person. That masculine spirit was as much the slave of the most egregious vanity, as the weakest of her sex could have been. All her admirable prudence and profound policy, could not preserve her from the childish and silly levity with which she greedily invited the compliments of the artful minister of her more beautiful rival. Even that gross instance of Melvil's extravagance enchanted her, when, as she was playing on Mary's favourite instrument, for the purpose of being overheard by him, the dissembling courtier affected to be so ravished by her skill, as to burst into her apartment, like an enraptured man, who had forgotten his reverence in his admiration. It was a curious combat in the great mind of Eliza- beth, between the offended pride of the queen, and the gratified vanity of the woman ; but Melvil knew his trade, in knowing human nature; — he calculated justly. The woman conquered. " But, in our happier days, as subjects (it is pre- sumed) indulge no such propensities, so, under our happier constitution, have they no such opportu- nities. Yet powerful, though gentler, and almost unapparent means, may be employed to weaken the virtue, and injure the fame of a prince. — To degrade his character, he need only be led into one vice, idleness ; and be attacked by one weapon, flattery. Indiscriminate acquiescence, and soothing adulation, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 95 will lay his mind open to the incursion of every evil, without his being aware of it; for his table is not the place where he expects to meet an enemy, con- sequently he is not on his guard against him. And where he is thus powerfully assailed, the kindest nature, the best intentions, the gentlest manners, and the mildest dispositions, cannot be depended on for prese*ring him from those very corruptions, to which the worst propensities lead ; and there is a degree of facility, which, from softness of temper, becomes imbecility of mind. " For there is hardly a fault a Sovereign can com- mit, to which flattery may not incline him. It impels to opposite vices ; to apathy and egotism, the natural failings of the great; to ambition which inflames the heart, to anger which distorts it; to hardness which deadens, and to selfishness which degrades it. He should be taught, as the intrepid Masillon* taught his youthful Prince, that the flattery of the courtier, contradictory as the assertion may seem, is little less dangerous than the disloyalty of the rebel. Both would betray him ; and the crime of him who would dethrone, and of him who would debase his Prince, however they may differ in a political, differ but little in a moral view : nay, the ill effects of the traitor's crime may, to the Prince at least, be bounded by time, while the consequences of the flatterer's may extend to eternity." After exposing the false reasoning of those who suppose that religion is not necessary to the well- being of states, Miss More thus proceeds: " It is the more extraordinary that any writers, not deli- berately hostile to the cause of religion and virtue, should have given any degree of countenance to the pernicious error, which we have been so long com- bating; because the opposite opinion has been laid * See Masillon's Sermons, abounding equally in the sublimest piety and the richest eloquence. 96 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS down, as an incontestible axiom, by those who will not be suspected of any extravagant zeal for the cre- dit of religion, but, who speak the dictates of strong sense, and deep observation. Hear, then, the able, but profligate, Machiavel. — ' Those princes and commonwealths, who would keep their governments entire and uncorrupt, are, above all things, to have a care of religion and its ceremonies, and preserve them in due veneration; for in the whole world, there is not a greater sign of imminent ruin, than when God and his worship are despised.' — ' A Prince, therefore, ought most accurately to regard, that his religion be well-founded, and then his government will last; for there is no surer way, than to keep that good and united. Whatever therefore occurs, that may auy way be extended to the advantages and reputation of the religion they design to establish, by all means they are to be propagated and encouraged ; and the wiser the Prince, the more sure it is to be done.' — « And if this care of divine worship were regarded by Chris- tian Princes, according to the precepts and instruc- tions of Him who gave it at first, the states and commonwealths of Christendom would be much more happy aud firm.'* " Machiavel, it will be said, was at once an infidel and a hypocrite, who did not believe the truth of that religion, the observance of which he solicitously enforced. Be it so; it still deducts nothing from the force of the argument as to the political uses of religion. — For, if the mere forms and institutions, 1 the outward and visible signs' of Christianity, were acknowledged to be, as they really are, of so great value, by this shrewd politician, what might not be the effect of its ' inward and spiritual grace?' " When two able men, of totally opposite prin- ciples and characters, pointedly agree on any one * Machiavel's Discourses on Livy. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 97 important topic, there is a strong presumption, that they meet in a truth. Such an unlooked-for con- formity may be found, in two writers, so decidedly opposite to each other, as our incomparable Bishop Butler, and the Florentine Secretary above cited. Who will suspect Butler of being a visionary enthu- siast? Yet has he drawn a most beautiful picture of the happiness of an imaginary state, which should be perfectly virtuous for a succession of ages. ' In such a state,' he insists, ' there would be no faction. Public determinations would really be the result of united wisdom. All would contribute to the general prosperity, and each would enjoy the fruits of his own virtue. Injustice, force, and fraud, would be unknown — Such a kingdom would influence the whole earth ; the head of it would indeed be a uni- versal Monarch, in a new sense, and all people, nations, and languages, would serve him." Having proved that Integrity is the true Political Wisdom, our author further states, that " It is, therefore, the only safety, and the only wisdom, and the only sure unfading prudence, instead of pur- suing our own devious paths, to commit our con- cerns to God; to walk in his straight ways, and obey his plain commands. For, after all, the widest sphere of a mere worldly politician is but narrow. The wisdom of this world is bounded by this world, the dimensions of which are so contracted, and its duration so short, in the eye of true philosophy, as to strip it of all real grandeur. All the enjoyments of this world, says the eloquent South, are much too short for an immortal soul to stretch itself upon : a soul which shall persist in being not only when honour and fame, but when time itself shall cease to be. The deepest worldly projector, with the widest views, and the strongest energies, even when flushed with success, must, if his mind has never learned to shoot forward into the boundless eternity of an unseen world, feel his genius cramped, his wing 4. N yU MEMOIRS OF HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS flag, and his spirit at a stand. There seems to have been a spark of the immortal fire even in the regrets of Alexander. It is probable he would not have wept, because he had no more worlds to conquer, had he not deeply felt the sting of disappointment at finding no joy in having conquered this, and thence inferred a kind of vague and shapeless idea of another. There will be always too vast a dis- proportion between the appetites and enjoyments of the ambitious to admit of their being happy. No- thing can fill the desires of a great soul, but what he is persuaded will last as long as he himself shall last. " To worldly minds it would sound paradoxical to assert that ambition is a little passion : — to affirm that if really great views, and truly enlarged notions, were impressed upon the soul, they would be so far from promoting, that they would cure this passion. The excellent Bishop Berkeley, beholding the ra- vages which ambition had made in his time in France, could not help wishing that its encroaching Monarch had been bred to the study of astronomy, that he might learn from thence how mean and little that ambition is which terminates in a small part of what is itself but a point, compared with that part of the uuiverse which lies within our view." In her remarks on the true Arts of Popularity, Miss More states, that " The desire of praise and reputation is commonly the first motive of action in second rate, and a secondary motive in first rate characters. That, in the former case, men who are not governed by a higher principle, are often so keenly alive to human opinion, as to be restrained by it from such vices as would disturb the peace of society, is an instance of the useful provision made by the great Governor of all things, for the good order of the world. " But in Princes, none of whose actions are indif- ferent, who are ■ the observed of all observers,' 4 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 99 reputation cannot be too highly prized. A negli- gence respecting public opinion, or a contempt for the judgment of posterity, would be inexcusable in those, whose conduct must, in no inconsiderable degree, give, in their own time, the law to manners, and whose example will hereafter be adduced, by future historians, either to illustrate virtue, or to exemplify vice, and to stimulate to good or evil Monarchs yet unborn. " * A Prince,' however, as a late eloquent states- man* observed in his own case, * should love that fame which follows, not that which is pursued.' He should bear in mind, that shadows owe their being to substances ; that true fame derives its exist- ence from something more solid than itself; that reputation is not the precursor, nor the cause, but the fruit and effect, of merit. " A desire of popularity is still more honest in Princes than in other men. And when the end for which it is sought, and the means by which it is pursued, are strictly just, the desire is not only blameless, but highly laudable. Nor is it ever cen- surable, except where the affection of the people is sought, by plausible means, for pernicious purposes. On the part of the people, attachment is a natural feeling, which nothing but persevering misconduct in their rulers can ever wear out. A Prince should learn not to listen to those flatterers who would keep him ignorant of the public opinion. The dis- contents of the people should not be stifled before they reach the royal ear; nor should their affection be represented as a fund which can never be drained. It is a rich and precious stock, which should not be too often drawn upon. Imprudence will diminish, oppression will exhaust it. A Prince should never measure his rights over a people by the greatness of their attachment; the warmth of their zeal being a * The first Earl of Mansfield, 100 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS call for his kindness, not a signal for his exactions. Improvident rigour would wear out that affection, which justice would increase, and consideration confirm. " Britons, in general, possess that obsequium erga re&es. which Tacitus ascribes to the Swedes. While they passionately love liberty, they also patiently bear those reasonable burdens which are necessary in order to preserve it. But this character of our countrymen seems not to have been so well under- stood, at least not so fairly represented, by one of their own Sovereigns, as by a foreigner and an enemy. The unfortunate James calls them ' a fickle, giddy, and rebellious people.' If the charge were true, he and his family rather made, than found them such. Agricola had pronounced them to be a people, ' who cheerfully complied with the levies of men, and the imposition of taxes, and with all the duties enjoined by government, provided they met with just and lawful treatment from their governors.' — ' Nor have the Romans,' continues he, ' any farther conquered them, than only to form them to obedience. They never will submit to be slaves'* It is pleasant to behold the freest of nations, even now, acting up to the character given them by the first of historians, on such unquestionable authority as that of their illustrious invader, near two thousand years ago." On the Graces of Deportment, with direct refer- ence to the Princess, Miss More observes, " Just views of herself, and of what she owes to the world, of that gentleness which Christianity inculcates, and that graciousness which her station enjoins, will, taking the usual advantages into the account, scarcely fail to produce in the Royal Pupil a deport- ment at once dignified and engaging. The firmest substances alone are susceptible of the most exqui- site polish, while the meanest materials will admit * Tacitus's Life of Agricola. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 101 of being varnished. True fine breeding never be- trays any tincture of that vanity, which is the effect of a mind struggling to conceal its faults; nor of that pride, which is not conscious of possessing any. This genuine politeness, resulting from illustrious birth, inherent sense, and implanted virtue, will render superfluous the documents of Chesterfield, and the instructions of Castiglione. " But the acquisition of engaging manners, and all the captivating graces of deportment, need less occupy the mind of the Royal Person, as she will acquire these attractions by a sort of instinct, almost without time or pains. They will naturally be copied from those illustrious examples of grace, ease, and condescending dignity, which fill, and which surround the throne. And she will have the less occasion for looking to remote, or foreign ex- amples, to learn the true arts of popularity, while the illustrious Personage, who wears the crown, continues to exhibit not only a living pattern by what honest means the warm affections of a people are won, but by what rectitude, piety, and patriotism, they may be preserved, and increased, under every succession of trial, and every vicissitude of circum- stance." The following instance of erroneous judgment, in the person of Christina, Queen of Sweden, with a parallel between that Princess and Alfred the Great, concludes the chapter set apart for that subject : " We know not how better to illustrate the na- ture, and confirm the truth of these remarks, than by adducing, as an eminent instance of a contrary kind, the character of Queen Christina of Sweden, the memorable tale of her false judgment, and per- verted ambition — Christina, a woman whose whole character was one mass of contradictions! That same defect in judgment, which, after she had, with vast cost and care, collected some of the finest i ■ -n - i i j. Nil - V ' 102 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS pictures in Rome, led her to spoil their proportions, by clipping them with shears, till they fitted her apartment, appeared in all she did. It led her, while she thirsted for adulation, to renounce, in abdicating her crown, the means of exacting it. It led her to read almost all books, without digesting any; to make them the theme of her discourse, but not the ground of her conduct. It led her, fond as as she was of magnificence, to reduce herself to such a state of indigence, as robbed her of the power of enjoying it. And it was the same inconsistency, which made her court the applause of men eminent for their religious character, while she valued her- self on being an avowed infidel. "This royal wanderer roamed from country to country, and from court to court, for the poor pur- pose of entering the lists with wits, or of discussing knotty points with philosophers: proudly aiming to be the rival of Vossius, when her true merit would have consisted in being his protector. Absurdly renouncing the solid glory of governing well, for the sake of hunting after an empty phantom of liberty, which she never enjoyed, and vainly grasping at the shadow of fame, which she never attained. " Nothing is right, which is not in its right place. Disorderly wit, even disorderly virtues, lose much of their natural value.. There is an exquisite sym- metry and proportion in the qualities of a well- ordered mind. An ill-regulated desire of that knowledge, the best part of which she might have acquired with dignity, at her leisure hours; an un- bounded vanity, eager to exhibit to foreign countries those attainments which ought to have been exer- cised in governing her own ; — to be thought a phi- losopher by wits, and a wit by philosophers; — this was the preposterous ambition of a Queen born to rule a brave people, and naturally possessed of talents, which might have made that people happy. Thus it was, that the daughter of the great Gus- THE PlilNCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 103 tavus, who might have adorned that throne fur which he so bravely fought, for want of the discre- tion of a well-balanced mind, and the virtues of a well-disciplined heart, became the scorn of those, whose admiration she might have commanded. Her ungoverned tastes were, as is not unusual, connected with passions equally ungovernable; and there is too much ground for suspecting, that the mistress of Monaldeschi, ended with being his murderer. It is not surprising, that she who abdicated her throne, should abjure her religion. Having re- nounced every thing else which was worth pre- serving, she ended by renouncing the Protestant faith. " It may not be without its uses to the Royal Pupil, to compare the conduct of Christina with that of Alfred, in those points in which they agreed, and those in which they exhibited so striking an opposition. — To contrast the Swede, who, with the advantage of a lettered education, descended from the throne, abandoned the noblest and wisest sphere of action in which the instructed mind could desire to employ its stores, aud renounced the highest social duties which a human being can be called to perform; with Alfred, one of the few happy instances in which genius and virtue surmounted the disad- vantages of an education so totally neglected, that at twelve years old he did not even know the letters of the alphabet. He did not abdicate his crown, in order to cultivate his own talents, or to gratify his faucy with the talents of others, but laboured right royally to assemble round the throne all the abilities of his country. Alfred had no sooner tasted the charms of learning, than his great genius unfolded itself. He was enchanted with the elegancies of literature to a degree which, at first, seemed likely to divert him from all other objects. But he soon reflected, that a Prince is not born for himself. When, therefore, he was actually called to the 104 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS throne, did he weakly desert his royal duties, to run into distant lands, to recite Saxon verses, or to repeat that classic poetry of which he became so enamoured? No: Like a true patriot, he devoted his rare genius to the noblest purposes. He dedi- cated the talents of the Sovereign to the improve- ment of the people. He did not renounce his learn- ing when he became a King, but he consecrated it to a truly royal purpose. And while the Swedish vagrant was subsisting on eleemosynary flattery, bestowed in pity to her real, but misapplied, abili- ties, Alfred was exercising his talents like the father of his country. He did not consider study as a mere gratification of his own taste. He knew that a King has nothing exclusively his own, not even his literary attainments. He threw his erudition, like his other possessions, into the public stock. He diffused among the people his own knowledge, which flowed in all directions, like streams from their parent fountain, fertilizing every portion of the human soil, so as to produce, if not a rapid growth, yet a disposition both for science and virtue, where, shortly before, there had been a barbarous waste, a complete moral and mental desolation." Miss More concludes her remarks on those Princes who have obtained the name of the Great, with the following interesting account: " If ever Henry IV. of France peculiarly deserved the appellation of great, it was after the victory at Coutras, for that noble magnanimity in the very moment of conquest, which compelled a pious divine, then present, to exclaim — * Happy, and highly favoured of Heaven, is that Prince, who sees at his feet his enemies humbled bv the hand of mi God ; his table surrounded by his prisoners, his room bung with the ensigns of the vanquished, without the slightest emotion of vanity or inso- lence! who can maintain, in the midst of such glo- rious successes, the same moderation with which THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 105 he has borne the severest adversity!' — He deserved it, when, as he was besieging Paris, which was perishing with famine, he commanded the besiegers to admit supplies to the besieged. — He deserved it at the battle of Ivri, not when he gallantly ordered his soldiers to follow his white plume, which would be the signal of victory, nor afterwards, when that victory was complete; but it was, when, just before the engagement, he made a solemn renunciation of his own might and his own wisdom, and submitted the event to God in this incomparable prayer. " 'O Lord God of hosts, who hast in thy hand all events; if thou knowest that my reign will promote thy glory, and the safety of thy people; if thou knowest that I have no other ambition, but to ad- vance the honour of thy name, and the good of the state; favour, O great God, the justice of my arms. But if thy good Providence has decreed otherwise; if thou seest that I should prove one of those Kings whom thou givest in thine anger; take from me, O merciful God, my life and my crown. Make me this day a sacrifice to thy will; let my death end the calamities of my country, and let my blood be the last that shall be spilt in this quarrel.' : O si sic omnia ! O that all were such ! The esteemed authoress, from whom we have taken these important extracts, thus notices the succession of the House of Hanover, in the person of George I. to the throne: "A more remarkable event is scarcely to be found in the annals of the world. Nothing could be more essential to the interests of British liberty, than that they, who were concerned for its main- tenance, should be possessed of the promptest and most unexceptionable means of filling the vacant throne. No Prince was fitted to their purpose, who was not zealously attached to the Protestant 5. o 10(5 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS religion; and it was desirable that he should, at the game time, possess soch a title, on ground of con- sanguinity, as lhat the principle of hereditary mo- narchy might be as little departed from as the exigencies of the case would admit. For the se- curing of both these radical objects, what an ade- quate provision was made in the Princess Sophia, and her illustrious offspring! The connexion thus near, was made interesting by every circumstance which could engage the hearts of English Protes- tants. The Princess Sophia was the only remain- ing child of that only remaining daughter of James the First, who, being married to one of the most zealous Protestant Princes of the empire, became his partner in a series of personal and domestic distresses, in which his committing himself, on the cause of the Protestants of Bohemia, involved him and his family for near half a century. In her, all the rights of her mother, as well as of her father, were vested; and while by the electoral dignity (of which her father had been deprived) being restored to her husband, the Duke of Hanover, she seemed, in part, compensated for the afflictions of her earlier life, — her personal character, in which distinguished wit and talents were united with wisdom and piety,* both these last, probably taught her in the school of adversity, procured for. her the admiration of all who knew her, as well as the veneration of those whose religious sentiments were congenial with her own. " Such was the mother of George the First! She lived, enjoying her bright faculties to a very advanced age, to see a throne prepared for her son, far more glorious than that from which her father had been driven ; or, what to her excellent mind * See M. Chevreau's Character of the Princess Sophia, quoted by Addison. Freeholder, No. 30. See also two of her own letters to Bishop Burnet, in his Life, annexed to his Own Times. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 107 was still more gratifying, she saw herself preserved, after the extinction of all the other branches of her paternal house, to furnish, in the most honourable instance possible, an invaluable stay and prop for that cause, on account of which her parents and their children seemed, for a time, to have 'suffered the loss of all things.' " Whether, then, we consider the succession of the House of Hanover, as the means of finally establishing our civil and religious constitution, which then only can be regarded as having attained a perfect triumph over every kind of opposition; — or whether we view it as a most signal act of that retributive goodness which has promised, 'that every one who forsaketh house, or brethren, or lands, for his sake, shall receive manifold more even in this present life;' — I say, in whichsoever light we contemplate it, — especially if we connect it with the series of previous events in England, — and, above all, compare it with the fate of the family from which the parent Princess had sprung, — but which, after being chastised to no purpose, was rejected, to make room for those who had suffered in so much nobler a cause, and with so much better effect, — what can we say, but with the Psalmist, ' that promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south : but God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red ; it is full mixed, and he poureth out of the same. But as for the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. All the horns also of the wicked shall be cut off, but the horns of the righ- teous shall be exalted.' " Another less momentous, yet highly interesting instance of providential remuneration, connected with this great event, must not be passed over. It shall be given in the words of a living and a near 108 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS observer. — 'A wife,' says Bishop Burnet, ■ was to be sought for Prince Charles (the Emperor's brother, whom the allies wished to establish on the Spanish throne) among the Protestant courts, for there was not a suitable match in the Popish courts. He had seen the Princess of Anspach, and was much taken with her, so that great applications were made to persuade her to change her religion ; but she could not be prevailed on to buy a crown at so dear a rate. And soon after, she was married to the Prince Electoral of Brunswick ; which gave a glo- rious character of her to this nation. And her pious firmness is like to be rewarded, even in this life, by a much better crown than that which she rejected.* Surely, this portion of our Queen Caroline's history deserves to be had in perpetual remembrance!' "The same Prelate, speaking of King William, says, * I considered him as a person raised up of God, to resist the power of France, and the progress of tyranny and persecution. The thirty years, from the year 1672 to his death, in which he acted so great a part, carry in them so many amazing steps of a glorious and distinguishing Providence, that in the words of David he may be called, — The man of God's right hand, whom he made strong for himself "But if there were just ground for this remark respecting this particular period, and this individual Personage, what shall we say of the entire chain of providences which runs through our whole national history, from the landing of our Saxon ancestors to the present hour? May it not be confidently asked, Is there at this day a nation upon earth, whose cir- cumstances appear so clearly to have been arranged, and bound together, by the hands of Him ' who does whatsoever he pleases both in heaven and earth ?' "* Burnet's Own Times, 1707. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 109 " That the purposes of this great scheme have, as yet, been most inadequately answered, as far as onr free agency is concerned, is a deep ground for onr humiliation, but no argument against the reality of providential direction. The sacred history of the Jews, the only people who have been more distin- guished than ourselves, presents to us not only their unparalleled obligations to the Almighty, but also a series of such abuses of those mercies, as at length brought upon them a destruction as unexampled as their guilt. The great purposes of Heaven cannot be frustrated; but the instrument which embarrassed the process may, too surely, be excluded from any share in the beneficial results, and be, on the con- trary, the distinguished victim of indignation. Thus Judea, in spite of all its apostasies, was made sub- servient to its original object. In spite of the bar- renness of the parent tree, the mystic branch was made to spring from its roots; but this purpose being once served, the tree itself, nourished as it had been with the chief fatness of the earth, and with the richest dews' of heaven, was ' hewn down and cast into the fire.' " Let England, let those especially of rank and influence, and, above all, let the Personage whose high, but most awful trust it may be, to have the delegated oversight of this vineyard, which God has 1 fenced and planted with the choicest vine ;' let all feel the weight of their responsibility, and avert those judgments which divine justice may deem commensurate to our abused advantages !" It is impossible to have read these extracts with- out lamenting that the illustrious Individual, for whose benefit this wise and pious lady had collected such a rich store of sound precepts and salutary example, should only have lived long enough to enable us to form some idea of the degree of excel- lence to which she would have attained, beneath ]10 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the care of such a preceptor as the Prelate to whom Miss More dedicated her work, and by whom it was most cordially approved. The proficiency of Her Royal Highness, in her studies, soon placed her far above the common acquirements of merely fashionable females. Her pious and venerable tutor happily succeeded in forming her mind upon the judicious plan, advanced in the able work already quoted. The principles of the Christian religion were inculcated with exem- plary attention ; and with such assiduity was the important work of her education performed, that, it is said, the tuition, which began at six in the morn- ing, generally continued, with short intermission, until the close of the day. The accomplishments of the Princess comprehended not only the poetry and classical writers of her own country, but a consi- derable acquaintance with ancient literature. No doubt can now exist of the truth of these facts, since they are confirmed by the authority of the late venerable Bishop of London ; who, in a conver- sation which he states to have taken place at the Princess of Wales's house, at Black Heath, reports her not only to have been of the most inquisitive, but of the most intelligent mind. He adds, that he found her extremely well versed in all the branches of English Literature suited to her age, and that her progress in moral and Christian studies far exceeded his expectation. Whilst the more solid and serious pursuits of education were in the course of acquisition, the elegant and refined parts were not overlooked, nor neglected. Her Royal Highness was an excellent musician; she performed on the harp, the piano, and the guitar, with uncommon skill. Her voice was not powerful, but sweet, and scientifically modulated : she had a most excellent ear, and a brilliant execution. She spoke French, German, Italian, and Spanish, with considerable fluency ; and the correctness of her ear enabled her THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. HI to catch the correct pronunciation of the words, and the inflexions of each language* with a precision which rarely falls to the lot of any individual who acquires the knowledge of a language in any other country than that to which it naturally belongs. It is well known, that in all her studies, the Princess had a particular eye to that station to which she knew she was born. The pages of history were most carefully perused, and she extracted the great and virtuous deeds of every illustrious female who had signalized herself in the annals of civilized nations. With the private and public character of every Queen of England, she was intimately ac- quainted : that of Elizabeth, as we have already remarked, appeared to be her favourite study ; and she seemed to have analyzed it with an uncommon degree of acuteness. On being once asked how she would have acted in the case of Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex, she answered, " I should, perhaps, have acted like Elizabeth ; I should have forgotten the Queen, and acted like the woman." Whilst her studies were thus pursued, the most scrupulous attention was paid to her health; and a temporary residence by the sea-side was recom- mended, as likely to prove highly beneficial to her. The mansion at Bognor, belonging to Mr. Wilson, was taken for a certain number of years, and thither Her Royal Highness repaired with her establish- ment. She had not resided there above a fortnight, when some fears were expressed of the dangerous consequences which might result to Her Royal Highness from the vicinity of her mansion to the depot for soldiers afflicted with the ophthalmia ; and a commission was appointed to investigate the possi- bility of persons residing in the neighbourhood being afflicted with the disease. Not one case of that nature had ever occurred ; and the physicians reported, that the contagion did not extend to per- sons who were not in immediate contact with the 5 112 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS iufected, or who did not sleep upon the same pillow. Without entering at this lime into the truth of that report, it must, doubtless, be admitted, that a more suitable place might have been selected for the tem- porary residence of the Heiress presumptive to the throne, than one, in the heart of which a depot for diseased invalids was situated. Warwick House, at Worthing, had been for some short time the resi- dence of the Princess Charlotte; but, for private reasons, that house was relinquished, and Bognor was fixed upon as the future summer residence of Her Royal Highness. It was, however, in this retreat that she may be said to have enjoyed a posi- tive degree of happiness, compared with that which she experienced when subject more particularly to the forms and etiquette of a residence in the metro- polis. It was here that the native hilarity of her disposition burst forth ; it was here that she felt herself unfettered from the tiresome ceremonies attendant on her elevated rank ; and her eye beamed with sparkling lustre as she threw its glances over that ocean on which the bulwarks of her nation rode, bearing the thunder of their vengeance on her country's foes, and triumphantly defending her shores from every r invader. The condescension of her manners, the affability of her conversation, the ease and freedom with which she received and returned the visits of the neighbouring gentry, the ready access to her presence on all occasions, when suffering indigence or sudden misfortune had a claim upon her bounty, endeared her to all ranks of people, and laid the basis to that high esteem and veneration for her virtues, which exists in that part of the coun- try to the present hour. Dressed like a plain lady, without the garnish of exterior ornament, it was highly pleasing to see her tripping down to Richardson's the baker's, about the time when she knew his buns were ready ; and, entering the shop, would sit and partake of them, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 113 and talk to the worthy baker about his business, as if she took an active interest in his concerns. Then, accompanied by Lady De Clifford, she would mount her car, drawn by her beautiful grey ponies, and, full of youthful mischief, she would drive into a field belonging- to Sir Thomas Troubridge, which hap- pened to be very uneven, and full of knolls and ruts, over which she would drive with uncommon speed, to the great annoyance of her companion, who made many a wry face at the sudden jolts which she re- ceived, and uttered many a shriek at the danger to which she was exposed : to all of which, and to her ardent expostulations, Her Royal Highness exclaimed, " Nothing like exercise, my lady ; no- thing like exercise." The Princess took particular pleasure in frequent- ing the beach, and collecting a species of sea-weed which bears a hard black berry, of which she formed some very beautiful necklaces. In one of her ram- bles, about two miles eastward of Bognor, her atten- tion was excited by some pieces of wood apparently decayed, on which a kind of metal, bright as gold, was thickly incrusted, and formed into configurations similar to the metallic ores in their crude state. On searching farther, a stratum of this apparently natu- ral phenomenon was discovered in one of the banks, and two labourers were procured, who, in a short time, obtained some beautiful specimens, which Her Royal Highness carried home with her. The heart of the Princess was not of that stamp to allow two labourers to work for her unrewarded, and she ordered that two guineas should be given to them. From some particular circumstances, the mystery of which would not require a Delphic oracle to solve, this bounty never reached the labourers; and so prone is human nature, especially of the lowest class, to attach a stigma to those of an elevated station, that Her Royal Highness was immediately denounced as mean and pitiful, and unworthy of the 5. P 114 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS name of a Princess. It happened about three weeks afterwards, that the wife of one of these labourers was brought to bed, which, on coming to the know- ledge of the Princess Charlotte, she directed that a necessary supply of linen and other articles should be immediately conveyed to the woman. The bearer of this bounty had no sooner delivered the Royal gift, than the good woman exclaimed, * Ay, ay ! now let people say what they will, I will maintain that she is a Princess ; and God bless her for ever.' " And what reason (asked the messenger) have the people to say, that Her Royal Highness is not a Princess?" ■ Why, they say (answered the woman) that it was mean and scandalous in her, when my husband and Tom Farlingham digged those queer things for Her Royal Highness out of the bank by the sea-side, that she did not give them as much as a sup of beer, though they sweated manfully for her/ " The accusation is false, (said the messenger,) for, to my positive knowledge, Her Royal Highness ordered two guineas to be given to your husband and his companion: and were they not given?" * Not one farthing,' answered the woman. The messenger left the cottage, and the circumstance was fully developed to Her Royal Highness, who set an immediate investigation on foot; the culprit, who had retained the two guineas for his own use, was discovered, and immediately dismissed the Royal service. The vane of public opinion changes with the accidents of the day; and the individual, to whom, in the morning, every opprobrious epithet has been applied, may, before the evening sets in, be extolled as one of the brightest patterns of moral excellence and purity. Another beautiful trait in the character of this accomplished and truly virtuous female was exhi- bited in the case of an officer, of long standing in the army, who was arrested at Bognor for a small sum ; and being unable, at a distance from his THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 115 friends, to procure sufficient bail, was on the point of being taken away from his family to Arundel jail. The circumstance came to the knowledge of the Princess, who, in the moment of a high and generous feeling, exclaimed, " I'll be his bail !" then suddenly recollecting herself, she inquired the amount of the debt; which being told her, "There," said she, " take this to him : it is hard that he who has exposed his life in the field of battle, should ever experience the rigours of a prison." Of the opinion which the Princess Charlotte enter- tained of the preceptress which had been selected for her, the following letter will convey a sufficient proof, and it also opens to us a beautiful trait in the character of Her Royal Highness. It was written to the Countess of Albemarle, the daughter of Lady De Clifford; and the interest of this letter is particularly enhanced by a lamentable event, the detail of which would be here prematurely introduced. " My ever dear Lady A , " I most heartily thank you for your very kind letter, which I hasten to answer. But I must not forget that this letter must be a letter of congratulation, yes, of congra- tulation the most sincere ; 1 love you, and therefore there is no wish that I do not form for your happiness in this world- May you have as few cares and vexations as may fall to the lot of man ; and may you long be spared, and may you long enjoy the blessing of all others the most precious — your dear mother — who is not more precious to you than to me. But there is a trifle which accompanies this, which I hope you will like ; and if it sometimes reminds you of me, it will be a great source of pleasure to me. I shall be most happy to see you, for it is long since I have had that pleasure. " Adieu, my dear Lady A , and believe me ever '* Your affectionate and sincere friend, (Signed) " Charlotte." 11C) MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS The following anecdotes, which occurred about this time, are strongly characteristic of tier Royal Highness's high spirit, sensibility, discrimination, and generous dispositions The Princess conceived a dislike for some particu- lar music, which her dancing master had directed for her; and refused to dance. The master said, he hoped Her Royal Highness would reconsider it, as he had a particular wish she should allow the music to proceed, because it materially regarded her improvement; adding, that unless she did so, he should be obliged to take his leave. Her Royal Highness declined to proceed, and suffered him to leave the room ; but, the moment after, ran out, begging him to return, and hear her go through her lesson. He returned, and she went through it very properly. By some means, Her Royal Father heard of the circumstance; and not wishing the presence of any person disagreeable to his daughter, desired the master to be dismissed : but the young Princess, when she understood what had taken place, was much chagrined, and successfully applied to have him replaced ; stating expressly, that herself alone had been to blame. About this time also Her Royal Highness had formed an acquaintance with some respectable young ladies at Worthing. On meeting them one day, she spoke to them very freely, and invited them to visit her the day following. Lady De Clifford, however, said to her, " Your Royal Highness condescended too much to those young ladies — you were too fami- liar with them — you must never forget your station ; and I hope to-morrow you will be more careful." On the morrow they came. The Princess was at her piano-forte; and there she remained, with Lady De Clifford at her elbow, and only bowed slightly to her visitors, keeping her seat, and continuing to play. Her visitors, of course, thought it was very strange, to see the Princess so kind the day before, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 117 and so suddenly altered; till at last, all of a sudden, Her Royal Highness left her seat, and joined them, saying-, (with an arch look at Lady De Clifford) "Well, my dear young ladies, 1 hope I have given you enough of royal dignity — I have thrown that aside, and now 1 act the part of a friend !" During her three summers' residence at Bognor, the Jubilee in honour of His Majesty was cele- brated ; and Mrs. Wilson, in commemoration of that event, established a school for the education of poor children. Of this school, Her Royal Highness became the patroness; and, under her auspices, and the benevolent exertions of the foundress, aided by the voluntary subscriptions of the inhabitants and visitors, the Jubilee School flourished. The promoters were at length encouraged to erect a new school-house. The plan for this new school was only a very short time ago presented to the Princess for her approbation, and a very handsome sum was immediately subscribed by Her Royal Highness, towards defraying the expense of the building. The Earl of Arran, a resident at Bognor, and one of the earliest friends of Her Royal Highness, laid the first stone, under the direction of the Princess; on which occasion a public breakfast was given by his Lord- ship. This may be quoted as one of the many instances of the manner in which this excellent Princess went about doing good; but by her death the Bognor Ju- bilee School, and many other excellent institutions, have lost a munificent benefactress; and by that lamentable event, some of the brightest hopes of the nation have been suddenly, and perhaps irreparably crushed. 118 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS CHAP. IV. Remarks on Constitutional Government. — Eulogium on His Majesty. — Regency Administration. — Party at Carlton House. — Anecdotes. — Letter of the Princess of Wales to the Prince Regent. — Princess Charlotte's Residence at Windsor. — 3Iusical Anecdotes. — Birth-day observed on her coming of Age. — Fete at Carlton House. — Resi- dence of the Princess at Warwick House. — Fur- ther Anecdotes. — Removes to Cranbourn Lodge. — Rejects the Prince of Orange. — Sudden Depar- ture of the Princess of Wales from England. — First Meeting of the Princess Charlotte with Prince Leopold. — Prince Leopold's hasty Return to the Continent. — History of his Family, fyc. fyc. .BEFORE we enter on the immediate business of the Regency, it may be necessary to take a cursory review of the ground over which we have passed. Though we have not attempted to give an historical detail of the Succession of the British Monarchs, our plan having limited us only to a chronological account of the Houses of Brunswick and Stuart; yet, even in this short review, constitutional and anti-constitutional Potentates and Government have, more than once, been presented to our notice. On the one hand, we have seen Kings acting contrary to the Constitution, and thereby producing incal- culable evils both to themselves and to the empire. On the other hand, we have seen the subjects rising up against the law; and, slighting every ordinance of God, have whelmed the nation in anarchy and con- fusion. In both these cases, the true principles of government have been either kept out of sight or forgotten ; rebellion has been justified on principles which, if generally adopted, would unsettle, if not destroy, all the governments in the universe ; and 4 HA Si-tt/p. ^f //<>//,'/ ■ y / .','// ,/<■■'. t ;.; S,r.< / ' '// . t i /'n/>//'.r//j At fiutta/f, //.,//,/■ ■<-/>/.v,// It'irr/H't THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 119 cause therights, both divine and civil, which the Sove- reign receives for the benefit of the people, to be ques- tioned,, contradicted, ill defined, or misunderstood. On the obligations under which a people are laid to obey a constitutional Governor: — the essential na- ture of the principles on which these obligations are founded : — the utter sinfulness of rebellion against any Prince who rules according to the laivs, — we have met with nothing so full and satisfactory, as in the fol- lowing observations of Dr. Adam Clarke, in which the subject is handled with much precision and con- stitutional argument; and as these observations are closed with a forcible, but just eulogium on the private and public character of our venerable Sove- reign, and touch other points of no mean importance to the peace of the nation, we shall, no doubt, have the author's permission to give them a more extensive degree of publicity, and shall, without hesitation, anticipate the thanks of our Readers. Speaking of the principles of all civil government, Dr. Clarke observes : " As God is the origin of power, and the Supreme Governor of the universe, he delegates authority to whomsoever he will ; and though, in many cases, the Governor himself may not be of God, yet, civil government is of him ; for, without this, there could be no society, no security, no private property; all would be confusion and anarchy ; and the habitable world would soon be depopulated. In ancient times, God, in an especial manner, on many occa- sions, appointed the individual who was to govern, and he accordingly governed by a Divine right; as in the case of Moses, Joshua, the Hebrew judges, and several of the Israelitish kings. In after times, and to the present day, he does that by a general superintending Providence, which he did before by especial designation. In all nations of the earth, there is what may be called a Constitution, a plan by which a particular country or state is governed ; 120 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS and this constitution is less or more calculated to promote the interests of the community. The civil governor, whether he be elective or hereditary, agrees to govern according to that constitution. Thus, we may consider, that there is a compact and consent between the governor and the governed; and, in such a case, the potentate may be considered as coming to the supreme authority in the direct way of God's providence : and, as civil government is of God, who is the fountain of law, order, and regularity; the civil governor, who administers the laws of a state according to its constitution, is the minister oj God. " But it has been asked, ' If the ruler be an immoral or profligate man, does he not prove him- self, thereby, to be unworthy of his high office, and should he not be deposed ?' 1 answer — No : if he rule according to the constitution, nothing can jus- tify rebellion against his authority. He may be irregular in his own, private \ life ; he may be an im- moral man, and disgrace himself by an improper conduct: but if he rule according to the law; if he make no attempt to change the constitution, nor break the compact between him and the people ; there is, therefore, no legal ground of opposition to his civil authority ; and every act against him is not only rebellion, in the worst sense of the word, but is unlawful, and absolutely sinful. "Nothing can justify the opposition of the sub- jects to the ruler but ouvert attempts on his part, to change the constitution, or to rule contrary to law. When the ruler acts thus, he dissolves the compact between him and his people; Lis authority is no longer binding, because illegal ; and it is illegal, because he is acting contrary to the laws of that con- stitution, according to which, on being raised to the supreme power, he promised to govern. This con- duct justifies opposition to his government : but I contend, that no personal misconduct in the ruler, no immorality in his own life, while he governs THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 121 according to lata, can either justify rebellion against him, or contempt of his authority. For his political conduct, he is accountable to the constitution; for his moral conduct, he is accountable to God, his conscience, and the ministers of religion. " A King- may be a good moral man, and yet a weak, and indeed a bad and dangerous prince. He may be f the company to withdraw ; but the noblemen and gentlemen remained till a late hour. Mr. Adam is said to have entered, at the request d)f His Royal Highness, into a friendly ex-. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 127 planation of what had passed with Lord Lauder- dale; and His Royal Highness afterwards came up to his Lordship, and, shaking him by the hand, expressed his wish that there should be no differ- ence between them. Here the matter remained for that night; but on the following day, Lord Lauderdale, fearful of mis- understanding, or misrepresentation, reduced what he had said to writing, and sent it in a letter to the Prince. It would be difficult to frame a more complete justification of the conduct of the Prince Regent. towards his early friends, than his avowed wish to form a united administration, and the details of the above authentic anecdote, afford. The public opinion was almost universally pronounced against their attempt to prescribe to His Royal Highness, the precise terms upon which he might command their services: for, as they declared, that without an entire compliance on his part, with their requisi- tions, they could not afford him their assistance and support; that declaration certainly proved, that they thereby voluntarily excluded themselves from the Royal councils. The' amiable sensibility which the Princess Charlotte had manifested on this painful occasion, was soon after converted into the vehicle of a most indecent attack upon her Royal Father, which was then considered likely to become a subject of par- liamentary inquiry ; so strong a sensation had the two following insulting Verses of Lord Byron's produced in the minds of all lovers of decency and order: To a Lady weeping. 'Weep, daughter of a royal line, A sire's disgrace— a realm's decay :— Ah ! happy if each tear of thine Could wash a father's faults away ! 128 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Weep ! — for thy tears are virtue's tears, Auspicious to these suffering isles ; And he each drop, in future years, Repaid thee by thy people's smiles ! We have too much respect for the perverted genius of this accomplished nobleman, to join in that mere personal abuse which the above Hues im- mediately drew down upon him. It is sufficient for us to remark, that his Lordship is a father: he has an only daughter; since whose birth he has been separated from his amiable Lady: and perhaps Lord Byron might now feel more conscious of the extreme impropriety of his conduct, by the feelings which would probably be excited, were he to read the following adaptation of his own verses to his. and to his infant daughter's present circumstances : Weep, daughter of a nohle line, Thy sire's disgrace — thy hope's decay : — Ah ! happy if each tear of thine Could wash a father's faults away ! Weep ! — for thy tears are guiltless tears, O'er him whom lawless love beguiles ; And be each drop, in future years, Repaid thee by thy mother's smiles ! It was about this time that the Princess Charlotte began to appear more publicly ; for, on the 3rd of October, she accompanied the Prince Regent, the Queen, and the Princesses, to witness the ceremony of depositing some of the French eagles and colours in Whitehall Chapel: after which, the Royal Party attended divine service. On the following day Her Royal Highness also accompanied the Royal Family to view the new Drury Lane Theatre, pre- viously to its being opened for the entertainment of the public; and both it, and the novel spectacle which she had the day before witnessed at White- hall, are said to have afforded the Princess much 1 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 129 gratification, which was evinced by the pertinent inquiries and observations which the various re- markable objects elicited from her inquisitive and active mind. Somewhere about this period a circumstance took place which plainly proves the mind of Her Royal Highness to have been deeply imbued with those religious feelings, which it was ever the ardent wish of her revered grandfather, and the constant endeavour of her pious tutor, to inculcate and che- rish. The Rev. John Wilcox solicited an audience with Her Roval Highness, to obtain her interest in behalf of a criminal under sentence of death. The Princess not only granted Mr. Wilcox an audience, but readily undertook to intercede in order to obtain the Royal pardon for the unhappy culprit; in which Her Royal Highness succeeded. And when Mr. Wilcox again waited upon the Princess, in conse- quence, to return thanks for her goodness towards the person whose forfeited life was thus spared, and for her condescending attention to his request, he spent some time with the Princess, in the presence of Lady De Clifford, during which he had the op- portunity of speaking on some important subjects. As he was about to retire, he apologized for the freedom he bad used ; but Her Royal Highness stopped him, and said, "J\o apology was requisite for speaking to her on such a subject." Mr. Wilcox said, " he should constantly remember her in his poor prayers." The Princess replied, " Indeed, indeed, Mr. Wilcox, I do not think any person's prayers poor ; and I shall be much obliged to you to remember me. 'The prayers of the righteous man (you know) avail much:' adding, with some emotion, I hope I know the value of prayer." The birth-day of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, in the year 1813, was observed with every demonstration of joy. The Princesses Augusta and Mary visited her in the morning, and afterwards 0. R 130 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS took Her Royal Highness to visit the Duchess of Brunswick : after which, in the evening; the Princess Charlotte, accompanied by Lady De Clifford, left Town, to return to Windsor. In the month following, during a ball given by the Duchess of York, at Oatlands, the Princess, who had lately begun to mix in general society, though still under marked restrictions and a prudent reserve, was dancing with her august father, when His Royal Highness met with that accidental and troublesome sprain in his ancle, which has been so ridiculously misrepresented. Soon afterwards, all the private documents (part of which have been already recorded in the order of time to which they refer) relating to the unhappy differences between the august parents of the Princess, were published ; and created the most uneasy sensations in the public mind, which was then in complete unison with the opinion expressed in His Majesty's message to Her Royal Highness, stating, that the elevated rank held by her in this country, and the relation in which she stands to His Majesty and the Royal Family, must always deeply involve the interests of the state, as well as the domestic comfort of her Royal relatives. It has also been before stated, that the Princess Charlotte had passed the years of infancy and child- hood under her mother's immediate inspection, by His Majesty's arrangement ; but an alteration having taken place about the time of the Delicate Investi- gation, the affectionate mother perhaps hastily considered it as an injury both to her feelings and character ; as it is but fair to state, that when the Heiress Presumptive of the Imperial Crown was removed from maternal superintendence to the more formal etiquette of education, upon a public political establishment, there were, most certainly, political reasons for that step, in addition to any personal ones that might have existed ; for the powers with THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 131 which' the Constitution of these realms invests the Sovereign in the regulation of the Royal Family, especially of those in the immediate line of succes- sion, are ample and unquestionable, and would, doubtless, have led to a similar separate establish- ment, even under the happiest domestic auspices. For a short period in 1806, all personal inter- course had been prohibited ; but by the Minute of Council, dated the 21st of April, 1807,* the whole of the unpleasant affair being apparently settled, the Princess of Wales again made her appearance at Court, and was permitted to enjoy an occasional intercourse with her daughter; but in this arrange- ment, Her Royal Highness very reluctantly acqui- esced, as the following correspondence, which took place about this time, will shew. Letter of the Princess of Wales to the Prince Regent. " Sir, " It is with great reluctance that 1 presume to obtrude myself upon your Royal Highness, and to solicit your attention to matters which may, at first, appear rather of a personal than a public nature. If 1 could think them so — if they related merely to myself— I should abstain from a pro- ceeding which might give uneasiness, or interrupt the more weighty occupations of your Royal Highness's time. I should continue, in silence and retirement, to lead the life which has been prescribed to me, and console myself for the loss of that society and those domestic comforts to which I have so long- been a stranger, by the reflection that it has been deemed proper I should be afflicted without any fault of my own— and that your Royal Highness knows it. " But, Sir, there are considerations of a higher nature than any regard to my own happiness, which render this address a duty both to Myself and my Daughter. May I venture to sa y — a d u ty a l so ' to my Husband, and the People committed to'his care?— There is" a point beyond which a guiltless woman cannot with safety carry her forbearance. If her honour is * See pag« 78, 132 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS invaded, the defence of her reputation is no longer a matter of choice ; and it signifies not whether the attack be made openly, manfully, and directly — or by secret insinuation, and by holding such conduct towards her, as countenances all the suspicions that malice can suggest. If these ought to be the feelings of every woman in England, who is conscious that she deserves no reproach, your Royal Highness has too sound a judgment, and too nice a sense of honour, not to perceive, how much more justly they belong to the Mother of your Daughter — the Mother of her who is destined, I trust, at a very distant period, to reign over the British Empire. " It may be known to your Royal Highness, that during the continuance of the restriction upon your Royal authority, I purposely refrained from making any representations which might then augment the painful difficulties of your exalted station. — At tbe expiration of the restrictions I still was inclined to delay taking this step, in the hope that I might owe the redress I sought to your gracious and unsolicited con- descension. I have waited, in the fond indulgence of this expectation, until, to my inexpressible mortification, I find that my unwillingness to complain, has only produced fresh grounds of complaint; and I am at length compelled, either to abandon all regard for the two dearest objects which I pos- sess on earth, mine own honour, and my beloved Child, or to throw myself at the feet of your Royal Highness, the natural protector of both. " I presume, Sir, to represent to your Royal Highness, that the separation, which every succeeding month is making wider, of the Mother and the Daughter, is equally injurious to my character and to her education. I say nothing of the deep wounds which so cruel an arrangement inflicts upon my feelings, although I would fain hope that few persons will be found of a disposition to think lightly of these. To see myself cut oflf from one of the very few domestic enjoyments left me — certainly the only one apon which I set any value, the society of my Child — involves me in such misery as I well know your Royal Highness could never inflict upon me, if you were aware of its bitterness. Our intercourse has been gradually diminished. A single interview weekly seemed suf- ficiently hard allowance for a Mother's affections, — that, how- ever, was reduced to our meeting once a fortnight; and I now harn that even this most rigorous interdiction is to be still more rigidly enforced. " But while 1 do not venture to intrude my feelings as a Mother upon your Royal Highness's notice, I. must be allowed THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 133 to say, that in the eyes of an observing and jealous world, this separation of a Daughter from her Mother will only admit of one construction — a construction fatal to the Mother's repu- tation. Your Royal Highness will also pardon me for adding, that there is no less inconsistency than injustice in this treat- ment. He who dares advise your Royal Highness to over- look the evidence of my innocence ; and disregard the sentence of complete acquittal which it produced — -or is wicked and false enough still to whisper suspicions in your ear, betrays his duty to you, Sir, to your Daughter, and to your people, if he counsels you to permit a day to pass without a further investigation of my conduct. I know that no such calumniator will venture to recommend a measure which must speedily end in his utter confusion. Then let me implore you to reflect on the situation in which I am placed — without the shadow of a charge against me — without even an accuser — after an inquiry that led to my ample vindication — yet treated as if I were still more culpable than the perjuries of my suborned traducers represented me, and held up to the world as a Mother who may not enjoy the society of her only Child. " The feelings, Sir, which are natural to my unexampled situation, might justify me in the gracious judgment of your Royal Highness, had I no other motives for addressing you but such as relate to myself. But I will not disguise from your Royal Highness what I cannot for a moment conceal from myself, that the serious, and, it soon may be, the irre- parable injury which my Daughter sustains from the plan at present pursued, has done more in overcoming my reluctance to intrude upon your Royal Highness, than any sufferings of my own could accomplish ; and if, for her sake, I presume to call away your Royal Highness's attention from the other cares of your exalted station, I feel confident I am not claim- ing it for a matter of inferior importance either to yourself or your people. " The powers with which the Constitution of these realms vests your Royal Highness in the regulation of the Royal Family, I know, because I am so advised, are ample and unquestionable. — My appeal, Sir, is made to your excellent sense and liberality of mind in the exercise of those powers ; and I willingly hope, that your own parental feelings will lead you to excuse the anxiety of mine for impelling me to repre- sent the unhappy consequences which the present system must entail upon our beloved Child. " Is it possible, Sir, that any one can have attempted to persuade your Royal Highness, that her character will not LSI MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS be injured by the perpetual violence offered to her strongest affections — the studied care taken to estrange her from my society, and even to interrupt all communication between us ? That her love for me, with whom, by His Majesty's wise and gracious arrangements, she passed the years of her infancy and childhood, never can be extinguished, 1 well know, and the knowledge of it forms the greatest blessing of my existence. Hut let me implore your Royal Highness to reflect, how inevitably all attempts to abate this attachment, by forcibly separating us, if they succeed, must injure my Child's prin- ciples — -if they fail, must destroy her happiness. " The plan of excluding my Daughter from all intercourse with the world, appears to my humble judgment peculiarly unfortunate. She, who is destined to be the Sovereign of this great country, enjoys none of those advantages of society which are deemed necessary for imparting a knowledge of mankind to persons who have infinitely less occasion to Ieani that important lesson; and it may so happen, by a chance which I trust is very remote, that she should be called upon to exercise the powers of the Crown, with an experience of the world more confined than that of the most private indivi- dual. To the extraordinary talents with which she is blessed, and which accompany a disposition as singularly amiable, frank, and decided, I willingly trust much ; but beyond a certain point the greatest natural endowments cannot struggle against the disadvantages of circumstances and situation. It is my earnest prayer, for her own sake as well as her country's, that your Royal Highness may be induced to pause before this point be reached. " Those who have advised you, Sir, to delay so long the period of my Daughter's commencing her intercourse with the world, and for that purpose to make Windsor her resi- dence, appear not to have regarded the interruptions to her education which this arrangement occasions; both by the impossibility of obtaining the attendance of proper teachers, and the time unavoidably consumed in the frequent journeys to town, which she must make, unless she is to be secluded from all intercourse, even with your Royal Highness and the rest of the Royal Family. To the same unfortunate counsels I ascribe a circumstance in every way so distressing both to my parental and religious feelings, that my Daughter has never yet enjoyed the benefit of Confirmation, although above ;i year older than the age at which all the other branches of the Royal Family have partaken of that solemnity. — May I earnestly conjure von, Sir, to hear mv entreaties upon this 1 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 135 serious matter, even if you should listen to other advisers on things of less near concernment to the welfare of our Child? " The pain with which I have at length formed the reso- lution of addressing myself to your Royal Highness is such as I should in vain . attempt to express. If I could adequately describe it, \ou might be enabled, Sir, to estimate the strength of the motives which have made me submit to it. They are the most powerful feelings of affection, and the deepest impres- sions of duty towards your Royal Highness, my beloved Child, and the country, which I devoutly hope she may be preserved to govern, and to show, by a new example, the liberal affec- tion of a free and generous People to a virtuous and Consti- tutional Monarch. " I am, Sir, with profound respect, and an attachment which nothing can alter, your Royal Highness's most devoted and most affectionate consort, cousin, and subject, (Signed) Caroline Louisa." Montague House, Jan. 14, 1813. Soon after this letter was forwarded to the Prince Regent, in the beginning of February, 1813, the Princess Charlotte was confined by indisposition at Warwick House, and consequently could not pay the usual visits to her mother at Kensington Palace. Owing to this, the Princess of Wales, through Lord Liverpool, informed the Prince Regent of her inten- tion of visiting her daughter at her own residence; but received an answer, stating, that the Princess Charlotte was so far recovered, that she would be able to visit Her Royal Highness at Kensington Palace on the 14th of that month. In consequence, however, of the publication of the above letter of the Princess to the Prince Regent, on the day preceding the appointed visit, the Princess of Wales received the following notification : 136 MEMOIKS OF HF.I! KOYAL H1GHNKS5 Lord Liverpool to the Princess of Wales. " Fife House, Feb. 14, 1813. 1 Lord Liverpool has the honour to inform your Royal Highness, that in consequence of the publication in Thm Morning Chronicle of the 10th instant, of a letter addressed by your Royal Highness to the Prince Regent, His Royal Highness thought fit, by the advice of his Confidential Ser- vants, to signify his commands, that the intended visit of the Princess Charlotte to your Royal Highness on the following day should not take place. " Lord Liverpool is not enabled to make any further com- munication to your Royal Highness on the subject of your Royal Highness's note." To this letter the Princess of Wales commanded Lady Anne Hamilton, her Lady in Waiting, to reply as follows to Lord Liverpool : " Montague House, Black-heath, Feb. 15, 1813. " Lady Anne Hamilton is commanded by Her Royal High- ness the Princess of Wales to represent to Lord Liverpool, that the insidious insinuation, respecting the publication of the letter addressed by the Princess of Wales, on the 14th of January, to the Prince Regent, conveyed in his Lordship's reply to Her Royal Highness, is as void of foundation, and as false, as all the former accusations of the traducers of Her Royal Highness's honour in the year 1806. " Lady .A. Hamilton is further commanded to say, that dignified silence would have been the line of conduct the Princess would have preserved upon such insinuation, (more than unbecoming Lord Liverpool,) did not the effect arising from it, operate to deprive Her Royal Highness of the sole real happiness she can possess in this world — that of seeing her only Child. And the Confidential Servants of the Prince Regent ought to feel ashamed of their conduct towards the Princess, in avowing to Her Royal Highness their advice to the Prince Regent, that upon unauthorized and unfounded suppositions, a Mother and Daughter should be prevented from meeting — a prohibition positively against the law of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 137 nature. Lady Anne Hamilton is commanded further to desire Lord Liverpool to lay this paper before the Prince Regent, that His Royal Highness may be aware into what error his Confidential Servants are leading- him, and will involve him, by counselling and signifying such commands." Owing to this occurrence, the Princess Charlotte spent the day appointed for this maternal interview at Windsor; where she received a visit from her Royal Father, to notify a change in her establish- ment, in consequence of Lady De Clifford's recent resignation. It was reported that there were no less than three candidates for the vacant office — the Duchess Dowager of Leeds, the Dowager Marchio- ness Townshend, and the Dowager Marchioness of Donnegal ; the first of whom was specially appointed, for the space of two years, by the Prince Regent. Several meetings of the Privy Council now took place, upon the question, whether the intercourse between the Royal Mother and her Daughter should still be subject to restrictions and regulations or not ; the result of which was the following Report : " To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, the Members of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council ; viz. his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, &c. &c. having been summoned by command of Your Royal Highness, on the 19th of February, to meet at the office of Viscount Sid- mouth, Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a communication was made by his Lordship to the LonU then present, in the following terms : " My Lords, "I have it in command, from His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to acquaint your Lordships, that a copy of a letter from the Princess of Wales to the Prime Regent 6. 138 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS having appeared in a public paper, which letter refers to the proceedings that took place in an inquiry instituted by com- mand of His Majesty, in the year 1806, and contains, among other matters, certain animadversions upon the manner in which the Prince Regent has exercised his undoubted right of regulating the conduct and education of his daughter, the Princess Charlotte ; and His Royal Highness having taken into his consideration the said letter so published, and advert- ing to the directions heretofore given by His Majesty, that the documents relating to the said inquiry should be sealed up, and deposited in the office of His Majesty's principal Secretary of State, in order that His Majesty's government should possess the means of resorting tc them if necessary; His Royal Highness has been pleased to direct, that the said letter of the Princess of Wales, and the whole of the said documents, together with the copies of other letters and papers, of which a schedule is annexed, should be referred to your Lordships, being members of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, for your consideration ; and that you should report to His Royal Highness your opinion, whe- ther under all the circumstances of the case, it be fit and proper that the intercourse between the Princess of Wales, and her daughter the Princess Charlotte, should continue to be subject to regulations and restrictions." *' Their Lordships adjourned their meetings to Tuesday the 23d of February; and the intermediate days having been employed in perusing the documents referred to them, by command of your Royal Highness, they proceeded on that and the following day to the further consideration of the said documents, and have agreed to report to your Royal Highness as follows : " In obedience to the commands of your Royal Highness, we have taken into our most serious consideration the letter from Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales to your Royal Highness, which has appeared in the public papers, and has been referred to us by your Royal Highness; in which letter the Princess of Wales, amongst other matters, complains that the intercourse between Her Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, has been subjected to certain restrictions. " We have also taken into our most serious consideration, together with the other papers referred to us by your Royal Highness, all the documents relative to the inquiry instituted THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 139 in 1806, by command of His Majesty, into the truth of cer- tain representations, respecting the conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, which appear to have been pressed upon the attention of your Royal Highness, "in con- sequence of the advice of Lord Thurlow, and upon grounds of public duty ; by whom they were transmitted to His Ma- jesty's consideration ; and your Royal Highness having been graciously pleased to command us to report our opinions to your Royal Highness, whether, under all the circumstances of the case, it be fit and proper, that the intercourse between the Princess of Wales, and her daughter, the Princess Char- lotte, should continue to be subject to regulation and re- straint : " We beg leave humbly to report to your Royal Highness, that, after a full examination of all the documents before us, we are of opinion that, under all the circumstances of the case, it is highly fit and proper,, with a view to the welfare of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, in which are equally involved the happiness of your Royal Highness, in your parental and royal character, and the most important interests of the state,— that the intercourse between Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and Her Royal High- ness the Princess Charlotte, should continue to be subject to regulation and restraint, " We humbly trust that we may be permitted, without being thought to exceed the limits of the duty imposed on us, respectfully to express the just sense we entertain of the motives by which your Royal Highness has been actuated in the postponement of the confirmation of Rer Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte ; as it appeal _-, by a statement under the hand of Her Majesty the Queen, that your Royal High- ness has conformed in this respect to the declared will of His Majesty; who had been pleased to f that day, in the evening of winch it was officially notified, Her Royal Highness, justly feeling for her character and honour, addressed letters to the Lord Chancellor and to the Speaker, to be communicated to both Houses of Parliament; of which circumstance the following is a correct account, containing also genuine copies of the documents : House of Commons, Tuesday, March 2, 1813. The Speaker having required order in the House, addressed it nearly as follows: " I think it my duty to communicate to the House, that Monday afternoon, while sitting in this Chair, I received a letter without date or signature, purporting to be a letter from Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. As this letter bore neither date nor signature, and was delivered to the door- keeper by a person unknown, I conceived it to be THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 141 my duty, not only out of respect to this House, but also out of respect to the Illustrious Person herself, whose name was connected with it, to take no step concerning it, without first ascertaining whether or not that paper was authentic. I hope, that in so far delaying to receive the pleasure of this House upon the subject, till I learnt that it was what it professed to be, I have discharged my duty, without exposing myself to any accusation of having inter- posed any barrier to prevent an individual from laying a case before this House. (Hear, hear, hear!) 1 have now ascertained that the letter was authentic, and, if it is your pleasure that it should be read, I will now proceed to read it, together with another letter from Her Royal Highness, which I have received this day, inclosing a dupli- cate of that received on Monday, with a date affixed to it." (A general cry of " Read, read !") The Speaker then read the letter, of which the contents were nearly as follow : " Montague House, Blackheath, March 2, 1813. "The Princess of Wales, by her own desire, as well as by the advice of her Council, did, yesterday, transmit to Mr. Speaker, a letter which Her Royal Highness was anxious should have been read without delay to the House of Com- mons ; and the Princess of Wales requests that the same may now be read this day to the House of Commons. Her Royal Highness incloses a duplicate of the letter which she yester- day transmitted." The duplicate was as follows: — " Montague House, Blackheath, March 1, 1813. "The Princess of Wales informs [Mr. Speaker] the Lord Chancellor, that she has received from the Lord Viscount Sidmouth a copy of a Report made to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, by a certain number of the members of His Majesty's Privy Council, to whom it appears, that His 142 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Royal Highness had been advised to refer the consideration of documents, and other evidence, respecting her character and conduct. " The Report is of such a nature, that Her Royal High- ness feels persuaded no person can read it without consider- ing it as conveying aspersions upon her; and although their vagueness renders.it impossible to discover precisely what is meant, or even what she has been charged with ; yet, as the Princess feels conscious of no offence whatever, she thinks it due to herself, to the Illustrious Houses with which she is connected by blood and by marriage, and to the people, among whom she holds so distinguished a rank, not to acqui- esce for a moment in any imputation affecting her honour. " The Princess of Wales has not been permitted to know upon what evidence the Members of the Privy Council pro- ceeded, still less to be heard in her defence. She knew only by common rumour of the inquiries which they have been carrying on, until the result of those inquiries was commu- nicated to her ; and she has no means now of knowing, whe- ther the Members acted as a body, to which she can appeal for redress, at least for a hearing, or only in their individual capacities, as persons selected to make a Report upon her conduct. " The Princess is therefore compelled to throw herself upon the wisdom and justice of parliament, and to desire that the fullest investigation may be instituted of her whole con- duct during the period of her residence in this country. " The Princess fears no scrutiny, however strict, provided she may be tried by impartial Judges, known to the Consti- tution, and in the fair and open manner which the law of the land prescribes. " Her only desire is, that she may either be treated as in- nocent, or proved to be guilty. " The Princess of "Wales desires Mr. Speaker [the Lord Chancellor] to communicate this letter to the House of Commons." Four days afterwards, the motion of the Hon. Cochrane Johnston respecting the Princess of Wales, came on in the House of Commons, and the debate, which took place with closed doors, was understood to have invalidated the charges brought against Her Royal Highness ; between whom and her beloved daughter, a most affecting interview THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 143 took place three weeks afterwards, when the Princess Charlotte, by the permission of the Prince Regent, dined with her Royal Mother, at Black- heath, and the occasional maternal intercourse was restored. However powerfully these unpleasant circum- stances at hist operated upon the ardent mind of the amiable Princess, it is still evident that she conducted herself with far more propriety than so young a female could have been expected to dis- play, in such a painful and delicate situation as that in which Her Royal Highness was then placed. While she invariably manifested the strongest affec- tion for her mother, she resolved patiently to sub- mit herself to those indispensable regulations which the Prince Regent, her indulgent father, looking forward to her high destiny, thought proper to pre- scribe. It has, indeed, been since acknowledged on all hands, that the lenient measures of His Royal Highness were admirably adapted to prevent the possibility of undue influence, and, at the same time, to permit that affectionate intercourse, which, as the parent of the Princess, he well knew how to appre- ciate, and had only determined to exercise his salu- tary right of regulating, but could never have de- sired altogether to deny. During her occasional residence at Cranbourne Lodge, at the close of 1813, and the beginning of 1814, the Princess Charlotte received confirmation, after having gone through the previous ceremony. Her pious grandfather had desired that this rite should not be solemnized until she should have completed her eighteenth year ; and his commands were almost implicitly observed. His Majesty had always been extremely solicitous to have his lovely grand-daughter thoroughly instructed in the prin- ciples of the Christian religion ; and, in consequence, there was no part of her education to which such earnest attention had been paid. It was a source of 5 144 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS deep regret to the Princess, that His Majesty was unable to he present on this important occasion ; and subsequent events increased her sorrow: but we have, at ieast, the melancholy consolation of know- ing, that though he could not rejoice in her happi- ness, he has remained equally unconscious of her irreparable loss. The rapid proficiency in the science of music, which Her Roval Highness made during her abode at Windsor, was very remarkable; indeed, at an early age her musical talents had afforded so much delight to her venerable grand sire, that he frequently stopped to listen to her while performing on the piano-forte: and thus, by his gracious notice, of which she was justly proud, excited her to those exertions which finally raised her to such distin- guished excellence. The following anecdotes distinctly mark the deter- mination of the Princess to become a proficient in that delightful science, and the just idea of the per- nicious influence of flattery which she had formed. A foreigner, not now resident in England, gave Her Royal Highness lessons in singing and music; and upon one occasion, she performed at Warwick House, before a large party, by whom she was highly ap- plauded, though conscious in her own mind that the applause was undeserved. Turning round to her teacher, she inquired his opinion ? he said, that she sung delightfully, and played charmingly. The Princess took no further notice of the matter then; but when Signior called next, one of the household was desired to pay him, and at the same time to say, " That Her Royal Highness could not expect to profit by the instructions of a person who was mean enough to flatter her against his reason ; and who had not candour enough to tell her when she was wrong, but rather suffered her to expose herself." Sitting at the piano-forte, on another occasion, when the Bishop of Salisbury was present, the Princess THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 145 requested the attention of the reverend bishop, while she attempted to perform a difficult sonata. This she intentionally ran over in haste, mangling the fine passages, and paying no attention to the time ; and at last asked her tutor how he liked her execution? The worthy prelate candidly said, he did not like it; and Her Royal Highness, instantly seizing his hand, exclaimed, " Now I am sure you do not flatter me when you say that you approve." Her Royal Highness was very precise in her arrangements with her masters, expecting the same exactitude from them, as she herself was always accustomed to manifest. One of her instructors being half an hour too late, she reproved him for it; he, with a look and accent of great contrition, pleaded in excuse, that he had been deceived by the error of his watch, which was a very indifferent one. — " Well, then," said Her Royal Highness, putting her hand to a table drawer, and pulling out a handsome one, " see if this will prevent a similar accident!" The year 1814 having commenced, on the 7th day of which Her Royal Highness completed her eighteenth year; that being the age at which, by the constitution of the realm, the Heir to the throne becomes capable of the functions of Royalty, her birth-day was kept with more marked distinction than on former occasions. Warwick House was thronged with persons of the first distinction, and especially with those who had the honour of being ranked in her private circle of friends; while their numerous and splendid equipages waited for them at the gates. Court etiquette, however, and formal ceremonies, afforded the Princess no lasting plea- sure; and she hastened in the evening, accompanied by her governess the Duchess of Leeds, to visit her Royal Mother at Connaught Place, where she was received at the entrance with all the distinction that properly belongs to the Heiress of a great empire; but which was soon gladly relinquished for the reci- 6. t 146 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS procal endearments of a fond mother, and an only and dearly beloved daughter. On the 5th of February, the Prince Regent gave a splendid fete at Carlton House, in honour of Her Majesty's birth-day. On this occasion, Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte was present. She wore a superb dress of white lace richly embroi- dered in lama, body and sleeves bordered to corre- spond, worn over white satin. Her Royal Highness wore a profusion of the finest diamonds. Her dress had altogether a most brilliant and elegant effect. The ball on this occasion was opened by the Duke of Cumberland and the Princess Mary, to the tune of " Gang nae mair to yon Town." The second dance was " Miss Johnstone ;" which was led off by the Duke of Clarence, and Her Royal Highness the Priucess Charlotte. It had been previously determined that Warwick House should be the residence of the Princess Char- lotte, whose baggage, saddle-horses, &c. were, in the latter end of February, removed from Windsor; and Her Royal Highness was often heard to express her satisfaction at the change of her residence. Her health was by no means established ; and the cold which she caught at the fete at Carlton House, tended to increase her malady. A few days after tlie Princess of Wales had re- ceived the intimation already noticed, from the Lord Chancellor, signifying her visits must be discon- tinued at AVarwick House, she was returning in her carriage down Constitution Hill, when her Royal Highness observed the Princess Charlotte in her carriage, passing along Piccadilly towards Hyde Park. The Princess of AVales immediately or- dered her coachman to turn about, and, the horses proceeding nearly at a gallop, overtook the Prin- cess Charlotte's carriage in Hyde Park, near the bridge. Their Royal Highnesses through the win- dows of their carriages embraced each other in the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 147 most affectionate manner, and continued in earnest conversation for about ten minutes. A consider- able number of spectators were very soon collected to the spot, and several ladies who were present shed tears at the affecting nature of the interview. When their Royal Highnesses had separated, the Princess Charlotte was observed, in continuing her ride, to be in high spirits, and apparently much gratified at the opportunity she had enjoyed of an affectionate interchange of endearments with her royal mother. The mind of the Princess of Wales had been long drooping under every species of affliction, and it was now doomed to experience an additional weight in the death of her mother, the Duchess of Brunswick, which took place on the 23rd of March, 1813. A hope was at that time excited, that the event of the death of the Duchess of Brunswick might be the means of disposing the illustrious parties, most nearly allied to the deceased, to come to an under- standing, which would reflect honour on themselves, and give the most lively satisfaction to the country. A calamity, falling suddenly upon any particular circle of society, often disposes the individuals which compose it, to quell their personal resent- ments, and, in one general effusion of sorrow, to drown the recollection of private animosities. Highly did it redound to the honour of the Prince Regent, that he was no sooner apprised of the death of the Duchess of Brunswick, than he immediately hinted to his daughter, the propriety of a visit to her mother, but, at the same time, left it to her own judgment, whether it would not be more decorous were the visit to be postponed until after the funeral. The tender and affectionate feelings of the Princess Charlotte would not, however, permit her to defer her visit until the time mentioned by her august father, and the intimation had not been received many hours before Her Royal Highness, attended 148 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS by the Duchess of Leeds, and the sub-governess Miss Knight, was in her carriage on her way to Blackhealh. On her arrival there, the inhabitants of that neighbourhood had assembled on the hill and heath in great crowds, and received Her Royal Highness with loud huzzas. At this visit a circumstance occurred, which exhibited the keen sense which the Princess of Wales had of the treatment which she had received : an opportunity presented itself of her expressing the resentment, which she fostered, against the illustrious father of her child. Her discourse in the presence of her daughter's attendants is said to have been of the most sarcastic nature, replete "with pointed allusions to some late circumstances, and exposing the foibles of every individual, who, either from a sense of duty, or by positive autho- rity, had acted in a manner contrary to her dig- nity, and her personal interests. The Princess Charlotte, with a look and gesture which would have quelled almost the most stubborn spirit, and softened the asperities of the keenest resentment, solicited her mother to desist, aud expressed a hope, that a short time would see her restored to happiness. "There!" said the Princess of Wales, throwing a glass of wine over the table, " you may as well attempt to make that wine flow back into the bottle, as to check my resentment towards those individuals who have so grossly and maliciously traduced me." The marked attention which the Princess Char- lotte had paid to every member of the Bourbon family, especially to the Duchess of Augouleme, had previously excited a degree of grateful admiration highly favourable to our best hopes of future na- tional friendship.; and it was a very gratifying sight to the public at large, to behold the open and dignified manifestation of her participation in the private aud political joy upon the change of affairs, on the entry of Louis XVIII. into Lon- 4 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 149 don, which took place on Wednesday, April 20, 1814. The Prince Regent had proceeded to Stan- more with his full state equipages, attended by a numerous suite, where he remained, and at the door of the Abercorn Inn, received and greeted the French Monarch on this happy occasion. The magnificent procession then proceeded towards Lon- don ; and as the day was fine, with a serene air and a temperate sun, and not a cloud to obscure the sky, the effect was undescribable bv those who had the gratification to witness it : wherever the eye ranged, it fell on splendour and beauty, with countenances of loveliness and joy. The procession advanced down the Edgeware Road, and entered into Hyde Park through Cumberland Gate. On its opening into Piccadilly, the whole view was eminently strik- ing. From the ascent near the Green Park, the total pomp lay under the eye, and the continuation of military splendour, stately movement, and count- less multitude, gave a coup d'ceil of unrivalled rich- ness, interest, and variety. We must, however, observe, that the wearing of the white cockade in compliment to the House of Bourbon, was considered by well affected and sen- sible people, as a disgrace to the British character. Less than a century ago, this would have been con- sidered treason against the state. This splendid sight our amiable Princess en- joyed from the Pulteney Hotel ; to which mansion she had been invited, as also Her Majesty, the Princesses Elizabeth and Mary, with Sophia of Gloucester, &c. by the Grand Duchess of Olden- burgh, whose residence it then was. As the pro- cession moved pasi the house, Her Royal Highness came forward to the balcony, mingling in the gene- ral acclamations, and shewing herself but as one amongst a mighty people. At this period, indeed, Her Royal Highness mixed openly with the public, without form or ceremony, often visiting and being 150 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS visited by the Grand Duchess, with whom she was upon terms of the greatest intimacy. The Princess Charlotte, while residing at War- wick House, afforded a strong evidence of the ex- cellent care which had been taken of her moral principles, in the determination (which the former of the two following anecdotes will shew) she had then formed, not to exceed her income, except in such acts of beneficence as those to which the latter anecdote alludes. Her Royal Highness was, for so young a person, an excellent judge of the value of curiosities, and allowed herself to spend a certain sum half yearly in the purchase of such articles, from an eminent dealer in these things. At the time when Her Royal Highness was accustomed to purchase, she was much pleased with some choice articles of this kind, but found, upon inquiring the price, that it exceeded the half yearly sum which she had allotted for such expences, and therefore declined taking them. The Virtuoso with whom the Princess dealt, perceiving the objection, proposed to pass the excess to another half year's account; but Her Royal Highness replied, "That she would not ex- ceed her usual sum." The dealer then offered to reserve them for her; but the Princess finally replied, by desiring him on no account to think of doing that, as she had determined not to purchase them at any future period, and that she would be very sorry to be the cause of his losing the sale! Having shewn how firmly the Princess adhered to those voluntary restrictions which she imposed upon her personal gratifications, let us proceed to survey this presumptive Heir to the first throne in the world, employed in receiving and answering the claims of the numerous victims of indigence and wretchedness, who daily presented their petitions at Warwick House. Her Royal Highness always noticed every petition herself, relieving each appli- cant by gratuities from a considerable amount, ac- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 151 cording to the state of her purse, down to so low a sum as half-a-crown. One day, when an unusual number of these petitions had found their way to the Princess, just as she had arranged them in her usual order, for the purpose of answering them, her confidential attendant suddenly entered the apart- ment, and, surprised at the great number of papers, asked what they were? Her Royal Highness re- plied, " Petitions, which 1 am about to answer." Upon which Mrs. C, observed, " That if Her Royal Highness continued to relieve all the petitioners that came, she would soon be obliged to become a petitioner herself." "Well, suppose I should." •' Of whom would you beg," said Mrs. C. " Why," rejoined Her Royal Highness, with viva- city, "I would petition the House of Commons; and am sure they would not refuse me any thing." A few months now passed over the head of the Princess Charlotte, marked by no occurrence wor- thy of particular record. It must not, however, be omitted to mention, that, in proportion as Her Royal Highness advanced in life, her attention to the performance of her religious duties increased; and never did she allow a sabbath to pass by, ex- cept in cases of indisposition, on which she did not attend divine worship. She declared her intention of constantly attending the Chapel Royal, St. James's, during her stay in London: and she or- dered that the admired quartetto anthem, by Dr. Green, " God be our hope" should be sung every sabbath. To provide, as far as possible, for the Succession to the Throne, it had now been determined that the young Princess should marry. The person fixed upon, as her husband, was the young Prince of Orange ; who was recommended by his long resi- dence in this country; by his acquaintance with the genius of our government, and with the habits and manners of the people; and by the connexion 152 MEMOIRS OP HER ROYAL HIGHNESS between his House and the reigning Family of Great Britain. In addition to these recommenda- tions, he was favourably known to the British pub- lic, by the courage which he had displayed in the campaigns of the Peninsula, under Lord Wellington. While the negociations for this union were in pro- gress, and at the time when the allied Sovereigns were in London, the Princess of Wales addressed a second letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, containing the correspondence which had then lately taken place between the Prince Regent, the Queen, and Her Royal Hghness, con- cerning the professed intention of the Princess of Wales, to appear at Court upon the arrival of the allied Sovereigns, and their long trains of attendant Princes. The following are copies of these inter- esting documents: " Connaught House, June 3, 1814. " The Princess of Wales desires Mr. Speaker will inform the House of Commons, that His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been advised to take such steps as have pre- vented her from appearing at Court, and to declare His Royal Highness's fixed and unalterable determination never to meet the Princess of Wales upon any occasion, either in public or private. "The proceedings of 1806 and 1807, and last year, are in the recollection of the House, as well as the ample and unqualified vindication of "the Princess's conduct, to which those proceedings led. " It is impossible for the Princess of Wales to conceal from herself the intention of the advice which has now been given to the Prince Regent, and the probability that there are ultimate objects in view, pregnant with danger to the se- curity of the succession, and the domestic peace of* the realm. " Under these circumstances, even if the Princess's duty towards herself could suffer her to remain silent, her sense of what is due to her daughter, and to the highests interests of the country, compels her to make this communication to the House of Commons. " The Princess of Wales encloses Copies of the Cor- respondence which has passed, and which she requests Mr. Speaker will communicate to the House." THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 153 The Queen to the Princess of Wales. " Windsor Castle, May 23, 1814. " The Queen considers it to be her duty to lose no time in acquainting the Princess of Wales, that she has received a communication from her son, the Prince Regent, in which he states, that Her Majesty's intention of holding two drawing-rooms in the ensuing month having been notified to the public, he must declare, that he considers that his own presence at her court cannot be dispensed with ; and that he desires it to be understood, for reasons of which he alone can be the judge, to be his fixed and unalterable determina- tion, not to meet the Princess of Males upon any occasion, either in public or private. " The Queen is thus placed under the painful necessity of intimating to the Princess of Wales, the impossibility of Her Majesty's receiving Her Royal Highness at the drawing-rooms. " Charlotte R." To this the Princess of Wales sent the following answer : " Madam, 2 MEMOIRS 01 HER ROYAL HIGHNESS House, when, it is stated, he informed her of the dismissal of her former household, and of his desire that she should immediately take up her abode at Carlton House, and afterwards retire to Cranbourn Lodge, where she would be attended by her new household, who were waiting for her in the next apartment. She Mas thunderstruck for some time, but soon thought it most proper to consult her Mother, and, with all the ardour of a youthful heart, determined upon instant flight. Accord- ingly, at the moment when her Royal Father was engaged in the adjoining apartment, giving instruc- tions to those who had superseded her late dis- carded attendants, she ran out of the house' into the Hay market, and got, unsuspected, into a hackney coach, for the purpose of proceeding to Conn aught Place. Of this remarkable adventure, many stories were told in the daily prints; but the following is said to be the statement of Higgins, the coachman, obtained from himself: — he expressly states, that she called the coach in the Hay market, and ordered him to drive towards Oxford-street, and she would give him a guinea: when he arrived in Oxford- .street, Her Royal Highness desired him to drive faster, and take her to the Princess of Wales's, in Conn aught Place. He then desired to know which was the house ? she replied, " Drive, and you will soon find itl" The man was still ignorant of whom he w r as driving. On their arrival, she inquired if her Mother was at home? and the servant replied — " No, your Iloyal Highness. '" The coachman was then aware of the honour done him: and the Princess ordered the servant to pay him three guineas ; which she said he deserved. Her Iloyal Highness then alighted : but the Princess of Males not being in town, a groom was instantly dispatched to Blackheath with a note, requesting her immediate return; and he meeting her on the way, and delivering the note, the Princess THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 163 first drove to the Parliament House, but could nei- ther find Lord Grey nor Mr. Whitbread, whom she wished to consult; proceeding afterwards lo Con- naught Place, where her terrified daughter ac- quainted her with the cause of her alarm. There, also, she found Mr. Brougham, who had been sent for, and who had already explained to Her Royal Highness the necessity, as well as the propriety/ of submitting to her Fathers authority, founded not. only upon filial duty, but also upon the law of the land. This advice produced its full effect upon the youthful fugitive, who now had time for cool reflection ; and was perfectly disposed to return to Carlton House, when the Duke of York (at whose house the Prince Regent was on a party when the fact of her flight was known) arrived, and assured her, that no ideas of severity or of personal seclusion had ever formed part of her Royal Fathers plan. Information of the occurrence had already been sent to Her Majesty; but all further interference was needless, as Her Royal Highness, at half-past three in the morning, consented to return to Carlton House, whither she was followed by Mrs. Lewis, the only one of her establishment permitted to con- tinue, and who was so confident of Her Royal Highness's intention to remain at Connaught Place, that she had followed her thither with her night- clothes on first hearing the intelligence. How little truth there was in the rumours of in- tended severity, may be at once deduced from the fact, that on the arrival of the Princess at Carlton House, she was received by the Prince Regent with the utmost kindness and affection, recom- mended to retire to rest, and admitted in the even- ing to a very long and affecting interview. The fact was generally known, yet there seems to have existed an unaccountable want of belief in a par- ticular quarter; for on the 19th of July, His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex put some peremptory 6 164 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS queries to the cabinet ministers in the House of Lords — Whether the Princess had the same oppor- tunities of communication with her friends, since she went to reside at Carlton House, as previous to her change of residence? — Whether she was per- mitted intercourse by letter? — Whether there was any intention of forming for her a separate esta- blishment? — and, filially, Whether recommenda- tions had been made in a former vear, of the use of sea-bathing for her health, as stated then to have taken place ? To these interrogatories Lord Liverpool an- swered, — that the Prince Regent was the father of Her Royal Highness, and it belonged to his prero- gative to act as he thought proper. His Lordship then added, that the Prince Regent had done nothing in the affair except what was for his Daugh- ter's beneiit : that he felt towards her as a father ought to feel — with the strongest and warmest affection ; and was only anxious to perform those duties which God, nature, and the laws of the land, had imposed upon him, and had always con- ducted himself on grounds the best calculated to promote her comfort, beneiit, and honour! Although His Royal Highness the Prince Regent had judged it necessary to pursue a painful line of conduct towards the Princess of Wales, it is an honour to his feelings, that he had also resolved to omit no opportunity of contributing to promote her comfort; and hence, having been informed that Her Royal Highness was considerably in debt, and that her establishment was not of that magni- tude which her exalted rank in society demanded, he caused a demi-official notice to be sent to the Princess, announcing, that at the express wish and desire of the Prince Regent, an application would be made to the ensuing Parliament for an increase to Her Royal Highness's income, to enable her to enlarge her establishment, consistently with the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 165 exalted station which Her Royal Highness held in the country. Our readers well know that Parliament granted £50,000 per annum ; which was reduced to £36,000, at the request of the Princess of Wales. The coun- try was both surprised and delighted at the readi- ness with which all parties accommodated each other in this transaction : but every one was still more astonished at the determination to leave the kingdom; which the Princess immediately after announced in the following letter. Letter from Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales to Lord Liverpool, First Minister to the Prince Regent, dated Connaught House, July 25, 1814. " The Princess of Wales requests Lord Liverpool to lay before the Prince Regent the contents of this letter. " Actuated by the most urgent motive, that of restoring tranquillity to the Prince Regent, as well as to secure the peace of mind of which she has been for so many years de- prived, the Princess of Wales, after mature reflection, has resolved to return to the Continent. This resolution ought not to surprise the Ministers of the Prince Regent, consider- ing the trouble and disagreeable experience of the Princess, for so long a time ; and still more, after the indignity and mortification to which she has been exposed, by being with- held from receiving her nearest relations, and the most inti- mate friends of the late Duke of Brunswick, her illustrious father. " The Princess is extremely anxious that the Prince Regent should be informed of the motives, and clearly comprehend her past conduct as politically exhibited. — In exacting a justi- fication from this noble nation, — her sole protection since the unfortunate indisposition of the King, — she is to be under- stood as solicitous only to maintain her rights and her honour, which are dearer to her than life itself. " The Princess of Wales would have undertaken ber pro- jected tour long before, if she had not been prevented by the breaking off the projected marriage of the Princess Charlotte with the Prince of Orange. She could not resolve to leave her Daughter without protection, at a period so critical. The Prince Regent having planned to establish the new married 166 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS couple at the Hague, the Princess Charlotte, on that account. principally, declined the match. Unwilling to prove any obstacle to future arrangement favourable to the happiness of her Daughter, the Princess of Wales has at length resolved to return to Brunswick, her native country. She may after- Wards travel into Italy and Greece, where she may probably be able to select an agreeable abode, and live in it for some years. The Princess flatters herself, that tbe Prince Regent will have no objection to this design. " The Princess of Wales requests Lord Liverpool to repre- sent to the Prince Regent, that she resigns Montague House, and the title of Ranger of Greenwich Park, in favour of her Daughter, as also the house bequeathed to her by her Mother. The Princess of Wales hopes the Prince Regent will grant this favour, the last she will solicit. " The Princess embraces this opportunity to explain the motives which have induced her to decline the grant of £50,000 voted to her by the nation in Parliament. She expresses her most lively acknowledgment to this liberal and generous nation for its willingness to grant her such a pen- sion during life ; but she has only taken £35,000, because, as the gift was intended to support her in her proper rank, and to enable her to hold a Court, as became the Wife of the Prince Regent, the receipt of it would interfere with her views of travelling, and her purpose to quit England for a season. — Such is the substance of her present communication to Lord Liverpool, which the Princess would have made before, but for the fear of producing new debates in Parlia- ment. She has, therefore, waited the rising of Parliament, and is now about to depart for Worthing, to embark, not intending to return previously to London. " The Princess of Wales is happy to assure Lord Liver- pool, that she will ever be ardently solicitous for the prosperity and glory of this generous nation." Letter of Lord Liverpool to the Princess of Wales, Juhj 28, 1814. " Lord Liverpool has had the honour to receive the letter of Her Royal Highness. Having communicated it to the Prince Regent, he has ordered him to inform Her Royal THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 167 Highness, that he can have no objection to the intentions of Her Royal Highness to effect the design which she announces to the Prince Regent, of returning to her native country, to visit her brother, the Duke of Brunswick ; assuring her, that the Prince Regent will never throw any obstacle in the way of her present or future intentions as to the place where she may wish to reside. " The Prince Regent leaves entirely to Her Royal Highness the liberty to exercise her own discretion as to her abode in this country or on the Continent, as it may be convenient to her. " Lord Liverpool is also commanded, on the part of the Prince Regent, to inform Her Royal Highness, that he will not throw any obstacles in the way of the arrangements of Pier Royal Highness, whatever they may be, respecting the house at Blackheath, which belonged to the late Duchess of Brunswick, or the rest of the private property of Her Royal Highness. But that, for reasons perhaps rather too long to explain, the Prince Regent will not permit the Princess Charlotte to be Ranger of Greenwich Park, nor to occupy any of the houses at Blackheath which Her Royal Highness has hitherto occupied. " Lord Liverpool has also been enjoined, on the part of the Prince Regent, before he closes the letter which he has the honour to send to Her Royal Highness, to inform her, in relation to the two articles which Her Royal Highness has inserted in her letter, concerning the rupture of the marriage of the Princess Charlotte with the hereditary Prince of Orange, as well as to the reason for which the allied Sove- reigns did not, previously to their departure from England, pay their visit to Her Royal Highness; that, as to the first article, Lord Liverpool is commanded, by the Prince Regent, to inform Her Royal Highness, that the Prince Regent is not persuaded, that the private considerations of the circum- stances in which the Princess is placed, can have been an obstacle to the marriage of the Princess Charlotte. As to the second article, Lord Liverpool is also enjoined, on the part of the Prince Regent, to signify to Her Royal Highness, that the Prince Regent never opposed himself to the allied Sovereigns making a visit to Her Royal Highness during their stay in London. " Lord Liverpool has the honour to be, with all esteem, and with the highest consideration." " P. S. The Prince Regent can make no difliculties on the subject of the directions which the Princess has the intention 168 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of giving, as to the house at Blackheath ; neither will the Prince Regent oppose Her Royal Highness's retaining the apartments in the palace of Kensington, in the same manner as she possessed them while in London, for the convenience of herself and suite." In consequence of the determination which the Princess of Wales had thus announced, on the 9th of August, 1814, Her Royal Highness embarked for the Continent, on board the Jason frigate, after bidding the last farewell, in an affecting interview, to that beloved Daughter, whom, in this world, she can now behold no more! Whatever was the real cause of Her Royal High- ness's sudden departure from England, it is obvious, that the line of conduct she has pursued, since that injudicious step, appears to be ill calculated to remove unfavourable impressions from the minds of those impartial observers, who may have been com- pelled to admit, that the parental admonition which His Majesty, by the advice of the four noble Com- missioners, conveyed to the Princess in 1807, should have had greater influence upon Her Royal High- ness's subsequent proceedings. The intimacy of the Princess Charlotte with the Duchess of Oldenburgh, now Queen of Wirtem- burgh, has been adverted to in a former part of this chapter ; and it is now necessary to notice the re- port, that the Duchess had availed herself of that intimacy to prejudice the Prince of Orange in the opinion of the British Princess : which report was thought by some to receive a plausible confirmation, when His Royal Highness afterwards married a sister of the Duchess. It is also said, on the other hand, that the Duchess had undertaken the task of endeavouring to remove those objections to the marriage with the Prince of Orange, which had ' ','■;/ y ///,/yr s J r < , / y > /'////-'/./ /,/' //?•//,- //•'/// if/tt / ft. //" / . '..A'./ />t- A/.//. '//.//'.■//./■ ,i Di.nvt /.>',./■/:,■/. .V..t. A THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 169 been advanced on the part of the Princess Charlotte; but that her friendly interference wholly failed, from causes which she was unable to control. In this dilemma, it appears most safe to detail the real occasion of Her Royal Highness the Princess Char- lotte's first meeting with the Prince Leopold of Saxe- Cobourg-Saalfeld, in connexion with the whole train of succeeding circumstances, leaving each reader to form his own comments upon the Duchess of Oldenburgh's conduct, as far as she was concerned. The negociations for the projected marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte with the Prince of Orange, had not finally terminated, when the Princess went alone one morning to visit the Duchess of Oldenburgh, at the Pulteney hotel. When the Princess Charlotte came, she found a gentleman with the Duchess ; at which she appeared surprised, and, as was her custom with strangers, surveyed him with fixed attention: upon which, he bowed, and withdrew. When he had retired, the Princess asked the Duchess who he was ? she re- plied, " Prince Leopold, of Saxe-Cobourg, one of the most amiable and accomplished Princes in Europe/' adding, " and a Protestant beside ; — that's the man for you." The Princess appeared much struck with the observation, but made no answer, and, on retiring at the conclusion of her visit, found Prince Leopold had waited at the door of the anti- chamber, to hand her to her carriage; where, just before she drove off, in her usual frank and open manner, Her Royal Highness shook hands with the Prince, and said, " I shall be glad to see you at Warwick House." Of this, however, it appears, His Serene Highness thought no more, till Her Royal Highness again met him some time after- wards, and requested to know why he had neglected her invitation ? The Prince scarcely knew what to reply; and the Princess perceiving his embarrass- ment, and conceiving the true cause, repeated the 7. Y 170 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS invitation; and desired that Prince Leopold would not again neglect it. His Serene Highness became thus involved in such delicate circumstances, that he resolved to call upon the Duke of York, and request his advice how to proceed. The Duke of York advised Prince Leopold to consult the Prince Regent; who informed him, that the intercourse could not then be allowed: in consequence of which, His Serene Highness instantly took his departure for the Continent, without communicating to any one the real cause of his journey. The House of Saxe-Cohourg-Sadlfeld. The following particulars of the illustrious House of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld will, no doubt, be found sufficiently interesting, on account of- their direct relation to the excellent Prince, who was soon to be identified with the British nation, by his marriage with the Heiress to the throne; especially as he has since endeared himself to an admiring people, by his entire devotion of himself to the promoting of her happiness, and also by the extreme severity of mental suffering, which he has been doomed to undergo. Most of the German Princes deduce their lineage from the same origin as that already assigned to the House of Brunswick, in the commencement of this work. The principality of Cobourg appears to have belonged to the House of Saxony, until it was ceded to John-Ernest, half-brother to John-Frederick the iVIagnanimous, Elector of Saxony, who died in 1554. This half-brother of the Elector married a daughter of Philip I. Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, and built the castle of Ehrenberg, the usual residence of the Princes of Cobourg, but died without issue in THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 171 1553, when the principality reverted to the Elector; upon whose death the Albertine and Ernestine branches of the House of Saxony were united in Maurice, the son of Duke Henry of Meissen, to whom the electorate had been given by Charles V. The Protestant religion owes the greatest obligations to the Princes of the Ernestine line, as we have be- fore seen. Frederick, the elder son of Ernest, was Luther's first patron and defender. John, the second son of Ernest, was the chief promoter of the protestation against the church of Rome; from which the Pro- testants have derived their appellation. This John was surnained " The Constant." Maurice was killed by a silver ball in a battle with Albert, Margrave of Brandenburg, near the village of Sivenhausen, in the duchy of Luneburg; but it was supposed, that as the ball perforated his back, it was tired by one of his own people. Augustus succeeded his brother Maurice, whose first wife was Anna, daughter of Christian, King of Denmark. On her decease he married, in his 60th year, a daughter of Prince Joachim-Ernest of Anhalt, who had not quite completed her 13th year. This Prince was what would now be termed an eccentric character. Alchymy was his favourite study ; and, having impressed the idea upon the minds of his subjects, that he was most profoundly skilled in the transmutation of metals, no murmurs arose at the apparent extravagance which he displayed in the erection of his institutions; for, by the powers of his art, he was supposed to possess an inexhaustible source of riches, and therefore had no cause to apportion the revenues of the state to the promotion of his scientific pursuits. He died, notwithstanding, immensely rich, being more the fruits of rigid eco- nomy in his private affairs, than of his skill in the science of alchymy. Wherever he went, he always planted stones and seeds of the best and choicest 172 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS fruits, having always a bag full of them in his pocket. He was succeeded by his son, Christian I. in 1586, who died in 1591, in the 31st year of his age. Of the succeeding branches of the Albertine line, a very brief notice will be necessary, until the elevation to the throne of Poland ; on which occasion Frede- rick-Augustus I. to qualify himself for that dignity, exchanged the Protestant for the Catholic faith, to which his successors have ever since adhered. Christian II. died in 1611, at the early age of twenty-seven years, and was succeeded by his bro- ther, John-George I.; during whose reign Saxony was devastated by the contending armies, in the thirty-years' war. John-George II. succeeded his father in 1656, and died in 1680. This Prince had three brothers, Augustus, Christian, and Maurice. By these per- sons the Houses of Saxe-Weissenfels, Saxe-Merse- burg, and Saxe-Zeitz, were founded ; but which are all now extinct, and their dominions reverted to the electoral family. John-George III. died in 1691; he was com- mander-in-chief of the army of the empire employed against the French. John-George IV. in right of his mother, was de- clared the heir-apparent to the throne of Denmark. He was the first Saxon Prince who was honoured with the order of the garter. He died in 1694, and was succeeded by Frederick-Augustus I. who, in 1697, was elected King of Poland. Although successful in his wars against the Turks, he experienced the most disas- trous defeats in his campaigns against Charles XII. of Sweden. Some most singular anecdotes are related of the astonishing muscular strength which this Prince possessed, and some of them certainly border upon the miraculous. He broke an iron bar like a stick ; he could take a silver or a copper plate, and roll it up like a sheet of paper. He THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 173 calculated the solidity of his horses' shoes by the facility with which he could break them; and he once snapped the chains of a drawbridge which opposed his entrance into a town. Glafy, in his History of Saxony, designates him the German Samson, and asserts, that his muscular feats were witnessed by all classes of people. He died in 1733. Frederick-Augustus II. succeeded to the throne of Poland, and died in 1763. Frederick-Christian survived his father but two months, and was suc- ceeded by his son, Frederick-Augustus III. the present Ring of Saxony, who, by his adherence to the cause of Bonaparte, was deprived of his acqui- sitions in Poland, and nearly of one half of his hereditary dominions. In order to obviate an error which has become general, it is necessary to state, that the House of Saxe-Cobourg, and that of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld, to the latter of which Prince Leopold belongs, were two distinct and separate houses. When the dominions of Ernest the Pious were divided, Cobourg was allotted to Albert, who, dying without issue, in the year 1697, this prin- cipality became a subject of dispute between the Houses of Gotha, Meinungen, Hilburghausen, and Saalfeld. In the year 1735, the dispute was brought to a favourable termination ; and the town and district of Cobourg were adjudged to the House of Saalfeld ; and Sonneuberg and Neuhaus to Meinungen. It is well known that all the ducal houses of Saxony, are branches of the elder, or Ernestine line, which, without regard to primogeniture, long retained the custom of dividing the possessions left by the father among all his sons. In process of time, however, the law of primogeniture began to be adopted, but it was not introduced into the House of Saxe-Cobourg till the reign of Francis Josias, in the middle of the 18th century. 174 MEMOIRS Or HER ROYAL HIGHNESS This Prince, the great-grandfather of the reign* ing Duke, was respected by his neighbours as a man of the highest integrity, and beloved by his subjects as an excellent sovereign. These quali- ties caused him to be intrusted with the guardian- ship of some of the Princes of the kindred houses of .Saxony during their minority. He had four sons. The eldest, who succeeded him, married the Princess Sophie-Antoinette, sister to the cele- brated Prince Ferdinand, of Brunswick, as also to the Queen of Denmark, to the consort of Frederick the Great, and to the grandmother of the present King of Prussia. By this union, the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld became nearly allied to most of the reigning families in Europe. At the commencement of the French revolution- ary war, and the troubles in the Netherlands, Leo- pold, who had now ascended the imperial throne, summoned the Prince of Cobourg to the chief command of the allied army in the Netherlands, on which occasion the Prince was also nominated Field-marshal of the Empire. With this appoint- ment no commander except the Archduke Charles alone has since been invested. The campaign of the Prince, though obstructed by various diffi- culties, partly thrown in the way by the court of Vienna itself, was nevertheless attended with the best success against the French. The young Emperor Francis II. honoured the Prince with his confidence in a high degree; at the same time the latter found means to keep up the best under- standing with the rest of the allies — a circumstance universally acknowledged at the time, and which must still be remembered by the Duke of York, and many English officers under his command. Prince Frederick finding his plans and sugges- tions disregarded, or even impediments opposed to their executiou, resigned the command, to the great mortification of the army, which was strongly THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 175 attached to him, because he treated it in every respect like a father. Clairfait was appointed his successor; but with the departure of the Prince, fortune also seemed to have forsaken the banners of the allien. He retired to his native citv, where he attained to a serene old age, and terminated hi* career in February, 1815, in his 76th year, deeply lamented by his family, and sincerely mourned by all those who were acquainted with his amia- ble disposition and estimable qualities. Duke Ernest-Frederick, his successor, had, by his consort, Sophie-Antoinette, of Brunswick, three children, two sons and one daughter. Francis, his eldest son and successor, made the science of government his peculiar study. With a clear understanding he united a truly philan- thropic heart and rare attainments, acquired in the indulgence of an ardent passion for the sciences and fine arts, of which, till his death, he was a zealous patron and admirer. He had three sons and four daughters by his consort, a Princess of the ancient and celebrated House of the Counts Reuss of Plauen. Gifted with a superior understanding, and adorned with rare accomplishments, this Princess unites all the softness of her own sex with the firmness of the other. Undaunted by the storms of fate, she never lost sight for a moment of her destination as a wife and a mother. Amid the various pursuits to which her genius inclined, this extraordinary woman made the most careful education of her numerous family the business, the recreation, and the happiness, of her life. The tender attachment which subsists between all the surviving members of the House of Cobourg is her work, her highest glory, and at the same time the surest test of the excellence of her own heart, and of those of her children. Bv the marriage of the third daughter of DnL< 1 176 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Francis, who was united by the name of Anna- Feodorowna to the Grand-duke Constantine, eldest brother of the Emperor Alexander, the House of Cobourg became intimately connected with the court of Russia. Iu consequence of this alliauce, the Empress Catharine II. gave a military appoint- ment to the hereditary Prince, Ernest, and destined also Leopold, the youngest son of Duke Francis, for the Russian service. The latter, to whom the Emperor Leopold II. stood sponsor, had been originally designed for the Austrian service, but the early death of his majesty prevented the fulfil- ment of these intentions. The political convulsion, which, in 1806, in- volved the whole north of Germany, was attended with consequences peculiarly calamitous to the House of Cobourg. When, in the autumn of that year, the French approached the Saxon frontiers, Duke Francis, who was in very ill health, retired with his consort from Cobourg to Saalfeld ; which latter town is situated beyond the very consider- able range of mountains, known by the appellation of the Forest of Thuringia, and forming the bar- rier of North Germany. Prince Leopold, then but fifteen years old, was the companion and the sup- port of his infirm father : for Ferdinand was de- tained by his duty in Austria, and the truly noble spirit of Prince Ernest, had carried him to the head-quarters of the King of Prussia, with whom he had been for some years on terms of the closest friendship. The French appeared before Saalfeld ; the castle was stormed ; and the ducal family which was in it, exposed to all the dangers and horrors of that disastrous battle, which cost Prince Lewis-Ferdinand of Prussia his life. This was more than the constitution of Duke Francis, already so much impaired by disease, was capable of supporting; he sunk under the accumulation of misfortunes, and died in the beginning of Decern- y ' / f '//t v ',//$//< ' ; /, /A/'/ '/VV/// < ' THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 177 ber, to the profound grief of his family and country, which were left by his decease in a truly disconsolate situation. No sooner was Bonaparte informed that the hereditary Prince Ernest, now Duke of Cobourg, was at the Prussian head-quarters, than he issued a proclamation declaring- him his particular enemy, and caused formal possession to be taken of his territories. A French intendant and commandant were appointed exclusively for Cobourg; all the property belonging to the ducal family was seized, a very heavy contribution imposed upon the country, which had already suffered most severely from the passage of great part of the French army, from the battle of Saalfeld, and from the consequent plunder of the town and environs. During this period of distress, Prince Leopold remained with his afflicted mother, who, but for him, would have been entirely deserted, attentively watching over the interests of his family. It was not till the peace of Tilsit, that, by a par- ticular stipulation, the House of Saxe-Cobourg- Saalfeld was reinstated in its possessions. In 1808, Duke Ernest went to Russia, and resided there for some time. During his absence, Prince Leopold devoted his assiduous attention to the administration of the duchy. Since that period his brother has never failed to consult him on all concerns, whether internal or external, of the House of Cobourg; and whenever he has not been himself absent on his travels, he has exclu- sively superintended various branches of the admi- nistration. In the same year, Prince Leopold accompanied the Emperor of Russia, and his brother-in-law the Grand-duke Constantine, to the interview which Napoleon had appointed at Erfurt. As Napoleon became better acquainted with the active exertions of the brothers against him, it 8. z 178 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS was no wonder that he should grow more jealous of these Princes, and more attentive to their pro- ceedings. In consequence of this mistrust, he twice demanded that Prince Ferdinand should retire from the Austrian service; and, in 1810, that Pritice Leopold also should quit the Russian army, in which he had been a General ever since the year 1803. Whoever knows the power with which such demands were calculated to operate at that time on a German Prince, will not fail to admire the firmness of Prince Leopold, who still hoped that he should not be obliged to leave the Russian service, and went to Paris to remonstrate on the subject. He there found the government highly incensed, and was bluntly assured, that in case of his farther refusal to comply, Napoleon would be necessitated to take the possessions of the House of Cobourg from his brother, the reigning Duke. The affections of the Prince were not proof against this threat ; it produced the desired effect, and Leopold sacrificed his own inclination and his military prospects to the welfare of his family. The Emperor of Russia granted his request, — that he might tacitly retain his military rank, till better times should permit him publicly to resume it. When, towards the end of 1811, the political horizon began to be once more overcast, and a new prospect of a happier result was afforded, Prince Leopold, unable any longer to endure his constrained inactivity, again tendered his services to the Emperor of Russia ; but Alexander, appre- hensive lest a premature step might endanger his family, begged to defer the fulfilment of his wish to a more seasonable time. In 1813, Prince Leopold went to Munich, to pave the way for happy changes, and in February proceeded to Poland, to the Emperor of Russia, who received him with cordial friendship. Here THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 179 he communicated to Field-marshal Kutusoff much important information respecting the state of things in Germany, and the condition of the French army; and thus acquired the honour of being the first Prince of the then-existing Confederation of the Rhine, who openly declared against France. The allied army now marched from Poland to Silesia and Saxony. On the 2d of May, Prince Leopold was in the battle of Lutzen, and the following day with the Russian cavalry formed part of the rear-guard. The Prince was after- wards sent in forced marches toward the Elbe, to the support of the Prussian General Kleist ; but his destination was changed, and he returned to Lusatia. On the 19th of May, the Prince marched to the support of General Barclay, but was recalled to assist on the 20th and 21st in the battle of Bautzen. In this engagement he was employed in supporting the line on various points, and in the evening of the second day, he covered the retreat, amidst the hottest fire, with that serenity which is the property of genuine courage. After the battle, he retired to Silesia, with the corps of cavalry to which he was attached. During the armistice, and the negociations at Prague, Prince Leopold repaired, with the consent of the Emperor of Russia, to that city, and was the only stranger who was there admitted to several interviews with the Emperor Francis. On the expiration of the armistice, the Prince proceeded with the army to Bohemia, and thence to the frontiers of Saxony. The main force of the allies was already before Dresden, while the cavalry reserve was engaged in the more difficult march across the mountains. On the- 26th of August, Vandamme briskly attacked the corps posted near the fortress of Konigstein to cover the rear of the grand army, and the principal com- J80 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS munications with Bohemia, and commanded by Prince Eugene of \\ irtemberg. This General urgently solicited a reinforcement of cavalry, that be might be enabled to maintain his highly import- ant position agaifist a very superior enemy ; and about noon, Prince Leopold was in consequence detached with his cuirassiers to his assistance. Scarcely had the Prince joined the corps, when the enemy commenced the attack. The infantry, on account of its weakness, was posted on the wings, and supported upon two villages; while Prince Leopold and his cavalry formed the centre. This precarious position did Leopold maintain, during a contest of five hours against a foe three or four times as numerous, and after the two wings of the corps were almost completely surrounded, wilh such unshaken intrepidity, that night came on before the enemy had been able to gain any decisive advantage, or force the position. Eugene paid that tribute to the Prince which he amply deserved ; for by his firmness he had not only saved the whole corps, but rendered it impossible for Vandannne to make an attack, either in flank or rear, on the main army of the allies engaged on the 27th of August with the assault of Dres- dt n, which would necessarily have been attended with the most disastrous consequences. On the 27th of August, the corps took a position on the other side of Pirna. As the importance of the action of the 2o*th, and the possibility of a less fortunate result was sensibly felt at the head- quarters; the first division of the Russian guards, under the brave General Yermolof, and the regi- ment of hussars of the guard, were sent to reinforce tin- corps at Pirna. The whole was placed under the orders of Count Ostermann, who gave to Prince Leopold the command of the cavalry of the com- bined corps. The enemy stormed Pirna, and sought with his THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE- AUGUSTA. 181 cavalry to extend himself upon the level ground near the Elbe, when Prince Leopold met and drove him back into the town, from which he did not again attempt to debouch; as the dreadful weather, which was one cause of the retreat of the grand army, prevented any thing more decisive than an incessant skirmishing. Count Ostermann, being informed of the retreat of the grand army towards Bohemia, found his corps was in a very perilous situation ; he therefore ordered Prince Leopold to proceed, if possible, with his cavalry through the defile, upon which the right wing was supported, and to occupy and main- tain a plain near Great Cotta, which is traversed by the main road to the woody range of mountains. Leopold executed the movement with such rapidity, that the enemy had not time to occupy this plain in sufficient force ; he drove him from it, and main- tained his position there till the main body of the corps, with the infantry and ail the artillery, had effected its retreat. The enemy had, meanwhile, reached, by a shorter route, and occupied some of the heights and passes in the mountains, and thus almost intercepted the Prince and his cavalry; but with great difficulty he forced his way through, and on this occasion rescued , many wounded of the infantry of the Russian guard, who had heroically stormed the passes. The position of Peterswalde was the last that Ostermann's corps could take in the mountains, to afford time for the retreat of the main army ; and it was therefore successfully maintained, though not without considerable effort. Here the assem- bled Generals received intelligence that the main army was still in the mountains, and that the grand head-quarters of the allies were yet at Altenberg, in Saxony. It was therefore determined to cover the road to Toplitz, in order to gain the grand army as much time as possible for debouching. 182 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS On the 29th of August the troops were accord- ingly to have continued their march at a very early hour ; but before they could break up, the French cavalry, supported by a very considerable division of infantry, attacked the village of Peterswalde, which was occupied as the advanced guard of the line of encampment, with infantry, pushed forward through it, and was on the point of falling upon the columns that were about to march, when Prince Leopold came up with his cavalry, and drove back the enemy into the defile. He then maintained the little plain near Peterswalde, till the infantry and artillery had retired to the position of Nollendorf, and then caused his cavalry to fall back en echelons. He was himself nearly taken, with the last division; but he cut his way through, and rejoined the main body of the corps, which, but for the successful attack of the Prince, would probably have been totally intercepted. This action, doubtless, gave rise to the false report in one of Napoleon's bul- letins, subsequent to the affairs near Dresden, that Prince Leopold had been made prisoner by the French. Ostermann's corps, though considerably dimi- nished, now proceeded in the best order down the declivity of the mountains into the plains of Bo- hemia. The left wing* which was supported upon the mountains, was formed by the infantry ; in the centre, through which ran the high road, was sta- tioned the greatest part of the artillery ; and the right wing, composed of Prince Leopold's cavalry, occupied an open plain. As the chief object was to gain time, every advantageous spot of ground, which was capable of detaining the enemy ever so little, was defended with the utmost obstinac)\ Prince Leopold therefore manoeuvred with his ca- calry en ec/iiquier, and never withdrew to a new position, which it was necessary to take every sixty or a hundred paces, till the tirailleurs of the in- 5 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 183 fantry had fallen back into the intervals of his order of battle. The enemy, who renewed his attacks with increased impetuosity, made an extra- ordinary effort to force the last position of the corps near the village of Prisen, with a tremen- dously superior artillery. The loss of this position would have rendered the retreat of the main allied army from the mountains in a great measure im- practicable; it was therefore imperatively necessary that it should be maintained to the very last man. As the French General Corbineau was advancing to attack Prince Leopold, with a corps of cavalry at least thrice as numerous, the Prince went to meet, and repulsed him. The French General, staggered by the intrepidity of his opponents, though so inferior in number, lost the decisive moment of victory ; and as the Prince received a considerable reinforcement of cavalry, and fresh troops conti- nued to arrive from the mountaius, he was enabled to maintain his position till night. On the morning of the 30th of August, before the conflict was renewed, Prince Leopold received, on the field of battle, from the Emperor of Russia, the cross of commander of the military order of St. George, for his conduct during the preceding days. The other allied Sovereigns, as well as the Em- peror Alexander, acknowledged with the greatest satisfaction the important part which Prince Leopold had contributed to the success of the operations which led to the capture of Vandamme with almost all his army, and he was presented with the Austrian military order of Maria Theresa; having before received many honourable distinc- tions of the same kind from the Sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, Bavaria, and other Princes. In the beginning of October, the allied army returned to Saxony. On the 16th of October, the first day of the 184 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS battle of Leipzig, when the enemy had made a general, and not. unsuccessful attack with cavalry upon the centre of the main army posted near the villages of Magdeborn and Cossa, the honourable service of covering not only this important point, but also the Russian batteries planted opposite to those of the French, was allotted to Prince Leopold, who on this occasion lost a great num- ber of his men. On the J 7th he continued in the same position, and had already received orders for the attack of the enemy's batteries, when it was deferred till the following day, on account of the non-arrival of several corps which were ex- pected. On the 18th, the last and decisive daj of this gigantic conflict, the Prince pushed on with his cavalry in the centre, to the environs of Leipzig. Jn the afternoon, when the left wing, under General Coloredo, was very furiously at- tacked by the French, it was asked what cavalry would go to the support of this wing? Though a greater force was wanted than Leopold had with him, he nevertheless offered himself, as there was no Austrian cavalry at hand, and went to the assistance of Coloredo. On the 19th he marched to the support of General Giulay, and followed the advanced guard and this corps to the vicinity of Erfurt. Prince Leopold then proceeded to Frankfort, where he remained during the residence of the allied Sovereigns in that city, and afterwards went through Swabia and Switzerland to France. Here he was detached on the 30th of January, 1814, to the sup- port of field-marshal Blucher and General Rajefsky to Rizaucourt, whence he returned on the 1st of February to the grand army. From a bivouac near Bar-sur-Aube he marched to the battle of Brienne, and assisted on the 2d to pursue the beaten enemy to Lesniout. The Prince then marched to Bar-sur- Seine and Troves, and afterwards to Nogent-sur- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 185 Seine, Trainel, and Braye, whence the army again retreated. On the 12th of March, the Prince, as well as the greater part of the Russian troops belonging to the main army, advanced upon the road to Vitry. After the French had recovered Rheims, and occu- pied Chalons, the Prince formed the advanced guard towards the roads leading to those places. In this service the troops, already extremely fatigued by the repeated night marches and incessant manoeuvres in an exhausted and desolated country, and continually harassed moreover by the armed peasants, who were particularly troublesome in Champagne, had to en- dure extraordinary hardships and inconveniences. Till the 20th of March the enemy was daily expected to make a general attack upon the right wing of the army, which therefore occupied all its positions in readiness for battle. When, however, the enemy on the 20th suddenly retired from the Marne to the Aube, the allied troops of the right wing marched to the left upon Arcis, by which movement the main army effected its junction. The French now made a very impetuous attack, which the allied army repulsed with the greatest firmness ; on which occasion the Prince had to support the right wing. On the morning of the 2 1st, Leopold was sent forward with his cavalry, part of the Prus- sian guard, and a reinforcement of horse artillery, to form a communication with the corps of the Prince-royal of Wirtemberg, which had not yet come completely into line. The enemy, apparently deterred from an attack upon the allies by their excellent position, occupied Arcis as a rear-guard position, and retired upon the road to Vitry. At night-fall the allied army also marched again to the left bank of the Aube, and then likewise directed its course towards the Marne, when the Prince formed the support of the advanced guard upon Vitry. 8. 2 a 186 MEMOIRS Ol' HEfi li()\ ili HIGHNESS On the 24th of March tlie allied army took the road to Paris, and on the 25th its advanced guard attacked Marshal Marmont at la Fere Champenoise. The Prince beiog sent with his cavalry to the sup- port of this advanced guard, attacked the enemy in the right flank at Conuentrai, drove him from his position, and took five pieces of cannon. Being- joined by the rest of the allied cavalry, he followed the Marshal from position to position, and did not desist from the pursuit, even when the greatest part of the allied cavalry was recalled against the corps of General Pactod. Marshals Marmont and Mortier, who had by this time formed a junction, profiting by the consequent weakness of the pursuers, sent their cavalry to attack the artillery of the Russian guard. Prince Leopold took this attack in flank, drove back the French cavalry to an elevated posi- tion which the Marshals had occupied, saved the Russian artillery, and, in spite of a very brisk fire, maintained his post till night. The troops of the grand army were not again engaged till the battle of Paris. On the 31st of March, Prince Leopold entered Paris with the reserve cavalrv, and there remained in garrison. He accompanied the Sovereigns to England, and sailed with them in the Impregnable from Boulogne to Dover. He continued here about a month after the Sovereigns, and left England suddenly at the end of July. In the beginning of September he repaired to Vienna, to the Congress, for the purpose of pro- moting to the utmost of his power the independence of his native land, and the interests of his family. Leopolds politics, sound as his understanding and his heart, could not chime in with all the max- ims which were broached there. He could not, above all, convince himself, that it was just to sacrifice the right of one to the convenience and power of another; and though he duly weighed the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 187 many clashing political interests, he found it im- possible to admit the paramount cogency of those reasons upon which the partition of Saxony was decreed. The Congress acknowledged the services which the Princes of the House of Cobourg had never ceased, during the last ten years, to render to their cause, as well as the sacrifices that had been made by them, and therefore granted an indemnity ; which, though afterwards diminished by imperious political considerations, was nevertheless not incon- siderable. This business was exclusively con- ducted by Prince Leopold during the last decisive months, and to him alone is to be ascribed its happy issue. On the return of Bonaparte to France, Prince Leopold hastened from Vienna to the grand allied army on the Rhine, which soon afterwards reached Paris. On the termination of the war, the affairs of his family detained him for some time in the French capital, after which he proceeded by way of Coboursr to Berlin : and here it was that the invi- tation of the Prince Regent (of which we shall treat in the next chapter) intimated to him the honour to which he was called. In his early youth, this Prince manifested an excellent understanding, and a tender and bene- volent heart. As he advanced in years he displayed a strong attachment to literary and scientific pursuits, and even at that time all his actions were marked with dignified gravity, and unusual moderation. His propensity to study was seconded by the efforts of an excellent instructor; and as he remained a stranger to all those dissipations with which persons of his age and rank are commonly indulged, his attainments, so early as his fifteenth year, were very extensive. His extraordinary capacity particularly unfolded itself in the study of the languages, his- tory, mathematics, botany, music, and drawing; in 188 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS which last he has made a proficiency that would be creditable to a professor. The vicissitudes to which his house was exposed from French hostility, seem only to have contributed to preserve the purity of his morals ; and they have certainly had a most powerful influence in the deve- lopement of that rare moderation, that ardent love of justice, and that manly firmness, which are the predominant traits in the character of this Prince. Necessitated at so early an age to attend to a variety of diplomatic business, he acquired partly in this school, and partly in his extensive travels, a thorough knowledge of men in all their relations ; and though his experience has not always been of the most agreeable kind, still it has not been able to warp the kindness and benevolence of his nature. In his campaigns, and in the field of battle, where all false greatness disappears, Leopold has given the most undeniable proofs of courage, and that clear intelligence and unshaken fortitude which are so essential in a warrior and a prince. With such qualities of the head and heart, with a character and principles that so completely harmonize with the feelings, the notions, nay even the prejudices of the British nation, this illustrious Prince authorized ns to anticipate, from his union with the Heiress to the throne, results equally conducive to the welfare of the people at large, and to the happiness of that distinguished family of which he became a member. Some ridiculous misrepresentations having ap- peared concerning the extent of territory and pecu- niary resources of the House of Cobourg ; it is necessary to state, that previously to the treaty of Congress, signed at Vienna in 1815, the possessions of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld comprised 17' German miles, with a population, according to the census taken in 1812, of 57,-266 souls. They THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 189 contain eight towns, and 270 villages and hamlets. The revenues of the Prince amounted, in 1806, to 425,413 florins, or nearly £50,000 sterling. The inhabitants, as well as the reigning family, belong to the Lutheran Church ; and are chiefly employed in trade and manufactures. The above mentioned treaty secures to the Duke of Cobourg-Saalfeld an additional territory of such extent, as to com- prise 20,000 inhabitants ; so that his dominions and resources will be thereby increased about one third. We subjoin the following Abstract from the Pedigree of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld. John-Ernest, seventh son of Ernest the Pious, was the founder of this House, originally called Saxe-Saalfeld, till, upon obtaining the principality of Cobourg, it assumed the above title. Christian-Ernest and Francis-Josias, governed jointly after the death of their father in 1729; till the decease of Christian Ernest, in 1757, left his brother the sole possessor. He died in 1764. Ernest-Frederick, died in 1800. Francis-Frederick-Anthony, married, first, in 1776, Ernestina-Frederica-Sophia, daughter of Duke Ernest-Frederick-Charles, of Saxe-Hildburghausen, who died in the same year; and secondly, in 1777, Augusta-Carolina-Sophia, daughter of Count Henry XXIV. Reuss of Ebersdorf, by whom he had issue : Ernest-Anthony-Charles-Lewis, the reigning Duke, born Jan. 2, 1784, succeeded his father, Dec. 3, 1806. 190 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS His brothers and sisters are; — Sopbia-Frederica-Carolioa-Louisa, born Aug. 18, 1778, and married in 1804 to Count Mensdorf, a Colonel in the Austrian service. Antoinetta-Ernestina-Amelia, born Aug. 19, 1779, married in 1798 to Charles- Alexander-Frederick, brother to the King of Wirtemberg, a General in the Russian service, and Governor of Livonia, Esthonia, and Courland. Juliana-Henrietta-Ulrica, born Sept. 23, 1781, married in 1790 to the Grand-duke Constantine of Russia, when she assumed the name of Anne- Feodorowna. Ferdinand-George-Augustus, born March 28, 1785. Maria-Louisa- Victoria, born Aug. 17, 1786, mar- ried in 1803 to Prince Emich-Charles, of Leiningen, by whom she has been left a widow. Leopold-George-Christian-Frederick, born Dec. 16, 1790, married May 2, 1816, to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 191 CHAP. V. Indisposition of the Princess Charlotte. — Residence at Weymouth. — Anecdotes. — Visits the Isle of Portland and Abbotsbury Castle. — Marine Excur- sions. — Returns to Cranboum Lodge. — Appear- ance at the Queen's Drawing-room. — Visits her Royal Father at Brighton. — Anecdote of the Prince Regent. — Prince Leopold recalled. — Anec- dote. — Parliamentary Provision for the Marriage. — Claremont, Spe. — Preparations for the Nuptials, Marriage Ceremony, SfC. — Residence at Clare- mont, fyc. — Miscarriages and fined Pregnancy of the Princess. — Poem, called, Hie Quarrel of the Months for the Royal Infant. ALTHOUGH the cause of Prince Leopold's abrupt departure from London, could only be conjectured, His Serene Highness having set out for the Continent without acquainting any one with his intentions ; the Princess Charlotte soon perceived that her second invitation would not have been thus left unnoticed, unless something unusual had occurred ; and hence it was not long before she informed herself of all that had taken place. It has been said that an epistolary corre- spondence was commenced from the time of the first meeting of the Princess with Prince Leopold at the Pulteney Hotel, and continued every fort- night until their marriage; and some have even asserted, that the Princess of Wales herself was the bearer of a letter from her beloved Daughter to Prince Leopold, who is also said to have had an interview with Her Royal Highness, shortly after she left this country : all this is however 5 102 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS irreconcileable with the circumstances attending the departure of the Prince of Cobourg from England, and with subsequent events which we shall shortly have to detail. The improbable report of the Princess of Wales having become the me- dium of clandestine communication between the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, so imme- diately after the Prince Regent had signified that he could not sanction the intercourse, is certainly deserving of no credit; and the probability there- fore appears to be, that the correspondence alluded to, must have been that in which the illustrious lovers were afterwards engaged. No doubt, however, now remains, that the unex- pected departure of the Prince for the Continent, was the principal cause of that decline in her health which Her Royal Highness soon after- wards experienced. She had also about this time to endure a painful succession of most harass- ing circumstances. The unhappy dissensions of her august Parents had been the source of conti- nual sorrow to her affectionate heart; and even the apparently amicable arrangement which ter- minated those dissensions, became a fresh cause of grief to her mind, when she found that her Mother had finally resolved to leave the kingdom. It has likewise been seen, that though the Princess Charlotte was fully sensible of the distinguished merits of the Prince of Orange, she did not feel that decisive preference for His Royal Highness, without which, she justly concluded, connubial happiness cannot for a moment exist. No sooner, therefore, had the Princess obtained information of the true cause of Prince Leopolds hasty return to the Continent, than she nobly determined to dismiss the illustrious suitor, whom she found herself unable to love, notwithstanding his acknow- ledged high deserts. This necessary opposition to the wishes of her august Father, who was THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 193 then entirely unacquainted with the secret inclina- tion of his beloved Daughter in favour of her destined husband, produced a great depression of Her Royal Highness's spirits, especially as every thing seemed then to wear a very unfavour- able aspect : medical advice was therefore pro- cured, after which the following certificate was published; " Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales, being still not altogether free from the complaint in her right knee, and Her Royal High- ness's general health being considerably impaired, we recommend a residence on the sea-coast for two or three months this autumn ; as the means most likely to restore her general health, and to cure what remains of the local affection, July 6, 1314. (Signed) M. Baillie. H. Cline. R. Keate." In consequence of this medical recommendation, the Princess repaired to Weymouth, a place which, in addition to its natural advantages, preferred a strong claim to her attention and regard, in having been the favourite resort of His Majesty; thither Her Royal Highness immediately repaired : on the 9th of September she left London, and arrived at Gloucester Lodge on the following day ; a great concourse of people were assembled on the Esplanade awaiting her approach, who greeted the amiable Princess with reiterated cheerings, which she immediately returned with her usual affability and condescension. Early on the l*2th instant the royal standard was displayed at the Custom House, while colours were hoisted at Harvey's Library on the Espla- nade, and on the shipping in the harbour. The 8. 2 b 194 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS worthy Mayor having announced that this day the arrival of the Princess Charlotte was to be celebrated, in the evening a general illumination followed, which was the most brilliant that had ever been seen at Weymouth, Two days afterwards, the following loyal and appropriate Address was presented to Her Royal Highness, by the Mayor, Aldermen, and principal Burgesses, of Weymouth : " We, the Mayor, Aldermen, Bailiffs, and principal Bur- gesses, of the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, entreat permission to address to your Royal Highness our humble congratulations on your safe arrival here, and to express our earnest wishes for the re-establishment of your health. " We regard the auspicious appearance of your Royal Highness amongst us, not only as a happy omen of the future prosperity of the town, but as a revival of the joy- ful sensations we formerly experienced on the visits of your august grandfather, the paternal Sovereign of a grateful people. " May the many public and private virtues which adorn with peculiar lustre the character of our revered Monarch, shine with undiminished splendour in the persons of his illustrious descendants. " Madam, we beg leave to assure your Royal Highness of our strenuous exertions to preserve peace and good order, and by every means in our power to anticipate your wishes." Her Royal Highness most graciously replied : " Gentlemen, the Royal Family have so repeatedly ex- perienced the loyalty and good-will of the inhabitants of Weymouth, that they need no additional assurance of their affection and duty. " It will, however, I am sure, afford them very sincere satisfaction to find, that time and absence have produced no alteration whatever in their sentiments. " To you, Gentlemen, who have shown me this parti- cular mark of attention, and have so kindly expressed 2 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 195 your -wishes for the restoration of my health, I feel more especially indebted ; nor can I, on this occasion, omit my very sincere acknowledgments to all the inhabitants of this town, for the very flattering- tokens of regard which they have universally shewn me, and which I consider as a proof of their undiminished attachment to my dear Father, and the rest of the Royal Family. " Believe me, Gentlemen, it will ever be my anxious wish to merit your good opinion." The Princess was exceedingly gratified by the picturesque scenery with which the neighbourhood of Weymouth abounds, and took her morning rides upon the beautiful hills and downs in its vicinity. Her favour'te drive is however said to have been to the pretty village of Upway. These excursions produced a visible improvement in her health ; but the latent cause of her indisposition, the disappointment which had occurred to delay, if not wholly prevent, the completion of her wishes, could not be thereby removed, though its un- favourable effects upon her health were for a time mitigated. It appears that this was not the first visit Her Royal Highness had paid to Weymouth ; for, not- withstanding the burden which oppressed her own mind, the amiable Princess, upon being requested to extend her bounty to the family of a tradesman, who had been removed by sudden death soon after the second arrival of Her Royal Highness at Weymouth, immediately recollected that he had been employed by her during her first residence at that place, and feeling deep concern for their melancholy condition, made very particular in- quiries concerning the circumstances of the widow and her fatherless children ; and learning that one 196 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of them was a promising lad, signified her gracious intention of assisting his distressed relatives by patronizing him. It is a very common and dan- gerous, though certainly, on the part of benevolent persons of high rank, a very amiable error, that, in endeavouring to forward the interests of deserving persons in low circumstances, they generally forget, that by suddenly elevating them out of the humble sphere of life in which they have been accustomed to move, they expose the objects of their profuse generosity to great hazards ; which have, in many instances, entirely defeated their own kind inten- tions. The youthful Princess appears to have been perfectly aware of this general mistake; and pro- vided for the advancement of the bov, whom she had thus taken under her protection, with a depth of judgment which would have done honour to riper years, and of which the deserving object of her dis- criminating charity is a living and a happy witness. He was first put to school, by Her Royal Highness's command, where he received an education adapted to his station in life ; and after that was completed, the Princess gave a premium of sixty guineas with him, as apprentice to a most respectable tradesman, with whom he now is ; having hitherto conducted himself remarkably well, and affording, as his em- ployer assures us, every reason to conclude that he will continue to be an useful member of society, and an honour to the benevolence and good sense of his royal and lamented Patroness. The Island of Portland, which lies to the south- west of Weymouth, soon attracted the attention of the Princess Charlotte, who undertook an excur- sion, for the purpose of viewing its natural curiosities. After a tedious passage, owing to an unfavourable wind, she landed upon the island, and was surprised to find it an immense mass of sterile rock ; abound- ing, however, in quarries of freestone, ten thousand tons of which are annually exported, for building THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA 197 the most magnificent structures ; such as the Cathe- dral of St. Paul's, at London, which is all of Port- land stone. The places where the Halsewell and Abergavenny East Indiamen were lost, being pointed out, the Princess requested to be informed of the particulars of those dreadful shipwrecks: but it is said, that none of her nautical attendants were able to answer her inquiries ; but with how little proba- bility of truth, the notoriety of all those distressing circumstances makes it wholly unnecessary to state. Her Royal Highness at length reluctantly quitted the island ; and, owing to the rapidity of the tide, which had turned against them, the Royal Party did not arrive at Gloucester Lodge till late in the evening. Abbotsbury Castle, the seat of the Dowager Countess of Ilchester, possessed great attractions for Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, during her residence at Weymouth ; nor was the politeness and kind attention of its noble possessor the least of those attractions. The inquisitive mind of the Princess soon led her to inquire the history of this remarkable domain ; with the whole of which she soon became acquainted. The village called Abbotsbury, the Princess was informed, once be- longed to a monastery of monks, of the Benedictine order. These gentlemen, being lords of the manor, and rather partial to good living, were particularly tenacious of the rights and immunities attached to the estate, and to those especially which tended to procure a continual supply of delicacies for their tables. In what manner their consciences disposed of the austere rules of abstinence which they pre- tended to observe, it would not be of much use to inquire. All the fishermen, however, on this estate were, by law, obliged to supply the monks every morning with the first caught fish ; for which they were promised a suitable price: but it appears that the fixing of the price was left to the monks them- 108 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS selves, and that the poor fishermen were often very scantily rewarded. This injustice awakened their resentment, and gave such an edge to their ingenuity, that one of them, more sagacious than his oppressed ; hbours, discovered that the ingenious lawyer, ) drew up their tenure, by inserting the evasive words, first caught, had furnished the fishermen with an excellent pretext for repaying the monks in their own coin. Accordingly, one Friday, when this devout brotherhood were accustomed to fast on fish, instead of fine turbols and salmon, such as the fishermen usually sent, three small pilchards only were brought to the monastery ! Nothing could exceed the consequent indignation of its famished inmates. The fishermen were instantly called to account for this unpardonable insult ; and with great shrewdness and gravity replied, that the three pil- chards were the first caught fish that day, and that having delivered them, they had discharged their legal obligation. This reasoning the monks could not dispute, and were consequently compelled, by the dread of altogether losing their supply, to come to terms as to the price ; and they, therefore, agreed to pay three-pence per pound for all the prime fish, to be delivered every morning at the castle gate: which ancient custom continues to the present day. At Abbotsbury is a famous swannery ; with which Her Royal Highness was much gratified, ami par- ticularly desired to see in what manner the decoy fowl enticed their own species to destruction. The Princess is stated to have remarked, that she had herself some knowledge of the manner by which it s effected in human life; and she supposed the devices were nearly the same in both cases, viz. treachery and misplaced confidence; observing, that the only difference she could trace in them was, that the fowl were taught to deceive, while the baseness of mankind appeared to proceed from their own cor- rupted nature. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 199 Mr. Keate, an eminent surgeon, was sent down from London to attend Her Royal Highness for the local affection in her knee, which was the ostensible cause of her journey to Weymouth, as it did not, at this time, appear that an early cure could be expected, and her general health was not entirely established. About this time, Her Royal Highness next embarked, on another aquatic excursion, on board the Griper sloop of war, Captain M'Meekan. The weather was exceedingly fine; the royal stand- ard was hoisted, the yards manned, and a royal salute fired ; which was returned by the Greyhound revenue cutter, and greatly delighted the numerous spectators, who greeted the Princess with loud accla- mations, as she passed by to embark. After sailing about many hours, and expressing the utmost grati- fication, Her Royal Highness landed under a royal salute from both men of war, amidst the joyful shouts of a great concourse of people, who had assembled to welcome her safe return. The band of the 13th light dragoons struck up " God save the King," the moment she disembarked ; at the same time, that of the 39th foot continued playing " Rule Britannia," with the most admirable effect; while the royal object of all these rejoicings returned the warm con- gratulations of the admiring multitude in the most affable and engaging manner. Of her admirable conduct whilst at Weymouth, an interesting anecdote has been recorded in the public journals of that time, in the following words: ** During her residence on the coast, the Princess took occasion to display one of those energetic traits which have so distinguished her conduct. Just before her departure from Weymouth, Her Royal Highness being at sea in her yacht, the Leviathan, of 74 guns, sailing near, brought to, and fired a salute to the royal standard flying; and soon after, Captain Nixon, who commanded her, rowed on board the yacht, to pay his respects to the 200 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Princess. She received him on deck, and, after the usual ceremonies, said, ■ Captain Nixon, your's seems a very fine ship of war ; 1 should like much to go on board her.' The Bishop* her aged preceptor, standing by, asked whether she thought her illus- trious Father might not disapprove of her passing in an open boat through a rough sea? The immediate answer to this was, ' Queen Elizabeth took great delight in her navy, and was not afraid to go on board a man of war in an open boat: then why should I? Pray, Captain Nixon, have the good- ness to receive me into your barge, and let me be rowed on board the Leviathan ; for I am not only desirous, but determined, to inspect her.' The necessary preparations were made, and Her Royal Highness passed down into Captain Nixon's barge, followed by her two Ladies in attendance, with the Bishop; and coming alongside the Leviathan, the yards were instantly manned, and a chair of state let down. The Princess desired it to be re-hoisted, saying, * I prefer going up in the manner that a sea- man does : you, Captain Nixon, will kindly follow me, taking care of my clothes; and, when 1 am on deck, the chair may be let down for the other Ladies and the Bishop.' No sooner said than done ; and Her Royal Highness ascended with a facility that astonished the whole delighted crew. The royal suite being upon deck, the ship's officers were severally introduced. Her Royal Highness expressed great surprise at the space and strength of the ship, and remarked, ' Well might such noble structures be called the Wooden Walls of Old Eng- land !' She now told Captain Nixon, that she should not be satisfied with an introduction to his state cabin, as she was very anxious to see every part of his ship between decks, and even below: accordingly he accompanied Her Royal Highness down, when she inspected every birth, the cockpit, powder magazine, store-holds, &c. and, on her THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 201 return upon deck, gave her thanks to Captain Nixon and the attendant officers in the most gracious terms, assuring them, that they had afforded an exhibition of more interest to her mind, than any she had hitherto beheld. The Princess having pre- sented a purse to Captain Nixon, desiring him to apply it for the crew, as a token of her respect for them, descended down the ship's side as she went up, under a royal salute, and the more gratifying cheers of the loyal and hearty crew of a British man of war." This anecdote entirely proves the truth of the remark, that Queen Elizabeth was the model upon which Her Royal Highness intended to form, her political character : we shall, hereafter, have suffi- cient occasion to show, that the Princess was aware of the particular defects of that celebrated Sovereign, and did not intend to imitate her indiscriminately, but in those things onlv which constituted the real glories of her reign. The last marine excursion of the Princess Char- lotte took place a few days before Her Royal High- ness left Weymouth, on board the Zephyr ; in which vessel she had often undertaken short trips to sea, which, together with the frequent use of the sea- bath, greatly promoted the gradual restoration of her bodily health ; so that, at length, her expected convalescence was announced by the medical at- tendants, and her speedy departure from Weymouth determined. On her way from Weymouth to Cranbourn Lodge, the Princess arrived at Salisbury, where the Lord Bishop of the diocese received her at his palace, and entertained Her Royal Highness in the evening with a select vocal concert. She visited, and mi- nutely inspected, every part of the beautiful cathe- dral on the following morning; and on the same day visited Wilton, the seat of the Earl of Pem- broke, where she partook of a cold collation, and 9. 2 c 202 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS was exceedingly gratified with the curious and valuable collection of fine sculpture and paint- ings. On the following day, Her Royal Highness, after inspecting and purchasing some specimens of the Salisbury cloth manufactory, left that place, expressing herself highly gratified with her re- ception. Two days afterwards the Princess arrived at Cranbourn Lodge, and the day following that on which she arrived, Her Royal Highness paid her respects to her royal grandmother the Queen, and to her aunts the Princesses. But the interview be- tween the Princess and her Royal Father, which took place a day or two afterwards, and lasted two hours, was most affecting. On the one side, it pre- sented a truly gratifying display of parental affection, and of filial love on the other. The necessity of repairing Cranbourn Lodge, induced the Princess to leave that abode on the 11th of April, 1815, and take up her residence at Carlton House. Her Royal Highness had not ap- peared formally at court since the allied Sovereigns were in London, but she suddenly made her appear- ance at the Queen's drawing-room, on the 18th of May, 1815, which being the only one that had occurred for ten months, was, of course, unusually crowded. The Princess arrived early at Bucking- ham House, where the drawing room was held, and was indulged in dressing there on the occasion. Her dress was exceedingly beautiful, consisting of gold lama and white draperies, over a rich white satin petticoat, elegantly adorned with brilliant gold tassels. A superb trimming of blond lace, headed with a wreath of gold twisted trimming and rich white satin, appeared beneath the draperies. Her train was of white satin, richly figured, the body exquisitely trimmed with rich gold and blond lace. The head-dress consisted of an elegant plume of ostrich feathers, above a beautiful diadem of bril- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 20S Hants; while the necklace and ear-rings were of the most costly and dazzling diamonds. The Princess Charlotte having been informed, that the Queen and Princesses were about to visit her Royal Father, at the pavilion at Brighton, was invited to accompany them. On her arrival at Brighton, she is represented to have been in high health and spirits, to the great joy of the Prince Regent; with whom her meeting was exceedingly affectionate. The Princess, though her health had been apparently re-established, was, however, still obliged to decline animal food, and confine herself to a very strict regimen ; from which she had often reaped the greatest benefits. The death of the Duke of Brunswick at Quatre Bras, two days before the tremendous conflict at Waterloo, plunged the whole Royal Family into mourning; but affected no one more than the Princess Charlotte, who did not appear in public for many days, and was long inconsolable for the loss of so near a relative. During the visit which the Princess paid to her Royal Father at Brighton, the Austrian ambassador, Prince Esterhazy, who was among the distinguished visitors there, acquired her particular esteem. This accomplished statesman is said to have conversed with Her Royal Highness in German only, at her particular desire, as she wished to obtain the correct pronunciation of that language, and hear it spoken in its utmost purity. The birth-day of the Princess, Jan. 7, 1817, falling on a Sunday, was not celebrated till the fol- lowing day ; upon which it was observed with great magnificence. After a sumptuous entertainment, music succeeded, and the party did not separate till a late hour, after having been highly gratified with the gracious attentions of their illustrious host; who, having been recently attacked with a fit Of 'he gout, could not participate activ in tin >m 204 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS entertainments of his distinguished guests, but dis- played the utmost hilarity; and speaking of his troublesome disorder, jocularly said to his physician, " The gout is to the constitution, what the weasel is to a farmer's barn; the weasel keeps away minor reptiles, the gout minor disorders : I have, however, no appetite for the gout, Doctor; and therefore do not wisli it in my stomach." There is considerable reason to conclude, that the affectionate intercourse which now happily sub- sisted between the Princess and her illustrious and Royal Father, led to the Prince Regent's discovery, that his beloved daughter had irrevocably placed her affections upon Prince Leopold ; since whose unexpected departure, her health, principally owing to the dejection of her mind, had generally been in an unsettled state. It is of little consequence in what manner the real cause of Her Royal Highness's indisposition first became known to the Prince Regent; for certain it is, that with all the tenderness of the most indulgent parent, he immediately caused a letter to be dispatched, inviting Prince Leopold to return. Mr. Vick, the messenger, having ascer- tained that Prince Leopold had left Cobourg for Berlin, set out from Paris for the Prussian capital; where he arrived at three o'clock in the morning, and found the Princfr-ih bed, but insisted upon the immediate delivery of the letter. His Serene High- ness had no sooner risen, and read it, than he wrote a letter to the Princess Charlotte; which he imme- diately gave to Mr. Vick, saying, " You must not go to bed, but set off instantly on your return. I shall follow you in a few hours." The faithful messenger accordingly did not stop another moment, but hur- ried back to Calais with the letter; which, for secu- rity, he placed in a small portmanteau, containing, among other things, a bottle of genuine French brandy ; by the assistance of which, he intended to keep off the qualms and sea-sickness, while crossing- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 205 the Channel. The jolly tars belonging to the packet, however, not knowing the brittle contents of this portmanteau, used it so roughly, that they broke the bottle ; and Prince Leopold's letter to the Princess Charlotte was thus literally steeped in brandy! Mr. Vick was, of course, greatly distressed at this awkward accident, though neither he, nor a friend who accompanied him from Paris, and to whom we are obliged for the knowledge of this diverting inci- dent, could help heartily laughing, while they alter- nately relieved each other in the task of toasting the letter before the fire, in order, if possible, to extract the tell-tale fragrance of the intoxicating spirit, with which it had been so thoroughly saturated ; and even the good-humoured Princess herself, to whom the whole of this merry affair was told, shortly after her happy marriage, was exceedingly amused with the ludicrous situation and apprehensions of the parties concerned. On the 21st of February, 1816, Prince Leopold landed at Dover, where the inhabitants assembled to see him, and greeted him with loud acclamations. His Serene Highness instantly set off for Town; where Lord Castlereagh, as principal Secretary of State, waited upon the Prince at the Clarendon Hotel, to congratulate him, and to learn his pleasure as to his future arrangements. His Lordship imme- diately afterwards dispatched a message, with the result of the interview, to the Prince Regent, at Brighton; and at ten o'clock the same evening, Sir Benjamin Bloomfield arrived in London, from the Pavilion, and waited upon Lord Castlereagh with a communication from the Prince Regent at Brighton, containing an invitation to Prince Leopold to repair to the Pavilion, where, as he immediately accepted it, he was soon domesticated ; and a few days afterwards introduced to his destined bride. It has been judiciously remarked, that the most dangerous, as well as most important, action of 206 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS human life, to either sex, is that which determines thfe choice of a husband or a wife. Common ob- servation supplies us with abundant confirmation of the truth of this remark, which applies in a great de.irree to all ranks of society; though it is to be deplored, that the majority of each rank disregard it, and consequently furnish the unprincipled and dissolute with the sorry plea of the frequency of unhappy marriages, to countenance them in pre- ferring a selfish, or even a profligate celibacy, to that honourable state. To the minds of such per- sons, the conduct of the Princess Charlotte must carry home more forcible arguments than the most cogent reasoner could adduce. The difficulty of making a proper choice was, in her case, almost increased to an impossibility ; and yet we find her magnanimously declining an union which, to any other female, might probably have proved an irre- sistible temptation, in order to prefer the more suitable object of her choice. This action was so truly noble and princely, that had our lamented Princess distinguished herself by no other striking traits of a correct and virtuous disposition, com- bined with that high spirit and energetic character which well became the Heiress to the first throne in the world, she would have thereby established a lasting claim upon our gratitude and admiration. Prince Leopold had not been long at the Pavilion before he manifested how truly he deserved the title of a Protestant Prince, by the decidedly reli- gious turn of mind which he evinced upon receiving the sacrament for the first time during his residence at Brighton ; after which, he addressed a letter to the Princess, informing her of his having commu- nicated, and imparting to her the sentiments which he then felt impressed upon his mind. His Serene Highness also displayed the greatest anxiety to acquire speedily a competent knowledge of English history and literature; to which purpose he dedi- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE- AUGUSTA. 207 cated his leisure hours, in order to prepare himself for the high destiny which he was called to enjoy. The very interesting situation in which Prince Leopold was placed at the Pavilion, made it unne- cessary to observe the usual formalities ; and he was therefore immediately received into the Royal circle, as a member of the family who had for a time been absent. Here the manly openness which distinguished all his actions, and the elegance of his manners, were universally admired. It does, however, appear, notwithstanding the good-will of all the parties concerned, some cause of demur existed, which delayed the final arrangements for the Royal nuptials. The following demi-official bulletin, which appeared in the public prints, seems to intimate, that the delay arose from the same fixed determination of the Princess never to leave England, even upon a visit to the native country of her intended husband, which she always evinced during the progress of the negociations for the projected marriage with the Prince of Orange : "There seems to be somewhat of a too confident expectation entertained, that the union of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg with the Heiress of the British crown, will take place without any previous ceremony or delay. We have heretofore expressed our satisfaction at the prospect of a matrimonial alliance, which might be agreeable to Her Royal Highness's personal sentiments, and might lay the foundation for her future happiness, private and public ; but still we think it is proceeding a little too fast to speak of Prince Leopolds being received at the Pavilion ' with the most enthusiastic wel- come by the Duke of Clarence;' nay, to denominate him at once ' the favoured husband of the Princess.' The truth, we have good reason to believe, is, that Her Royal Highness, however favourable her opinion of Prince Leopold may be, is not by any 2 208 MEMOIRS OP HER ROYAL HIGHNESS means so blindly resolved on uniting her fate with his, as to neglect the many important considerations which are necessary to be first understood and provided for on both sides, with a view to many possible contingencies. We believe we hazard little in saying, that the Princess entertains so firm an attachment to her native country, that she would, on no account whatever, incur the hazard of being hereafter compelled to abandon it for a residence with her husband on the Continent. Rumours have prevailed, in some quarters, of an intention to appoint Prince Leopold, Viceroy of Hanover; but to this plan, it is understood, Her Royal Highness has a decided objection. The people of England cannot but enter warmly into any feelings which mark an aversion in their future Sovereign to be removed, for however short a period, from English society, English manners, and English af- fections : and if any parliamentary measure should be necessary for the entire satisfaction of Her Royal Highness's mind on this point, it would, no doubt, be adopted with eagerness by both Houses." This obstacle, however, was soon surmounted ; and, on the 10th of March, a Privy Council was convened at Brighton, for the express purpose of considering the union , when His Royal Highness officially signified his consent, and, in obedience to his command, the Lord Chancellor sealed the instrument, authorizing the nuptial ceremony, with the Great Seal of England. Four days afterwards, this important event was publicly notified to the House of Lords, when the Earl of Liverpool brought down the following message from the Prince Regent: " George P. R. " His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, act- ing in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 209 having given the royal consent to the marriage of his daughter the Princess Charlotte-Augusta with His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick Prince of Cobourg, has thought tit to communicate his intentions to the House. His Royal High- ness hopes, that it cannot but be gratifying to all his faithful subjects ; and the many proofs he has had of the attachment of this House, leave him no doubt that they will enable him to make such a provision for Her Royal Highness as may be suitable to the honour and dignity of these realms." The Earl of Liverpool then addressed the House. He had found upon investigation that it had been the invariable practice, ou all occasions of deliver- ing messages of this nature from the Crown, to move an address upon it on the same day on which it was delivered in ; and he was sure their lordships would not be disposed now to pay less respect to the royal message than had been paid at former periods, and would be, therefore, anxious to follow that course which had been uniformly pursued on similar occasions. The object of the message was of the highest importance, and must be deeply interesting to their lordships, and to all classes of His Majesty's subjects. Whatever difference of opinion there might be among them on political matters, they must all feel disposed to concur in such measures as might be best calcu- lated to promote the comfort and happiness of the Royal Family. He was persuaded, therefore, that he should be acting contrary to the feelings of the House, if he were to detain their Lordships from coming to a vote on the address which he was about to propose, by entering into any detail of the subject at present. But he felt it proper and due to say, and he said so, not as using the words of course, and expressions of mere compliment, but. as having had an opportunity of ascertaining the 9. 2 d 210 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS fact from the best sources of information, that, with respect to the illustrious Prince upon whom His Royal Highness the Prince Regent had thought proper to bestow his Daughter in marriage, he believed there was on the continent of Europe but one sentiment and opinion as to his personal merits and respectability. He was not now speaking of the opinion merely of the members of that illus- trious Person's own house and family, but of the general opinion and sentiment of all the courts of Europe ; of the opinion of his equals and his infe- riors ; all of whom agreed in bearing testimony to the propriety of his conduct and the goodness of his character. This was not the time to say any thing as to the provision which it might be fitting to make for these illustrious Persons on the occasion of their marriage : this question would come regu- larly before their Lordships at another time. He would now only say, in reference to that point, that he had paid the utmost attention to the subject, and considered it both with a view to what was due to the illustrious Parties themselves, and also with a view to what would be creditable to the country, without any improper extravagance. But he would not let this part of the subject pass with- out this observation, — that when their Lordships came to consider what provision it would be proper to make for this occasion, he trusted their Lord- ships would take care that it should be made in such a manner, that the illustrious Persons, of Whom he had been speaking, might have the free (iijovment, in the first instance, of their own income. He said so, because he had observed, that when a provision had been made, though it was sufficient for its purpose, yet, from the want of such a regulation as he had mentioned on the part of Parliament, it had become altogether insuf- ficient. Their Lordships, therefore, he was per- suaded, would be disposed to place the illustrious 6 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 211 Persons in a situation where they would have the free use of their own income. It was their wish, he was authorized to say, to confine their expences strictly within their income; and, in saying this, he relied confidently on the liberality of Parlia- ment, that with every proper attention to economy, it would give that income and assistance which would be worthy of a great nation, on the occasion of a marriage of such importance. He should therefore move — That a humble address be presented to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, returning the thanks of the House for his gracious communi- cation, and to express their entire satisfaction with the marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta to a Protestant Prince of so illustrious a house ; an event which must be satis- factory to all classes of His Majesty's subjects, and conducive to the best interests of the country; and to assure His Royal Highness that he might rely with confidence on the concurrence of the House of Lords, in such measures as might be necessary to conclude this marriage, and to demonstrate the affectionate zeal and dutiful regard of the House towards His Royal Highness and the Royal Family, as well as its disposition to pay every proper atten- tion to what was due to the honour and dignity of the Crown. The question upon the address having been put by the Lord Chancellor, it was agreed to without a dissenting voice. In the House of Commons, Lord Castlereagh moved on the same day a similar address ; which being agreed to, his Lordship then moved that the House should, on the following day, go into a committee, to consider the message of His Royal Highness. Accordingly, on the 15th of March, the House resolved itself into a committee; and the Chancellor 212 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of the Exchequer stated, that from the unanimity with which the House had last night agreed to an address of thanks to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, for his gracious communication, he could anticipate no objection to the measure which he had to submit to the House, relative to the auspi- cious marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princes Charlotte. He should have the honour of pro- posing to the House an establishment for Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, and His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Cobourg ; and he was sure he should meet with no opposi- tion, as he should propose making for them such a provision, as, while it would be sufficient to main- tain every domestic comfort and ease, and all the splendour due to their high station, would be con- sistent with every attention to public economy. The object of his motion was two-fold ; first, an annual allowance for their Royal Highnesses, and then an immediate sum to enable them to set out on the commencement of their establishment with due comfort and splendour, and without subjecting them to any of those embarrassments, which setting up an establishment too often occasions. The amount of the annual establishment which he should propose for their Royal Highnesses, was £60,000 a year; £10,000 of which was to be re- served to Her Royal Highness for her private use, and the remainder to go to the establishment of the Royal Pair. This was the annual establishment he should propose during their joint lives; and in case of the death of Prince Leopold before the Princess, the allowance of £60,000 a year to remain with her; but if the Princess should die before the Prince Leopold, his allowance to be £50,000 a year during his life. It was to be observed, that, on this establishment taking place, Her Royal Highness's present establishment would cease, which in all amounted to about £.30,000 a year; THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 213 so that there would be only an increase of about £30,000 a year more than Her Royal Highness's present expenditure. As much of the comfort of life depended on a suitable establishment in the setting out, and such an establishment would pre- vent any future call on the generosity of that House, he should propose, in the committee of supply, a ready sum of money in assistance to the annual provision for their outfit, for carriages, wine, &c. The sum he should propose was £40,000, and for dress to Her Royal Highness, £10,000, and £10,000 more for jewels. This establishment he was sure there was no gentleman in that House would object to. He had one point on which to offer an obser- vation. It had been found impossible to select a suitable residence for their Royal Highnesses as yet; there would, probably, be an application for a farther allowance for this purpose ; and he could have no doubt of the concurrence of the House on the occasion. He then moved, that there should be an allowance from the consolidated fund of £60,000 a year for an establishment for Her Royal High- ness the Princess Charlotte of Wales and His Serene Highness Prince Leopold of Cobourg, to commence on the day of their marriage. After a few cursory remarks from several mem- bers, the resolution was agreed to. The following are the six Articles of the Mar- riage Settlement; to which the Additional article is subjoined : ARTICLE I. It is concluded and agreed that the marriage between Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte-Augusta, and His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, '214 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuriugia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, See. &c. shall be solemnized in that par! of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, called Great Britain, both being present, according to the dm' tenor of the laws of England, and the rites and cere- monies of the Church of the United Kingdom, as soon as the same may conveniently be done. ARTICLE II. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty the King of the- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, promises to secure to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta, and to His Serene Highness Leopold-George- Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuriugia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. during their joint lives, and to the survivor of them, the annual sums herein-after mentioned ; — that is to say, during their joint lives, the annual sum of sixty thousand pounds, to be paid quarterly; ten thousand pounds of which annual sum, also to be paid quarterly, shall be granted unto com- missioners, named for that purpose by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting as aforesaid, to be by them received for the sole and separate use of the said Princess, notwithstanding her marriage state, and without His Serene Highness Leopold-George- Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Mar- grave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. having any power over the same, and vhich annual sum of ten thousand pounds, so payable quarterly, the said Princess shall not have power, either separately or conjointly with His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave ol Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. to alienate, mortgage, or receive or direct to be paid by way of anticipation ; but the same shall, from time to time, as the same shall become due, be paid and payable into the proper hands of the said Princess alone, upon her own sole receipt, or to such person or persons to whom she shall, by writing, signed by herself alone, from time to time, as the same shall become due, direct and order the same to be paid, or otherwise to receive the same on her sole behalf. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 215 ARTICLE III. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting as afore- said, engages to secure to Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte- Augusta, the annual sum of sixty thousand pounds, to he paid to her during her life, in case Her Royal High- ness shull survive His Serene Highness Leopold-George- Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. such annual sum, to commence in payment from the death of His Serene Highnes Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. in the lifetime of Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte- Augusta, and to be paid quarterly ; and the first quarterly payment is to be made at the end of three calendar months, after such his decease, when the said annuity, payable during their joint lives, is to determine. And His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, so acting as aforesaid, further engages to secure to His Serene High- ness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringuen, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. &c. &c. the annual sum of fifty thousand pounds, to be paid to him during his life, in case he shall survive her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte- Augusta ; such annual sum to commence in payment from the death of Her Royal Highness, in the lifetime of his Royal High- ness, and to be paid quarterly; and the first quarterly payment to be made at the end of three calendar months after such her decease, when the said annuity, payable during their joint lives, is to determine. ARTICLE IV. The son or daughter, or descendant of the said marriage for the time being, next in succession to the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, after the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, shall be brought up in such manner as His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or his successors, may be pleased to direct ; and no children of this marriage shall be allowed to marry without the consent of His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or his successors for the time being. 210 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ARTICLE V. It is understood and ogreetl that her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte-Augusta shall not, at any time, leave (In- I'nited Kingdom without the permission, in writing, of His Majesty, or of the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, and without Her Royal Highness's own consent. And in the event of Her Royal Highness being absent from this country, in consequence of the permission of His Majesty, or of the Prince Regent, and of her own con- sent, such residence abroad shall, in no case, be protracted beyond the term approved by His Majesty, or the Prince Regent, and consented to by Her Royal Highness. And it shall be competent for Her Royal Highness to return to this country before the expiration of such term, either in consequence of directions for thai purpose, in writing, from His Majesty, or from the Prince Regent, or at her own pleasure. ARTICLE VI. This treaty shall be ratified by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on the behalf of His Majesty, and by His said Serene Highness, and the ratifications shall be ex- changed in ten days, or sooner, if possible. In witness whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed it, and have aflixed thereunto the seals of their arms. Done at London the thirteenth day of March, one thou- sand eight hundred and sixteen. (L. S.) C. Cantuar. (JL. S.) Baron de Just. (L. S.) Eldon, C. (L. S.) Harrowby, P. (L. S.) Liverpool. (L. S.) Castlereagh. (L. S.) Sidmouth. (L. S.) N. Vansittart . ADDITIONAL ARTICLE. It is hereby expressly declared, that no article or pro- vision, contained in the treaty of marriage signed this day, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 217 shall, in any manner be taken, or deemed to affect, or pre- judice, any right or prerogative of His Majesty, his heirs or successors, touching or concerning the education or mar- riages of any of the children or descendants of Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte-Augusta, or the education or marriages of any of the Royal Family or their descendants. The present additional Article shall have the same force and effect, as if it were inserted, word for word, in the treaty of marriage signed this day. It shall be included in the ratification of the said treaty. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done at London, the thirteenth day of March, one thou- sand eight hundred and sixteen. (£. S.) C Cantuar. (L. S.) Baron de Just. {L. S.) Eldon, C. (Z>. »S'.) Harroicby, P. (L. 8.) Bathurst. (L. iS.) Liverpool* (L. S.) Castlereagh, {_£. »S'.) Sidmouth. (L. S.) N. Vmisittart. On the 25th of March, the preceding measures were followed up by a Bill for the Naturalization of Prince Leopold, on which occasion the stauding orders of the House were suspended, that the progress of the Bill might not be retarded. This Bill was passed with unprecedented dispatch : it was read, debated upon, went through both Houses, and received the Royal Assent, all in one evening. The commissioners were the Lord Chan- cellor, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Melville. The naturalization of Prince Leopold was gene- rally expected to be followed by some additional dignity; and it was generally reported that the extinct Dukedom of Kendal was to be revived for his acceptance. His Serene Highness, however, laudably declined the intended honour, partly at the desire of the Princess Charlotte, wishing to derive no rank but from his marriage with her, 9. 2 e SM&- "218 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS mid partly because he had resolved not to mingle id the jarring politics of the day. The British Public now anticipated the speedy solemnization of the nuptials; but the sudden illness of Prince Leopold, who was attacked with severe rheumatic pains in the head, rendered it necessary to prolong his stay at Brighton, which place he at length left for Windsor, where he arrived on the 22nd of April, and had the happiness to dine with his ailianced Bride, who had just arrived from Cranbourn Lodge to pass the day with the Royal Family. His Serene Highness resided at the Castle during his stay at Windsor, and paid fre- quent visits to the Princess, who invited him on the 28th to a sumptuous entertainment at Cranbourn Lodge, whither he was accompanied by Her Ma- jesty and all the Princesses. The leisure hours of Prince Leopold were still sedulously employed in the study of the English language, history, manners, and customs: and although His Serene Highness found considerable difficulty iu acquiring the true pronunciation, lie soon became sufficiently versed in the English idiom to taste the beauties of our best prose writers, and expressed his determination to persevere until he should be able to peruse the works of Shakspeare and Milton with equal facility, So completely, indeed, was His Serene Highness immersed in his studies, that when Her Majesty held a Drawing- room on the 24th of April, at which it was rumoured that Prince Leopold was to be introduced, and the Princess Charlotte to be present ; a great concourse of rank and fashion, who had assembled to view the illustrious Pair, were greatly disappointed to find that His Serene Highness did not attend ; which, though it was at first attributed to indispo- sition, was afterwards said to have arisen from his unwillingness to create any chasm in those pursuits which he was then prosecuting with uncommon vigour. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 219 The preparations for the marriage went on in the mean time with uncommon activity, and the 2nd of May was the day finally appointed for its consummation. At this time it is said that no less than five hundred and seventy-four applications were made for the appointment of Lady to the Bedchamber, and two hundred and seventy-nine for that of Lady in Waiting! — The following Epi- gram appeared in the public prints, in allusion to these extremely numerous applications : Eight hundred and fifty-three maidens fair, To wait on the Princess their wishes declare: Say, what other Court throughout Europe can boast, Of virgins so noble and numerous a host? If all in a body they should wait upon her, No doubt they'll be styl'd — The Fair Legion of Honour! The short excursion which Prince Leopold undertook to Hampton Court, was in order to inspect the beautiful domain of Claremont. It was the decided wish of the happy pair to reside in the country, as they preferred the rational enjoy- ments of domestic life to the vapid and unsatisfac- tory attractions of the dissipated town. Claremont, or, as it was originally called, Clare- mount, is situated iu the parish of Esher, and hundred of Emley Bridge, in the county of Surry. The Park forms part of the beautiful Vale of Esher, of which Thompson in his Summer thus rapturously sings : " Inchanling Vale ! beyond whate'er the Muse " Has of Achaia or Hesperia sung ! " O vale of bliss ! O softly swelling hills ! " On which the Power of cultivation lies, " And joys to see the wonders of his toil. " Heavens ! what a goodly prospect spreads around, " Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires, " And glittering towns, and gilded streams, till all " The stretching landscape into smoke decays." 2'20 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Here Sir John Vanbrugh, the dramatic writer and arcliitect, whose heavy style of architecture was aptly censured in the satirical epitaph, " Lie heavy on him earth, for he " Laid many a heavy load on thee !" built a house for his own habitation, but chose for its site a low spot of ground, from which there was no prospect. The estate was purchased from Sir John by the Earl of Clare, afterwards Duke of Newcastle, who made it his residence, and added a magnificent room for the entertainment of large companies whilst he was in administration. He enlarged the grounds by farther purchases, and by enclosing parts of the adjoining heath, so that they now contain about four hundred and twenty acres. The Duke also adorned the Park with many plantations, under the direction of Kent. On a mount which overlooks the Portsmouth road, his Grace erected the building in the form of a castle, and called it after his own name Clare Mount, by which appellation the estate has ever since been known. After the Duke of Newcastle's decease, it was purchased by Robert Lord Clive, the celebrated founder of our East Indian empire, whose relict, Lady Clive, died in December 1817. When setting out on Ins last voyage to Hindoostan, his Lordship gave directions to Browne, so well known for his taste in laying out grounds, but who piqued himelf still more on his skill in archi- tecture, to pull down the old, and build him a new house, without any limitation in regard to expence. Browne executed these commands to the perfect satisfaction of his patron, but at an expence of upwards of £100,000. He had often been employed to alter houses, but this is con- sidered the only complete mansion he ever built. It forms an oblong square of forty-four yards by thirty-four. On the ground-floor are eight spacious THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 221 rooms, besides the hall of entrance, and the great staircase. In the principal front, a flight of thir- teen steps leads to the great entrance, under a pediment supported by Corinthian columns. The situation is well chosen, commanding various views of the water and plantations. The abundance of game in the neighbourhood of the Park may be judged of from the following fact: Bicker, Prince Leopold's gamekeeper, during the month of De- cember 1817, shot one hundred and twenty snipes in the immediate vicinity. After Lord Clive's sudden death in 1774, this estate was sold for not more than one-third of what the house and alterations had cost. It was purchased by Viscount Galway, who again dis- posed of it to the Earl of Tyrconnel, by whom it was again sold to Charles Rose Ellis, Esq. from whom it Mas lastly purchased for the Royal Pair, whose nuptials were now about to be solemnized. Camelford House, the property of Lord Grenville, having been selected for the town residence of the Royal Pair; on the 9th of April, a very long discus- sion took place in the House of Commons, concern- ing the establishment of the Princess Charlotte. At the beginning of this debate, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was not in the House ; Mr. Lushington however declared, that it would have been pre- sumption in him to have proposed the business in the absence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had he not conceived that there would be an entire unanimity on the subject ; from which it appears, that ministers did not apprehend that opposition to their proposed establishment for the Princess Charlotte, which was manifested on this evening. The opposition arose upon the allow- ance which had been formerly granted to the Princess Charlotte of £30,000 a year coming from the civil list, and the £60,000 now to be voted 22*2 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS for her establishment, which was to come from the consolidated fund, making a difference of £30,000 a year in fa -.our of the civil list. This, as it erased to he paid to Her Royal Highness, it was thought, should revert to the civil list; and Mr. Brougham contended, to introduce a clause in the present bill, providing how the £30,000 was to be disposed of, whether it was to go to the civil list, or to cease altogether. In answer to this, Lord Castlereagh stated, that one part of it would go to the consolidated fund, and the other to the civil list. Mr. Tieruey replied, that he could oidy perceive by the estimates, that part of Her Royal High- ness's allowance was charged in the civil list, and part in the consolidated fund. The depart- ment of Lord Chamberlain and Lord Steward in Her Royal Highness's establishment, was £12,000 a year, and he was not acquainted with all the other items; the estimates only amounted to the expenditure of £22,000. He thought that the ceasing of Her Royal Highness's former establish- ment ought to produce that deduction from the consolidated fund. He maintained, that the t'0,000 or £6', 500 a year, her settled establishment, ought to be charged to the civil list, and paid over to the consolidated fund. Another point he wished to be informed on was, whether the rent of the town-house, fixed on for Her Royal Highness, was to be paid out of the establishment of £60,000 a vear? The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that it was. Mr. Tierney further stated, that he did not be- lies e the House had such a residence, as the one now taken for Her Royal Highness, in contem- plation, when they had so readily agreed to the establishment of £00,000 a year for her. They considered, that such an establishment would THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 223 enable her to maintain a great degree of state ; but the house now fixed on for her residence was not equal to such a purpose, and was only fit for a private gentleman. If Her Royal Highness was to maintain only such a degree of state as this house was fit for, £60,000 a year was too much. It was entirely impossible that she should spend such a sum as £60,000 a year in such a house. It was with an expectation that she should main- tain such a degree of state as was due to the nation over which she was one day to rule, that the House had unanimously consented to such an establishment. But, for the same reason that he was liberal where it was necessary, and due to the dignity of the nation and its rulers, he would be economical where liberality was not necessary. He would at once ask, Whether it was, or was not intended, that the Princess should hold drawing- rooms after her marriage? No answer being given to this question, Mr. Tierney continued, that he saw to what a situation they were reduced. Was it fit, that the future Queen of England should live in such a state of privacy, as she would be obliged to live in, if Camelford House were to be her residence ? If Her Royal Highness was to be immured, as she must be in Camelford House, £60,000 a year would be much too large an establishment. Lord Castlereagh declared himself satisfied with shewing his attachment to Her Royal Highness, by a liberal establishment. His right honourable friend was not authorized to propose any more for her establishment than £60,000 a year ; and the town-house was to be provided for out of this, with a view that the liberality of the House might provide a country residence for Her Royal Highness. Mr. Tierney would not consent that the liberality of the House should be imposed on, to provide a country residence for Her Royal Highness, while 224 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS there were so many royal palaces unoccupied. As for a country house, besides all the palaces, where was Cran bourn Lodge? and where was the fanciful cottage that had cost so much? £(30,000 a year was too much for her, if she was to lead a life of privacy. He considered it an indecent proposition to provide a country house for her at the public expence, when she had such an establishment, and was to lead such a life. Mr. Abercromby said, that though Her Royal Highness was only presumptive Heiress to the throne in point of law, she was, in point of fact and of substance, Heiress apparent; and it was very unbecoming, that after her marriage, with such an establishment as £60,000 a year, she should lead a life of privacy. If she was to lead such a life, why was she allowed more than the Duchess of Cumberland ? Lord Castlereagh was not Her Royal Highness 's adviser as to her future regulations. Mr. Brougham contended, that the Princess Charlotte should not be allowed £60,000 a year for a life of privacy, when the King's own daughters were allowed only £20,000 a year. This unexpected discussion, though protracted to a considerable length, terminated by tilling up the blank in the bill, with- £00,000 a year; after which, the report was received, and the Bill read a third time and passed. One morning, before the Princess finally left Windsor upon her approaching nuptials, Her Royal Highness appears to have indulged herself once more in one of those sprightly sallies, which, though the morose and saturnine may condemn, those who have not forgotten the time when they were young themselves, will smile at, if they cannot approve. It certainly never occurred to the unsuspecting mind of the Princess Charlotte, that her riding round the 1 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 225 country in the neighbourhood of Windsor, in the uniform of a military officer, and taking an incog- nito survey of those places where she was weil known in her usual costume, could form any reason for supposing that she was inclined to dispense with the modesty peculiar to her sex. The fact is, that in the exuberant hilarity and innocent gaiety of her youthful heart, she overlooked every objection to this humorous adventure, and executed the laugh- able project almost as rapidly as she conceived it; hence the circumstance in itself tends more to prove the natural sprighlliness and fearlessness of her ex cellent disposition, than that she was at all deficient in real delicacy. Some have endeavoured to im- press the public mind with an idea that the Princess was a kind of puling nervous female, and as austere as if educated in a nunnery ; and to support this fictitious representation, some facts have been sup- pressed, and others distorted. The Princess was truly said to have been wholly English, since, in addition to a high degree of energy, which seemedL calculated to qualify her for the sovereign office to which she was born, she unquestionably displayed that unaffected modesty which generally charac- terizes the British ladies. On the 29th of April all the parties hastened to Town ; the Princess Charlotte passed through the Mall towards Carlton House, amidst a throng of spectators, who received her with marked respect; which she returned with her usual courtesy and con-, descension. Her Royal Highness wore a purple silk dress, trimmed with white, and a most beautiful plume of white feathers. Prince Leopold soon afterwards arrived at Clarence House, in St. James's Palace, and was welcomed with loud acclamations by a concourse of genteel persons, who remained till a late hour in front of the house ; where His Serene Highness politely gratified them, by showing himself repeatedlv at the w indows, and appearing to 10. 2 f '2'2(S MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS partake of the good humour and gaiety which per- vaded the numerous spectators. Tiie following day was wholly occupied by the state visits of congratulation, which the youthful couple received at their respective residences. In the afternoon, towards the close of the Prince Regent's levee, Prince Leopold was introduced to His Royal Highness by the assistant master of the eereraonies, and after a long private conference proceeded with the Prince Regent to the Queen's Drawing-room at Buckingham House; and was intro- duced by His Royal Highness to Her Majesty, in conformity with Court etiquette. Here Prince Leopold met his lovely Bride, who was most ele- gantly dressed upon the occasion. In the evening the nuptial dresses were exhibited to the Queen, the Prince Regent, and the Princesses ; all of whom had made most liberal and splendid presents of jewels to their lovely relative. The following account of the wedding costume, and of the dresses worn by the Royal Family, will perhaps be very acceptable to our fair readers : The Princess Charlotte's Dresses were, 1. The wedding dress, composed of a most mag- nihcent silver lama on net, over a rich silver tissue slip, with a superb border of silver lama embroi- dery at the bottom, forming shells and bouquets above the border; a most elegant fulness tastefully designed, in festoons of rich silver lama, and fin- ished with a very brilliant rollio of lama; the body and sleeves to correspond, trimmed with a most beautiful point Brussels lace, in a peculiarly elegant style. The mantua of rich silver tissue, lined with white satin, trimmed round with a most superb silver lama border, in shells to correspond with the dress, and fastened in front with a most brilliant and costly ornament of diamonds. The whole dress surpassed all conception in the brilliancy and THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 227 richness of its effect. Head dress, a wreath of rose buds and leaves, composed of the most superb brilliants. 2. A superb gold lama dress, with an elegant border of lama over a white satin slip ; the body and sleeves embroidered to correspond, trimmed with an elegant gold blond net in vandyke ; also a most magnificent gold tissue mantua, lined with rich white satin, and trimmed with a beautiful gold border, in net-work and shells. 3. A silver lama dress, richly embroidered on net, with superb border, over a white satin slip; body and sleeves elegantly trimmed with a rich silver blond lace; the mantua to suit, composed of a rich silver tissue, lined with white satin, and trimmed round with a beautiful silver lama border, fastened in front with diamonds. 4. A very superb blue and white figured silver tissue dress, trimmed with a full elegant trimming of lama on net, tastefully interspersed with silver, orange blossom, and corn-flowers; the body and sleeves elegantly trimmed with lama and silver blond lace. 5. An embroidered gold muslin dress, with an elegant Indian gold border, and above the border two flounces of most beautiful Mechlin lace; the body and sleeves richly trimmed with Mechlin lace. This dress had a particularly beautiful effect. 6. A very superb Brussels point lace dress, ele- gantly trimmed with point lace, over a slip of rich white satin. This dress cost eight hundred guineas. 7. A rich white satin dress, elegantly trimmed with blond lace, with a beautiful satin and net trim-, ming above the blond. The body and sleeves very full and handsome, with blond luce. 8. An elegant sprig book-muslin dress,, trimmed with rich Mechlin lace, over a white satin slip. 9. A rich figured satin dress, elegantly trimmed with blond lace, 228 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS 10. A travelling dress of rich white reps silk, elegantly trimmed with flounces at the bottom, of superb Brussels point, with ruff and cuffs to corre- spond. 11. A rich white satin wedding pelisse, trimmed with most beautiful ermine, for the occasion. 1*2. An elegant white satin hat, tastefully trim- med with blond lace, and a beautiful plume of ostrich feathers. Several other dresses, nearly similar, were pre- pared; and the jewellery was of the most magnificent description, consisting of a beautiful wreath for the head, composed of rose-buds and leaves, of the most superb brilliants; a necklace of a single row of large brilliants of the tinest lustre, with large drop ear-rings to correspond, and a brilliant cestus of great value. Her Royal Highness had also a pearl necklace, and bracelets with diamond clasps, equally splendid. Her Royal Highnesss casket contained other ornaments, consisting of coloured stones, richly encircled with jewels; and she had also a rich diamond armlet, presented by the Prince of Cobourg-Saalfeld. The Queen was dressed in a beautiful gold tissue, trimmed with a mixture of gold and silver, having two flounces of brilliant silver net-work, richly embossed with stripes of gold lama, and a superb head to the flounces of silver lama border. The whole had a most novel, grand, and magnificent appearance. Princess Sophia of Gloucester wore an elegant robe of gold tissue, superbly ornamented with silver lama. Her Royal Highness wore a profusion of diamonds and feathers. It was at first intended to celebrate the roval nuptials with considerable privacy, admitting the Roval Family and the Great Officers of State only 3 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 229 to the ceremony; but this intention was relin- quished, and the whole determined to be conducted with the utmost publicity and splendour. Every individual of the Queen's establishment was directed to attend in full costume ; and this regulation was subsequently extended to the other Royal establish- ments, of the Prince Regent, the Commander-in- Chief, the Princesses and Dukes of the Royal blood, while the heads of each public department, and all the Foreign Ambassadors, appeared to emulate each other in splendour upon the joyful occasion. The day preceding the marriage, Prince Leopold met the Queen, the Princess Mary, and his consort elect the Princess Charlotte, at Camelfoj d House, which they proceeded to inspect, and soon found to be very inconvenient, in many respects. The Prince returned to Clarence House, amidst the cheers of a concourse of people, who had collected round the house to see him, and whom he often gratified until seven o'clock, by appearing upon the balcony ; aud then retired to entertain the Ministers and Foreign Ambassadors, whom he had invited to dinner. It having been finally agreed, that the royal nuptials should be as public as possible, the following were the preliminary arrangements. — About sixty of the most distinguished personages, besides the Royal Family, were invited to attend. This number in- cluded the members of the British Cabinet and their Ladies, and also the Foreign Ambassadors, but no other persons. The Cabinet and Foreign Ministers were assembled in one of the Crimson State Rooms at Carlton House, in auother the Queen and Prin- cesses, and in the third the Prince Regent himself, with his Great Officers of State. A grand dinner was to be prepared at Carlton House ; after which the marriage ceremony was to take place in the State Chamber of the palace, where the Prince Regent receives the addresses ; the Archbishop of 230 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Canterbury to perform the marriage ceremony, which was, of course, to be attended with the usual formalities. It was also arranged, that the Queen, the Prince Regent, Bride, and Bridegroom, and the Great Officers of State, were to return to the Coun- cil Chamber; where they and the Foreign Ministers would pay their compliments to the illustrious Pair; who were soon afterwards to leave Carlton House. The 2nd of May, the day fixed for the union of this interesting pair, at length arrived. The Princess Charlotte, after sitting for her bust to Turnerelli, in the early part of the day, set out at two o'clock in her carriage, for the Queen's Palace. The glasses were let down, to gratify the spectators, who thronged Pall Mall; the number of whom was, however, so great, that, fearful of accident, the Princess desired her coachman to return and drive through the Park. Shortly after seven o'clock the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, joined Her Majesty and the Princesses at Buckingham House, in order to be present at the marriage ceremony. Her Royal Highness dined, and afterwards dressed, at the Queen's Palace; and a little before eight o'clock in the evening was conducted down the grand staircase by her royal aunt, the Princess Mary, on her right hand, and Colonel Stephenson on her left. At the entrance of the grand hall she met the Queen Her Majesty, and the Princess Char- lotte, with the Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth, and immediately drove off in a carriage to Carlton House, and were closely followed by the Princesses Mary and Sophia of Gloucester in another carriage, with an escort of the Life Guards. The Park was filled with spectators, whose loud acclamations, with their great numbers and respectability, at once caught the attention of the Princess, who is said to have exclaimed, " Bless me, what a multitude ! — the Park is crowded." The clock struck eight as the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 231 royal ladies entered the garden gate, at Carlton House, where they were most affectionately wel- comed by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, upon the happy occasion. The concourse of persons who assembled at an early hour, in the hope of being gratified with a sight of the happy Pair, was exceedingly great, especially from Charing Cross, round Carlton House, and even as far as the neighbourhood of the Queen's Palace. The band of the Coldstream regiment of Foot Guards was stationed in the court-yard of Carlton House, having been marched at an early hour from the parade in St. James's Park, along with a full guard of honour, composed of the Grenadier Regi- ment of Foot Guards. A party of Foot Guards were also posted in Pall Mall, where Sir Nathaniel Conant and Mr. Birnie, the Bow-street magistrates, attended with fifty active officers and constables. That spacious street, with those adjoining it, was entirely blocked up with pages most superbly dressed, and with livery servants and equipages, attending upon the vast throng of nobility and gentry, who had come from all parts of the Empire to see the Royal Pair set off from Carlton House ; which, as the day declined, was most brilliantly illuminated, in honour of this auspicious event. While an immense crowd had thus enclosed Carlton House and blocked up the Mall, the open space opposite to Clarence House, where Prince Leopold then was, exhibited a throng of spectators never equalled upon any former occasion. His Serene Highness showed himself repeatedly at the balcony, to gratify the ardent curiosity of the multi- tude ; at whose rejoicings the Prince bowed and smiled very pleasantly, while they often amused themselves with merry jokes in allusion to the hap- piness which now awaited him. His Serene High- ness wore a blue coat and star: he set off at two '2:>> MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS o'clock in a curricle and pair for Buckingham House, where he paid a morning' visit to his in- tended Bride, with whom he remained more than an hour; and then returned to Clarence House, where the crowd had so increased in number, and had become so anxious to see the husband of their future Queen, that the poor footmen, who opened the carriage door for His Serene Highness to alight, were almost pushed under the wheels. The whole assemblage was, however, very orderly, and readily complied with the request of the Prince's attendants, to form an avenue for His Serene Highness to pass through; along which, Prince Leopold walked across to York House, bowing to the populace, in return for the loud huzzas with which they wel- comed his return. At half past eight o'clock Prince Leopold left the house of the Duke of Clarence with two of the royal carriages; the first of which contained Lord James Murray, Lord in Waiting to Prince Leopold, Baron Hardenbrock, and Colonel Addenbroke, His Serene Highness's Secretaries, and Sir Robert Gar- diner, his equerry. Prince Leopold followed in the second carriage, accompanied by Baron Just, the Saxon minister, who signed the articles of his mar- riage with the Princess Charlotte, and Mr. Chester, the assistant master of the ceremonies. When the Prince alighted, the female spectators evinced the greatest enthusiasm, patting him on the back, waving their handkerchiefs, and invoking blessings to attend upon him. This caused considerable delay; during which, the populace attempted to take off the traces, in order to remove the horses, and draw the car- riage, nor were they easily prevailed to desist; for after being once prevented, they repented the at- tempt, and the Prince would have permitted them to succeed, had he not been fearful that accidents might happen; and on that account, the crowd w ere persuaded to relinquish their object, while the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 233 sentinels replaced the traces, and the carriage soon arrived at Carlton House, where the band instantly- struck up " God save the King," amidst reiterated acclamations. Each member of the Royal Family, on arrival, was conducted to the private Closet, and there introduced to the Prince Regent, as were the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, and His Serene Highness Prince Leopold. The servants of the royal household, in their most splendid state liveries, lined the whole range of apartments, from the three rooms next to the Throne Room, to the grand Crim- son Saloon, in which the marriage ceremony was performed. The great crimson room already men- tioned, had been previously fitted up for the solem- nization of the marriage service, with an elegant temporary altar, covered with crimson velvet, which was placed in front of one of the fire-places. The crimson velvet cushions, and superbly bound prayer books, set apart for the use of the Royal Family at the Chapel Royal, with the superb candlesticks belonging to the Chapel at Whitehall, were also brought to Carlton House, where Mr. Howse, the Serjeant of the Chapel Royal, attended with his verge. The whole of the Prince Regent's establishment, including all his attendants, together with those belonging to the junior branches of the Royal Family, occupied the three rooms adjoining the magniticent apartment of the Throne. The Queen's family and attendants were conducted into the west anti-room, where Lady John Thynne and Lady Emily Murray, the Ladies of the Bedcham- ber to the Princess Charlotte, were also stationed. R. Chester, Esq. the Assistant Master of the Ceremonies, in conformity with court etiquette, had particularly invited all the Foreign Ambas- sadors and Envoys, with their Ladies, to witness the solemnization of the nuptials, that they might 10. 2 a 234 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS report it to their respective Courts ; they also pro- ceeded direct to the great Crimson Saloon. When the time appointed for Her Majesty to leave the Royal Closet arrived, her attendants were conducted across the Grand Hall, together with the full attendants of the Prince Regent's establishment, excepting those immediately in waiting upon the Queen and the Prince Regent, who, with the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, remained in the Closet after the proces- sion began to move through the suit of rooms towards the Altar in the following order: The Lords of the Council who were in the Commission authorizing the Marriage. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Lord Chancellor and Lady Eldon. The Earl of Harrowby, President of the Council, and his Countess. The Countess of Liverpool, the Earl being absent on account of indisposition. Earl Baihurst, Secretary of State for the War and Colonial Departments, and his Countess. Lord Viscount Castlereagh, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and his Viscountess. Lord Viscount Sidmouth, the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The Right Hon. Nicholas Vansittarf, Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Earl of Mulgrave, Master-General of the Ordnance, and his Countess. The Earl of Westmoreland, the Lord Privy Seal. Lord Viscount Melville, First Lord of the Admiralty, and his Viscountess. The Right Hon. W. W. Pole, Master of the Mint, and Mrs. Pole. The Right Hon. Charles Bragge Bathurst, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, (his Lady was absent, being unwell.) The Marquis of Hertford, the Lord Chamberlain, and his Marchioness. Lord Viscount Jocelvn, Vice-Chamberlain. v 9 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 235 The Marquis of Cholmondeley, the Lord Steward, and his Marchioness. The Marquis of Winchester, Grooni of the Stole, as the Lord in Waiting, and his Marchioness. The rest of the Lords of the Bedchamber. The Right Hon. John M'Mahon, Keeper of the Privy Purse to the Prince Regent. Colonel Stanhope, the Groom in Waiting. The Duke of Montrose, Master of the Horse, was absent through indisposition ; the Duchess was present. The Captain of the Band of Pensioners. The Earl of Winchelsea, Groom of the Stole to the King, and Comptroller-General of the Windsor Establishment. Lord John Thynne, Deputy Comptroller of the Windsor Establishment. Lord Somervilie, and the Lords of the Bedchamber to the Kinw. The Grooms of the Bedchamber to the Kin». D His Grace the Archbishop of York, Lord High Almoner. The Dean of the Chapel Royal. The Equerries to the King. The whole of the Attendants of the Queen and Princesses, and the Royal Dukes, the Duchess of Yoik, &c. The Rev. F. W. Blomberg, the Clerk of the Closet. The Rev. J. S. Clarke, Librarian to the Prince Regent. The Bishops of Salisbury, London, and Exeter. Lord Ellenborough, (Lady Ellenborough was absent through indisposition.) Earl of Harrington, Gold Stick ; Earl of Yarmouth, Silver Stick in Waiting. The Rev. Dr. Short. Mr. C. Leach, Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall, in his full new robes. General Hulse, Master of the Household. Mr. Watson, Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince Regent. Viscount Keith, Deputy Earl Marshal. Baron Best, Adjutant General, Quarter-master General. Sir Benjamin Bloomiield, First Equerry to the Prince Regent. Equerries. General Hammond, Sir R. H. Vivian, General Bayley, Sir W.Congreve, Colonel Meliish, Honourable C. Percy, and Colonel Palmer. 23G MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS A'nhs (Ic-Cmn,). Cdlonel Quen'in, Lord Forbes, Sir G. Wood, Sir John Colbouru, Colonel A. H. Woodford, Honourable F. ('. Ponsonby, Colonel J. C. Smitb, Sir 11. F. Bouverie, Honourable B. Craven, and Lord Pitzroy Somerset. Admirals. Sir G. Martin, Sir E. Nagle, Lord Amelius Beauclerc, Sir E. Bailer, Sir G. Campbell, Sir Henry Blackwood, Sir John P. Beresford, and R. W. Otway. W liilo tlie procession Was moving in great slate towards the superb Crimson Saloon, in which the Altar was prepared, and at the moment when the Lord Chamberlain entered the Royal Closet to conduct the Queen to the chair of state which had been provided for Her Majesty, close by the Altar, a most remarkable circumstance occurred, which has never yet been made known to the British public, though we have the strongest reason to believe the fact is perfectly well authenti- cated. It is notorious, that owing to the lament- able separation of her Parents, and the malignant spirit which characterized the principal accuser of the Princess of Wales, the Princess "Charlotte most acutely felt any thing which tended in the least to add to the mental sufferings of her Royal Mother; and hence many circumstances already detailed, tended to impress her young mind with the supposition that Her Majesty had not shown herself kindly disposed towards her unfor- tunate Daughter-in-law. The peculiarly difficult situation in which the Queen was placed between her own .Son and the Mother of the Princess Charlotte, ought certainly to be borne in mind, and will perhaps afford a sufficient justification of Her Majesty's apparent bias in favour of the Prince; for, though it may be fairly asked, what reason could prevent the Queen from standing neuter, still it would have been much less excusable for Her Majesty to have sided with those who meanly availed themselves of the existing differences, to THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 237 cover the Prince Regent with calumny and reproach. Neither is it surprising that the Princess Charlotte, in the warmth of her filial affection, should suppose that she was bound to resent the coolness and disapprobation which her Royal Grandmother might, in her own judgment, feel equally obliged to manifest towards the Princess of Wales. Hence the Princess Charlotte is known to have seized every opportunity of manifesting her displeasure ; and no faithful biographer could omit to record the fact. It is exceedingly painful to detail private disagreements, and we shall therefore only notice one instance, in which the Princess Charlotte suf- fered her resentment to influence her conduct, and to overpower her better judgment. Her Majesty happened to visit Carlton House one day while her lovely granddaughter was there ; of which the Princess was apprized, and, on being asked by her confidential attendant whether she had any objection to enter the apartment in which some of her Royal Aunts then were, she sharply replied, " Take me any where but where the Queen is." As this anecdote will sufficiently explain the line of conduct which the Princess Charlotte pur- sued in reference to Her Majesty, that circum- stance which we above alluded to, will indis- putably prove, what has been repeatedly asserted in the course of these Memoirs, that the Princess Charlotte, however high-spirited, and warm in what she thought her justifiable resentments, was of a most placable and generous disposition. The Lord Chamberlain had no sooner informed the Queen that he waited to conduct Her Ma- jesty to the chair of state near the Altar, than the Princess Charlotte, who had till that instant pre- served her usual formal distance, particularly re- quested a private interview with Her Majesty before the ceremony began. The Queen, who is remarkable for her excellent understanding and the keenness 2.'J8 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of her perception, fearing that the Princess designed to renounce the intended alliance, and that she wished to consult her concerning it, replied, that she could not, according to etiquette, grant an interview at that time. The Princess Charlotte answered by repeating her application with greater urgency ; but received the same an- swer: upon which she insisted on it, declaring that she would not be married without a private audience; to which the Queen immediately con- sented. The Princess then desired that all the attendants might withdraw ; and when only the Queen, the Prince Regent, and Prince Leopold, remained, she addressed Her Majesty, and said, " that she had required this interview for the pur- pose of begging Her Majesty's forgiveness for the many offences which she had given her, regretting that she had not paid more attention and respect to her; and adding, that she could not think of becoming a wife until she had obtained her Royal Grandmother's forgiveness and blessing." Her Majesty instantly granted her pardon and her blessing ; and we are informed that the Queen was so affected by this unexpected reconciliation, that it was some time before she was sufficiently com- posed to be conducted by the Lord Chamberlain to the chair of state -provided for Her Majesty's accommodation, near the Altar in the great Crimson Saloon. The Queen and the Prince Regent having taken their places, amidst the illustrious assembly who were convened to witness the nuptials, the Lord Chamberlain (the Marquis of Hertford) returned to the Closet, and conducted Prince Leopold to the Altar, and immediately returned to conduct the Princess Charlotte, who, leaning upon the arm of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, ap- proached the Altar, where the Duke resigned his lovely charge to the Prince Regent, who took his \ . : R I THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 239 appointed place by the side of the happy Pair. The Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, and Cam- bridge, were placed to the left of the Altar, behind the Prince Regent, the Princess Charlotte, and Prince Leopold; but the Dukes of Cumberland, Sussex, and Gloucester, were not present; and behind the Royal Dukes were, Lord Eldon, the Chancellor, Lord Castlereagh, Lord Sidmoutb, Lord Melville; the Earls of Westmoreland, Har- rowby, Bathurst, and Mulgrave; together with Mr. Vansittart, Mr. Bragge Bathurst, Mr. W. W. Pole ; in short, all the Cabinet Ministers. On the right hand of the Queen, in her state chair, were their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Augusta, Elizabeth, and Mary, with the Duchess of York, and the Princess Sophia of Gloucester. The Queen's Lord and Vice Chamberlain, and the Ladies of Her Majesty's Household, were stationed behind Her Majesty. The Archbishop of Canter- bury stood close to the Altar; immediately behind his Grace was the Archbishop of York. To the right were the Bishops of London and Exeter, the latter as Clerk of the Closet, together with the venerable preceptor of the Princess Charlotte, the Bishop of Salisbury. In front of the Altar, before which two crimson velvet stools were placed, were the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, the Foreign Ambassadors, and all the principal Officers of the Royal Household. The service began a little after nine o'clock ; the Archbishop of Canterbury officiated, and Mas assisted by the Bishop of London. The Princess Charlotte was given away by her Royal Father, the Prince Regent, who appeared in most excellent health, and performed the important part of the ceremony assigned to him, with that dignified delicacy and feeling which becomes the most accomplished Prince of the present age. Prince Leopold wore a British General's full 240 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS uniform, white kerseymere waistcoat and small clothes, with a magnificent sword and costly bell, adorned with diamonds and various other precious gems. His Serene Highness also displayed the eni- hl< msof the different orders of knighthood to which he belonged, and which were conferred upon him for his distinguished valour and conduct in the late con- tinental wars. The insignia of the new Hanoverian Order of the Guelphs, which he received from His Royal Father-in-law, along with the Duke of Wel- lington, Marshal Prince Blueher, the Marquis of Anglesea, and Princes Hardenberg and Metternich, were particularly observable. The Prince Regent appeared in a scarlet Field- Marshal's uniform coat, embroidered with gold ; rich gold pearl aiguilette, with the stars of the Orders of the Garter, Bath, Guelphs, Russia, Austria, Prussia, France, Spain, Denmark, &c. &c. ; and had on white kerseymere small clothes: His Royal High- ness the Duke of York, wore a Field-Marshal's uniform; and the Duke of Clarence, an Admirals uniform. When the Princess Charlotte descended the grand staircase at Buckingham House, about an hour before the ceremony, accompanied by the Princess Mary and Colonel Stephenson, the Prin- cess Mary was bathexl in tears, as if Her Royal Highness had then foreboded the afflictive dispensa- tion of Divine Providence which awaited her beloved and Royal Niece. The Princess Charlotte, however, though rather pallid, held up her iiead with dignity throughout the day, advancing steadily up to the Altar, where she answered the responses with great clearness, so as to be heard by the whole of the illustrious assembly. Prince Leopold, it is said, exhibited much diffidence, and was therefore less distinctly heard. The ceremony was performed in the most solemn and impressive manner, by the Archbishop of Can- 1 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 241 terbury ; and the whole produced the most interest- ing scene which was ever witnessed at Carlton House. The Bridemaids on this memorable occa- sion were, Lady Charlotte Chblmondeley, Lady Caroline Pratt, Lady Susan Ryder, the Honourable Miss Law, daughter of Lord Ellenborough, and Miss Manners, daughter of his Grace the Arch- bishop of Canterbury. The completion of the nup- tial knot was announced by a signal from Carlton House; upon which the guns in St. James's Park, and at the Tower of London, lired a double royal salute, while all the bells throughout London struck off together in joyful peals, to celebrate the auspi- cious union. The moment the ceremony was concluded, the Princess embraced her august Father, and went up to the Queen, and kissed Her Majesty's hand with great respect and affection. The private interview which we have already described being then unknown, this circumstance was considered as a happy omen of a future good understanding, instead of the first-fruits of that most affecting and happy reconciliation which had already taken place. The Princess next affectionately kissed her Royal Aunts, the Princesses ; and, after shaking hands with each of the Dukes, her Royal Uncles, retired arm in arm with Prince Leopold, her husband, amidst the heartfelt congratulations of all present. Our readers will recollect that, when the Princess ran away from Carlton House, all her servants, except one, were discharged, upon suspicion of having concurred to favour her flight. It would be useless to inquire, whether they were or were not privy to that juvenile indiscretion. Our present object is to mark the praiseworthy kindness with which the amiable Princess followed those who had been accustomed to serve under her roof; for while she certainly thought the dismissal of all her 10. '2 h '242 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS servants, except one, was a harsh step, their faithful services were so impressed upon her memory, that slic never forgot them, and, looking forward to her marriage, had taken care to ascertain where each of them lived. As soon as the d;»y of her union with Prince Leopold was fixed, Her Royal High- ness summoned them all; and they were accord- ingly assembled upon that day, in an apartment through which the lovely Bride and her wedded Lord purposely passed in retiring from the Altar; where, addressing herself to Prince Leopold, as she left him, to go round and shake each indi- vidual by the hand, she said, "These are my old and faithful servants;" and then resuming her hus- band's arm, withdrew amidst their affectionate and respectful, though unpolished, congratulations. The Duke and Duchess of York had offered to lend their charming residence, called Oatlands, as a temporary retreat for the Royal Pair. They staid but a very short time in Carlton House after the ceremony was concluded, and arrived safely at Oatlands a little before midnight. Bride-cake, to be sent to all the individuals be- longing to each of the royal establishment^, had bet n long in preparation by order of the Queen : upwards of five hundred persons partook of it, in commemoration of the marriage of the Princess Charlotte, The Poet Laureat, Robert Southey, Esq. cele- brated the Royal Nuptials in his elegant poem called "The Lay of the Laureate;" from which the following is a most interesting extract: "Is \\n~> the Nuptial Song? with hrow severe, Perchance, the votaries of the world will say : Are these fit strains for royal ears to hear? What man is he who thus assorts his lay, And dares pronounce, with inauspicious breath, In hymeneal verse, the name of Death! THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 243 Itemote from cheerful intercourse of men, Hath he indulg'd in melancholy mood, And, like the hermit in some sullen den, Fed his distemper'd mind in solitude? Or have fanatic dreams distraught his sense, That thus he should presume with bold irreverence? O Royal Lady, ill they judge the heart That reverently approaches thee to-day, And, anxious to perform its titting part, Prefers the tribute of this duteous lay! Not with displeasure should his song be read Who prays for Heaven's best blessings on thy head. He prays, that many a year may pass away Ere the State call thee from a life of love; Vex'd by no public cares, that day by day Thy heart the dear domestic joys may prove, And gracious Heav'n thy chosen nuptials bless With all a Wife's and all a Mother's happiness. He prays, that for thine own and England's sake, The virtues and the household charities Their favour'd seat beside thy hearth may take ; That when the nation thither turn their eyes, There the conspicuous model they may find Of all which makes the bliss of human-kind. He prays, that when the sceptre to thy hand In due succession shall descend at length, Prosperity and Peace may bless the land, - Truth be thy counsellor, and Heav'n thy strength; That ev'ry tongue thy praises may proclaim, And ev'ry heart in secret bless thy name. He prays, that thou may'st strenuously maintain The wise laws handed down from sire to son ; He prays, that under thy auspicious reign All may be added which is left undone, To make the realm, its polity complete, In all things happy, as in all things great. 6 •214 MEMOIRS OF HER KOYAL HIGHNESS Tliat through the will of" thy enlight'ned mind, Brute man may be to social life reclaim'd : That in compassion for forlorn mankind, The saving faith may widely be proclaimed Thro' erring lands, beneath thy fos'tring care: This is his ardent hope, his loyal pray'r. In ev'ry cottage may thy power be blest, For blessings which should ev'rvwhere abound : Thy will beneficent, from east to west, May bring forth good where'er the sun goes round ; And thus thro' future times should Charlotte's fame Surpass our great Eliza's golden name. Of awful subjects have I dar'd to sing; Yet surely are they such, as view'd aright, Contentment to thy better mind may bring : A strain which haply may thy heart invite To ponder well, how to thy choice is giv'n A glorious name on earth, a high reward in heav'n. Light strains, tho' cheerful as the hues of spring, Would wither like a wreath of vernal flowers; The amaranthine garland which I bring Shall keep its verdure thro' all after-hours; Yea, while the Poet's name is doom'd to live, So long this garland shall its fragrance give. " Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown ;" Thus said the bard who spake of kingly cares; But calmly may the Sov'reign then lie down When grateful nations guard him with their pray'rs: How sweet a sleep awaits the royal head When these keep watch, and ward around the bed!" The rejoicing was sxeneral throughout the king- dom; Weymouth, Salisbury, and Doctor, however, ;•- the places which had been most immediately under the patronage of the Princess, manifested the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 245 liveliest interest in the joyful event. The City of London naturally took the lead, in congratulating the Royal Family upon the auspicious marriage of the Princess. Alderman Birch moved for addresses of congratulation, upon the subject of the general joy, to the Prince Regent, the Queen, the Princess Charlotte, and the Prince Leopold. The Sheriffs and Remembrancer, having waited upon those exalted individuals to know upon what day the addresses would be received, the following Monday was named for their reception. On the 4th of Mav, the London Gazette announced the appointment of Prince Leopold to the rank of General in the British army, and officially establish- ed the precedency of His Serene Highness by a roval ordinance. The same dav Lord Castlereagh gave notice in the House of Commons, that he intended to move for an address of congratulation to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on the marriage of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leo- pold, on Monday the 6th instant. Friday, the 3rd of May, was spent by the newly married Pair, in surveying the delightful, but se- cluded, grounds of the mansion at Oatlands. The park is indeed so very retired, that many persons have experienced considerable difficulty in finding the entrance, although the stage-coach which runs between London and Wey bridge is sometimes per- mitted to pass through, to set down passengers, or leave parcels, at the house. The view from the ter- race is said to include nine counties, aud the large grotto and bath have often excited the admiration of strangers; as they are reckoned the finest in Europe, and are reported to have cost more money to construct, thau was paid, for the purchase of the whole estate. The next day, when the Royal Couple were just about to set off on a visit to Claremont in their tra- velling carriage, they perceived the Prince Regent •J 16 MEM 01 ItS or HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS approaching through the Park, and joyfully returned to the house, where Her Royal Highness received the visit af her beloved parent with all the ardour of pure filial affection; and having staid an hour and half, during which he partook of some refresh- ment, His Royal Highness returned to London: after which, the happy Pair set out for Claremont, which they were now on the eve of purchasing from Mr. Ellis. On the Sunday the Prince and Princess rode to Weybridge church, but walked to and from the church, through the church-yard, to their carriage; which is a considerable distance from the road, where the carriage was left. At first thev were not known, through the modest plainness of their habi- liments ; but having occupied the Duchess of York's pew, were soon discovered, and welcomed with loud cheers, after the service was ended, and they had arrived without the walls of the church. Prince Leopold walked to the carriage bowing, and with- out his hat, while the Princess courtesied and nodded, in return for the respect which the inhabit- ants of Weybridge and its vicinity so strenuously endeavoured to show. They drove off, amidst repeated huzzas, to Chertsey ; from whence they returned through Shepperton over the bridge at W alton, and dined at Oatlands, where they found an affectionate letter from the Queen in London. In the House of Lords, on the 8th of May, the Earl of Liverpool moved for an address of congra- tulation upon the Royal Nuptials, nearly in the following words : " That an address of congratulation on the marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales with J lis Serene Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg, be pre- sented severally to the Prince Regent, Her Majesty, and to I he Princess Charlotte, and the Prince Cobourg." THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 247 The motion, distinctly put, was agreed to unani- mously. The following extract is from the Journals of the House of Lords, dated the day following : "The Lord Steward reported, that the Lords with white staves had, according to order, waited on His Royal Highness the Prince Regent with their Lordships' address of Tuesday last; and that His Royal Highness was pleased to return the fol- lowing most gracious answer: " My Lords, " I receive with great satisfaction this loyal and dutiful address, and I return my thank* to the House of Lords for their congratulations on the present happy occasion." Soon after this, the Princess and Prince Leopold took up their residence at Camelford House ; which, as soon as it was known they were in town, was crowded with persons of all ranks and parties, who felt anxious to leave their respectful congratulations. A deputation from the House of Lords arrived soon afterwards at Camelford House; where the Earl of Harrowby, Lord President of the Council, stated that it had been " Ordered, nemine dissent ietite, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled, that a Message be sent from that House to congratulate Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, and His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobouro- of Saalfeld, on the late solemnization of their marriage." To this Message the following Answer was given : " We are much gratified by the proof of attention and regard which we have received upon this occasiou from the House of Lords, and we return them many thanks for their congratulations." 246 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS About half past four o'clock the deputation from the House of Commons also arrived, when the Marquis of Worcester read the Resolution of that House, stating that it had been agreed to nemine eontradicente, " That a congratulatory Message be sent to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, and J I is Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Mar- grave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Coboorg ofSaalfeld, on the happ) occasion ot their nuptials." The following is the Princess Charlotte's answer : " We receive with great satisfaction this proof of the atten- tion and regard of the House of Commons, and return them many thanks for their congratulations." Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg answered th< House of Commons as follows: " Gentlemen, " I rejoice at the share the House of Commons take in my happiness, and am sensible of their attention in making these congratulations. — I am very much obliged to them for their good wishes, and thank them for the assurances of their friend- ship, which I shall always try to deserve." The morning following was appointed by the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold to receive the Address of the Corporation of London upon their marriage. The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Com- mon Council, and City Officers, who were distin- guished by a large white cockade on their left breasts, and collars on each shoulder, decorated with white ribbons, were first introduced in state by the Lord Chamberlain, to the Prince Pegent and the Queen ; the former of whom received their add less, which was read by the Recorder, and returned the following Answer from the throne: THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 249 " I thank you for this loyal and dutiful address. It is with the most cordial satisfaction that I receive your congratu- lations on an event no less grateful to my personal feelings, thau important to the best interests of the Empire at large." After having been very graciously received, and having had the honour of kissing His Royal High- ness's hand, the cavalcade moved on to the Queen's Palace; where Her Majesty received the address in great state, and returned the following gracious answer : " I receive your congratulations with heartfelt satisfaction, and 'I am highly gratified by those sentiments of duty to the King, and of attachment to the Royal Family, which you have expressed on the present occasion." They were all very graciously received, and had the usual honour of kissing Her Majesty's hand. The procession arrived at Camelford House about a quarter past five o'clock ; they were a con- siderable time alighting, when the hall became extremely crowded. The Lord Mayor addressed the gentlemen, and informed them he understood the room in which the Princess was to receive them, was not large enough to receive so numerous an assemblage; probably it would only hold thirty at a time, and requested they would allow some to leave the room before others entered ; but he assured them the Princess would see every gentleman. This request was attended to. Her Royal Highness received them in the Draw- ing-room, and took her station at the centre of the room from the entrance; her dress was of black silk, agreeably to the directions of the court-mourn- ing for the Empress of Austria. On her head she 11. 2 I 2")0 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS wore a beautiful and elegant plume of white feathers. Mr. Percy, her equerry, was on her right. Lady Emily Murray, Lady John Thynne, Mrs. Camp- bell, and Miss Coates, also stood on her right. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen entered, and the Recorder read the following address: " To Jlcr Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta of II dies and of Saxe-Cobourg of Saalfeld. " Madam, " We, His Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of the Cily of London, in Common Council assembled, request permission to offer our warmest congratulations upon the recent and auspicious mar- riage of your Royal Highness with His Serene Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg. " This very important union with an amiable and accom- plished Prince, of a family long distinguished for its attach- ment to the Protestant cause, we regard as an additional proof of the anxious care of your Royal Father for the inte- rests and welfare of His Majesty's subjects, and of his paternal affection for your Royal Highness. " The splendid dignity of your royal birth, as presumptive Heiress to the British sceptre, creates peculiar sentiments of affection and reverence in the hearts of all His Majesty's sub- jects, accompanied by the full assurance and proud exultation, thai the great acquirements, and endearing- qualities and graces, of your royal mind, are so happily calculated to adorn the exalted station of your Royal Highness ; and their pros- pects are brightened by the affectionate regard to the interests of these happy realms, which your Royal Highness, the pride and hope of Britain, has manifested by this illustrious alliance. M The Citizens of London are anxious to express the affec- tionate solicitude they feel, that the joyful event may be accompanied by the peculiar favour of Heaven, and that the transcendent virtues which inhabit your royal bosom, may descend to grace a line of Princes, who may be the pride of their royal parents, and a lasting glory to the country." Her Royal Highness was pleased to return the hi 3 following answer THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 251 " My Lord Mayor, and Gentlemen, " I receive your congratulations with the utmost satisfaction; and I desire you to be assured, that it will be my constant wish and endeavour to preserve the esteem of the City of London." The Lord Mayor and Gentlemen then approached Her Royal Highness, and each had the honour to kiss her hand. The same ceremony was then observed to His Serene Highness Prince Leopold, of Saxe-Cobourg, who appeared in regimentals, with his order of merit, attended by Sir Robert Gardiner, and Baron Hardenbrock, who introduced them, and they were conducted by Robert Chester, Esq. the master of the ceremonies: upon which, Sir John Sylvester read the following congratulatory address: '« To His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld, &c. " The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of the City of London, in Common Council assembled, have great joy in paying their compliments of congratulation to your Serene Highness, on your safe arrival in this kingdom, and on your auspicious nuptials with the virtuous and amiable Princess Charlotte-Augusta of Wales, presumptive Heiress to the throne of these realms. " The dignity of your princely house, your high military fame, the solid endowments of your mind, the graceful qua- lities of your heart, demand our veneration and esteem, and afford the most cheering prospect, that an alliance thus formed will be productive of all the happiness that can attend the married state. " With the illustrious Princess, the fair promise of our Isle, your Serene Highness has received all the graces and virtues which afford a pre-eminent example to the daughters of Bri- tain; the acquirements of her royal mind, fitted to her high station, are equalled by the engaging female softness of her character, to bless and display domestic life. 252 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS " May your Serene Highness long live to partake of the blessing; and may \our Royal Bride crown your wishes with a race of Princes, inheriting your respective graces, and transmitting your names with glory to the remotest ages." His Serene Highness was pleased to return the following answer : " My Lord Mayor, and Gentlemen, " I return you my warmest thanks for your congratulations, and for the sentiments so favourable and gratifying to myself, with which they are accompanied." The Queen and Prince Regent both visited Camelford House on the 15th of May, and both remained some time : after their departure the Royal Pair visited the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, in Curzon-street, May-fair, and were soon recognized, notwithstanding the privacy of that neighbourhood ; upon which they were saluted with the usual demon- strations of respect and joy. The day following, being that on which it had been officially notified "that the Queen would hold her Royal Nuptial Drawing-room, at Buckingham House, where Her Majesty intended to receive the congratulations of the English Nobility and Gentry, as well as of the foreigners of distinction, upon the happy event of the marriage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte with His Serene Highness Prince Leopold, a considerable interest was excited upon the occasion among all ranks of people. The anniversary of the King's Birth-day used to be considered an annual Royal Festival; but the Nuptial Drawing-room exceeded any thing that has taken place m our recollec- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 253 tion ; even the Court after the King's Recovery did not equal it; there was supposed to be present between two and three thousand persons. The different Guards were mounted in the morning in white gaiters, and the preparations were similar to a Birth-day Court. Although the Queen had removed her Drawing-rooms from St. James's Palace to her own Palace, the public were admit- ted into the Great Hall by tickets, presented to respectable persons, as was customary at St. James's Palace. They began to arrive there soon after ten o'clock, very elegantly dressed. A guard of honour marched into the Court-yard, preceded by the band of the 3d Regiment of Guards. A crowd was collected round the Palace by eleven o'clock, and soon after twelve it was so great, the Palace was scarcely accessible, till a numerous assemblage of Police officers arrived, under the direction of Sir N. Conant, as well as the marshal- men, the porters, &c. Although the Drawing-room was not announced to commence till two o'clock, the company began to arrive a little after twelve, and continued lo arrive till past four at all the different entrances. Some of the distinguished characters who came to Court were kept in their carriages in the regular ranks ; some of them frequently reached to Oxford- street, and some who resided in St. James's-square had to go as far as Oxford-street before they could get into the rank ; but notwithstanding the immense collection of carriages, no very serious accident occurred, every thing being extremely well regu- lated. The entrance of the company at one time was so extremely great, that there was a com- plete stoppage under the covered colonnade for an hour. The grand objects of attraction, the Royal Pair, arrived at a quarter before two o'clock, in state; their carriage being preceded by three others, in which were Lady Emily Murray, Lady 254 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS John Thynne, Mrs. Campbell, Miss Coates, Sir Robert Gardiner, Colonel Addenbroke, Baron Hardenbrock, and Mr. Percy, escorted by a party of the Life Guards, followed with the greetings of the public. The Prince Regent, the Duke and Duchess of York, and the Duke of Gloucester, accompanied by his sister, the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, came in state with their full suites, with escorts of the Life Guards. The Duke of Sussex came with his full suite of attendants. A few minutes after two o'clock, Her Majesty entered the Drawing-room, with her numerous and distinguished Family, all looking remarkably well in health. The Queen took her usual station ; her Chamberlain, Vice Chamberlain, and other attend- ants, standing on her left, and the Royal Family to her right, &c. Her Majesty then proceeded to receive the congratulations of the splendid, brilliant, and highly distinguished throng. They passed on from the Queen to the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, who stood on Her Majesty's right hand ; and they all appeared to vie with each other in their hearty compliments and good wishes. Her Majesty received several addresses from different places. The exterior of the Palace, as well as the interior, had the most splendid and fasci- nating appearance. The company, who had paid their congratulatory respects to the Queen at the commencement of the Drawing-room, were not able to leave the Palace, as their carriages could not draw up till all the company had been set down. The windows of the Palace were filled with the elegantes; others walked in the Palace Court- yard, the grass-plot, and, with such an assemblage, gave it more the appearance of a grand fete or gala of rejoicing; such an assemblage, in such splendid dresses, parading in the open air, probably was never beheld before, the mildness of the weather being extremely favourable to the occasion: the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 255 effect of the promenade was considerably height- ened by the performance of some charming pieces by the band. The assemblage consisted of Bishops and Clergy in their full robes ; the Judges, and Messrs. Warren, Scarlett, Harrison, Cooke, Raine, Benyon, Agar, Bell, &c. who had lately been ap- pointed to be King's Council, in their full-bottom wigs and robes ; the Naval and Military Officers, in their uniforms ; the Nobility, Ladies, and Gen- tlemen, in their splendid court dresses; with the Royal servants in their state dresses, and the servants of a number of the Nobility in their state liveries, — rendered the whole a scene not to be de- scribed. The top of the Queen's Guard-house was co- vered with respectable persons. Several trees were filled ; and the Parks were crowded with people and carriages to an extraordinary degree. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold left, with their suites, in the same state as they came ; the guard of honour saluting with military honours, and the band playing ' God save the King,' as they had received them on their arrival. The Bishops, Judges, and other distinguished characters, formed a line for them to pass through in the Court-yard, they bowing and courtesying to the Royal Pair as they passed, and the Prince and Princess bowing in return; and, on their entering the Park, they were received with loud huzzas by the Populace. The company had not left the Palace till nearly seven o'clock. The Regent remained to dine with the Queen and Princesses. The following account of the superb Dresses of the Royal Family is worthy of preservation : Her Majesty. — A petticoat of beautiful rich green and silver tissue ; the whole of the draperies were composed of superbly rich blond lace, elegantly •2-3(3 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS and tastefully designed, ornamented with rich silver bullion, confined with handsome silver ropes and ta els, finishing at the bottom with full flounces of ri< li hlond lace to correspond, interspersed with silver tassels and bullion ; the mantua of green and silver tissue to correspond, superbly trimmed with handsome blond lace and silver. The whole had a rikingly new, elegant, and magnificent effect. Princess Elizabeth. — A petticoat of rich white satin, superbly embroidered in stripes of bright and dead gold, intermixed with shells; the draperies very richly embroidered to correspond; which were peculiarly elegant and tastefully designed, festooned up and ornamented with rich gold ropes and tassels, finishing at the bottom with double scollop jfloun- eings of net, richly spangled, intermixed with em- broidered bows and gold lace ; the mantua of rich white satin, handsomely trimmed with gold ; body and sleeves trimmed with Brussels point lace and diamonds ; head-dress, feathers and diamonds. Princess Mary. — A petticoat of rich blue spotted silver tissue; the drapery of a pale blue, massy silver tissue, very superbly embroidered, the dra- pery confined on one side with superb silver ropes and tassels, finishing at the bottom with an elegant fulness of silver tissue, and ornamented with silver lace; the mantua of rich spotted tissue to corre- spond, trimmed with rich silver lace ; body and sleeves elegantly trimmed with Brussels point lace, and diamonds; Her Royal Highness's head-dress Mas superbly beautiful. Princess Charlotte of Wales. — A petticoat of rich silver tissue, and draperies of net, most magni- ficently embroidered in silver lama, with deep borders, beaded with a costly silver rollio ; the draperies elegantly supported with a most brilliant cord of real silver bullion, and very superb silver isels below the draperies ; the dress finished with a most beautiful and elegant garniture iu silver THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 257 lama tulle, most tastefully designed; manttia of rich silver tissue, with superb border of lama, and the sleeves profusely trimmed with the most beautiful Brussels point lace; rich silver band, fastened in front with diamonds : head-dress, a most superb wreath of the richest and most bril- liant diamonds, forming roses and leaves, with a most elegant ostrich plumage. The whole dress surpassed all conception in the grandeur, magnifi- cence, and brilliancy of its effect. Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Glou- cester. — An elegant white and silver lama dress ; white satin petticoat, richly trimmed with silver-net flounce and lama border; draperies of magnificent silver lama, suspended with a profusion of jewels ; train, lilac and silver tissue, superbly ornamented with silver lama: head-dress, a profusion of dia- monds and feathers. On the 17th of May, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold received visits from the Dukes of York, Clarence, and Gloucester, at Camelford House. Soon after four o'clock Her Royal High- ness and His Serene Highness took an airing in their curricle. A great crowd was as usual col- lected round the house to wait for their coming out, who received the Roval Pair with loud acclamations and every mark of respect, which they condescendingly returned. They proceeded through the Parks to St. James's, called upon the Duchess of York, and remained about twenty minutes with Her Royal Highness. Two days after the Nuptial Drawing-room, Lord Grantley, the High Steward for the borough of Guildford, and Mr. Sergeant Onslow, one of the members for the town, attended the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold at Camelford House with the following Address : 11. 2 K 258 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS " We, your Royal and Serene Highnesses' most affectionate and devoted servants, the Mayor, High Steward, Recorder, and Magis- trates, and approved men, together with the other inhabitants of the town and borough of Guildford, in the county of Surry, beg leave to offer to your Royal and Serene Highnesses our warmest and most sincere congratulations on your auspicious union ; and to assure you, that a union so calculated to ensure the domestic felicity of your Royal and Serene Highnesses, is, in every view, a source of satisfactory reflection to the English nation. " We rejoice in the opportunity afforded us of addressing a Prince for whom we entertain the highest and most profound regard and respect; to assure your Serene Highness, how fully we partici- pate in every happiness you can experience, and particularly in your union with so illustrious a British Princess. " May these nuptials, so pleasing to the nation, be productive of permanent felicity to your Royal and Serene Highnesses; and may you both live long in the esteem and affection of a free people." To this Address the following- answer was re- turned : " Gentlemen, " We return you our best thanks for your loyal address, and the expressions of attachment towards us contained in it, which are very gratifying to us." Many persons who had been prevented by the excessive crowd from seeing the Royal Pair at the Nuptial Drawing-room, hoped to have their desires gratified when the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold announced their intention of honouring the Opera House with their presence, which was fixed for the 18th of May. The price, however, demanded for boxes that night, rose, it is said, in some instances to ten guineas, and the pit was certainly crowded insufferably at an early THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 259 hour. The Royal Visitors did not arrive till past nine o'clock; and on their entrance, " God save the Kino" W as called for, and suns; with great effect by the performers, with whom the whole audience joined. This hearty welcome particularly affected the Princess, who bowed in acknowledgment to all parts of the house. Her Royal Highness almost immediately recognized many of the nobility, and several of the Ladies of Foreign Ministers, whom she saluted with her accustomed affability; and afterwards, with her Serene Consort, directed her attention to the performance of the Ballet. At midnight the Royal Visitors retired amidst the repeated shouts and joyful acclamations of a brilliant audience, who again joined the perform- ers in singing " God save the King ;" to winch some appropriate stanzas were prepared and added for the occasion. Nearly the same circumstances attended the visit of the Princess Charlotte and her Serene Consort to Drury-lane Theatre, as those already described which took place at the Opera House. The new tragedy of Bertram, in which Mr. Kean was per- forming in the most trying scene at their entrance, was the principal entertainment for that evening, until the arrival of the august Pair interrupted the progress of the performance. Her Royal High- ness's dress was plain Court mourning, with a chaplet of roses and lilies on her head. The audience were so eager to see the amiable Pair, that it gave Prince Leopold an excellent specimen of the degree of freedom allowed in a British Theatre. His Serene Highness not comprehending the object of their hissings and cries of " Stage Box" proceeding from the audience, was inform- ed by the Princess Charlotte, that it was nothing less than a positive demand that they should show themselves more conspicuously to the impa- tient but loyal multitude. The Princess and her 2C)0 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Serene Consort in consequence rose immediately, and, with the most affable condescension, appeared in the front of the box, where they stood some time, to the great gratification of the whole audi- ence, among whom quiet was instantly restored. The whole of the Drury Lane Company, decorated with white favours, in honour of the recent royal nuptials, gave " God save the King," with the fol- lowing additional stanzas, as sung at the Opera House, in admirable style, both on the arrival and departure of the august Visitors : Oh ! Thou Omniscient Pow'r, In this auspicious hour, Bless Thou the Bride I List to a nation's voice ; Grateful it does rejoice, And prays thee with one voice — God bless the Bride ! Grant thy almighty aid, Which ever grac'd the Maid, Wait on the Bride. Oh ! let thy precepts too Ever her heart renew ; Honour and grace endue i Charlotte -the Bride. Long may the Noble Line, Whence she descended, shine In Charlotte the Bride ! Grant it perpetuate, And ever make it great ; On Leopold blessings wait, And Charlotte his Bride. These verses, however respectable they may appear for the spirit of affectionate loyalty which they breathe, are, as a poetic composition, beneath criticism, and totally unworthy of notice. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 261 The genuine affection which is known to have united this amiable Pair, was strongly depicted in several circumstances attending their visit to this Theatre. It has been well observed, that by coming alone, they tacitly condemned the detest- able system which is too prevalent among persons of rank, by which it has become unfashionable for married persons to appear together in public, and almost to live together in private. The illus- trious subjects of this Memoir had nobly resolved to revive the almost obsolete, but old English custom, of husband and wife; they felt all the force of Milton's beautiful apostrophe to Marriage : Hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source Of hum an offspring, sole propriety In Paradise of all things common else. By thee adult'rous lust was driv'n from men Among the bestial herds to range; by thee, Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure, Relations dear, and all the charities Of father, son, and brother, first were known. Far be't that I should write thee sin or blame, Or think thee unbefitting holiest place, Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets, . Whose Led is undefil'd and chaste pronounc'd, Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs us'd. Here love his golden shafts employs, here lights His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings, Reigns here and revels ; not in the bought smile Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendear'd. Casual fruition ; nor in court amours, Mix'd dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball, Or serenade, which the starv'd lover sings To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain. 262 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Thursday the 2.3rd, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold had their first dinner party at Camel- ford House, which was honoured with the presence of the Prince Regent. His Royal Highness was received at the door by Prince Leopold, who con- ducted him to the drawing-room, at the entrance of which lie was received by his affectionate Daughter. The dinner was most sumptuous, and consisted of every rarity and delicacy of the season. In the evening of the 24th, the Princess Char- lotte and her Consort honoured Covent Garden Theatre with their presence, to see the admirable comedy of The Jealous Wife. They entered the Prince Regents box before the play began, and were received with the warmest acclamations. The whole Company of the Theatre then came for- ward (the ladies drest in white,) and sung " God save the King;" to which were added, the stanzas on the Royal Marriage, as sung at the Opera— the spectators, all standing up during the performance of the national air, presented a grand spectacle. At intervals, in the course of the evening, their Royal Highnesses stood up, and gave the assem- bly an opportunity of paying their dutiful respects to them, which they repaid with graceful con- descension. The Prince Regent having signified his gracious intention of investing Prince Leopold with the illustrious Orders of the Bath and the Garter; on the 25th of May, a few minutes before two o'clock, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold arrived at Carlton House in a carriage, preceded by another, in which were Sir Robert Gardiner, Colonel Addenbroke, and Baron Hardenberg. The Duke of Clarenc**came out to receive his Royal Niece, attended by the Regent's household. The Princess Charlotte, attended by Colonel Addenbroke, Lady John Thynne, and Lady Emily THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 263 Murray, was conducted into the room adjoining the Royal Closet, for the purpose of witnessing the interesting ceremony, and expressed herself highly delighted with the magnificent novelty of the scene which she now, for the first time, beheld. It was, no doubt, a most gratifying sight to her feelings, to see her Royal Father conferring such high honours upon the man of her heart, the husband of her choice, independently of the natural pleasure which such august spectacles as each ceremony presented, must unavoidably afford to a youthful and inquisitive mind. After the usual ceremonies, Lord Lyndoch and Sir George Beckwith, the two junior Knights pre- sent, preceded by the Gentleman Usher, were sent to introduce His Serene Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg; who, advancing into the presence of the Prince Regent, with the usual reverences, was invested by His Royal Highness with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ; immedi- ately after which, the Princess Charlotte was con- ducted into the Great Council Chamber, or Throne Room, for the purpose of seeing the splendid state spectacle of a Chapter of the Order of the Garter for the first time. Her Royal Highness was still attended by Colonel Addenbroke, Lady John Thynne, and Lady Emily Murray. Her Royal Highness took her station on the right of the state chair, which was placed opposite the Throne for her Royal Father. The Knights Companions of the Garter, in their mantles and collars, with the Officers of the Order in their mantles, chains, and badges, attended His Royal Highness the Prince Regent in his own apartment, soon afjer two o'clock, and, as Garter Principal King at Arms was absent from ill health, were called over by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, Black Rod, and walked in procession, in the Chapter Room, in the following order : 264 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Viscount Castlereagli. Earl of Liverpool. Duke of Montrose. ^ Marquis Wellesley. Earl of Lonsdale. Marquis of Hertford. Marquis of Stafford. Earl of Winchelsea. . Earl of Pembroke. Duke of Beaufort. Duke of Rutland. Marquis Camden. Earl Spencer. Earl of Westmoreland. Marquis of Salisbury. Earl of Chatham. His Highness the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, Knight Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. The Bishop of Salisbury, Chancellor of the Order. His Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT. The Prince Regent and Knights Companions being seated, the Chancellor standing in his place on the left hand of His Royal Highness, acquaint- ed His Royal Highness that the Dean of Windsor, the Honourable and Reverend Doctor Henry Lewis Hobart, attended at the door of the Chapter Room, and humbly prayed admittance to take the oath of office of Register of the most noble Order. Then, by command of His Royal Highness, the Register in his mantle was conducted by Black Rod into the presence ; Black Rod bearing (in the absence of Garter) the Register's gold chain and badge, and the book upon a crimson velvet cushion, and the Register kneeling near the Prince Regent, the oath was administered to him by the Chancellor, Black Rod holding the Gospels ; whereupon Black Rod kneeling, presented to His Royal Highness the gold chain and badge, which His Royal High- ness was pleased to put over the Register's neck. Black Rod then presented also the book, which THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 265 the Prince Regent delivered to the Register, and the latter having kissed His Royal Highness's hand withdrew to the bottom of the table. The Chancellor then, by command of His Royal Highness, read a new statute, dispensing with exist- ing statutes, in as far as may be required for the especial purpose therein mentioned, and decreeing, ordaining, and enjoining, that His Serene Highness Prince Leopold -George-Frederick of Saxe-Cobourg, Consort of Her Royal Highness the Princess Char- lotte-Augusta, be declared elected a Knight of the most noble Order. The Chancellor thereupon declared to the Chap- ter, that the said illustrious Prince had been elected a Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter. His Serene Highness was then, by command of the Prince Regent, conducted into the Chapter Room, between the Earl of Liverpool and Viscount Castlereagh, the two junior Knights Companions present; preceded by Black Rod, in the absence of Garter, bearing the ensigns of the order upon a crimson velvet cushion. His Serene Highness kneeling near the Prince Regent, and Black Rod presenting on his knee the Garter; His Royal Highness, assisted by their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence, the two senior Knights Companions, buckled it on His Serene Highness's left leg; the Chancellor pronouncing the admonition. Black Rod then presented the Ribband with the George; and His Royal Highness, with the assist- ance of the said two senior Knights Companions, put the same over His Serene Highness's left shoul- der; the Chancellor pronouncing the admonition. His Serene Highness having kissed the hand of the Prince Regent, His Royal Highness gave him the accolade; and His Serene Highness having severally saluted and received the congratulations of the Knights Companions, withdrew. 11. 2 h 266 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS The Chapter ended, Black Rod, by the com- mand of the Prince Regent, called over the Knights Companions, who walked back in procession to the private apartment of His Royal Highness, in the same order as before ; the Register occupying his place below the Chancellor of the Order. The same day the happy Pair received an address of congratulation on their marriage, from Windsor; and, in the evening, when the Duke of Clarence honoured Sadler's Wells with his pre- sence, the following additional verses to the air of " God save the King," were sung, in allusion to the Royal Nuptials : and which we insert, not on account of their merit, but of their loyalty. From thy protecting grace, To all our good King's race May blessings spring ! Our good has been his care, Grant him then to our pray'r; Him in our hearts we wear; God save the King ! Bless all the Brunswick Line ; People to Prince incline, Freedom's best spring: Bless the new-wedded Pair, Make them thy gracious care, And hear, O hear our pray'r, God save the King! On Sunday morning, the 26th of May, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold attended divine service at the German Chapel, St. James's Palace. On this occasion it was observed, that Her Royal Highness joined in the responses in an audible voice, and with the same devout earnestness as Her Royal Grandfather. The happy Pair appear. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 267 ed to feel a deep interest in the solemn services in which they were then engaged, and their example appeared greatly to interest and affect the numerous and fashionable congregation. On Monday, May 27th, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold received Lord Viscount Cran- bourne, and Mr. Masterton Ure, members of Par- liament for Weymouth, at Camelford House, where they presented the following very dutiful and loyal Addresses from the inhabitants of the towns of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, on the happy marriage of their Royal and Serene Highnesses : *' To Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta of Saxe-Cobourg. *' We His Majesty's most dutiful subjects, the Inhabitants -of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, beg that your Royal Highness would condescend to accept the humble, but most sincere tribute of our congratulations, on your Marriage with His Serene Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg. From every point of view in which it can be considered, the people of the United Kingdom may cherish the happiest presages from this auspicious event. The in- tellectual accomplishments, the moral principles, and the amiable manners, of your illustrious Consort, acknowledged by the unani- mous judgment of those who know him best, and by the report of universal fame, evince the wisdom of the choice which your Royal Highness has made. " But when we contemplate the character of the distinguished Princess, to whom he is now united, we are sure that we do not deceive ourselves, in the ardour of an overflowing zeal, into an unfounded anticipation of the most fortunate results from this con- nubial alliance. Your Royal Highness has honoured and gratified this town with your residence for two successive seasons ; and therefore we are in some measure competent, from ocular evidence, to form an estimate of those talents, virtues, and graces, which have already opened with so bright a dawn. We have seen with infinite delight the Heiress of the British throne, adorning her high station with those exalted attainments of the mind, and those tender sensibilities of the heart, which endear her to every rank in 268 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS life, and irresistibly attract the admiration of mankind. We have remarked the pre-eminent example which you have held out to us by your exact attention to those duties of Religion, and by your unremitted exercise of that benevolence and charity, which are the choicest ornaments of a Christian, and the most splendid jewels of an earthly crown. We have felt the full impression of that dig- nified affability, and of that condescending goodness, which uni- versally characterized your deportment towards all the inhabitants of this place. " This fair assemblage of various excellence at such early years, has drawn the warmest affections of our hearts to the person of your Royal Highness. In the fervour of the unshaken loyalty, manifested by us at all periods to that august Family from which you are descended, we have reason to felicitate our country, and be grateful to the Giver of every good gift, that a young Princess, conspicuous for those endowments which are the true glory of human nature, is destined to sway the sceptre of these realms. We rejoice in the prospect, that when our beloved Monarch and your illustrious Father shall have finished their course, (though late in- deed may that day arrive !) you will, like them, be the defence and security of the Protestant cause, the supporter of our Constitution in Church and State, the Protectress of our religious and civil liber- ties, and the proud boast of this great and high-spirited nation. " We offer up our earnest supplications, that God would be graciously pleased to shower down upon your Royal Highness, and your august Husband, the most precious blessings of the conjugal life ; and that, from this union, may spring a race of future Sove- reigns, who, forming their principles and conduct on the model of their progenitors, shall render this country flourishing and happy under their mild and equitable government." " To His Serene Highness Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Cobourg. ■ We, the Inhabitants of the Borough and Town of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, respectfully beg permission to offer your Serene Highness our warmest congratulations, on your auspicious union with our gracious Princess Charlotte-Augusta. 1 The long residence of Her Royal Highness at this highly favour- ed place, has afforded us peculiar opportunities of witnessing those amiable and endearing manners, those accomplishments and virtues, which she so eminently possesses. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 269 " In her we are assured you will find whatever can delight the soul and enchain the heart. " The trump of fame has loudly sounded the heroic deeds of your Serene Highness, in the recent awful conflicts which have so happily given repose to Europe — they demand our esteem and gratitude; but, Sir, we have still more to admire in you, those other manly virtues and qualities of the heart, of which the general voice speaks so highly. " That your Serene Highness and your Royal Bride may long live in mutual bliss, is our unfeigned prayer." To these Addresses they were pleased to return the following gracious answer: " Gentlemen, " You will be assured it affords us particular satisfaction to re- ceive the addresses and congratulations of the Inhabitants of Wey- mouth, so long distinguished in their firm and continued loyalty; and we desire you will make known to the Inhabitants of Weymouth, the pleasure we must feel in the assurances of their regard and attachment." In the evening, their Royal and Serene Highnesses revisited Covent Garden Theatre, to hear Mr. Bra- ham, the celebrated singer, in the character of Apollo, in the Burletta of Midas. They appear- ed much delighted with his vocal powers; and retired, as they came, amidst loud shouts of con- gratulation from the audience. On the 29th of May, the Prince Regent held a Court at Carlton House, for the purpose of receiving the address of the University of Oxford, upon the recent royal marriage. It being known that the members of the University of Oxford were to walk in procession through Pall Mall, in their robes, a great concourse of people assembled, and the Mall was crowded with carriages. A guard of honour, with the band of the Coldstream Regiment of Guards, preceded them in their state dresses, while a small party of the Life Guards were stationed at the west gate. 270 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS The procession began to move a few minutes after three o'clock, preceded by two Esquire Beadles, two Yeomen Beadles, followed by the Right Honourable Lord Grenville, Chancellor of the University, in full and splendid robes; the Dele- gates, Dr. Lendon, the Provost of Worcester ; Dr. Hughes, Principal of Jesus College; Dr. Cole, Rector of Exeter College; and Dr. Hodgson, Prin- cipal of Brazen Nose College; attended by the Earl of Yarmouth, the Rev. Dr. Holland, Mr. North- cote, the Rev. W. Saunders, the Rev. Dr. Fly, Lord Kenyon, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Norfolk, Sir Christopher Pegge, Mr. Wynne, the Rev. Dr. Breaden, Sir Wm. Scott, Mr. King, Mr. Elliott, Sir J. Nicholls, Sir T. Tyrwhitt, Mr. Round, the Duke of Portland, the Marquis of Salisbury, Dr. Crotch, professor of music to the University, Sir J. Throckmorton, the Rev. W. Louth, Lord Delaware, Sir Henry Halford, and others, to the number of three hundred, persons of rank and fashion, who were conducted into a room on the west side of the house. The Regent being seated on his Throne, sur- rounded by his Cabinet Ministers, the Lord Stew- ard, the Vice Chamberlain, the Comptroller of the Household, the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, Lord Boston, in waiting; Sir John Craddock, the Groom in waiting; Earl Harrington, Gold Stick; Sir W. Congreve, Equerry ; and other state attendants ; the Members of the University were then conducted into the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent; upon which the Chancellor, Lord Gren- ville, read the following Address : " To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. " We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Chan- cellor, Masters, and Scholars, of the University of Oxford, beg leave humbly to offer to your Royal Highness the expression of our heartfelt joy, at the marriage of Her Royal Highness the Prinoess THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 271 Charlotte of Wales with a Protestant Prince, descended from an illustrious race, and distinguished by personal virtues, worthy of that august Princess who is the object of our dearest and proudest hopes. " When we reflect on- the various blessings our country has de- rived from the mild and equitable rule of the House of Brunswick, we cannot but rejoice in an event which, by tending to perpetuate the succession in that House, promises a continuation of the same blessings. We not only rejoice in it as an event grateful to the paternal feelings of your Royal Highness, but we see in it also a pledge of our own happiness, an additional security to those civil rights and religious establishments, which we firmly believe to be, under Divine Providence, the foundation of all our greatness. " That the sceptre may never depart from your Royal Line, is our sincere and fervent prayer ; and we are confident that in this prayer we speak the wishes of all His Majesty's subjects. With them we unite in zealous and dutiful attachment to your Royal Highness, to whom we are more especially bound by repeated acts of munificence and kindness ; and we hope, by the careful discharge of the trust committed to us, to prove that we are not undeserving of your Royal Highness's favour and protection. " Our constant purpose is to combine the pursuit of knowledge with the formation of that character upon which the true glory of a kingdom must ever depend ; and we are encouraged in the per- formance of this duty by the firm persuasion, that no offering can be more acceptable to a generous Prince, than the affection of a religious and enlightened people." To this Address the Prince Regent returned this most gracious answer : " I return you my warmest thanks for this loyal and affectionate address. " It is with the utmost satisfaction that I receive your congratu- lations on an event which will, I trust, be found conducive to the best interests of this country, by affording additional security to its civil rights and religious establishments, which, under the favour of Divine Providence, are the foundations of its prosperity and power; and to the support of which I am persuaded that you will ever contribute, both by your precepts and example. " The University of Oxford may be assured of my invariable favour and protection." 272 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Before the procession withdrew, the Chancellor, Delegates, and several young Noblemen of the Uni- versity, had the honour of kissing His Royal High- ness's hand. In the evening, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold honoured the Concert of Ancient Music with their presence, for the first time, and sat in the Director's box. The concert was under the direc- tion of the Earl of Darnley. The first part was principally from Dryden's Alexanders Feast; and the language of the poet, in the chorus, was ob- served to associate itself, with electrical effect in the minds of all, with the interesting Visitors, who invo- luntarily joined in singing, Happy, happy, happy Pair. None but the brave, None but the brave, None but the brave Deserve the fair ! The next evening, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold paid a third visit to the Opera, where they were again received with an enthusiastic welcome; and both appeared highly delighted with the congratulations of a most brilliant and numerous audience. At the Prince Regent's splendid Levee on the 30th of May, at Carlton House, twenty-three loyal and affectionate addresses were presented from dif- ferent parts of the country, expressive of loyalty and affection upon the late happy marriage of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold. It being a collar day, the Court was particularly brilliant : all those who possessed the different orders, English and Foreign, wore their collars ; which produced a most elegant and striking effect. The Dukes of Clarence, Gloucester, and Prince Leopold, were present; the two latter paid their respects to the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 273 Prince Regent, upon their appointment as Field Marshals in the British Army. In consequence of which, the Commander-in-Chief, by order of the Prince Regent, notified to the army, that His Serene Highness should, on all future occasions, receive the same honours and compliments as prescribed in His Majesty's regulations to Princes of the Royal Family. Next day, at three o'clock, the Austrian Ambas- sador, the highly-accomplished Prince Esterhazy, to whose instructive conversation the Princess Char- lotte was extremely partial, together with his Royal Consort, the Princess Esterhazy, were both intro- duced to the happy Pair, at Camel ford House, upon their recent arrival in England. Having thus far conducted our narrative of the Princess Charlotte, we shall now return to give a short account of her roval Mother's travels on the Continent. From the departure of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales from England, in 1814, brief ac- counts of her travelling over various parts of the Con- tinent of Europe appeared from time to time in the public papers ; but were only cursorily noticed, until her visit to Tunis accidentally attracted the particular attention of the British nation. Her Royal High- ness arrived there on the 3rd of April, 1816, in an English merchant vessel ; and the piratical govern- ment instantly resolved to receive her with all possi- ble honours. As soon as she landed, the forts of Goleta Castle gave a royal salute ; and the Palace of tho. Bashaw was reserved for her accommodation, with a guard of Mamelukes, corresponding to her dignity. On the 8th, Her Royal Highness went to the Bardo to visit the Bashaw, the Princes, his sons, and the Seraglio ; where they are said to have ex- erted themselves so much, in showing her attention, 12. 2 m k 274 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS that the Princess was greatly satisfied with her friendly reception, and very grateful for the respect shewn to her in the liberation of several slaves. On the 10th, Her Royal Highness visited the ruins of Utica, took refreshment, and spent the night in a handsome country seat there belonging to the son of the Bashaw, Sadi Mustapha, who, condescending to European usages, is reported to have endeavoured to pay all due honours to the Princess. Two days afterwards, Her Royal Highness was invited to a splendid banquet in the Manuba Garden, belonging to the Palace of the Bashaw ; where, by a most remarkable coincidence, she descried the English fleet, consisting of six ships of the line, one of which was a first rate, two frigates, one corvette, five brigs, one schooner, and three transports, under the com- mand of Admiral Lord Exmoutli and Rear-Admiral Penrose. The Princess, however, declaring that she had nothing to do with political affairs, notwith- standing the presence of the hostile armament, was, to her great satisfaction, received and entertained with the highest marks of consideration and respect by all the sons of the Bashaw, and the whole of the Corsair Court, who were dressed with the greatest splendour and elegance. Next morning, Admiral Lord Exmouth came on shore, and, accompanied by the English Consul, immediately proceeded to the Bardo, where he had an audience of the Bashaw ; and during a conference of two hours, insisted on the following demands : 1. That oil the slaves should be liberated. 2. That the Tunisian captain, who had invaded and plun- dered the island of Antioco under the British flag, should be punished. 3. That they should not here- after enslave their prisoners of war. 4. That they should accept the mediation of England, to conclude a peace with the King of Sardinia. These demands naturally irritated the Barbarian Chief, who haughtily answered, that he did not THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 275 fear threats, and that he would endeavour to repel force; but after a moment's cooler reflection he said, that he would refuse nothing to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales ; and that he was disposed to grant the release of the Sardinian slaves to her, if she would accept them when released : in answer to this insidious proposition, Lord Exmouth judiciously insisted, that they should be surrendered to him, and not to the Princess — and then cut short some reasonings, which the Bashaw offered in reply, by declaring, as he went away, that he would pursue a more direct method to attain his purpose, if His Tunisian Majesty did not comply before the end of twenty-four hours. Lord Exmouth having peremptorily signified his final determination to the Bashaw, waited in the interim upon the Princess of Wales, who had in- tended to visit an ancient temple at Zaguan, about thirty miles from Tunis, on the following day ; but in consequence of the conference with the British Admiral, she changed her determination, and or- dered her baggage and attendants to be immediately re-embarked. This sudden alteration surprised the Bashaw, who sent Her Royal Highness word, that whatever might be the result of his serious differ- ences with her nation, they would have no influence upon the attention due to Her Royal Person ; and that she might, without the least fear, continue to reside in that country, where she would always be treated with the utmost distinction and respect. The Princess could not, however, place confidence in these assurances, and determined to go on board the next morning at six o'clock ; which was at the time Lord Exmouth had requested another audience of the Bashaw; who signified, that he could not receive his Lordship till eight: at which hour, the Bashaw acceded, with slight alterations, to the terms so resolutely demanded by the British Admiral. In the mean time, however, the Princess of Wales 270 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS had departed, regretting very much that these poli- tic al events should oblige her to embark so preci- pitately, without being able to take leave of, and express her thanks to, the Bashaw; who is said to haw defrayed the entire daily expences of the Prin- cess, from the time that she had deigned to inhabit his palace: though there certainly appears more reason to regret that Her Royal Highness was ever induced to take up her residence in such a place, than that the apprehended hostilities of a British fleet, should have obliged her suddenly to quit those horrible abodes of barbarity and licentiousness. On Saturday morning, June 1st, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold received a visit from the Duke of Gloucester at Camelford House, which they left, soon after two o'clock, in their travelling carriage, drawn by four beautiful greys, with out- riders, for Oatlands, where they dined with the Duchess of York ; and, in the evening, returned to Camelford House. Next day, the august Pair attended divine service at the Swiss Protestant Chapel, in Moor-street, Soho; after which, they drove to the Queen's Palace, and passed the re- mainder of the day with Her Majesty and the Princesses. About this time, Prince Leopold sat to Turnerelli, the celebrated sculptor, for another bust without dra- pery ; the lirst for which His Serene Highness had sat to tiiis artist, at Brighton, representing him in regimentals. At the particular request of the Prin- CMS6 Charlotte and Prince Leopold, who were alike extremely partial to Shakspeare's dramas, the cele- brated Mrs, Siddons was prevailed upon to appear once MOM before the public, in the character of Lady Macbeth, for the gratification of the Royal Pair; but before the arrival of the time fixed for the per- formance, the Princess Charlotte was attacked by THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 277 a severe cold, which she so far resisted, that, having promised to attend a Concert at the Hanover-square Rooms, on Wednesday, for the benefit of the Royal Society of Musicians, Her Royal Highness resolved to be present; but found herself so ill about the middle of the performancej that she was obliged to retire, and was, of course, accompanied by her amiable and beloved Consort. Dr. Baillie and Mr. Walker were sent for, and pronounced that Her Royal Highness's indisposition arose from a bad cold, accompanied by some fever ; but added, that they did not apprehend the least danger. The Princess found considerable relief, after having had a vein opened in her arm, and soon after enjoyed some comfortable sleep. The report of her illness, however, rapidly circulated, and a number of inquirers flocked to Camelford House, where they left their names with the porter, and were informed that Her Royal Highness was better ; but none were admitted, except the Royal Family. A communication of these circumstances was immediately made to the Prince Regent; and Dr. Baillie soon afterwards attended at Carlton House, to report to His Royal Highness the state of his royal and amiable Daughter. Sir Benjamin Bloom- field attended at Camelford House, by command of the Prince Regent; upon whom Prince Leopold, attended by Sir Robert Gardiner, waited in the afternoon, and staid a considerable time at Carlton House. The Queen and the Princess Mary arrived at Camelford House soon after two o'clock ; Her Majesty remained with the Princess Charlotte up- wards of an hour ; and soon after her departure, the Duke of Cumberland called, to make inquiries after his Royal Niece. This sudden illness of the amiable Princess de- prived Prince William of Gloucester of the happi- ness of receiving Her Royal Highness at the grand dinner party, which he gave to the Prince Regent, •270 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the Queen, and most of the branches of the Royal Family, at Gloucester House, Piccadilly. Prince Leopold, however, came, to soften the disappoint- ment as far as possible; but retired at a very early hour, to attend upon his Royal Consort. His Serene Highness was soon after followed by the Prince Regent, who sat with his beloved Daughter for about an hour. The Princess, though announced as con- siderably better to the numerous inquirers after her health, was not free from fever ; and the physicians, therefore, ordered more blood to be taken from her, but stated, that they expected that her indisposition was only likely to last a few days. Though the health of the Princess was gradually restored, she was troubled with a cough ; and as it was the order of the medical gentlemen, that Her Royal Highness should be kept very quiet, no visi- tors, even of the Royal Family, being admitted into the bedchamber of the Princess, upon whom Prince Leopold remained in constant and affectionate at- tendance : so that none of the vast number of nobility and gentry, who attended to inquire after Her Royal Highness's health, could have any admittance at Cainelibrd House; and were only informed, by the porter, that the Priucess was in a fair way of recovery. June 2nd, Her Royal Highness was consider- ably better, but had felt the effects of her indispo- sition so severely, that she was only up for a short time; after the Princess had retired, the Duke of ^ ork called, and remained about an hour with Prince Leopold: and the Prince Regent, and all the Royal Family, sent to make their anxious inquiries. The Archbishop of Canterbury also called ; and a numerous assemblage of the Nobility and Gentry renewed their applications, to know the state of Her Royal Highness's health. Aboul this time was published a new work, entitled " Tlic Bride of the hies," a mask in cele- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 279 bration of the Royal Nuptials ; from which we select the following passage, in which our celebrated King Alfred the Great is represented as looking down from the regions of blessedness, and addressing England, saying, " Oh, I have watch'd thy monarchs as they pass'd, Now leaping upward to my tempting throne, Now topling down in civil hateful strife, Or sliding to the slumbers of the tomb; But never saw I one who fill'd that seat In rightful ministration, who might say, ■ This is my couch of ease, my chair of joy, ' This sceptre is a pleasure-charming rod, ' To call up ev'ry luxury around/ The lofty soul, with eye severe, would look Upon the trappings of external state As emblems of a fearful trust, that ask'd * The smile of Heav'n on self-denying virtue/ Yes ! I will hover o'er those youthful hearts, Unblighted yet by pow'r, and with a voice Borne on the wings of ev'ry morning breeze, Cry, ' Live not for yourselves.' " Saturday, June the 15th, the Princess Charlotte took her first ride out : she appeared convalescent ; but had evidently suffered much by her recent ill- ness. Her Royal Highness was accompanied by Prince Leopold, who, after her return from the airing, went out privately, attended by Baron Har- denbrock, and walked in the Green Park, without being recognized by the numerous pedestrians who were collected there. On the 19th of June, the Princess Charlotte having recovered from her late severe indisposition, rode out with Prince Leopold, in their curricle, for about two hours, and then returned to Camelford House ; after which, His Serene Highness rode out for a *280 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS short time on horseback. The same day, the Prince and Princess honoured the Duchess of Buccleuch with s \ i^it, at her house in Privy Gardens; and at two o'clock on the day following left Camelford House, and drove over Barnes' Common to Rich- mond Park, through Richmond, and returned to Camelford House at half past four o'clock: soon after which, attended by Sir Robert Gardiner and Mrs. Campbell, they received an Address from Mon- mouth on their marriage, which was presented by the Marquis of Worcester; to which they were pleased to return the following answer : " We receive the congratulations of the Town and Borough of Monmouth with the greatest satisfaction; and we are highly grati- fied in their earnest assurances of regard." i Addresses from the Counties of Surry and North- umberland, and from the towns of Litchfield and Marlborough, were also presented on the next day ; and on Saturday, the tragedy of Macbeth was per- formed at Covent Garden, by the express desire of the Princess Charlotte and her august Consort. On this occasion, the Theatre was exceedingly crowded ; but the audience were not disappointed, as they had been on a former occasion, through Her Royal Highness's indisposition. The illustrious a isitors entered the box nearest the stage, and were received with the most enthusiastic shouts that loyal hearts and stentorian lungs could raise. " God save the King" was immediately sung, the whole of the spectators standing; and when this was finished, the plaudits in honour of the Royal Pair were renewed. The Princess condescendingly acknow- ledged these greetings with all her wonted affability, and the Prince bowed several times to the audience; who were much gratified with the opportunity af- forded them of contemplating the harmony which evidently subsisted between these august personages. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 281 The tragedy was finely performed ; Mrs. Siddons, in particular, displayed all her acknowledged excel- lence in the important character of Lady Macbeth. The Princess Charlotte appeared to feel great interest in the performance. Her Royal Highness wore a green dress, with a wreath of white roses, and seemed in excellent health and spirits. At the end of the play, " God save the King" was again sung ; and " Rule Britannia" having been called for, was performed by the whole vocal strength of the Thea- tre ; and the happy Pair retired amidst the acclama- tion of the numerous spectators. It has been a stumblingblock to some pious per- sons, who make no allowance for the etiquette of high life, that this excellent Princess and her august Consort should ever be found in an Opera House or a Theatre. Except in the above instance, there is no reason to believe that they attended any public exhibitions for the sake of the performance; but rather by the earnest request of interested persons : and we have already seen, that the severe illness of the Princess was aggravated by the effort Her Royal Highness made to assist the funds of a charity, by honouring a musical party with her presence. It is impossible to deny that the Theatres are gene- rally converted into the haunts of licentiousness and vice; but that they are necessarily so, and could not be directed to innocent and useful ends, none but those who have never frequented them to judge for themselves, or who have imbibed the most unrea- sonable prejudices, will assert. But as they are now conducted, no moral good can be derived from them: and any attendance upon them would be totally inconsistent with the spirit of true devotion. It is extremely probable, that the Princess Charlotte took this view of the subject, or rather, that she had not even a suspicion of the profligacy which is still too prevalent in most of our places of public resort ; besides, her attention, and that of her illustrious 12. 2 N 202 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Consort, seem rather to have been occupied on each other, than on the splendid scenes around them : and we shall shortly have occasion to show, how glad they were to escape from all the pleasures and vani- ties of the dissipated and luxurious town. On the following day, it being Sunday, the Prin- cess Charlotte and Prince Leopold attended divine service at Whitehall Chapel. It appears that the real reason which induced them to frequent different places of worship, was to disappoint the ill-timed curiosity of those persons who came on such occa- sions, merely to see the Royal Pair, and not to join in the solemn worship of Almighty God. The indisposition of the Princess Charlotte caused the presentation of many Addresses of congratulation to be postponed; and, among others, the following, which was presented by a numerous and highly respectable deputation from the bodies of the Dis- senting Clergymen of the Three Denominations ; who were introduced into the Royal presence in due form. " To Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta of Wales. " May it please your Royal Highness, " We the General Body of Protestant Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations, residing in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, beg leave to present to your Royal Highness our sincere congratulations on the event of your alliance with His Serene Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg, and to tender our warmest wishes for your truest felicity, through every succeed- ing period of your existence. " Descended from an illustrious line of royal ancestors, who have meritoriously and successfully laboured to advance the general im- provement of the nation, and confirm our much valued liberties ; we are persuaded that your Royal Highness will derive the highest satisfaction, from emulating such laudable examples. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 283 " Should your Royal Highness be ever called to fill the arduous and elevated situation of a Sovereign, we are confident that the conduct of your Royal Highness will evince the unceasing convic- tion, that a devoted attention to the intellectual and moral improve- ment of a cultivated and loyal people, will afford your Royal High- ness more solid gratification, and confer more real splendour, than the outward ornaments of royalty." A similar Address was presented by the same Deputation to Prince Leopold. The answer of the Royal Pair to both was as follows : " Be assured that we receive the congratulations of the Protest- ant Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations with every cordial satisfaction and pleasure ; and we are well assured in those fervent hopes they express for our mutual happiness, and for the prosperity of His Majesty's kingdoms." At the presentation of these addresses, the gentle- man who superintended the ceremonies of Her Royal Highness's household, was at some loss for prece- dents of etiquette. At first, he wished to prevent a personal interview ; but this he was told was indis- pensable : and it was also intimated that the Dis- senters, on such occasions, expected the honour of " kissing hands." This was considered quite inad- missible : however, after retiring, as was supposed to consult Her Royal Highness, the Ministers were introduced, and read to the Princess and Prince Leopold their Addresses, which were most graciously received ; but the honour to which they aspired not being offered, the learned and venerable Dr. Rees, (editor of the Cyclopedia,) being at the head of the Deputation, addressed Her Royal Highness to the following effect: " That the Dissenters greatly prized their civil and religious privileges ; and particularly that of access to Royalty on all public occasions, in order to express their loyalty and fidelity to the House of Brunswick : that on all such occasions they had been permitted to kiss the royal hands; •284 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ami that they hoped in this instance the same favour would be granted." — " By all means," replied the Princess, " if it will be any gratification;' and with that cheerful courtesy for which she was always remarkable, instantly threw off her glove, held out her hand, and went round the circle, without waiting for their individual approach. Soon after this, Prince Leopold inspected Cum- berland House; from which, as it met with His Serene Ilighness's approbation, the Ordnance Office was removed to the new building in Cannon-street, Westminster, preparatory to the occupation of the former by the Princess Charlotte and her illustrious Consort. This occasioned the following Epigram: " To meet Prince Cobourg's wish, how Apropos, To place the Ordnance Board in Cannon Row." On Saturday, the 30th of June, the British public were again gratified by the appearance of the Prin- cess Charlotte and Prince Leopold at Co vent Garden Theatre. It was an evening set apart for the benefit of a Charitable Fund ; and Mrs. Siddons performed the character of Queen Catharine, in Shakspeare's exquisite drama of King Henry VIII. ; so that the benevolence, curiosity, and taste, of the audience Mere equally gratified. Their Royal Highnesses were received with all the accustomed honours ; which they acknowledged with their wonted affa- bility. On entering the box, the Princess was ob- served to throw back the lattice work, to gratify the audience. The Duchess of York, who accompanied her, took her seat between the Prince and Princess, who paid great attention to the progress of the per- formance ; Prince Leopold particularly appearing to follow the actors, in a book. The greetings between the public and the Prince and Princess were renewed THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 285 several times in the course of the evening; and every passage of the play, which would bear a compli- mentary construction towards the Royal Pair, was eagerly seized by the audience. That part in Act II. Scene 3. where the Lord Chamberlain says of Anne Bullen, whom he has been sounding, concerning the King's inclinations, " Who knows yet, But from this lady may proceed a gem To lighten all our Isle," was instantly applied, with the most rapturous shouts, to the lovely and Royal Bride. The first grand and numerous party which the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold gave, was at Camelford House, on the last day of June. The dinner was most sumptuous ; every delicacy of the season was served up in the splendid marriage ser- vice of plate, which was made under the direction of Her Royal Highness. The dinner service was very superb, combining the most tasteful, elegant, and appropriate devices, executed in the most finished style; particularly the tureens and stands, both as to their form and workmanship. The richly chased ice pails were executed after the exact model of the celebrated antique vase, brought from Italy by Sir William Hamilton, only upon a reduced scale. The dining room, which is the best room in Camel- ford House, was extremely well fitted up ; and was lighted in the evening by a new and elegant lustre, with gilt stands for the burners. Among the company were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl and Countess of Harrowby, Baron Fagel, the Earl and Countess of Mul grave, Viscount and Viscountess Melville, Lady Murray, the Earl of Westmoreland, the Spanish Ambassador, Baron Just the Saxon Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Pole, the Count and Countess Lieven, and the Marquis and Marchioness D'Osmond. 286 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS The following extract from a complimentary Poem, entitled " Erin's Guardian Goddess," which was published, inscribed to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, by Mr. William Duckett, about this time, derives great interest from the loss we now deplore. " The harp \uis mute a length of years; No song was heard on Erin's shore ! Her daughters knew but sighs and tears, And impious sons her bosom tore ! No more she weeps, to grief a prey ; Her days of sorrow fleet away, And brighter suns begin to rise. On Thames' proud shores thus fate decreed, A Royal Fair One shall succeed, To soothe the breast that burns with sighs ; The pride of Brunswick's regal line, In whom united virtues shine, The brightest gem of Britain's crown, Deigns on her suff'rings to look down ; And Erin guards amidst alarms. Thus vine-clad Samos flourish'd high, Beneath Jove's consort's guardian eye, Though Carthage bound her valiant arms : Thus Athens felt Minerva's sway; Athens, the school of men and arts: Thus Delos own'd the God of day, Who round the world his influence darts. Erin, rejoice in song arise, And let thy praises shake the skies : Let songs of love be heard around, And all thy vales responsive smile : Let Charlotte's name thy hymns resound, Protectress of thy beaut 'ous isle ! To her thy bard devotes his lays ; His lyre re-echoes Charlotte's praise : To her both lyre and bard belong, While now he tunes a genial strain, And meditates the nuptial song 1" THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 287 The great distress ^hich at this time pervaded the country, excited the commiseration of the amiable Princess, who, in the most patriotic spirit, announced to her establishment, that she expected they would in future wear articles of British manu- facture only. An order wo.s also sent to all her dress-makers, desiring them not to introduce any thing foreign into articles prepared for the wear of Her Royal Highness, on pain of incurring her dis- pleasure and being no longer employed. The following is a correct copj of the reply of Prince Leopold, on the Freedom of the City of London having been presented to him by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council: " My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen, " I cannot sufficiently express to you my sense and feeling of this new mark of the regard of the City of London. I hope I need not declare with what happiness I see myself one among your members, and with the privilege of making your interests my own. Believe me, it will ever be my endeavour, as it will be my first hope, to see the commerce of this City upheld with every prosperity and continued greatness." On Thursday July the 4th, at half past four o'clock, an Address from the county of Kent was presented to the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, upon their marriage; it was signed by Jive thousand persons and measured about twenty yards. It was presented at Camelford House by Mr. Evelyn the High Sheriff, Mr. Brooke, Lieut. Col. Shaw, Mr. C. Denny, Samuel Watson, D. D. the Marquis Camden, Lord Clifton, Sir W. Geary, Sir E. Knatchbull, Col. Harris, and Mr. Wingfield Stratford. The numerous assemblage were introduced into the presence of the Princess and Prince by Sir R. Gardiner; and after delivering '280 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS their Address, they received the following most gracious answer: " We must ever feel happiness in the regard and attachment of the county of Kent. It affords us sincere pleasure to receive this mark of their attention, and we accept their congratulations with the highest and most cordial satisfaction." On Saturday evening, July 6, the Princess Char- lotte was taken ill at the Opera, yet was suffici- ently recovered to attend Divine Service at White- hall Chapel next day; but, on returning to Camel- ford House, found herself so much worse, that Dr. Baillie was sent for, who advised Her Royal High- ness to remain perfectly quiet, and not to leave the house. Next day Sir Benjamin Bloomneld attended at Camelford House, by command of the Prince Regent, to inquire after the state of his Royal Daughters health ; and was informed that the Princess, though much better, still kept her room, by the desire of her Physician. Her Royal Highness also received visits from the Duchess of York, the Duke of Cumberland, and other branches of the Royal Family. The following particular account of the marriage of the Princess Mary and the Duke of Gloucester, on the 22nd of July, 1816, will no doubt be very acceptable to our fair readers: The marriage of the Princess Mary with the Duke of Gloucester, was delayed in order to wait the arrival of the Duke of Cambridge from Hanover, and the completion of the necessary alterations at the Royal Duke's house at Bagshot. The day THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 289 was only finally fixed on Wednesday. The cards of invitation were issued from the Lord Chamber- lain's office on Friday. The persons invited were exactly those invited to the marriage of the Princess Charlotte, with a very few exceptions, it being considered a private wedding. They consisted, in addition to the Royal Family, of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, Mademoiselle d'Orleans, the Duke de Bourbon, and several other Foreigners of distinction, the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers with their Ladies, the Lord Chancellor with the Cabinet Ministers and their Ladies, the Deputy Earl Marshal of England, the Great Officers of State and the Household ; the King's, the Queen's, and those of the Windsor Establishment; the suites of all the Royal Dukes, the Duchess of York, the Princess Charlotte, Prince Leopold, the Princesses, the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, the Staff of the Duke of York as Commander in Chief, the .Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, the Master of the Rolls, the Chan- cellor of the Duchy of Cornwall, and other Law Officers. The new carriages, and those that had been altered with the arms of the Royal Pair, were sent home to Gloucester House, Piccadilly, from the manufactory of Messrs. Holmes and Co. in Long-acre, the Royal Duke's coach-maker. The principal coach was painted a very handsome bright yellow, with elegant mantles on the doors. The ends with supporters, and the double arms executed in a very masterly style. The Duke's four different Orders were very finely executed, as were the Crest and Garter, with the Red Ribbon entwined on the rails. An elegant broad border under the elbow, was most superbly executed, with Coronets and Garter, and W. F. (William Frederic) in the centre ; a beautiful oak leaf circle, with M. (Mary) 12. 2 o 25)0 MLMOlKS Uh HER ROYAL HIOHNESS in the centre, an elegant running sprig entwining each coronet. It was lined -with handsome green cloth, ornamented with crimson and yellow silk lace. A very handsome plate glass in the front. Plated body, loops and joints. Double arms, crest, head plates, and crimson and gold hammer-cloth. The post chariot was painted yellow, with the double arms on the doors only. The Garter, with W. F. in the centre of the off side. On the near side an oak leaf circle, with the letter M. in the centre on the door rails. It was lined with green cloth, ornamented with handsome worsted lace, yellow silk squabs to the back and sides. It had a barouche seat to take off occasionally. It being determined that the solemnization of the marriage should take place in the grand saloon in the Queen's Palace, a most superb Altar was finished there on the Saturday preceding. The new throne which was put up there, directly over the principal door to the grand entrance, for the Queen to receive the Addresses under, upon the marriage of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, formed the back of the Altar, which gave it an additionally splendid appearance. The whole was formed of crimson velvet and gold lace, principally from the Chapel Royal and Whitehall Chapel, with the cushions and stools. The gold Communion plate was the most massive and costly that ever was displayed upon ©ne occasion. It con- sisted of the Altar plate belonging to King William from Whitehall Chapel, two uncommonly large dishes, richly chased with appropriate devices of our Lord's last Supper with his Disciples; the compartments round the dishes having also appro- priate devices Two immensely large flagons from the Chapel Royal, beautifully eftased ; also a num- ber of ewers; several chalices or cups of solid gold. Each corner had most superbly gilt tripods for six candles. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 201 The suite of rooms in the Queen's Palace were judiciously arranged for the company, and for the ceremony, by Colonel Stephenson, the Comptroller of the Household of the Windsor establishment, and Mr. Mash, of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. Monday, July 22nd, at twelve o'clock, the Duke of Gloucester went in his carriage from Gloucester House to the Queen's Palace, to pay a morning visit to his intended Bride, and the Queen, and Prin- cesses Augusta and Elizabeth. The Royal Duke returned to Gloucester House, and dined privately at five o'clock. Owing to an unfounded state- ment, that the wedding was to take place the morning before, a great crowd collected during the day in St. James's Park, but particularly round the Queen's Palace, from ten o'clock in the morn- ing. Her Majesty and the Princesses received visits from the Royal Dukes, Princess Ester- hazy, &c. &c. A profusion of wedding cakes having been pre- paring for some time by Mr. Barker, the Queen's confectioner, they were most liberally distributed to all the royal domestics. A guard of honour inarched into the Court-yard in the front of the Queen's Palace at seven o'clock, and a party of the Foot Guards and Life Guards, with a numerous body of the Police, were stationed in the Park, to regulate the populace and the carriages. The com- pany began to arrive soon after. The Palace was additionally illuminated for the occasion. The grand staircase was divided and arranged as on the Drawing-room days. At the top of the first flight of stairs, a Yeoman of the Guard was stationed . The company were shewn into an anti-room, adjoining the grand saloon, except the Royal Family, who turned to the right, and entered by the Queen's dining-room. The grand hall was lined with a party of the Yeomen of the Guard. The 202 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Royal Family were all received by the Guard of Honour with military honours, the band playing " God save the King." The Princess Sophia of Gloucester came in state, in honour of her Royal Brother's Marriage, and her servants in new state liveries. The Duke of Gloucester came in state, with his suite in two carriages, at twenty minutes past eight o'clock. The Royal Duke was dressed in his Field Marshal's uniform, wearing the Order of the Garter. The Prince Regent's Household re- ceived His Royal Highness on his entering into the Palace. The Duke and Duchess of York fol- lowed directly after in state. The Prince Regent arrived in state exactly at half past eight, escorted by a party of Life Guards, and accompanied by the Duke of Clarence and his attendants. Prince Leopold came at a quarter before nine, attended by Sir Robert Gardiner, Baron Harden- brock, and Col. Addenbroke. The Princess Char- lotte was confined to her room, and could not attend. Soon after the arrival of His Serene Highness the ceremony commenced. The Foreign Ambassadors, with their Ladies, entered the Saloon first ; followed by the Cabinet Ministers and their Ladies, who proceeded to the light. The Great Officers of State and those of the Royal Households, except those in immediate attendance, took their station to the left side. The Queen took her station to the left side of the Altar, where there was a state chair placed for her. The Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, to her left ; and then their female attendants after them. The Prince Regent took his station on the ri-ht side of the Altar, with his Royal Brothers near him. Even thing being properly arranged THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 293 for the ceremony to commence, the Lord Chamber- lain retired, and introduced the Doke of Gloucester, and presented him at the Altar. The Lord Cham- berlain retired again, and, with the Duke of Cam- bridge, introduced the Princess Mary; and the Duke of Cambridge presented Her Royal Highness to the Prince Regent, who gave her away in marriage to the Duke of Gloucester. The Ladies' dresses were very splendid ; blue was remarked to be the prevailing colour of the trains. The whole forming a most solemn and splendid Royal assemblage, which was considerably heightened by the spacious size of the Saloon ; but notwith- standing which, the heat was extremely oppressive. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of London, and the Responses by the Rev. Dr. Cookson, and the Rev. W. F. Blomberg, the Clerks of the Closet. The Verger of the Chapel Royal, and Mr. Provis, the Verger of Whitehall Chapel, attended, who was also present at the christening of the Princess, when he held a situation in the Chapel Royal. A signal was given from the third window in the front of the Palace, which communicated by signals of a white flag to Mr. Clegg, the Sergeant of the Cannons, for a royal salute to be fired, which com- menced at seven minutes past nine o'clock, in which, however, there was a mistake, as the cere- mony was not above half over, and it ought to have finished before it began. The consent of the Regent in Council to the marriage, with the Great Seal of England affixed, was produced to the Arch- bishop, to enable him to proceed with the marriage, signed by the Lord Chancellor and other State Officers. After the ceremony had concluded, the Queen's and Princesses' female attendants had the honour to kiss the Bride's hand. The Royal Family, in- cluding the Bride and Bridegroom, retired to the '294 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Queens private apartments for some time, and then the Queen, with most of the august Family, except the Bridegroom, returned to the Saloon and the Drawing-room, and received the congratulations of the numerous and distinguished throng. A pro- fusion of the most choice refreshments were served to the company from the Japan room, upon an elegant service of gold plate, supplied by Mr. Gil- bert, the Kings jeweller. As the company depart- ed, they were each presented with a large piece of wedding cake. At a quarter before ten o'clock, the Bride having taken off her wedding clothes, and dressed for travelling in a white satin pelisse and a white satin French bonnet, the travelling post chaise of the Duke drove up to the side door: the Princess, leaning on the Regent's arm, and followed by the Duke of Cambridge, was saluted by both, and handed into her carriage; they then embraced the Duke of Gloucester, and he followed into the carriage ; the Prince and the Duke of Cambridge bidding them good night, wishing God to bless them, and then cautioned the drivers to go steadily, and they drove off to Bagshot amidst the huzzas of the multitude, the band playing " God save the King." Princess Mary s Wedding Dresses.— -The follow- ing is a description of some of the rich and elegant. dresses, &c. made for the Wedding of Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary, and also of their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Augusta and Sophia of Gloucester: 1. The wedding dress, a very rich and elegant silver tissue, with two superb borders of scolloped lama flouncing, elegantly worked in pine-apple pattern, each border headed with three weltings of rich lama-work: the body and sleeves to eorres- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 295 pond, and tastefully trimmed with most beautiful Brussels point lace ; the robe of rich silver tissue, lined with white satin, and trimmed round with superb scolloped lama pine-apple border, to cor- respond with dress, and fastened at the waist with a very brilliant diamond clasp. Head-dress, a superb wreath of diamonds. 2. A very rich lama and net dress, elegantly embroidered and bordered with rich lama flouncing', trimmed with blond lace, over a rich white satin slip ; body and sleeves embroidered to correspond, and trimmed with rich blond lace, and plaitings of the same. 3. An elegant sprigged silver tissue train dress, bordered with rich Vandyke lama-work, above the border, fullings of silver gauze, tastefully finished with narrow silver vandyke trimming; the body of silver tissue, the sleeves silver gauze, richly orna- mented with silver roses and blond lace. 4. An elegant rich blue and silver tissue dress, with two rich lama flouncings, each flounce headed with broad borders of blue and silver trimming; body and sleeves to correspond, and ornamented with blond lace. o. Elegant silver muslin dress, trimmed with broad flounces of Mechlin lace, headed with silver borderings ; body and sleeves richly trimmed, with Mechlin lace to correspond, and superb embroider- ed belt over a white satin slip. 6. A very superb Brussels point lace dress, of the most superior pattern, with flounces of the most elegant point lace, over a rich white satin slip. The beauty of this elegant dress it is impossible to describe. 7. An elegant rich pink satin dress, with flounces of broad Brussels lace, headed by a border of rich satin roses ; the body and sleeves composed of Brussels lace tastefully looped up with roses to correspond. 296 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS 8. An elegant blond lace dress, of the most beautiful pattern, with three broad flounces of the Mime, each flounce headed with a handsome bor- der; body and sleeves to correspond, with plaitings of blond net, worn over a rich white satin slip. This dress had a most beautiful appearance. 9. A rich white satin wedding pelisse, trimmed round with broad Mechlin lace, and cape full trimmed to correspond. 10.. A rich sarsuet dress to wear under the wed- ding pelisse, with three broad flounces of Mechlin lace, headed with white satin tulles ; sleeves and ruff to correspond. 11. An entire Mechlin lace bonnet, elegantly trimmed with bows of rich Mechlin lace and tulles of white satin, with a superb plume of elegantly rich white ostrich feathers. 12. A rich white satin dress, elegantly festooned with broad blond lace, tulles of satin, and large bows of white satin ribbon ; sleeves composed of ■full satin and blond lace; quillings of blond lace round the top. 13. An elegant white figured satin dress, with a broad flounce of blond lace, each flounce headed with plaitings of blond net, and tulles of white satin; body and sleeves to correspond. 14. An elegant lilac and white striped satin dress, with three broad flounces of blond lace, each flounce finished with a narrow heading to match ; sleeves very full and handsome, tastefully orna- mented with blond lace and rosettes of satin. 15. Elegant blue figured gauze dress, broad blond flounce, with beautiful patent net and blond trimming; sleeves striped with tulles of satin and blond lace, and plaitings of blond net. Jo". Elegant evening primrose satin dress, elegant- ly trimmed with blond lace. 17 and 18. Two very fine beautiful thin India muslin dresses, with Mechlin lace bodies, and THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 297 flounces of the most beautiful Mechlin lace — worn over white and pink satin slips. 19 and 20. Two fine India sprig book muslin dresses, let in with broad joining laces, and trim- med with broad flounces of fine Mechlin lace: bodies of Mechlin lace — over white satin slips. 21. A very fine bobbin lace morning dress, with broad border of tucks, each tuck edged with fine Mechlin lace: full frill and cuffs to correspond — over white satin dress. 22. A very fine India sprig morning dress, taste- fully let in with broad Valenciennes joining lace, flounces of the same : body and sleeves of French work and Valenciennes lace — worn over white sarsnet slip. 23. A very elegant Japan muslin morning dress, borders of broad French work, trimmed with broad Valenciennes lace: body and sleeves composed of French work, and rich Valenciennes lace — over sarsnet slip. 24. Rich white corded sarsnet pelisse, trim- med round with elegant broad Valenciennes lace. Rich white satin bonnet, trimmed with elegant Valenciennes lace, and beautiful plume of rich ostrich feathers to wear with pelisse. Also, the following elegant Dresses, &c. which we cannot particularize. Two superb lace dresses, elegantly trimmed, with satin slips. Six very elegant India muslin dresses, superbly trimmed with Mechlin and Valenciennes laces. Six elegant sarsnet dresses, morning and evening, trimmed with laces and fine Moravian work. Six fine sprig muslin morning dresses, elegantly trimmed with French work and Valenciennes lace. Six fine cambric morning dresses^ trimmed with handsome laces. Four very -elegant sarsnet pelisses, handsomely trimmed ; and 13. 2 P '2W MEMOIRS OK HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Eighteen fine cambric under dresses, trimmed with \ alenciennes lace, French work, &c. with a variety of elegant Millinery. The following Dresses were also made for the occasion : Princess Augusta. — An elegant net and silver lama dress, beautifully embroidered in bunches of heartsease, with handsome scolloped flouncings, over a rich white satin slip. Rody and sleeves to correspond, trimmed with blond lace. A superb lilac and silver tissue robe, with rich border of heart's-ease lama trimming to correspond, and fastened in front with rich diamond clasp. Head- dress, a profusion of diamonds and feather>. Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Glou- cester, wore a most superb dress of embossed silver tissue, elegantly ornamented with silver blond, and large bouquet of silver flowers, magnificent silver lama sleeves, tastefully ornamented with pink and silver ; the mantua r ; ch pink and silver tissue, superbly bordered with silver-net spangled. Her Royal Highness, as usual, wore a profusion of diamonds and feathers. This royal marriage gave great satisfaction. The Duke of Gloucester is a most amiable character. He is well known to the public at large, for the patronage and the warm support which he gives to a number of excellent institutions, tending to the improvement of the morals, and general good of society, which he not only supports with his pre- sence, bnt also with his purse: but his liberality is not confined to donations to societies, for his pocket i- always open to relieve cases of private distress; and in his domestic establishment, where he is best known, he i- most belo\ed. The public and private character of the Princess is best known at Windsor, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 299 where she has principally resided with the King and Queen. There she was foremost in supporting- schools for the education of the poor, and walked a great deal, visiting and relieving indigent families without ostentation. Many poor children were not only educated, but maintained at her own expense; in short, all her income seems to have been ex- pended upon benevoleut objects. The poor at Windsor deeply lamented her removal from the Castle, and the parting from those with whom she had been accustomed to live in so much happiness, is said to have been affecting in the extreme ; not- withstanding which, they rejoiced at her auspicious marriage, and invoked every blessing to follow her through life. The Princess Charlotte continued to be confined to her room for some time, and at length it was an- nounced, that Her Royal Highness's indisposition arose, as our readers will have already surmised, from her having then been in a state which gave hopes that she would, in a few months, have had the hap- piness of giving birth to a royal heir. On the 16th of July, she took an airing in her carriage, accom- panied by Prince Leopold. They rode to the Queen's Palace at one o'.clock, and went to honour the Countess Dowager of Cardigan with a morning: visit, at her Ladyship's house in Seymour Place, where they partook of a sumptuous repast, and returned to the Queen's Palace at half-past three o'clock. This visit was, of itself, a sufficient con- tradiction of those absurd rumours, current at the time, which insinuated that a great degree of cool- ness had taken place between Her Royal Highness and her royal relatives. 300 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS The hopes which the nation had indulged, in consequence of the public announcement of the cause of the Princess Charlotte's indisposition, ■were first suddenly disappointed on the 30th of July, "when it became publicly known, that Her Royal Highness had experienced a miscarriage, and ill consequence was still confined to her room. Shortly afterwards, however, the public rejoiced to learn that the Princess was sufficiently recovered to have a small musical party at Camelford House, in which Her Royal Highness displayed her taste, skill, and affection, by singing a German air, \mffmm- pliment to Prince Leopold, who is also a co jte musician, and possesses a most melodious voice. They were also joined by the Duke of Cambridge, who sang two or three airs in his usual chaste manner. No sooner was the recovery of the Princess Char- lotte made known, than the public were informed that Prince Leopold had become indisposed. The cause of his indisposition was a violent attack of rheumatism, attended by the tooth-ache, such as had compelled him once before to part with a tooth, and now made it necessary again to undergo that painful operation. A few days afterwards, the Royal Pair were both sufficiently recovered to take the air, in an open barouche, along the Harrow road. Having given our readers a fair opportunity of judging of the nature of the public life which Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte and her illustrious Consort were for a while constrained to had, in order to receive the Addresses of consratu- ation upon their happy marriage, and to honour the public places of amusement with their presence, we shall now follow them to that privacy wherein they delighted. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 301 On the 20th of June, Mr. Huskisson rose in the House of Commons, and said, it would be unneces- sary for him to detain the House long in what he had to offer, respecting the purchase which had been made of a residence for those illustrious Persons. He apprehended there could be no dif- ference of opinion as to the propriety of providing some country house for their accommodation. There were two modes by which that object might have been accomplished; either by allotting a sum of money for building a mansion, or by making the purr'i-se of a suitable place. The latter had been ad Vi as the preferable mode of proceeding. He had to state to the House, that every precaution was taken for securing a good bargain. An eminent surveyor was appointed to value the land, timber, &c. and another surveyor was sent down to value the house, buildings, and other appurtenances attached to them. Upon their joint report, the basis of the negociation was laid ; and it was but justice to add, that every part of the transaction was conducted with that spirit of openness and liberality which was known so peculiarly to belong to the present proprietor of the estate. There were 380 acres of land. The house, together with the buildings, &c was valued at £19,000. Now, Clare- mont was known to be in a state of most perfect repair, and with every necessary accommodation belonging to it. The expense of building such a house at the present day, with ordinary materials, was stated, by a person employed to make an exact estimate, to amount to upwards of £91,000. It would be impossible, he would venture to say, to tit up any one of the Royal Palaces, in a manner suitable for the accommodation of those illustrious Personages, at a less expense than was to be given for Clareinont. The purchase of it, therefore, might be regarded as a measure of strict economy; for, from the moment the property passed into the hands of 302 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the Prince of Cobourg and the Princess Charlotte, no further expense would be incurred by the public, while it continued in their possession. It had been further agreed to take all the furniture now in the house, and which was estimated at from 6 to £10,000/.— £6,000, however, was to be given, so that the whole amount of the purchase money, in- cluding the £19,000 for the mansion, the £6,000 for the furniture, and the £41,000 for the land, &c. would be £60,000. The next point he should mention, was the mode of payment intended to be adopted, and how the settlement was to be arranged, so that it might revert to the Crown Estates after the decease of His Serene Highness and that of his august Consort. The payment was to be made in five successive yearly instalments; £12,000 being paid down at first It was proposed that the sum should be paid out of the fund for the redemption of the Land Tax, which would be attended with no inconvenience ; and so much of the landed pro- perty of the Crown should be sold, as would replace what was drawn from that fund. The purchase would then belong to the Crown, under the same limitations and management as was attached to any other part of its estates ; and it would, therefore, in point of fact, be only- granting, during the lives of the parties, the use of an estate which would ulti- mately revert to the Crown. With regard to the settlement, it was to be secured to His Serene Highness the Prince of Cobourg and Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, during their joint lives, with the benefit of survivorship. In the event of the Prince of Cobourg dying, and the Princess Charlotte coming afterwards to the throne of these realms, it was then to revert to the general mass of Crown property; if, on the other hand, Her Royal Highness should ascend the throne before the decease of His Serene Highness, then it would not revert to the Crown until the death of the latter THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 303 took place. Having given those explanations, and being* prepared to afford any further information which might be required, he should conclude by moving for leave to bring in a Bill to ratify the pur- chase of the Claremont Estate, and for settling the same as a residence upon Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte-Augusta and His Serene High- ness Prince Leopold of Cobourg. The Chancellor of the Exchequer seconded the motion. Mr. Baring stated, as a singular fact, though without at all meaning to say that the price of £00,000, which it was now r proposed to give, was exorbitant, that the same estate was actually sold, a great many years ago, for £10,000. What his Honourable Friend had stated to-night, of the trifling produce of some of the Crown Lands, afforded a proof of the waste that took place with respect to them ; and he thought his Honourable Friend conld not better employ his talents than by devising a plan for disposing of such parts of the Crown Lands as were not available to the main- tenance of the dignity of the Crow r n. Mr. Huskisson replied, that the course recom- mended by his Honourable Friend was precisely that which had been pursuing for some years. He had never heard that Claremont had been sold for £10,000; but he knew, that three or four years ago, it had been put up for sale, and bought in at a sum exceeding that for which the present contract was made. Leave was then granted, and Mr. Huskisson brought in the Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second the next day. The next evening, the Bill was read a second time; and on the 24th of June, the Report upon the Bill having been brought up, the amendments were agreed to, after a short conversation between the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Brooks, and 304 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Mr. Preston. On the 29th, the Bill was reported in the House of Lords; and having passed through both Houses, received the Royal assent. Puring her illness, the Princess Charlotte signi- fied her dislike to Camelford House, which is cer- tainly dull, close, and inconvenient; but Her Royal Highness and Prince Leopold resolved, that rather than add to the burdens of the nation, they would accept apartments in Kensington Palace. This plan, however, was relinquished, and the Royal Couple finally determined to retire immediately from the dissipated town, and spend their happy hours in the delightful vale of Esher. Preparations were speedily commenced, by the removal of their furniture, in the military waggons, from Camelford House to the delightful villa of Claremont, near Esher, the history of which we have already given. Caravans and breaks were also employed in trans- porting the household goods. On the 23d August, 1816', stage-coaches, specially engaged for the pur- pose, started, laden inside and outside, with the domestics and their luggage from Camelford House, and were followed by Sir Robert Gardiner and other attendants in carriages. The Princess Char- lotte and Prince Leopold took their departure about half-past three o'clock* in a travelling carriage, and hastened on to dine, for the first time, at Clare- mont; and it was publicly stated, that owing to the sinallness and inconvenience of Camelford House, the Royal Establishment would never occupy it any more. In page 219, of these Memoirs, our readers have found a succinct account of the beautiful villa of Claremont, which we shall now proceed to describe, from observations made upon the spot shortly after the death of the Princess Charlotte. On approach- ing this princely domain from the village of Esher, which is bounded by the Park on the south, the Lodu. is die first object that arrests the attention. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA 305 It consists of two wings, which are inhabited by- two families, but contain nothing peculiar to distin- guish them from other buildings of the same kind. We found, that it has been correctly stated, that the only person who felt any uneasiness upon the arrival of the Prince and Princess to reside here, was an aged woman, residing in one of the Lodges, who maintained her blind' husband by keeping a little school, while the premises were unoccupied, but who now expected to be dispossessed. The ser- vants of the illustrious Pair, however, soon informed her, that her fears were groundless, and arose from utter ignorance of their character and dispositions. The Princess Charlotte was no sooner informed of her circumstances and apprehensions, than Her Royal Highness informed her that she would be suffered to remain ; and that as she had observed the neatness of her person and apartment, and con- sidered them to be an ornament rather than a dis- grace to the Royal Mansion, in her she might ex- pect to find a benefactress and a friend. The carriage road, which leads in a winding- course up to the house, is about half a mile long, and passes through the most level part of the Park ; the remainder of which is remarkable for the beau- tiful swelling of the hills, upon one of the most elevated of which the mansion is built. The ex- quisite graduation of the intervening vales has a most pleasing effect upon the eye, which is consi- derably heightened by the great number of fine trees with which the Park abounds. Upon entering the Park at the Lodge, the first remarkable object (the house being concealed by trees) is a considerable piece of water, with a thickly-wooded island upon it. On the right of the road, near this piece of water, are the hot-houses and fruit gardens, sur- rounded by a massy old brick wall. The greatest part of these grounds were in a disordered state, owing to the alterations and improvements then exe- 13, 2 Q 306 MEMOIRS 01 HEF ROYAL HIGHNESS pn ting upon which some workmen were observed to be still employed i After passing the piece of water containing- the thickly-wooded island, already mentioned, follow- ing the course of the carriage road, a still larger piece of water, in which there is no island, presents itself, in front of the mansion, but rather inclining to the left, and appears to be intended solely for ornament, or for the preservation of fish. Nearly opposite to this line piece of water, on the right of the carriage road, are the coach house and stables, which are entirely of brick, and appear to have un- dergone some recent alterations. They consist of compact buildings, forming a hollow square, the entrance of which is under a lofty arch of massy brick, over which an ivy has expanded itself in all directions, with a very pleasing effect. The neat- ness of the newly slated roofs, with the windows of the hostlers sleeping apartments, which were ob- servable on each side of this entrance, presented a very pretty and orderly appearance. Leaving these stables and coach houses on the right, and continuing to approach the Mansion by the carriage road which leads up in front of it, the private entrance in the east wing, to which a foot- path, striking off from, the carriage road, directly bads, first strikes the attention. This entrance passes between two walls, raised in the midst of a little hill, which has been intersected for that pur- pose, and appears exactly like a grotto, being over- linn::- with shrubs that seem, on a nearer view, as if placed there merely to produce that effect. The Mansion itself, of which the accompanying Plate gives a most accurate representation, is of brick, and coloured so as to have the appearance of stone. The building consists of a square mass; the elegant portico in the front, being supported by Corinthian columns, forming a very grand entrance, much superior to the size and appearance of the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 307 rest of the house, and being the only object to relieve the eye. The door of the grand entrance is remarkably small, being on the same scale as the windows ; on ascending the flight of steps under the colonnade, the flower-stands, on which that collection of fra- grance and beauty, wherein the deceased Princess so much delighted, had stood, were the first objects that attracted particular notice. They were of plain, and even unpainted fir, and presented a most unsightly and desolate appearance, which perfectly harmonized with those melancholy feelings under which we passed through the narrow portal into this charming abode of departed grandeur. The spacious hall formed a striking contrast with the diminutive size of the principal door ; and here we noticed the billiard table, at which Prince Leopold used to amuse himself, before the lamentable catas- trophe which has destroyed his fairest hopes. As a further description of the House in this place would break in upon the order of our narra- tive, and anticipate the particulars of the mourn- ful event, which must shortly engage our atten- tion, we shall here present our readers with a concise account of the grounds in the Park. — ■ Passing from the front of the Mansion at a short distance, inclining to the right, is the Gamekeeper's Lodge ; in front of which lies a spacious valley, consisting chiefly of an open common. Here we were informed, that the quantity of game on the estate is so great, that on that very morning the Gamekeeper had seen above twenty pheasants running along the Park, in front of his cottage. Behind this cottage, at a small distance, we ob- served the game-preserve ; and here the planta- tion and rides, of winch the Princess Charlotte was so fond, commence, leading, by a circuitous route, over a great extent of gentle hills and declivities, and issuing into the grounds at the back of the 308 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS House. Almost every kind of tree, in great pro- fusion, adorns each side of this delightful walk. The naked parts of the borders, between the trees, li;n I been recently planted with the common laurel. 1 jx»ii a level spot, in the centre of this beautiful wilderness, stands Dame Bewley's Cottage, of which we took a Drawing to present to our readers, and shall detail the anecdote to which it refers, when we come to that part of the Princess Char- lottes life to which the interesting incident belongs. In front of tins Cottage is a most beautiful piece of Mater, the largest on the estate; it contains an island, apparently intended to shelter game, as it is too thickly wooded for any other living thing to pene- trate its solitary shades. On that side of the lake nearest to the mansion, towards the right wing of which Dame Bewley's Cottage fronts, a small shal- lop was perceived, apparently intended for the pur- pose of passing over to the island already mentioned, or for fishing upon this beautiful and secluded lake, upon which a great number of tame water-fowl of different kinds were quietly enjoying themselves in their favourite element. Leaving this lovely scene, we fallowed the direction of the rides which lead towards the Portsmouth Road, the northern bound- ary of the park plantation, by which it is however completely concealed; and upon the most elevated part of the grounds, which we approached by a gradual ascent, forming a kind of ridge, that con- tinues for some distance, rather in front of the Mansion, stands the Temple, or Summer House, originally erected by the Earl of Clare, afterwards Duke of Newcastle, who called it Clare Mount, from which the whole estate has since derived its present name. This Tower forms a prominent object from the right wing of the house, as it over- looks the trees with which it is surrounded, with a v< iv pleasing effect; the view from it in clear wea- ther includes the majestic dome of St. Paul's THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 309 Cathedral, and the loftiest spires of the metropolis on the one hand, and Windsor Castle on the other ; but these are trifling objects compared with the vast extent of highly cultivated country, and most beautifully variegated scenery, which it commands. Surveying the enchanting vale of Esher from this elevated point of view, it was impossible not to acknowledge how happy a theme it presented for Thomson's meek and philosophic muse, which has done so much justice to the subject in the lines we have already quoted.* Even the didactic poet, Garth, who had not that exquisite sense of natural beauty which distinguished the favoured Author of the Seasons, in his poem called Claremount, addressed to the Earl of Clare, seems to have been so far warmed by a view from this Tower, that he almost involuntarily admits this lovely domain to afford the best asylum for those who would retire from the shadowy vanities of external state ; and then breaks out into an eulogy upon his patron, con- cluding with the following lines, which, had it not been for the untimely death of the Princess Char- lotte, by changing the names, and making a few alterations, might have appeared to be a prophetic description of her taste and dispositions: " Ere yet one century shall fleet away, A Brunswick Prince shall Britain's sceptre sway; No more fair Liberty shall mourn her chains, The lovely Maid shall grace these fertile plains; Here shall a Princess in her cause engage, And by example, shame the graceless age: Her brave contempt of stale shall teach the proud None but the virtuous are of noble blood ; Here shall she her refin'd retirement choose, The glorious subject of some future muse, Whose lays shall fill the trump of endless fame, And this blest spot immortal Claremont name \" * See page 219. 310 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Descending from the Mount, the first remark- able object was a small piece of garden ground, lying iu a sort of dell on the borders of the lake already described, in the front of Dame Bewley's Cottage. Striking again into the plantations, we soon arrived at Woolger's Cottage, a neat and commodious dwelling upon the border of the Portsmouth road. From this cottage round to the lodge where we first entered, the Park is bounded by the western road and part of the village of Esher; and the grounds which lie at the back of the House, consist of the same kind of well-wooded alternate hill and dale which has been already described. As soon as the happy Pair came to reside at Claremont, the Princess chose to superintend her domestic concerns in person. Several butchers applied to have the supplying' the house with meat. The Princess was particular in asking the circumstances of all the tradesmen with whom she dealt, and inquired concerning each of those who \\ere competitors to furnish her household, asking, as they were named, -whether they were persons of substance and respectability? Finding that all who had applied for the privilege of serving her were persons in easy circumstances, she asked if there Mere no other butchers in Esher. To which the Steward at first answered that there was none ; but correcting himself, replied that there was one more, but that he was a man in such low circum- stances, that it would be impossible for him to undertake the contract. I should like to see this man, said the Princess Charlotte. Of course the man was sent for, came, and confessed that his poverty made it so impossible for him to send in such meat as he could wish to supply for Her Royal THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 311 Highness's household, that he had given up all thoughts of endeavouring to obtain the contract. The Princess then asked him what sum would be necessary to enable him to go into the market upon equal terms with his more opulent fellow-tradesmen? The man, astonished at such a question, at length named a certain sum, which the Princess instantly advanced as a loan ; and which enabled this poor man to undertake the contract for supplying the household of Claremont with meat: this, in the short period during which the amiable Princess afterwards lived, has providentially enabled that individual to make a comfortable provision for him- self and his family. The Prince and Princess had determined in all situations to honour the Sabbath, and the ordinances of public worship ; they accordingly attended on Sunday mornings at the parish church at Esher, and so continued, till they found that (Claremont being an easy ride from town) such multitudes of Sabbath-breakers flocked to church, not to worship God, but from an idle curiosity to gaze at them; that they considered it their duty to discontinue their stated attendance, and had an apartment fitted up in their own house for worship : still, however, in the afternoon, whenever the church was open, it was the order of the house for the servants to attend, as they also did themselves occasionally. On one occasion, when a menial servant had not appeared in his usual place, during divine service at Claremont, Prince Leopold asked the individual what was the cause of his absence? and on being told that the person in question had chosen to attend a chapel in the neighbourhood, answered, " Oh, very well, very well." During the time the Royal Pair attended the public service at Esher church, Her Royal Highness introduced a book of Psalms and Hymns, adapted to times by Mozart, Pleyel, and other celebrated 312 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS German composers, in compliment to her illustrious husband. From this book the following Hymn, not very remarkable for poetic elegance, is said to have been taken; as it appears to have been a favourite with the Princess, who is supposed to have made the mark with a pen under the last line of the first verse, to express her own devotional feelings. We are not informed what tune was affixed to this Hymn, but it may be sung to Haydn's cele- brated tune of " God save the Emperor;" or, per- haps with more propriety, to the beautiful Sicilian Hymn already in use in many of our places of worship. HYMN. Holy Ghost, inspire our praises, Slice! abroad a Saviour's love ; While we chaunt the name of Jesus, Deign on ev'ry heart to move. Source of sweetest consolation, Breathe thy peace on all below; Bless, O bless this congregation, Bid our hearts with influence flow. Hail, ye spirits bright and glorious, High exalted round the throne; Now with you we join in chorus, And your Lord we call our own. God to us his Son hath given : Saints, your noblest anthems raise; All on earth, and all in heaven, Shout the great Jehovah's praise. We have already noticed that this illustrious Pair consecrated the Sabbath to the service of their Maker, bj attending public worship, either at the parish church, or in their own private chapel ; and THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 313 that the Princess, in particular, imitated her vene- rable Grandsire, by repeating the responses, and entering into the whole of the service, with that seriousness and energy which sufficiently demon- strated the personal interest she took in it, and the pleasure she derived from this exercise. After the public service, the Princess used to read to His Serene Highness a Sermon of some of our " best English divines," with which her library had, no doubt, been liberally furnished by her reverend Pre- ceptor: thus they made the Sabbath " a delight — holy of the Lord, and honourable." This brings to our recollection that beautiful stanza of Dr. Watts : Across the road a seraph flew, " Mark (said he) that happy Pair, " Marriage helps Devotion there: ° When kindred minds their God pursue, *' They break with double vigour thro' " The dull incumbent air," Of the domestic enjoyments of the Prince and Princess, the garden and the grove furnished a con- siderable portion ; — little thinking, perhaps, while they contemplated the opening rose and the new- formed bud, that these objects were such striking emblems of her approaching fate. The Princess was particularly fond of flowers, and having been instructed in the elements of Botany, would expa- tiate with much complacency on their beauty and exquisite construction ; and the Prince, with the same natural taste, had a taste also to admire every thing which she commended or admired. The conjugal felicity of this happy Pair was so complete, that they were never separated, except when the Prince went out to take the exercise of shooting in the morning ; and during his absence, it was the constant custom of the Princess Charlotte, 13. 2 R 314 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS with her own hands, to take the Prince's linen out of ill*- drawer to air it, and even to fold his cravat, and see thai hot water was ready for his use; and further, to prepare some little refreshment, such as sl>. judged he would like, against his return; as she well knew he would relish it the more, because prepared by herself. In their social walks, whether in the village or the garden, they generally walked arm in arm, as represented in the plate, at Dame Bewley's cottage; and if they stopped to rest, whe- ther iit the arbour or the alcove — in the words of Watts, " There they would sit, and pass the hour, " And pity kingdoms and their kings, " And smile at ;ill their shining things, " Their toys of state, and images of power.'* When the weather or other circumstances kept them within doors, they did not sit on opposite chairs, or retire back, like fashionable couples, who are afraid of being suspected of mutual love: their in-door employment was chiefly reading; and both these amiable personages took delight in stu- dying the history and constitution of the country, of which she might naturally expect to be one day the Sovereign. In this study she is understood strongly to have imbibed those liberal principles which raised her family to the throne, and on which alone it can be properly supported. History was varied with poetry or miscellaneous subjects; and the Princess appears to have taken peculiar pleasure in perfecting the Prioce in a complete and critical knowledge of the English language, which, it is allowed, he speaks accurately, and more distinctly and deliberately than is usual for a native. But to n turn to Esher, — We have nothing to say of the afternoou breakfasts, or evening card parties — of the pantomimic shows, the gay carousals, or the fashionable debaucheries, — of Claremont House. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 315 There, not only vice but folly was excluded ; and, with a seriousness that would have done honour to the parties at double their age, Religion was reve- renced, and Virtue .caressed. Even but one descrip- tion of luxury was tolerated, and that was " the luxury of doing good." Of the domestic virtues of the Princess Charlotte, no doubt can be entertained ; and her conduct reflects so much reproach on the generality of the higher classes, that it gives our narrative as much the air of satire as of history. If it was right at Claremont to devote the Sabbath to devotion, it must be wrong elsewhere to spend it in idleness and revelry. If mutual love and delight in each other were to be admired at Claremont, what shall we say to the quarrels, the infidelities, the separations, and the divorces, elsewhere exhibited ? Moral duty is of that inflexible character, that it will not bend to rank or power. What is sin in a cottage, cannot be guiltless on a throne. The Princess Charlotte displayed in all their bloom those virtues of humanity and religion which are so rare in the ranks of splendour and fashion. In her own view, her establishment was princely; and she maintained it with a dignity becoming her station and her prospects. Her habits and her tastes were English; her expenses corresponded with her means, which she was resolved never to exceed. She sought her pleasures in the field of her duties. The health and virtue of every domestic, she made her personal care. It was the daily- practice of Her Royal Highness, every morning at breakfast time, to ascertain that the whole of her household were in health ; and if any were not, His Serene Highness's medical attendant used to visit them. The duties of piety were regularly performed in her family ; and with her own hands she pro- vided clothing and comfort to the neighbouring poor. She thought it no degradation to be seen in the .'ilrt MIMolKS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS house of miser) ; and the cottagers of Claremont will jong !,!, ^ the augel of mercy i Imt visited them with , condescension and kindness, li" anything 1„. added to this portrait, it must be in the words of iqspiration, as they were accommodated in Handel's sublime funeral anthem for Queen Caroline, which was performed also for the Princess Charlotte: " When i he ear heard her, then it blessed her; and when the eye saw her, it gave witness of her. If tin ic was any virtue, if there was any praise, she thought on those things: kindness, meekness, and comfort, were on her kougue," In pei son she was neither too tall nor short, about the middle size, rather inclining to the eubonpouit ; but not so nmeh as to impair the s}inmetry of her form, tier complexion was beautifully fair, her arms delicately rounded, and her head finely placed. There was a mingled swe< tness and dignity in her look. She had a full intelligent eye; and when she was engaged in conversation, much liveliness ap- peared in the expression of her countenance. She pad verj little of the vanity which is said to be pecu- liar to her sex ; that of exterior ornament and dress; she never indulged in it, either before or after her marriage. She aimed at little beyond neatness; there was no encumbering superfluity of jewels to be seen upon her person : in short, nothing that dis- tinguished her from one of the female nobility, in splendour of apparel, Always elegant, modest, and refund, and pecnliarly chaste and circumspect in her demeanour, she had nothing of fashionable life about her; but a lofty and generous sense of the duties imposed upon her by her elevated rank. It has been incorrectly stated, that the Princess was in the habit of visiting various cottages in the neighbourhood of Claremont in person: but though Her {loyal Highness and her Serene Consort were in the habit o| -ending fifty and sixty pounds at a time to the keeper of the Tost Office at Esher, who THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 317 informed us that he was desired to purchase flannel and coals, and to distribute them at his discretion among the poor of the village, to whom the broken meat was also given every day in rotation; it is certain that the Princess did not, in persou, visit any cottages, except those upon her own domain. These are, the Gamekeeper's, Dame Bewley's, and Woolger's, cottages ; all of which have been already noticed. The Gamekeeper's wife, a healthy good- looking young woman, was to have suckled the Koyal Infant; and stated, that though the happy couple used often to stop, when riding or walking past, and inquire after the health of the family, she was so fully convinced of their desire to be as private as possible, that she generally kept out of sight when they passed, lest she might offend them, by seeming to wish to be seen. Mary, who is also called Dame and Goody Bewley, stated, that she had resided in the cottage, of which we have given a sketch, seventeen years. She had obtained from the different proprietors of the estate a promise, that she should continue to enjoy it during life ; which the Prince and Princess not only continued, but caused the cottage, which was in a dilapidated state, to be put into thorough repair ; and, in fact, almost rebuilt the old woman's . dwelling. It has a thatched roof, and now contains two very neat and commodious apartments; having at first consisted of one only. Every thing appeared exceedingly substantial, neat, clean, and comfort- able. Dame Bewley said, that Mr. Ellis's* lady, who resided fourteen years at Claremont, always used to call her Goody: and she has ever since retained that name. She remarked, that the Prince and Princess generally rode past her cottage; Her * It was publicly stated that Mrs. Ellis had previously died at Claremont, in the same manner as the Princess Charlotte; the fact however is, that she did not die in childbed, nor at Claremont. ;}lft MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Royal Highness used to tap at the window with the whip, and call "Goody, Goody, how are you?" and stop talking with Dame Bewley, while Prince Leopold went to feed the tame water-fowl, on the lake in trout of the cottage, with food which he had brought for that purpose in his pocket. Scarcely a da) elapsed in which Her Royal Highness did not condescend to call on the old woman as she passed. In the autumn of 1816, when walking with Prince Leopold, the Princess Charlotte saw Goody Bewley sitting at the cottage door reading a book, and a>ked her what she was reading? she replied, " Please, my Princess, a book that I am very fond of." It was an old small-print Bible. The Princess looked at it, and said, " The print is too small for you: hut if you love reading, I have a book I will give you." About a month afterwards, one cold wet ♦ vening in December, Her Royal Highness and Prince Leopold came again on foot, followed by a single domestic carrying a large beautifully bound Quarto Bible; the Princess herself brought a Prayer Book, and gave both it and the Bible* to the old woman, desiring, she would take care of and read them. This, the astonished object of Her Royal Highness's judicious beneficence, faithfully pro- mised : and it appears that the Princess Charlotte did not forget the promise; as Dame Bewley observed, that she seldom passed afterwards without Btopping to inquire whether " Goody took care to " ad the books." Die Princess did not, as the public have been led to suppose, write in either of these books. They have been neatly written in by son " '». at the desire of Dame Bewley, stating them to be her property, and the gift of the Princess Charlotte; adding, that the ..Id woman wrishi t them to descend to her grandson at her decease. The date is, December, 1816; not specifying any particular day. '1 be acconnl of a pair of spectacles having been given with the Bible and Prater Book, has no manner of foundation. . THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 319 The appearance of the old lady in deep mourn-? ins; for her royal and lamented Benefactress, was extremely interesting ; and the beauty and solitude of the scene where her cottage stands, tended greatly to increase the effect. She invited us into her house in the most obliging manner; and, with many a det\3 sigh, deplored the loss which was, and still is, so universally lamented. On its being remarked, that she had lost her great friend, she said, " I have, indeed, Gentlemen ; I shall never get such another ; she was the best friend that ever I had." She then proceeded to describe the de- cayed state in which the Princess Charlotte had found her cottage, and pointed out the comforts and conveniences of every kind with which the departed Princess had since caused it to abound. This naturally led to the detail of the interesting anecdote above given ; and when we first men- tioned the Bible, which we told her we had heard that the Princess Charlotte had given her, — " The Bible, (said the old woman,) ay, and the Prayer Book too; I dare say you would like to see them; I will shew you them both." During this conversation, she had courteously insisted on our being seated, in the inner apartment, before a warm fire, as the morning was severely cold ; and proceeded to pro- duce the Bible and Prayer Book with evident satisfaction. Both were carefully laid up in cloth covers, or cases, made to button over, to secure them from dust and injuries; and which, the old woman took care to inform us, were of her own contrivance. When these cases were removed, she displayed the royal gifts with great exultation ; and expressed herself with more consequence than be- fore, while they were the subjects of discourse: which was not only excusable, but natural ; for who would not be proud of such gifts from such a giver? The largeness of the print was next ad- verted to; and this, it was observed, made tne gift 320 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of a pair of spectacles almost unnecessary, if the old woman had not possessed a good pair before. From her we also learned, that no Bible whatever had been given to any other person by the Princess Charlotte; and as to Her Royal Highness having written in that given to Dame Bewley herself, that it was all a tiction, as we have noticed in the preced- ing note. It would have been no difficult task to have ob- tained, from Dame Bewley, the private history of the several families who have resided at Claremont for many years past, had not the melancholy event that entirely occupied our thoughts induced us to decline information of that kind, which she dis- played ability to give, whenever the name of any former resident was mentioned. The beneficence of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold to the inhabitants of the cottages upon their estate, and to the poor of the neighbouring village, and especially the daily notice with which they ho- noured iter in their walks or rides, were, however, the themes upon which Goody seemed proud to dwell ; .tint we Were equally delighted to hear. She con- firmed every previous account of their singular goodness, and declared herself to have been one of the most favoured objects of their discriminating kindtiefis ; and when she had told us all, seemed inclined to recapitulate the pleasing story, when our time would not permit us to stay to hear her; and, after compensating her for her trouble and polite- ness, proceeded to bid her farewell ; upon which sh« a i med anxious to afford us further assistance, and voluntarily offered to accompany us to other parts of the park, where — we thanked her, and ob- served—we had already been. Finding that we did not intend to return by the way we came, Dame Bewley obligingly persisted in endeavouring to assist us, by pointing out the nearest way to Woolger's cottage, for which we had inquired. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 321 The cottage called Woolger's, already described as lying- near the Portsmouth road, appears to have been honoured with only one visit from the Princess Charlotte, who called there after there had been a sickness in the family, to inquire concerning their health, and continued some time talking to the chil- dren. It should be observed, that as this cottage lies at the termination of the rides, and is rather exposed to the western road, that may readily account for the infrequency of Her Royal Highness's visits to this part of the Park ; and will also tend to confirm what has been already stated, that, wishing to live as retired as possible, she was never known to visit any cottages, except upon her own ground ; and probably would never have visited Woolger's, owing to its situation, had it not been for the sick- ness in the family; concerning which, the object of her first and only visit was to inquire. During the time which the author of these Memoirs spent at Claremont, and at the village of Esher, every account agreed in testifying the exact regularity that pervaded the Royal establishment, although it consisted of more than an hundred indi- viduals. The punctuality with which the demands of every tradesman were discharged, is peculiarly worthy of notice. Nothing is more common than for the genteel inhabitants of villages in the neigh- bourhood of London, and other great towns, to com- plain of the want of shops for many of the comforts and conveniences of life ; and yet, if, upon the faith of these complaints, a tradesman opens a shop for their supply, when he merely adds a trifle to his charge for extra expense of carriage, &c. great num- bers of the gentry will send their servants up to town for almost every article, if they can but save the merest trifle, or get only a protracted credit. Nv-t so the Princess Charlotte : she felt it her duty to encourage the village tradesmen. ai»*l was exact in 14. 2 s 323 MEMOIRS OP HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ttling their account* at certain intervals — as the fo'lowing anecdote will show: A lady who had formerly held an office in the household, and had a share in the education of the Prim i 8g, called at Claremont, in order to pay her respects to Her Royal Highness, whom she found at a table covered with papers relating to household accounts, bills, receipts, &c. She was instantly admitted, most kindly and heartily received, and reproached for having been so long absent. — " We were speaking of yon the other day," said the Princess, " and I was telling my husband how much I was indebted to your care." She then spoke of her marriage, her domestic affairs, and described herself as the happiest woman, and her husband as the best of men, in the kingdom. The Princess asked her, " Have yon ever seen Cobourg?" Her visitor replied, " that she had never yet had that honour; which she regretted, and of which she was very desirous." " Then yon shall have it directly," said Her Royal Highness; and going into an inner room, she requested her Consort to come and re- ceive her friend Mrs. H. whom she presented as the person of whom she had often spoken to him with esteem and affection. His Serene Highness ex- pressed himself highly pleased at the introduction ; and after conversing a few moments in the most courteous and affable mn— dr, retired, regretting that his occupations would not permit him to remain longer, " He is very busy," said the Princess, " in bis department, as I am in mine, looking over and paying our monthly accounts; but I have been quicker than him, and have quite done. — This is the hr*t Monday in the month, and when you come on thru day, you will always find us employed in the Ulie manner; for we are determined to live within our income, and not get into debt." She then arranged her paper*, and attended her visitor round the grounds of her charming residence, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 3*23 As a farther evidence of the humanity and bene- volence of our lamented Princess, we give the fol- lowing* testimony from a gentleman of the utmost respectability : — " I have my residence in the neigh- bourhood of Claremont, and am well acquainted with much of the private life and charities of the Princess. Scarcely a day elapsed in which she did not perform some act of kindness to the neighbour- ing poor. I have often witnessed food going to one cottage, medicine to another, wine to a third, a bible to a fourth, linen, and such like necessaries, to a poor woman in a fifth, a prayer-book to a sixth, and so on. I have often witnessed the joy that sparkled in the countenances of the peasantry when passing their doors, in her little country excursions. There she goes! May God in heaven bless her! was the general exclamation as she passed through the villa- ges and by the cottages of the poor." The following list includes the principal persons attached to the Royal Establishment at Claremont: Ladies of the Bedchamber, Lady Emily Murray, Lady John Thynne. Maid of Honour, Miss Coates. Bedchamber and Privy Purse, Mrs. Campbell. Aids-de-camp and Equerries to Prince Leopold, Baron de Harden brock, and Sir Robert Gardiner. Equerries to Princess Charlotte-Augusta, Colonel Ad den broke, and Honourable Charles Percy. Treasurer, H. N. Willis, Esq. Chaplains, Rev. Dr. Short, Rev. N. N. Short, Rev. F. Ricketts, Rev. Dr. Moor head. Physicians in Ordinary, C. Stockmar, M. D., M. Baillie, M. D., and N. N. Rodham, M. D. Physician Extraordinary, N. N. Morrison, M. D. Physician Accoucheur, Sir R. Croft, Bart. M. D. Surgeon in Ordinary, Robert Keates, Esq. Surgeon Extraordinary, Thomas Harding, Esq. Surgeon and Apothecary, W. H. Neville, Esq. 324 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Apothecaries, Mr. R. Walker, and Mr. E. Brande. Household Secretary, Mr. Ammerschaber. Pages, Messrs. James Sims, Thomas Poole, IleniN Florshutz, and Pan Mechin. I uiit-dc-cliambre, M. H. Florshutz. Dresser, Mrs. L. Prior. House Steward, Mr.W. Phillips. Housekeeper, Mrs. Phillips, Keeper of the Wine Cellar, Mr. Lyons. Cooks, Mr. F. Grillon, E. Morell, J. Schellhdrn, and Elizabeth Hands. Confectioner, Mr. C. Hoeck. Coffee Room, Hannah Parsons. Gamekeeper, J. Bickers. Gardener, T. Fairbairn. Labourer, W. Woolger, Silk Mercer, William King. Linen Maker by special appointment, Mary Hill- house. The complete privacy in which the happy Pair passed the remainder of the year 1816, will be best understood by the following notices, with their re- spective dates, which contain all that is publicly known concerning them during that long interval : Aug. 25. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold honoured Mr. John Piatt, of Oxford Street, by inspecting his superior imitations of marbles and woods; at which they were most graciously pleased to express their high satisfaction, and appointed him their painter. Sept. 26. The name of the Prince of Saxe- Cobonrg appeared in the list of the gentlemen of the county «.i Surry, who had taken out licenses to kill game. The establishment at Claremont was announced to be very numerous, consisting of no than one hundred persons. The day before, the J)ukc and Duch<:ss of Gloucester left Frogmore in THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 325 the afternoon for Claremont, to spend a few days with the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold. Windsor, Sept. 30. This morning, at two o'clock, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Cobourg arrived from Claremont House; their Royal Highnesses staid for some time, and partook of some refresh- ment, and afterwards returned to Claremont to dinner. Nov. 5. Prince Leopold and his Royal Consort are both liberal encouragers of the Fine Arts, and Claremont will soon be decorated with several happy efforts of living artists. Nov. 16. The Princess Charlotte, with her much beloved Consort, are enjoying the most retired domestic comforts at Claremont. Monday, Nov. 17. The Duchess of York dined with the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg and the Princess Charlotte, on Friday, at Claremont. The amiable Duchess was highly delighted with the general appearance and demeanor of the numerous pea- santry who are employed on the grounds of that beautiful estate. The Princess Charlotte anticipates every want among them ; and therefore we need not be surprised that it excites admiration. Nov. 22. The Princess Charlotte has been gra- ciously pleased to nominate Mr. Vitalba, of No. 34, Foley Street, Portland Place, for her Drawing Master, that gentleman having had the honour of teaching Her Royal Highness before her marriage. Saturday, Nov. 23. Prince Leopold came to town, paid his respects to the Prince Regent, and attended the levee of the Grand Duke Nicholas ; he after- wards visited the Duchess of Cumberland, to in- quire after her health ; and then returned to Clare- mont. Dec. 10. The Lord Mayor, about this time, re- ceived an order from the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold for 2000 yards of silk from Spital- fields ; and thus set the example, which, being gene- 336 MEMOIRS OP HER ROYAL HIGHNESS rally followed, greatly relieved the sufferers in the silk tra le. The same evening, at half-past six, they arrived at the Pavilion, Brighton, from Claremont, on a \ ir-ir to the Prince Regent, and were followed l>v their attendants in a second carriage. Her Ma- feety, and the Royal Parly at the Pavilion, waited dinner for the Princess Charlotte and her Consort; but the Princess begged they would not wait, as they had to dress, and they joined the Queen and Royal Party after dinner. The next day, the Prince Leopold and Princess Charlotte visited several parts of the town of Brigh- ton ; but being recognized near the market, the populace continued to augment until they increased to a prodigious crowd, consisting chiefly, however, of boys and girls. The Princess, unfortunately, could not avoid feeling alarm at the multitude that were gathered, though every look and expression from the gratified throng, manifested the loyalty they felt in thus unexpectedly meeting with Her Royal Highness and her Serene Consort. It was impossible to repress the popular enthusiasm, which became so great to obtain a sight of the Princess, that Townsend, the Police officer, was obliged to be sent for to clear the way for the return of the Royal Pair to the Pavilion. The officer, in his hurry and anxiety, struck several forward obstinate boys wiih his cane; upon which Prince Leopold desired him to desist entirely from such severe measures; when His Serene Highness and the amiable Princess were greeted with loud exclama- tions ,,f " God bless you both," and, " Long live tlic Prince ami Princess," until they reached the Pavilion, into which they went by me south en- trance, and, passing out again soon afterwards at the north gate, took a walk beyond Richmond Place, and, after an absence of several hours, finally returned over the Steyne to dinner at the Palace. While the Princess Charlotte remained at Briirh- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 327 ton, an incident occurred which shows how deeply the prevailing distresses of the poor, employed in the British manufactures, had impressed her beneficent and compassionate heart. — A beautiful cap, formed of Brussels point lace, and other costly foreign materials, from an eminent dress-maker residing at Brighton, was presented at the Palace for the Princess Charlotte's inspection. Her Royal High- ness appeared much struck with the form and elegance of the article, but at length ordered it to be returned ; observing, that had the materials with which it was composed been solely of British manu- facture instead of foreign, she admired it so much, that she would have been the purchaser. The morning after, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold left the Pavilion for a walk to the north, having ordered a chariot and pair to follow them. This walk they repeated on the following dav, and set off from the Pavilion about noon, on their return to Claremont Park. The Princess Charlotte declined prolonging her visit to Her Royal Father at Brighton, and left it, in order to pass Prince Leopold's birth-day, the 16th of December, at Claremont, which was celebrated there with every mark of respect. The Prince and Princess Ester- hazv, and the Count and Countess Lieven, were of the party. The town tradesmen of the Royal Pair also illuminated their houses, and met together at the Thatched House Tavern, to celebrate the dav; which was also signalized by a grand entertainment given to the domestics and friends of the establish- ment at Claremont, and concluded with a ball and supper. Shortly before the last birth-day which the lamented Princess Charlotte was permitted to see, it was publicly announced, that that day would be celebrated with great splendour at the village of Esher, where, in addition to the brilliant and ex- 328 MI'.MdlKS OF HliR ROYAL HIGHNESS t^sivc illuminations with which Claremont itself waa to be distinguished, the poor inhabitants had ,lved to light up their humble habitations, to teatif) their gratitude for the distinguished muni- ficence of their Itoval Benefactors. l n conformity with this notice, the birth-day ot our truly amiable and beloved Princess was cele- brated at fisher, the neighbourhood of the seat of Her Royal Highness and her illustrious Consort, l,\ a general festivity and joy on the part of the grateful inhabitants, which has rarely been equalled, and never surpassed. The morning was ushered in with the ringing of bells, which repeated their merry peals throughout the whole of the evening, when th. illuminations were so universal and brilliant that the village might be said to exhibit one general blaze. All the tradespeople illuminated their dwell- ings in the very fust style, nothing superior to them having ever been witnessed even in London, ex- cepting the transcendent splendour of some of the public buildings; and the whole of the poor inha- bitants, in testimony of their gratitude for the mani- fold arts of munirtcence of their Royal Patrons, vied with each other in their manner erf lighting up then- n-spectne dwellings. Mr. Carter, Linen- draper and Haberdasher, and Mr. Loveridge, Grocer, shone, each, particularly brilliant on the occasion, and both their houses were thronged with admiring spectators. Mr. Carter had the letters "C. V. verj large, with a most brilliant star, sur- mounted by a still more brilliant crown, with a variety <>t diamonds and other splendid ornaments t<> till up* forming, on the whole, a spectacle of bril- liancy that has perhaps never been surpassed. Mr. Loveridge had also the letters " C. P.* very large, with a brilliant crown, a number of diamonds, and other \al Duke danced, in the course of the evening, lw,> other country dances with the accom- plished Miss Seymour. In the evening, between these national dances, several quadrilles were per- formed by the beautiful Mrs. Patterson, (late Ma- dame Jerome Bonaparte,) two Misses Caton, and Miss Floyd, who danced in a manner to rivet the attention of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent ami his illustrious visitors. Supper was served at two o'clock. Such eager- ness Mas shewn to resume the mazy round, that few sat down to partake of it. Among the waltzers, were particularly observed — Mr. Lloyd and the Hon. Miss Lake; Prince Ester- hazy and Lady M. Meade; Sir Edmund Neagle and Mrs. White; Sir Godfrey Webster and Miss H. ShifTner; Lord Castlereagh and Lady C. Chol- mondeley, &c. Dancing was kept up with great spirit till five oVlock, when the Ball terminated in the true old English style, with the deservedly popular dance of Sir Roger de Coverlet/, led oft* by the Duke of Clarence and Miss L. Caton. The company then retired, charmed with the con- descension and hospitality of His Royal Highness, who appeared to enter most fully into the amuse- ments of the evening. It is impossible to recal these festive scenes, and not feel a deep interest in her awful lot, for whom the admiring multitude then little thought (and as uttle did the amiable Princess herself think,) they Mould bo soon be called upon to mourn. Every- thing that occurred on these joyful occasions, wears, when retrospectively viewed, the most melancholy Dues, and affords such a memorable instance of the ntter insecurity and vanity of all earthly good, as Perhaps was never known in these realms before. 10 follow the tram of thought which naturally arises THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 333 upon reading the accounts of the rejoicings upon the last birth-day which our lamented Princess lived to see, would be to anticipate the details which will come in their due order before our readers; but it is hardly possible to pass it over un- noticed, and absolutely impossible to notice it with- out feeling the most poignant regret. On the 28th of January, Prince Leopold invited the Russian Grand Duke Nicholas and the Duke and Duchess of Orleans to a select party, at which several delightful airs were sung, by some of the most distinguished personages, with great effect; and the celebrated Mr. Kalhbreuner performed his variations on the Tyrolean waltz in such a masterly style, as commanded the liveliest expressions of delight and admiration. Feb. 19. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leo- pold arrived at Camelford House from Claremont, to be present at the celebration of the Queen's Birth- day ; some months before which, on account of the distressed state of the British manufactures, the Prince Regent commanded notices to be given in the Gazette, for the celebration of the Queen's birth- day and his own, as public Court Festivals, from the most laudable motive of encouraging the trade and manufactures of the country ; and, that it might be strictly national, directed, that those who attend- ed the Courts should appear in dresses of British manufacture only, to assist the industrious trades- men. The Galas of Court Birth-days having always been looked up to, and considered as sources of encouragement for this numerous class, and to give due and full effect to his gracious and considerate intentions, in the most effectual way possible, by example, His Royal Highness ordered all his State Officers, and others of the Royal establishment, to appear in new costly dresses, according to their respective ranks and stations, in which every article, not of British manufacture, was strictly prohibited. 334 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS This excellent example, as a pattern to the higher orders generally* gave employment to numberless industrious families; and employment is admitted h\ all to be tin- best mode of relief. The Regent not only exerted himself in every w;i\ possible for the encouragement of the manufac- ture of the country generally, but subscribed most nobly and liberally to numerous charities that have sprung np in consequence of the state of the tunes. And, to crown all, he contributed, with a princely munificence, £50,000, in one sum, for the general good, in order to improve the blessings of that pence so gloriously concluding the most despe- rate war in which this country was ever engaged. \< w Court uniforms were worn on this occasion, tor the first time, by the Officers of State, and were ill*' general admiration of the numerous and splendid Court. They were divided into three classes: the first consisted of the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, and the Groom of the Stole. Their coats of dark purple, with crimson velvet collars, both richly embroidered with gold. The most distin- guished Nobleman's dress, not attached to the Court, was the Marquis of Exeter's, who wore a Ik w dark blue velvet -coat, most magnificently em- broidered with gold. The directions issued, by command of the Prince !i«-gent, from the Lord Chamberlain's Office, for the company to appear in British manufacture, was ge- nt rally attended to. The day originally appointed for the celebration of the Queen's birth-day (which is on the 19th of May, was the 6th Feb.: but it was postponed to the 20th, on account of Her Majesty not being suf- ncientl] recovered from her recent indisposition to undergo the fatigues of a Court, which, on account their being held so very seldom, are always ex- JSivelj crowded: Her Majesty was now, however, m irood health. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 335 The morning was ushered in with the ringing of bells. The King's Guard mounted, in white gaiters, with the state colours ; the Band, in their state uni- forms. A guard of honour marched into the court yard of the Queen's Palace, equipped in a similar manner. At one o'clock, a double royal salute of cannon was discharged in St. James's Park. Parties of Life Guards were stationed in Pall Mall and St. James's Park, to assist the police in keeping order, regulating the carriages, &c. A great concourse of people were assembled in the Park, and particularly in the front of the Palace, although the weather was unfavourable in the morning, and continued so till past two o'clock, when it cleared up. The scene was then truly splendid, on the outside as well as in the interior, from the numerous displays of Royal carriages and liveries, the State equipages of Fo- reign Ambassadors and Ministers, English Nobility, and Official Personages. The whole was enlivened by the Band of the First Regiment playing in the Court-yard, who received the Royal Family as they arrived, and saluted with " God save the King." The company began to arrive before one o'clock, and continued till half-past three. The Prince Regent came in state about half-past three, his carriage preceded by three others, escorted by a party of Life Guards. His Royal Highness proceeded by Pall Mall, and was received with marked respect, by hats being taken off, and fre- quent huzzas. The Duke and Duchess of York came in state in two carriages ; in the first, were their attendants. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold came in state at half-past two ; their carriage, preceded by two others, in which were Sir R. Gardiner, Colonel Addenbroke, &c. The Duke and Duchess of Glou- cester came in state, and rode in their uew state carriage, for the first time, preceded by two other MI.MOIK.S Oh HER ROYAL HIGHNESS carriages, in which were Colonel Dalton, Colonel Higgins, Lady J. Thymic, kc. : their Royal High- nesses were escorted by a party of Life Guards. The Duke of Sussex and Princess Sophia of Glou- C( st< r were present, Tl>e Speaker of the House of » immons went in his state carriage, accompanied bj his full attendants. Prince Fsterhazy the Aus- trian Ambassador, Baron Fagel the Ambassador from the Court of the Netherlands, came in state, as did other Foreigners. The Cabinet Ministers, the Great Officers of Male and the Household, Lord Delawar, the Lord in Waiting; Sir Hilgrove Turner, Groom in Wait- ing; Major Dance, Silver Stick in Waiting; the Karl Marshal of England, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, the Lord Advocate of Scotland, the A rch bishops of Canterbury, York, and Tuam, the Judge of Arches Court, the Dean of Windsor, the Attorney and Solicitor Generals, the Lord Mayor of London, the Lady Mayoress, the Sheriffs of London and Mid- dlesex; Mr. Harrison, the Solicitor-General to the Duchy of Cornwall ; Mr. Hart, the Solicitor-Gene- ral to the Queen ; the Recorder of London ; the Se- en Mary at War. Her Majesty entered the Drawing-room a few minutes alter two o'clock; the Foreign Ambas- sadors had, as usual, the first privilege of congratu- lating the Queen on the celebration of her natal day. The Grand Duke Nicholas was present, for the first time, and was introduced in due court-form to the Queen; when his Imperial Highness paid his con- gratulations to Her Majesty upon the celebration of In r Birth-day. They were followed by the Cabinet Ministers, the Officers of State, and those who have the privileges of the Entre, Hie g< neral assemblage of the Nobility, and per- 90nag< - of distinction, followed to pay their respects, according as they arrived. The presentations were THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 337 very numerous, owing to Courts being held so very seldom; it being eight months since there was a Drawing-room. The great Hall was filled with per- sons genteelly dressed, to view the company pass. The following superb Dresses were worn by the members of the Royal Family : The Prince Regent. — A Field-Marshal's uniform. The Duke of Gloucester. — A full dress Fie+d- Marshal's uniform, superbly embroidered in gold. Prince Leopold, of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld. — A full dress Field-Marshai's uniform, superbly em- broidered. Her Majesty — Wore a petticoat of beautiful ruby- coloured striped satin velvet; the draperies entirely formed of dark sable, very richly trimmed with superb point lace, and elegantly ornamented with handsome ropes and tassels to correspond ; below the draperies, flouncings of rich point lace: the man- teau of the same material as the petticoat, most superbly and elegantly trimmed with a profusion of point lace. Head-dress, feathers and diamonds. The Princess Augusta. — A petticoat of rich white satin, most magnificently embroidered with gold ; the draperies were also superbly embroidered, de- signed in a very new, elegant, and tasteful style, confined on the right side with a rich embroidered sash, ornamented and supported with very brilliant and costly real gold ropes and tassels : the manteau of rich gold tissue, superbly trimmed with rich gold lace, the body and sleeves profusely trimmed with point lace and diamonds. Head-dress, ostrich fea- thers and diamonds. Princess Elizabeth. — A petticoat of rich bright geranium-coloured velvet, most elegantly embroi- dered in silver of a very brilliant appearance round 14. 2 u MQ MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the bottom; the draperies were magnificently em- broidered in various devices, in a very elegant and peculiar form, caught together towards the right Bide, and finished with an exceedingly rich embroi- dered knot and sash with great taste, and orna- mented with real silver bullion ropes and tassels: the nianteau of a beautiful massy silver spotted tissue, the body and sleeves profusely trimmed with rich point lace and diamonds. Head-dress, feathers and diamonds. The Duchess of Gloucester — Wore one of the most beautiful and graceful plumes at Court, con- si^tin- of thirty feathers, arranged in a most elegant Ityle, which shewed the shape of the head to great advantage, and was particularly becoming. Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Cobourg. — A rich white satin petticoat, with most elegant gold lama draperies, magnificently embroidered, and tastefully looped with a very rich gold bullion cord and tassels, and finished with two superb flounces of gold lama border in festoons ; a manteau of gold tissue, most beautifully embroidered in rosebuds, and trimmed with very rich gold lace. Head-dress of the choicest 1 nil Hants, with rich ostrich plume. Princess Sophia of Gloucester. — Superb silver petticoat, gold border, silver lama drapery, elegantly ornamented with silver; gold tissue robe, trimmed with silver: Her Royal Highness wore a profusion of diamonds and feathers. It has been observed, that Camelford House being « xtremely inconvenient, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold inspected Cumberland House; which v ia found unsuitable, and relinquished, on account <'t tli< great and expensive alterations that would have been necessary, to adapt it for the town resi- dence of the Royal Pair. After the death of the Duke of Marlborough, they inspected Marlborough THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 339 House. The surveyors estimated this house to be worth £4000 a year ; which rent the Duke accord- ingly demanded from the Princess Charlotte, who offered only £3000, which the Duke consented to accept for a term of five years : but Her Royal Highness declined taking it for a less term than twelve years; which being a longer period than the Duke wished to let it for, as his own unrenewed term, held under the Crown, was only for eighteen years, the negotiation there terminated for the present. The continued distresses of our manufacturers at this period were not overlooked by the Princess Charlotte and Her Serene Consort; an account of whose former acts of beneficence, we have before recorded. The deplorable condition of the poor, who had been employed in the manufacture of British lace, awakened their sympathies ; and an effort being made in the spring of 1817, to re-estab- lish that branch of trade at Honiton, in Devonshire, they graciously condescended to become the Patron and Patroness of the establishment; beside taking other steps, in order to encourage and promote as far as possible the revival of commerce, upon which the lower classes of society so generally depend. The order which they gave to Messrs. Chamberlain, of Worcester, for a dinner-service, which was manu- factured at their extensive establishment, is an additional instance of the judicious manner in which they endeavoured to promote the welfare of the industrious poor, by furnishing them with employ- ment. This dinner-service is said to have been the most splendid ever seen in this kingdom. The inimitable taste of the design, the beauty of the colouring, and the correctness of the execution, are represented to have been beyond all praise ; and cer- tainly were much admired by competent judges, who were permitted to view this chef-d'ceuvre of British manufacture. .'HO Ml MOIRS OF IIKR ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRf.\CESS OF WALES. During tin- lorijg period which had now elapsed sincr tin Priflcess of Wales took her departure from Tunis, rtite British nation had only heard of Her Hon ol Highness by the cursory notices of the public, mid sometimes oi* foreign papers. Through these channels it transpired, that Her Royal Highness had purchased a beautiful villa on the Lake of Como, and had taken up her abode in that delightful coun- irv, with the apparent intention of making it the pla< ■•• of her fixed residence. However, a few months afterwards, the Paris journals announced, that great preparations -were making at the Palace or Villa of Her Royal Highness for a long journey ; and that she intended to form a sort of caravan, in which Draftsmen, Naturalists, Poets, and Scavans, were to accompany her into Persia: in the capital of winch empire she intended to remain a long time. Shortly afterwards it was announced in the Vienna papers, that Her Royal Highness had arrived in that city, where she proposed to make some stay; and afterwards to proceed to Odessa; from whence she intended to visit Constantinople. On the 24th of March, however, the Princess was at Augsburg; and on the ensuing day, continued her journey for Stutgard : at noon she arrived at Carlsruhe, and alighted at the Hotel de la Poste, where she dined with the Dowager Margravine of Baden; whom she afterwards attended to the castle, where a select company was assembled to meet her upon the occa Bion. A letter, dated Munich, states, that Her Royal Highness left that place on the -23rd of March, in onto to a isit the Margravine of Baden, at Carls- rnhe; and afterwards adds, that she intended from thence to preceed to visit the Margravine of Bay- i' nth, at Erlan-. l), and then to set out for Vienna, on her return to Italy, having given up her intended THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 341 journey to Brunswick. The Princess having arrived at Erlangen, the public papers soon after announced the intention of Her Royal Highness to return through Vienna, Trieste, and Venice, to her estate on the borders of the Lake of Como. In conformity with this notice, the Vienna Gazette of the 14th of April, announced, that Her Royal Highness arrived there on the 9th, under the title of the Duchess of Cornwall, and alighted at the Hotel called the Empress of Austria, keeping the strictest incognito. From thence she intended to proceed, on the 15th, towards the Lake of Como, by way of Leybach, Trieste, and Venice; where she arrived in the course of the following week. The governor of that city gave a magnificent fete, in honour of Her Royal Highness's arrival; at which the Princess, with all her suite, attended. Vienna, April 18. — It is generally asserted, that the Princess of ^Vales sent one of her household from Linz, to announce to Lord Stewart, that ac- cording to the ideas of the Princess, she proposed fixing her abode at the Hotel of the British Embassy, and passing a fortnight at Vienna. In consequence of this intimation, his Lordship instantly dispatched an express, to offer his excuses at the impossibility of receiving a Lady of the Royal Family, having nothing to offer but a bachelor's accommodation ; as he had been left without any advices from govern- ment, as to the intention of Her Royal Highness. That very day the Ambassador, with the Hanoverian Minister and all his household, set out for Kirtsee. Lord Stewart's courier came up with the Princess at Morlez ; and, it is said, Her Royal Highness then appeared resolved to remain in Vienna until arrange- ments for her reception could be concluded as she desired. So various and contradictory, however, were the reports concerning the intentions of the Princess, that towards the end of April, while some journals announced that the Princess of Wales was 349 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS 2010a to reside at Como, by Trieste and Venice, private tetters from Munich assured us, that Her Royal Highness would be at Paris before the 1st of i\la\ ; and that she will stay some weeks in that capital. . The following curious particulars, extracted from the foreign papers of this period, are here inserted, without note or comment. The latter purports to be an extract from the Journal of an English Traveller: both will, no doubt, be read with great interest; though we can by no means vouch for the truth of all the statements they contain: " Her Court is composed of the following persons: The Countess Oldi, of Cremona; Dr. JVJochetti; the Chevalier Schiavini, Master of the Horse ; Mr. Haunam, an Englishman, Private Secretary ; several footmen, servants, &c. " The Princess bought of the Countess Pino the country-house near the Lake of Como, in which she resides. It has received, by her orders, a number of expensive embellishments. Select company, ex- cursions by land and on the water, a private theatre, and evening concerts, form their innocent amuse- ments, " Several reports having been spread with respect to two odious attempts on the Princess of Wales, she has thought proper to publish the facts. At Genoa several armed men penetrated during the night into the Princess's apartments. They had nearly reached her bedchamber, when her servants, being aroused, tired on them. They escaped, and no trace of them ha- ever been discovered. The other affair happened in the country-house of Como. A certain Baron , bribed a groom, named Grade, to introduce him secretly, and by means of false keys, into the Princess's closet. The plot was discovered, and the groom dismissed. Tins man afterwards wrote to the Chevalier Tomas- Ma, confessing that he had been seduced by Baron THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 343 . The Princess communicated the affair to the Governor-General, Count Saurau, who gave orders to Baron to quit the Austrian territory. " The Secretary Haunam challenged Baron ; but the Baron has hitherto contrived, under various pretences, to postpone the meeting. " The Chevalier Schiavini is charged with the arrangement of the travels of the Princess in the East." The Journal of an English Traveller; or, Remarkable Events and Anecdotes of the Princess of Wales, from 1814 to 1816. " After an introduction, in which it is shewn that the Princess of Wales did not leave England in con- sequence of superior orders, and still less from any motive dishonourable to Her Royal Highness, but of her own free will, in pursuance of a plan which she had long since formed ; some documents are communicated which give evident proof of this. " 1 . A letter from the Princess to Lord Liverpool, dated 25th July, 1814. She announces to him her resolution to leave England, in order to restore to the Prince Regent and herself the peace of which they had been so many years deprived, and declines the income of £50,000 sterling which Parliament had voted her, accepting only 35,000. " 2. Lord Liverpool answers the Princess on the 28th July, that he has laid her letter before the Prince Regent, and that his Royal Highness will not oppose her journey. 11 3. A letter from the Princess to Mr. Whitbread and his friends, dated 25th July, 1814. She informs him of her resolution to leave England, and thanks him and Mr. Brougham for the attention which they have shewn her on all occasions. — * No person,' says the Princess, * possessed of sensibility and pride, could long endure the situation which is below her rank as Princess of Wales : and even as J44 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS a. mere private person, since she is so hated by the Sovereign that lie will not bear her presence, either fa public or private life. The Princess of Wales will no longer bear such degradation and humiliation; .she can no longer bear that the Prince and his family should treal her as a criminal, though her innocence was publicly recognized by the Ministers and the Parliament, after the false accusations of her ene- ma s and of traitors had been done away. Now that the Princess has received this public satisfac- tion, she can no longer, consistently with her con- science, be a burden to her friends, &c. "4. Mr. Whitbread answers the Princess, on the 1st of August. He says he is not surprised at her determination ; but it is painful to him to be de- prived for a time of her amiable society. " These letters reply to all the false motives which were ascribed to the departure of the Princess from England. After what had passed, the Princess could no more reside agreeably at a Court where -he was forced to submit to the humour of the Prince, which might have had an influence on the happiness of her daughter. How could the Princess live happily iu a place where obstacles were thrown in the way of maternal tenderness, and where she and tin* Princess Charlotte were scarcely allowed to appear as mother and daughter? The Princess, therefore, sailed on the 9th of August from England for Hamburgh, and travelled from that place to Brunswick. The suite that attended her consisted of English gentlemen and ladies; but in the secmel thej Left the Princess altogether, and she could not obtain any more English, notwithstanding the trou- ble *h< look to get her retinue wholly composed of thai nation. Why did the English leave her Court? Some from personal motives, but the most for fear of drawing down upon themselves the displeasure of the Court of London ; a fear which was but too well founded, if the situation of the Prince and Princess THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 345 of Wales is considered. For this reason too, as she was travelling through Italy, the English then in that country did not pay their respects to her. The Princess was therefore compelled to form another household, for herself: this consists of Countess Oldie, of Cremona, Dr. Mochetti, Chevalier Schia- vini, the Chevaliers Tomassia, Pergami, &c. Only one Englishman, her private secretary, of the name of Haunam, remained true to her, and did not leave her. Some discreditable reports were circulated in regard to her first chamberlain, the Chevalier Per- gami, a Knight of Malta ; but he is a respectable man, who made the campaigns of 1812, 1813, and 1814, under Lieutenant-General Pino. Her estate on the Lake of Como she purchased of the Countess of Pino, and had it greatly improved. But the Princess was calumniated even in Como, the inhabit- ants of which she had loaded with benefits. " Her way of living upon her estate is extremely simple. A select society, a cheerful repast, music, plays in her private theatre : these are her innocent amusements. " In the summer of 1815, a wicked secret plot was formed against the Princess; the origin of which it is not difficult to guess. The Princess was nar- rowly watched, and attempts were made to seduce her people; but only one, the Piqueur Crede was so weak as to yield, and to promise Baron O # * to conduct him into the apartments of the Princess by means of false keys. The plot was however dis- covered, and the Piqueur turned away. This man wrote to the Chevalier Tomassia ; confessed that he had let himself be seduced by Baron O * # to betray his Mistress, and begged for mercy. The Princess thought it proper to acquaint the Governor, Count Sawran, with this event; and Baron O * * was forced to leave the dominions of His Majesty the Emperor. Haunam, the Princess's private secretary, chal- lenged the Baron ; but the latter has hitherto put it 15. 2 x ;)l(j MOIRS OF UK 11 ROYAL HIGHNESS pff. Since this affair, the Princess is very cautious, particularly towards Englishmen, whom she does ii. i kii<»\\ ; hut .she conceals herself from nobody, ouh she will not be the object of calumny and of a shameful espionage, of which she lias already been the victim. What has already happened, gives ground to fear still greater enormities. " An event which took place at Genoa has more the appearance of an attempt at assassination than robbery. Some armed men penetrated during the night into the house of the Princess, and almost into lur bedchamber. An alarm being given, one of her servants fired upon these people, and pursued them; but in vain. It is not yet discovered what were their intentions; but let a veil cover all this. — Her first Master of the Horse, Schiavini, has kept a cir- cumstantial account of her journey to the Holy Land. The Princess went from Genoa to the island of Elba, thence to Sicily and Barbary, then to Pales- tine. She visited Jerusalem, Athens, &c. and was every where received with the honours due to her rank. " By the assistance of several literati she obtained a collection of valuable antiquities ; for which object she spared no expense. Wherever the Princess ap- peared, she left behind her grateful recollections of her beneficence. At Tunis she obtained the freedom of several slaves. The Princess is now employed in writing the history of her life, which she will make public in due time. By this she will throw a great light on many facts which are now involved in obscurity." The Princess of Wales quitted her house at Como, where we last left her, and proceeded to Rome: m which it appears that she had given up her tided journey to Germany. Her Royal High- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 347 ness, however, soon set out on another journey ; and after having visited Parma, Bologna, and the little republic of San Marino, took up her residence at Ancona; soon after which she went to Rome, and is said to have purchased the Frescati Palace, intending to take up her permanent abode in that celebrated city, where she had experienced a very favourable reception. Her Royal Highness made frequent excursions in the environs of that city, with which she seemed so highly pleased, that she soon after occupied a country house called Scultheri, on the summit of mount Aventine. Here in the evening of the 11th of July, Her Royal High- ness gave a grand concert of vocal and instru- mental music; when the whole of the road from the city"; leading to her magnificent country house ? was lighted, and many persons of distinction were present. A little while afterwards, however, not- withstanding the intimation that she intended to reside permanently at Rome, Her Royal Highness quitted that famous city, and returned to her former delightful abode, in the elegant villa upon the banks of the Lake of Como. But it is time to resume our narrative, aud pro ceed with what is more immediately connected with the chief subject of these Memoirs. April 3. Prince Leopold was out shooting at Claremont, accompanied by the Princess Charlotte. Her Royal Highness's chaise, drawn by her favour ite and beautiful ponies, followed, in which she rode when tired, and drove it herself. Tuesday, April 15. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold arrived in Town incogniti, and dined for the first time in the season at Camelford House. In the evening they visited their Royal relatives the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, i|:; MEMOIRS OK HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS n1 their apartments in St. James's Palace; and, on the Thursday following, at four o'clock, left Camel- ford House on their return to Claremont; where tin \ gave a grand dinner party two days after- wards. The nation was now gratified by the happy intel- 1 i-_i-t in r, that the Princess Charlotte was in that situation, which promised additional security in the prospect of an heir to the House of Brunswick. The prohability of this event tended to increase, as far as was possible, the mutual attachment of the happy Pair. — Alas! how soon were all these flattering prospects withdrawn. The Queen having beeu suddenly taken ill in the night preceding Her Majesty's Birth-day, upon which there was to have been a grand Drawincc- room, expresses were sent off to the different mem- bers of the Royal Family, and to the Nobility and Gentry, informing them of the illness and consequent inability of Her Majesty to receive the company. Between three and four o'clock an express arrived from the Princess Charlotte at Claremont, directed to the Princess Elizabeth, requesting to be inform- ed of the state of the Queen. The Prince Regent and all the branches of the Royal Family in Town went to the Palace. The morning was ushered in with the ringing of bells. The Guards mounted in white gaiters, and wore new clothes ; Carlton House was thronged during the whole of the day with all ranks, paying their respectful congratula- tions; also various other manifestations of re- specl :uid rejoicings; although vast numbers were greatl} disappointed that the Birth-day Court did not tak< pl.nr. The Tower guns were fired at '"" "Vh.ek; but the firing of the Park guns was dispensed with, owing to the illness of the Queen. In thfl evening, the Theatres, Subscription Houses, and dwelling of the Royal Tradesmen, were bril- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 349 liantly illuminated. The next day Her Majesty was declared convalescent ; and on the day follow- ing took an airing in her carriage, accompanied by the Princess Elizabeth. April 30, at one o'clock, Prince Leopold arrived in his travelling carriage and four at Carlton House; and after remaining a considerable rime with the Prince Regent, proceeded in his town carriage to Cainelford House. The 2nd of May, the Anniversary of the happy Marriage of Her Roval Highness the Princess Charlotte with Prince Leopold, was observed with great festivity at Claremont, where a great number of the Nobility and Gentry were invited. The return of this auspicious day was also sig- nalized by a happy contrivance of their Chap- lain, Dr. Short, who thereby found means to convey an elegant intimation of the unalloyed felicity in which the happy Pair had passed the first year of their married life. — Before the brief particulars of this anecdote are submitted to the reader, it is necessary to premise, that the whole was an allu- sion to the well-known ancient custom, which is thus described in Grose's Antiquities : " Among the jocular tenures of England, none have been more talked of than the Bacon of Duumow in Essex ; by whom, or at what period, this cus- tom was instituted, is not certain, but it is generally ascribed to one of the family of Fitzwalter. A similar custom is observed at the Manor of Wichenor in Staffordshire, where corn, as well as bacon, was given to the happy pair." The parties claiming the bacon were obliged to take the follow- ing oath, kneeling on two sharp-pointed stones in the Church-yard of the Priory of Dunmow, where the monks of the convent attended, using many ceremonies, and much singing, in order to lengthen out the time of their painful situation : 350 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS " You shall swear by the custom of confession, That vou ne'er made nuptial transgression ; \c.i since you were married man and wife, B) household brawls, or contentious strife, Of otherwise, in bed or at board, Offended each other in deed or in word ; Or since the parish Clerk said Amen, Wished yourselves unmarried again ; Or in a twelvemonth and a day, Repented not in thought any way, But continued true in thought and desire As when you joined hands in holy quire. If to those conditions without all fear, Of your own accord you will freely swear, \ w holt gduunon of bacon you shall receive And bear it hence with love and good leave; For this is our custom at Duninow well known, Though the pleasure be ours, the bacon's your own." Bearing in mind the particulars of this ancient custom, it will now be proper to state, that early on the morning of the anniversary of their auspi- cious nuptials, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold were surprised by the receipt of a large parcel very neatly packed, which was brought to Claremont by an unknown messenger, desiring that it might be immediately presented to the Prince and Princess; who, upon its being opened, were greatly amused and delighted to find that it contained a Flitch or Gammon of Bacon; referring to the ancient usage already detailed, in a con- gratulatory note from their pious and amiable Chap- lain, the Rev. Dr. Short. Between six and seven o'clock, in the evening of the 15th of May, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold arrived at Camelford House from Claremont, to dinner. Next, morning, they received a visit from His Royal Highness the Duke of York, and went in the afternoon in their new and elegant THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 3ol state carriage to visit the Queen; after which they received an evening- visit from the Duchess of Gloucester, at Camelford House. May 22nd, about one o'clock, the Prince Regent, accompanied by Lord Keith, left Carlton House for Claremont, on a visit to the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, and returned to Town in the evening. On the 27th, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold rode out in their carriage from Camelford House, and after their return, received a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland. Next day Her Royal Highness and Prince Leopold visited the Duchess of Gloucester at Gloucester House. Saturday, June 7, the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold had a select dinner party at Claremont; and, on the Wednesday following, another party also dined with the Princess and Prince Leopold. The following week they came to Town, and received visits from some select friends; after which they visited the Queen and the Princess Elizabeth at the Palace. On the 24th of June, the Princess, accompanied by her Serene Consort, was present at the Opera, and on that occasion looked remarkably well, considering her delicate situation. Next day, the Duke of Gloucester called upon the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, at Camelford House. Soon after three o'clock, the Royal Pair went in their carriage to Carlton House, where they remained two hours with the Prince Regent. From Carlton House, they proceeded to visit the Duchess of York at York House; and after remaining there an hour, returned to dinner at Camelford House. The Princess Charlotte being prevented by her delicate situation from attending the Queen's Drawing-room, on the 26th of June, received a visit from the Duke of York, who, with Prince 352 HOiRJ OF Ml. II ROYAL HIGHNESS Leopold, bad jusl quitted the Drawing-room; and after dinni r the Royal Pair left Town for Claremont. \ \,i\ great intimacy baring for some time sub- sisted between the Princess Charlotte and Lady Susan Ryder, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Harrowbj ; on the marriage of that amiable lady uiih discount Ebrington, Her Royal Highness pre- sented ber with a most elegant Brussels lace dress, valued at three hundred guineas. On the fifth of July, it was announced in the public papers that the accouchement of the Prin- cess was expeeted to take place in October. On tin 28th of the same month, it was stated that the happy event was expected to take place a month earlier, and that great preparations were then Making at Claremont, to enliven the whole of the country with extensive festivities in honour of the expected heir: — but how deplorably have all our hopes been since overthrown! — how has all our anticipated joy been suddenly turned into mourning! About this time, the public prints announced the death, at Paris, of the celebrated Madame de Stael, daughter of M. ISeckar, Finance Minister to Louis \\ I. of France, which took place on the 1">th of July, 1817: it sensibly affected the Princess Charlotte, Who was well acquainted with her merits and her works. This will be a sufficient apology lor here introducing an anecdote, which appeared in all the public prints during that Lady's visit to England, under the title of — Dignity Sustained. Madame de Stael, who was, perhaps, justly sus- pected of entertaining republican principles, had the I n-li honour of being introduced to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, at Carlton House, where she was most graciously received, and eburteously entertained/ When the Lady with- drew, th«- Prince himself handed her to the door, and condescendingly invited her to breakfast with THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 353 him the next morning; which honourable invitation the Lady inconsiderately declined, informing His Royal Highness that she was pre-engaged at a certain Nobleman's. The Prince, with that delicate sense of propriety which he never failed to main- tain — upon this, gently withdrew his hand from the mortified Lady, turned round on his heel, and, without uttering another word, withdrew : signify- ing, in the most dignified manner, that the Ruler of a great people has, at least, a right to expect, that the honour of his invitation should not be put in competition with even a previous engagement to one of his subjects. — Nevertheless, Madame de Stael should be applauded for her inviolable adherence to her already pledged promise; and perhaps the Regent would have consulted his dignity as much by expressing his regret that any previous engage- ment should have deprived him of the pleasure of her company. We hope, for the honour of the Re- gent, who is justly allowed to be the most polished man in Europe, that this anecdote, very improperly named " Dignity sustained" is not true. The Princess Charlotte repeatedly expressed her regret that she could not be present at the Queen's entertainment at Frogmore, a description of which is certainly well worth perusal : On account of the unsettled state of the weather, and the appearance of more rain, it was determined to alter the arrangements made for the entertain- ment of the company, by the Queen and Prince Regent dining in the Frogmore House dining-room, where they were accompanied by about sixty par- ticular friends; and during the time of their par- taking of refreshments, the Band of the First Regi- ment of Foot Guards were stationed on the Lawn, near the window of the dining-room. The party, which the Queen and Prince Regent had invited on this occasion, consisted of the Cabinet Ministers, the 15. 2Y .-,.-, 1 mi Moms ok in:u koval highness Foreigu Ambassadors and Ministers, Avith their inc. The cards of invitation to the com- pere for twlllV began <<» arrive, and they were calculated to amount to upwards of a thousand persons, in- cluding the Scholars of Eton School, to the number « r pear five hundred, who were principally dressed in blue coats, white waistcoats, and trowsers, and unused themselves at cricket on the new-purchased grounds attached to Frogmore Gardens. They were accompanied by the Rev. Dr. Goodall, the Provost of Eton, and other heads of the establish- ment. The company invited began to arrive at the same time, and continued setting down till the whole had alighted from their carriages. On account of the unsettled state of the weather, it was altered from the original arrangement of the Queen, &c, taking her refreshment in what is called TippOP Saib's Tent, but which was converted into a kind of State Drawing-room, it having undergone Considerable alterations and improvements by Mr. Girby, the Upholsterer, of Windsor, the English Koval Arms having been substituted in the centre Of the back, with an exalted Chair, in imitation of a Thrpne, with national- ornaments; under which Her {Majesty received the company. After which, she was drawn about the grounds in her garden chair; as were the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Vorlt, the Princesses, the Countess and Countess Dowagi i of llarcourt, the Countess of Pembroke, vVc tor whom chairs drawn by ponies were pro- vided. The Prince Regent attended his Royal ther a great part of the time in her Chair; and, 1 ' • he walked with the Countess Lieven, the I .i England. The Lord Mayor was about to give an entertain- ,,„.,,! : ,t TeddingtOn, and also a silver cup to be rowed tor, in honour of the day; but, to prevent its interfering with her Ladyships Fete, he postponed ,i till the celebration of his son's birth-day, which followed shortly afterwards. His Lordship gave a dinner and a ball in honour of the day, on board the City Barge, which went up from Kew to near Richmond Bridge- and, being nearly opposite to her Ladyship's grounds, considerably heightened the effect of the Fete. The Coontess obtained permission from Viscount Sidmouth, the Ranger, for the carriages to drive into Richmond Park, to prevent confusion. Townshend and Savers, with other Police officers, iiilctl ; as the premises and grounds Were sur- rounded by a great number of people, who fre- quently attempted to make their way in, and some e\en procured a ladder to get over the paling. A covered way was made, fitted up from the great gates to the grand hall. One side was completely inclosed with canvass, to guard against the wea- ther; the other was decorated with laurel and rariegated lamps; and on the outside, large orange- trees, with an abundance o-f very fine fruit on them, with various plants, flowers, and exotics. The floor of this temporary entrance was covered with grey clotli, and some loose at the end, to spread to the carnages of the Queen, the Prince Regent, and the »■• «1 of the Royal Family. I he two large tents taken from Tippoo Sail) were borrowed of the Queen for the occasion, and pitched on the lawn, withont any of the royal or other ornaments, in which the greater part of the nipanv were regaled. The largest was on a THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE AUGUSTA. 359 boarded stage; the smallest was on the grass, ex- cept matting to cover it. The pleasure-grounds surrounding the lawn were most delightful ; clusters of flowers, entire beds of geraniums, &c. — a view of the Thames and the passing objects, and also the opposite shore, rendered the scene most truly rural and fascinating. The largest tent had two tables, which were laid for sixty-four each; and the smaller tent two tables, for fifty each. In the centre of each table were small plain plateaux, on which Avere temples and pyramid ornaments, with G. P. R. as emblematical of the day, with Waterloo trophies, and a profusion of delicate fanciful bisquit ornaments. The tables were covered, with the most choice colds, before the arrival of the company. The house was altered from its usual order : the drawing-room was changed to the dining-room, and the dining-room fitted up for the drawing-room ; dressing-rooms were prepared for the Queen and Prince Regent. The regular drawing-room was extremely well calculated, it having three bow win- dows looking on to the lawn, and the centre front- ing the tents, opposite to which were two handsome arm-chairs for the Prince Regent and the Queen, and at their table forty were laid for ; and those who were honoured with dining with them, and the rest of the Royal Family, had a ticket given them, written on it, " The Queen's Table." The royal table was most splendidly decorated. In the centre was a grand temple, with the arms of England sus- pended by a lion and unicorn, with ornaments to correspond, and a profuse display of fanciful bisquit ornaments. The temple was supported by four large gilt pillars ; the whole was over a large pla- teau, the length of the table, of parterre, or ground- work. That truly ingenious work was never seen to more advantage, or better executed, exhibiting the beautiful and variegated colours of which it 960 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS wm composed. In the centre, opposite to the Qu< en's chair, Mas C. R.; over the letters the Crown. On Her Majesty's left, and opposite to the Prince Regent's chair, was G. P. R. the plume Ich dien, with the Urn of Plenty, filled with the most choice fruits. There were two beautiful landscapes, and the trophies of Waterloo, the helmet cap of the Life Guards, &c. The company began to arrive soon after two o'clock, and they continued arriving till past four. The Royal Family were all set down* by half-past three. The Prince Regent and the Queen came last; they were received by the loud huzzas of the populace, who were collected from the neighbour- hood, and different parts of the country. The Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold came in an open carriage. The Countess Cardigan, and the different principal attendants of the Royal Family, were in waiting to receive them at the end of the temporary covered way to the house ; and they were conducted to the Drawing-room, which had till then been kept closed. The general assemblage of the company were now admitted, when they proceeded to pay their respects to the Queen, and congratula- tions to the Prince Regent, upon the return of the happy day. After the Drawing-room had closed, and the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold had paid their dutiful respects to their Royal Father, they retired, not stopping to dinner, but re- turned to Claremont. Her Royal Highness and lli^ Serene Highness were only in the house about an hour and a quarter. It was pleasing to observe that the Duchess of Gloucester was recovered from her lameness :— the Prince, the Queen, and all the Royal Family, appeared in good health, and to enjoy the festivities during the day. The Band of the Firsl Regiment of Foot Guards, in their uniform, attended, by command of the Duke of York their Colonel, and played various pieces opposite THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 301 the door of the house. They saluted the Royal Family with " God save the King." A garden chair was provided for the Queen ; but on account of the unfavourable state of the weather, Her Ma- jesty did not ride out. At a quarter past four o'clock, dinner was served up on the royal table, in the greatest abundance of luxuries, and in the first style, under the direction of Mr. Mann, one of the Clerks of the Kitchen of Windsor Palace, as were the dinners in the tents. On the health of the Prince Regent being drunk, it was announced by a signal, and a royal salute was given by cannon, placed at the bottom of the plea- sure-grounds ; after which, a royal salute was given by the Lord Mayor's party, of small guns, on the Thames. The dessert, confectionary ornaments, and decorations of the tables, were by Mr. Barker, the Queen's Confectioner, and did him the highest credit, every thing being of the most choice descrip- tion : pine-apples were in great abundance, most delicious melons, and the finest peaches and grapes. A general dismay prevailed between three and four o'clock, owing to a heavy shower of rain which fell ; and, it being very cold, it was feared the com- pany could not resort to the tents : however, the cheering rays of the sun soon dispelled the effects of the rain, and matting being laid from the house, the company walked to the tents. After dinner, the company promenaded the de- lightful walks ; and the Countess having obtained permission to open a passage from her grounds to those belonging to the Marquis of Wellesley, which are on the bank, and close to the river Thames, the Royal Party, and the company in general, pro- ceeded thither. On the approach of the Regent and the Queen on the bank, the Lord Mayor's Band, on board his Lordship's barge, saluted them with " God save the King." The Royal Family having taken their station on the lower side of the 15. 2 z y><'fl MKMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ii 1 »;uik, inside tlie wall, and seats being pro- vided for them, the Lord Mayor gave orders to drt p In- barge down opposite to the Royal Party; which being doue, his Lordship appearing on deck, in the front of his company, with the Lady Mayoress leaning on his right arm, took off his hat, and bowed most respectfully. The Prince and the Queen very condescendingly acknowledged this marked attention and respect. The Lady Mayoress and the females courtesied ; the Gentlemen of the Lord Mayor's party then gave nine cheers, which was repeated by those in the boats, and the nu- merous and respectable assemblage on both shores, which was acknowledged by the Queen courtesying, ami the Regent taking off his hat and bowing. The City Barge took its former station, and the men*) dance commenced, with a most charming country dance on deck. The delightful state of the weather, and the beautiful and rural situation, rendered the scene most enchanting; together with the Sovereign of England, in the person of the Prince Regent, accompanied by his mother the Queen, and their beloved Family, assembled in the open air, surrounded by their subjects, with the Chief Magistrate of the Metropolis at their head, \ icing with each other to shew their marks of re- s|x ( t and zealous attachment, was the most feeling and gratifying national scene that ever was beheld. The Royal Family and the company remained si. me time viewing the dancing, &c. They left the delightful spot soon after seven o'clock, and re- turned to the house. I he 1/adns principally wore white satin hats or caps; the Prince Regent and most of the Gentle- ,IM " wore the Windsor morning uniform; Earl BathurBt won- his star, as a Kuight of the Order of tbe Garter, for the tirst time. The Noble Earl came from Chichester expressly to attend the cele- hration of the Regent's Birth-day. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 363 It was intended that the company should have danced in the largest tent, for which purpose it was floored with a temporary stage ; but on account of the stormy weather, the rain, wind, and cold, it was differently arranged, and the room in which the Royal Family dined was cleared and, adapted for dancing. On the Regent and the Queen's return from the water-side, Mr. Paine, of Almack's Balls, with a most excellent and numerous band, was in readi- ness ; and as soon as Her Majesty had taken her seat in an arm-chair prepared for her, dancing com- menced by the junior branches of the distinguished personages present, consisting of the Lady Stan- hope, Lady Bathurst, and others ; they commenced a quadrille, and the second and third were waltzes. Tea, coffee, and a variety of refreshments, were served up in great abundance. The Queen retired to an adjoining room, to amuse herself at a game at Commerce, where there were other card-tables. None of the Royal Family danced ; but the Prince Regent called for his favourite country dance, " I'll gang nae mair to yon town." A quadrille and a waltz followed ; which concluded the day's entertainment soon after eleven o'clock. The Royal Pair, who, as our readers have no doubt remarked, only came occasionally to Town, continued to pass the principal part of their time in the most retired and domestic manner at Claremont; where, truly happy in themselves, they continually manifested their benevolence and liberality to the neighbouring poor. In the middle of August, an- other instance of their munihcence was exhibited, in the person of a poor labouring man, who, by fall- ing from a hay-stack, had dislocated one wrist, and fractured one of his thighs. The accident was no :if>4 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS MOM made known at Claremont, than the Prince and Princess, with the greatest promptitude, dis- Matched tlnir own servant and physician to attend him ; and discovering that the poor man had no bed to lie on, and was destitute of every comfort thai might accelerate his recovery, they ordered him to be furnished with a new bed, and every necessary article, at their own expense: which was not only continued till the grateful sufferer was wholly recovered, and had thanked his royal Bene- fa< tors for their munificence; but which he was afterwards permitted to retain. About this time Claremont and Kensington Palaces were both named, as likely to be the des- tined place of the Princess Charlotte's accouche- ment. The former was known to be preferred by Her Royal Highness; but the distance from Lon- don presented a serious objection, particularly as it would retard the approach of additional medical aid, in case more assistance were found necessary; and also occasion delay, in summoning the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and various Members of the Privy Council ; whose pre- sence is notoriously necessary to attest a Royal birth. It was stated in 'the- public prints, that for these reasons Kensington Palace was likely to be pre- ferred ; and that the convenient apartments, formerly occupied by the Duke of Kent in that Palace, were ofTered by His Royal Highness for the use of his lovely Niece, before his departure from England. Since that period, they had also undergone material repairs: but the Princess Charlotte continued to express so strong a preference for Claremont, that it was finally judged advisable not to attempt to counteract her inclinations. I was at the same time announced, that Her Koyal Highness enjoyed very good health, and aaily took moderate exercise; usually riding in a -mall chaise, drawn by ponies, through the beautiful THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 365 rides of Claremont Park, where she was invariably accompanied by Prince Leopold : after which excursions, the happy Pair were in the habit of enjoying the company of the most distinguished characters, whom they frequently invited to dinner at Claremont. At the latter end of August, Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold were again stated to be in treaty with the Duke of Marlborough for Marlborough House, in Pall Mall ; but both parties inflexibly persisted in the terms before proposed, and the negociation again terminated. On Sunday, Sept. 21, 1817, their Royal and Serene Highnesses, the Princess Charlotte and the Prince Leopold, with all their royal establishment, were present at divine service at Claremont; where the Rev. M. Hammond officiated. It was stated, about this time, that a stout healthy young woman, then on the point of lying-in, was engaged as a wet- nurse for the expected Royal Child ; and the person thus said to be engaged was represented as the wife of a respectable yeoman, near Claremont : the fact is, as we have already shown, Her Royal Highness's Gamekeeper's wife, Mrs. Bickers, who resides at a lodge in Claremont Park, was the wet-nurse engaged for the Royal Heir. The extreme distress and misery which followed the failure of the harvest in 1816, are still fresh in the recollection of all ranks of people. This circum- stance did not escape the observation of the Princess Charlotte, whose benevolent heart was not only always awake to the general interests of the com- munity, but did not suffer even the remarkable felicity which she now enjoyed in the delightful privacies of Claremont, to exclude the remembrance of any of her former friends ; of which, the following fact affords a convincing proof: — Lady Albemarle, with whom Her Royal Highness was intimate when a child, and who had corresponded with the Princess 306 MF.MOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ]u. \iouslv to her marriage with Prince Leopold, hav- ing since that period neglected writing to Her Royal Highness; in the autumn of 1817, the Princess Charlotte wrote to know the cause of her long silence. Lady A. replied, " that she had desisted, thinking that her letters could only be looked upon as intrusions upon Her Royal Highness's leisure and happiness; as she had nothing to communicate worth] the attention of a Princess." In answer to this explanation, the Princess Charlotte, whose esteem for her former juvenile companion remained unabated, and who had not failed to notice the abundant supply of corn which then filled the fields, i- stated to have addressed Lady Albemarle in these remarkable words : " What, had you nothing to write from that beautiful and fertile part of the king- dom where you reside, that could have interested a Princess ? Would it not, do you think, have inter- ested me, to hear that Providence has covered the hills with plenty, and that my Grandfather's subjects are likely to have ' bread enough, and to spare?'" It would be useless to dwell upon the evident ten- dency of these striking interrogations ; though no one can read them without feeling the pious pro- priety with which the amiable Princess referred to the promised plenty, as a providential bounty ; nor to the manner in which she has introduced the name of her revered Grandfather ; without lamenting that both are now almost equally removed from the desiring eyes of an admiring people. Towards the latter end of September, Prince Leopold presented his beloved and Royal Bride with a beautiful box of tabinets, imported from Ire- land by the express order of His Serene Highness. r I"M /» o ini8 is one of those numerous instances of tender >rd, that prove it to have been the constant study of this amiable couple to strengthen, by unceasing and delicate attentions, the mutual affection in which they were so happily united. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 367 But to return to the Princess, — Her affection was not a public exhibition, to deceive the Prince, or delude the multitude — it was uniform and univer- sal — it was evidenced in a thousand little circum- stances the world saw not ; and it met a full return. Next to the service of God, it was their study to make one another happy, and to treat each other with affection and respect. On this subject the following anecdote is worthy to be preserved. About the middle of September, Her Royal High- ness directed instructions to be sent to a German artist, residing in this country, to execute a snuff- box, composed of papier-mac Id, in which Her High- ness's portrait, a bust, should be introduced in the lid. The likeness, a copy of the one by Hayter, was selected by the Princess herself. The box was sent to Vienna to be finished', and when it returns, in the interior the following lines, which we have before inserted, will appear written on white satin. They are altered from Thomsons " Summer," with only a change of name ; and the box was intended as a present to Prince Leopold : " To Claremont's terrac'd heights, and Esher's groves, Where in the sweetest solitude embrac'd, By the soft windings of the silent Mole, From Courts and Cities, Charlotte finds repose. Enchanting vale ! beyond whate'er the Muse Has of Achaia or Hesperia sung : O vale of bliss ! O softly swelling hills ! On which the power of Cultivation lies, And joys to see the wonders of his toil !" A more touching picture of connubial felicity, one more calculated to make the young and the virtuous look forward with laudable solicitude to the joyful period at which they may hope to partake of equal happiness, can nowhere be found, than in the following description, given by Mrs. Griffiths, the Nurse, of her first interview with the Princess 368 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Charlotte. In it we find strong exemplifications of Her Royal Harness's high-spirited, but generous md condescending character. The predominant tr;ut it, however, that of an ardent affection for him who returned her disinterested affection with equal ardour. This they neither wished to obtrude upon the public, nor to conceal, in compliance with the dictates of false delicacy and affected refinement; and, happily for us, though the afflictive dispensation of Providence has swept away the whole fabric of their earthly hopes, their excellent example still remains, like a fixed star in the firmament, to guide the brave sons and fair daughters of Britain. Mrs. Griffiths went first to Claremont in Septem- ber, with a letter of introduction from Sir Richard Croft. While she was waiting for a short time, one of the Ladies that attended on Her Royal Highness observing Mrs. Griffiths to be rather agitated, said " Don't be alarmed ; you will not be two minutes with the Princess before you will be quite at home with her." In a few moments after- wards, the Princess and her Serene Consort enter- ed the room arm in arm, and in that position they stood talking with the Nurse, in the most affable manner, for more thap. half an hour. As they were about to retire, the Princess said, " Now, Mrs. Griffiths, you will procure the baby-linen wherever you think proper, except from Mrs. , for every person that has been to see me has so tered me with recommendations in her favour, that I am determined not to be persecuted into any thing !" Her Royal Highness then wished the Nurse to fix an early day to come and remain at Claremont, saying, " I wish you to be here »>me time before you will be wanted, that myself and this dear love (looking at the Prince, towards whom she turned her face and kissed him,) may heroine friends with you." The Royal Pair then retired as they came, arm in arm, never having THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 369 separated from each other a moment during this long- conversation ; the last words of the Princess Charlotte to Mrs. Griffiths at that time were, " Well, Griffiths, you will remember to come here on the first of October; I shall expect vou here on that day." Accordingly, on the first of October Mrs. Griffiths went to Claremont, and had many opportunities, during the five weeks preceding the confinement of the Princess, of witnessing with astonishment and delight, the remarkable conjugal felicity of this happy Pair. She entirely confirms the remark already made, that the Princess Charlotte was extremely abstemious, and very rarely indulged herself in solid food. Her Royal Highness, however, certainly possessed an uniformly fine flow of spirits, and never manifested any distress- ing anxiety concerning her approaching accouche- ment, or its consequences. The most complete regularity prevailed in every part of the numerous household ; and all the domestics appeared to par- take of that cheerfulness and kindness towards each other, which shone so conspicuously in the amiable and Royal Pair at the head of the family. That the Princess Charlotte held the splendour of dress, and all exterior ornaments, in small esti- mation, is well known. The gorgeous dresses in which she is described to have been arrayed upon public occasions, at the Drawing-rooms, and on Birth-days, were only worn in compli- ance with Court etiquette, and with those indis- pensable distinctions necessarily kept up between the different ranks and orders in the state. The garb in which she usually appeared, much resem- bled that of a respectable tradesman's wife; and the principal peculiarity by which she was most easily distinguished, appears to have been a fond- ness for wreaths of artificial roses, with which she generally adorned her head-dress. This cus- 16. 3 a 370 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS torn was very indicative of that love of flowers, which h \ the continued rains which fell during yesterday. At eleven o'clock, the fog began to disappear, and, at twelve, it cleared up, and was remarkably fine for the season of the year, scarcely a breath of air to be felt. The favourable state of the weather induced the Princess Charlotte to leave the bouse, to walk in the delightful walks in the pleasure-grounds, parks, &c. Her Royal Highness occasionally rode in her garden chair, and proceeded to the garden, to view the improvements that are making there, under Her Roval Highness's arrangement and direction. The Princess remained out about an hour and a half; and, during the time, Her Royal Highness was accompanied by His Serene Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg." On the 23d of October it was announced, that (the weather proving remarkably fine) Her Royal Highness, who continues extremely well, left Clare- mont House, for her usual exercise of walking, and riding in her garden chair, accompanied by Prince Leopold, and by several of their attendants. Her Royal Highness proceeded to view the Gothic Temple, which was building in the Park, as a sum- mer-house tor her occasional retirement. The Prin- cess left the house about half-past twelve o'clock, when a shower of rain coming on, hastened her return to the house, where she arrived at half-past one, without experiencing much inconvenience from the rain. At two o'clock, the shower having ceased, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 373 Prince Leopold went out to take the diversion of shooting for a short time. On Saturday the Princess Charlotte rode out in her garden chair to the farm-yard, and inspected the alterations going on there, accompanied by Prince Leopold and several of her attendants. Her Royal Highness proceeded from thence to the garden grounds. During Her Royal Highness's absence from the house, an inquiry after the Prin- cess's health arrived from the Duchess of York at Oatlands, who was prevented from paying her personal respects by indisposition. On Sunday, at twelve o'clock, the Princess Charlotte, Prince Leopold, their attendants, and the household generally, attended divine service in the house, which was performed by the Rev. Dr. Short, one of the Prebends of Westminster Abbey. In a short time after, the Princess, accom- panied by Prince Leopold, attended by Dr. Short, walked in the shrubbery, to the grotto, &c. Her Royal Highness occasionally rode in her garden chair. The Princess continued to enjoy good health. Monday, 27th October, the fog having cleared away about ten o'clock, and the weather being remarkably fine, at noon the Princess Charlotte rode out in her small chaise, drawn by her favourite pony, and accompanied by Prince Leopold ; they proceeded through the charming rides and plea- sure-grounds of Claremont Park, and remained out nearly an hour and a half; after which, Prince Leopold, attended by Baron Hardenbrock, went out to take the diversion of shooting ; and, the same day, at three o'clock, the Prince Regent left Town on a shooting excursion into Suffolk. Next day, the weather was remarkably fine and clear till past eleven o'clock, when some clouds appeared, and a shower followed, which delayed the Princess Charlotte in taking her usual ride in her chaise so early as she intended. The weather, 371 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS However, clearing up soon after twelve, Her Royal Highness took her usual airing, and proceeded towards the farm-yard, the pleasure-grounds, &c. About half-past one the Princess returned to the house, accompanied by Prince Leopold, having been hastened in her return by another shower. The rain continuing to fall during the afternoon, pre vented His Serene Highness from taking the diversion of shooting. Thursday, October 30. A letter from Claremont stated, that it had blown a strong gale the whole of the last night, and during the morning: at twelve o'clock it cleared up, and the sun shone remarka- bly bright, which enabled Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte to take her usual exercise of walking and riding in the pleasure-grounds and Park. Her Royal Highness remained out from half-past twelve till within a quarter of an hour of two o'clock. Prince Leopold, after accompanying his beloved royal Consort, went out to take the diversion of shooting, attended by Baron Harden- lnock. The Princess was living completely retired, and did not see any visitors, not even her most intimate friends. Their names were left in the hall, as was the case when. Lord and Lady Ashbrooke called on Tuesday. The day following, the windy weather continued, and it rained incessantly till noon ; when the Prin- cess Charlotte took an airing in the Park ; but the rain returning, Her Royal Highness could only remain out an hour, during which she was accom- panied by Prince Leopold and several attendants. rhe last Sabbath which the Princess Charlotte T< rmitted to see, the weather being remarkably nne, Her Royal Highness took her usual airing in chaise, and continued out for about two hours ; after wind, the Princess and Prince, for the last ime, assembled their principal attendants, and all "» domestics, to attend the morning service, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 375 which was performed by the Rev. Dr. Short. Soon after the service, the Princess again took a ride in her small chaise, in the Park, accompanied by Prince Leopold. The next morning, at eight o'clock, the Queen set out on her journey to Bath, where Her Majesty had been long and anxiously expected, in order to take the waters for the re- establishment of her health. Many illiberal and groundless censures have been passed upon Her Majesty for leaving Town at the time when the accouchement of her Royal Grand- daughter was hourly expected to take place. It is not, however, usual for any of the female branches of the Royal Family to be present on such occasions ; nor could it fail of being as un- pleasant to themselves, as it would be useless, if not detrimental, to the pregnant female, to add to the already too great number of personages who are obliged, by the laws of the realm, to be present at and attest a royal birth. Had Her Majesty re- mained in Town, it would have been difficult to point out in what way her stay could have benefited the lamented Princess, at whose own birth no female whatever was present, except the Ladies of her Royal Mother's bedchamber, and the neces- sary attendants. It cannot, therefore, even be fairly asked, whether Her Majesty's absence did not imply an existing coolness, or at least some degree of inattention ; for it is well known, that on such occasions, the legal regulations must be impli- citly complied with ; and they are such as would, of course, deter any delicate female, except mere at- tendants, from being present, except in such cases of absolute necessity, as in all probability never occur. Some, who are of course entirely unaware of the excellent understanding subsisting between the Queen and the Princess, since the marriage of the latter, allege that Her Majesty's absence was a proof of the continued misunderstanding : and that r,7('t MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the Qw en ought to hare been at hand on the occa- sion: whereas, admitting their supposition, it is plainly ridiculous to suppose, that the presence of 11 a relative, with whom she was not upon the best terms, could have been at all acceptable to tin- Princess Charlotte in so very critical a juncture. A i noon, on the Same day upon which the Queen lefl Town for Bath, Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte took an airing in her open chaise, in Clare- luont Park, for the last time; she remained out an hour and a half, and was attended by Prince Leo- pold, who afterwards took the diversion of shooting, attended by Baron Hardenbrock; and then little apprehended the dreadful shock, with which, in a few hours afterwards, he was overwhelmed. Before we proceed to narrate the painful particu- lars of this most distressing dispensation, we shall conclude this chapter with the following beautiful Poem, from the elegant pen of Edmund L. Swift, Esq. which was published on the very day on which Her Royal Highness was taken ill, and alluded to the long period in which the nation had been anxiously waiting for the appearance of a Royal Heir, under the title of " The Quarrel of the Months for the Royal Infant:"^ Tliree Months had a Quarrel:— the first was September, The next was October, the last was November ; To old lather Time the dispute was referr'd, And each for himself in his order was heard. The demand was a bold one; no less than his leave, The greatest of honours and joys to receive; Which to some Month or other must come in the end, And each to the favour did stoutly pretend. They prayed, that his worship forthwith would assign That long-wish'd for day, by permission Divine, When Charlotte should give a young Heir to the Crown; And say which among them should have the renown. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 377 September spoke first; and presum'd 'twas expedient, Since August had cheated him but of the Regent, He should have the next turn, and be recompens'd now, By adding this wreath to the pride of his brow. Besides — said poor Septy — the vintage of which The growth is so needful in making me rich ; Will all be required, your Worship's aware, For drinking the health of Britannia's young Heir. Stand back, cries October ; your foreign libation, In taste or in principle, suits not the nation : — Let the Infant be mine; and a Birth -day so dear True Britons shall drink in my very best beer. So posed was the Judge with the beer and the wine, Which this way and that way the scale did incline, That September, for judgment, no longer could stay, And October was off with his thirty-first day. Since my rivals can't wait for your final decree, Says ancient November — the better for me : — Few pleasures are mine : I am cheerless and old ; And I want a fur-raautle to keep out the cold. But if to my wish you this young one bestow, My heart shall expand with the summer's warm glow ; And though keen are my winds, and my storms are severe, I'll not envy the most smiling Month of the year. Judge Time sealed the writ, and ordain'd that the child, Should be born in the winter, a Rose in the wild : — But he promis'd, in case of delay in November, For our best Christmas-box, it should come in December. 16. 3 B ■MP, MEMOIRS OF HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS chap. vi. Accouchement oj the Princess Charlotte.— The Royal Infant still-bora. — Attempts to restore it to ani- mation. Patient Resignation, sadden Illness, and unexpected Death, of the Princess. — Indescribable Distress of Prince Leopold. — Universal Public Alarm and Mourning. — The Embalmment. — Pre- parations for Interment. — Funeral Procession. — Addresses of Condolence. — State of the Succession to the Throne. HAVING followed the illustrious and lamented Subject of these Memoirs through the different stages of infancy, childhood, and youth, up to maturity, it now remains to survey the final scene. The extremely interesting relation in which she stood towards the nation at large, had excited the public attention to such a degree, that information concerning her was sought for with unexampled avidity as the important crisis approached. It would, indeed, be a great derogation from the merits of the Princess, to ascribe the general anxiety to any other cause; for though her genuine worth and excellence were well known to her friends and dependents, and to the objects of her perpetual benevolence, it was not until the cold hand of death withdrew the veil which she had gracefully interposed, that the beautiful lineaments of her lovely character were distinctly seen and appreciated. The Princess Charlotte having herself arranged iv thing that related to her conhuernent, fixed on Sir Richard Croft for her accoucheur; in addi- tion to whom, she had the advice of the justly celebrated Dr. Baillie, and of Dr. Stockmar, the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 379 resident Physician of Prince Leopold. She con- sulted these Gentlemen on the management of her health, and, by their direction, being of a plethoric habit, was repeatedly bled, and advised to take little animal food or wine. At the request of the Queen, who visited the Princess a few days before Her Majesty left Town for Bath, Sir Richard Croft took up his residence at Claremont, three weeks prior to the labour, and continually paid the most sedulous and unremitting attention to his lovely and interesting charge. The Nurse, Mrs. Griffiths, who came to reside at Claremont, on the first of October, by the particular desire of the Princess Charlotte, had been just five weeks in attendance when the labour commenced, which was first announced by the following letter in the public papers : " Claremont, Tuesday, Nov. 4. " At a late hour last night, the Princess Charlotte became indis- posed, and, at three o'clock, Dr. Sir Richard Croft pronounced the near approach of Her Royal Highness's accouchement. A number of servants, who have been for some time kept in close attendance, in their riding-dresses, and their horses in readiness for them to mount, were, in consequence, dispatched at a quarter-past three o'clock, in various directions, to summon the different Privy Coun- sellors, who were, according to Court etiquette, to attend. Dr. Baillie was also sent for, to give his advice, if necessary. " Directions were given to the Messengers to make all possible speed, which they strictly attended to; and those who went to London, which is sixteen miles from Claremont, reached Town in an hour and a quarter. The Footman even went to the Lord Chancellor's, in Bedford Square. " The first of the Privy Counsellors who arrived was Earl Ba- thurst, who came from his seat at Putney, where the Noble Earl had kept his carriage and horses in readiness to put to for some time past. The Footman went to Putney, and returned in forty minutes; and Earl Bathurst arrived at a quarter-past five o'clock. " Viscount Sidmouth, who had also made every necessary pre- 380 MKMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS pa rat ion to be present at a short notice, arrived from Richmond Park .it i quarter before six. " Tiie Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London arrived in the Bi.-hop of London's carriage and four, from Fulbam, at six o'clock, " The Archbishop of Canterbury had been waiting on a visit to the Bishop of London during the last three weeks, in expectation of being summoned to attend the Royal accouchement, Fulham being so many miles nearer to Claremont than the residence of his CJrace. The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived in a chariot and four from his house in Downing Street, at half-past seven o'clock. The Lord Chancellor arrived in a chaise and four at a quarter be- fore eight, from his house in Bedford Square. Dr. Baillie arrived in his chariot and four, at a quarter-past seven o'clock, from his house at Virginia Waters. " Prince Leopold has passed the day in the greatest anxiety in the house, as well as all the royal attendants and domestics, with the State Officers and others in attendance. In the neighbouring towns and villages the most lively interest has been excited, and the most earnest inquiries have been made during the day. The travellers through Esher have generally stopped to make their re- spectful inquiries: the Bear Inn, where most of the stage-coaches stop, has been thronged ; the first and principal object of their inquiry was the welfare of the Princess. At Kingston, though only five miles from Claremont, it was falsely rumoured and believed, early in the morning, that the Princess had been safely delivered of a son ; and the inhabitants were so elated on the occasion, that the bells were about to be set a-ringing, and preparations were made for illuminating to-night. The Mayor, however, prudently interfered, and prevented the ringing of the bells till he received a confirmation of the joyful event from authority; and dispatched the High Constable for that purpose, on whose arrival at Claremont, and making the necessary inquiry, he was informed the wished-for event had not taken place." Four o'clock, P. M.— The last report of Sir Richard Croft to the Privy Counsellors, assembled upon the occasion, was, ' The progreai of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte's illness is, in every respect, as favourable as he could possibly wish." All the distinguished Personages above enurae- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 381 rated were assembled in the Library, a spacious and elegant room adjoining- the apartment where the Princess lay. In the course of Tuesday, as the Princess made but little progress in her labour, and manifested some symptoms of an alarming- nature, in the evening, Sir Richard Croft and Dr. Baillie agreed to send for Dr. Sims, the celebrated accoucheur, who arrived at Claremont about three o'clock on Wednesday morning, and, in conjunc- tion with the other Physicians in attendance, issued the following Bulletin, which all the Great Officers of State there present, in their capacity of Privy Counsellors, concurred in drawing up : " Claremont, Wednesday Morning, Eight o'Clock. " The labour of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte is going on very slowly, but we trust favourably. (Signed) " M. Baillie, " Richard Croft, " John Sims." The solicitude of the puoiic mind was exceed- ingly great during the whole of Wednesday, which, though no danger was distinctly apprehended, was passed in a state of the most fearful anxiety; it was, however, rather relieved by the following Bulletins : At four o'clock, the answer to the inquiries of the Privy Counsellors was, — " Her Royal Highness is going on in a much more favourable way." An hour and a half afterwards another Bulletin was ssued. " Claremont, Nov. 5, 1817, Half-past Five, P. M. " The labour of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte has, within the last three or four hours, considerably advanced, and 182 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS will, it i* hoped, within a few hours, be happily completed. (Signed) " M. Baillie, " Richard Croft, " John Sims." However* the short "learn of hope to which tliis Bulletin immediately i^ave rise, was destroyed by the announcement, that the Royal Infant was still- liorn, five hours afterwards. This painful intelli- gence reached Town about midnight, and was dated " Claremont, Nov. 5, Ten o'Clock, P. M. " At nine o'clock this evening, Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte was delivered of a still-born male child. Her Royal Highness is doing extremely well. (Signed) " M. Baillie, " Richard Croft, " John Sims." This was instantly succeeded by the following communication from Lord Sidmouth to the Lord Mayor, for the gratification of a most anxious Public : " Claremont, Nov. 5, Half-past Nine, P. M. " My Lord, " I have the honour of informing your Lordship, that, at nine o'clock this evening, Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte was safely delivered of a still-born male child, and that Her Royal Highness is going on favourably. " Sidmouth." " To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor." The testimony of the Nurse, who is a respectable unman, and has been in the habit of attending the first families in the country upon similar occasions, for about thirty years, must here be of great weight. She expressly states, that though the Princess THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 383 Charlotte began to be unwell early on Tuesday morning, during the whole of that day and the following night, and until three o'clock on the Wednesday afternoon, about six hours before deliv- ery, the labour pains were not of a decisive nature, being very short, and with unusually long intervals between. Among several other facts never before made public, Mrs. Griffiths confirms the account of the singular fortitude manifested by the suffering Princess, by stating, that Her Royal Highness had said, " I will neither bawl nor shriek ;" to which resolution, there is reason to fear, she adhered with a degree of firmness that proved very prejudicial, if it really were not the unsuspected cause of her subsequent and sudden dissolution. A married Lady, upon whose statements we can implicitly rely, informs us, that she has known several in- stances, where a similar determination to repress every expression of the severe pangs of parturition, was attended with very fatal results, which seemed equally unaccountable, upon any other supposition, as those attending the death of the Princess Char- lotte. If the plethoric habit of Her Royal High- ness be also borne in mind, there is but too much reason to fear, that the magnanimous resolution she had taken, and to which she adhered with un- shaken firmness, greatly tended to retard the labour, and of course to exhaust her strength in proportion. The Royal Infant, it should also be remembered, had all the size and appearance of a child ten days old. It is impossible for language to convey any idea of the solicitude manifested by Prince Leopold upon this most trying occasion. Though he endea- voured to repress his feelings, and seldom spoke, His Serene Highness remained in constant attend- ance, and several times exclaimed, as it were invo- luntarily, " that the unrepining patient endurance of the Princess, whilst it gave him great comfort, 384 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS coimminii afted also a deep affliction at her suftbr- mvt being so lengthened." When Prince Leopold wiv informed of the disappointment of his hopes, and those of his beloved Princess, in the child's being still-born, he immediately acquiesced, with pious resignation, in the wise dispensations of Divine Providence, and exclaimed, with great emotion, " Thank God, thank God, the Princess i- safe!" But, alas! there is nothing safe on earth. To attempt to describe the feelings of such a man, during the two long days preceding this event, might provoke the ridicule of fashionable husbands, who regard the marriage-state merely for its conve- nience ; but men of feeling and reflection can judge of the situation from their own sensibilities, when, in the hours of anxiety, they have paced the cham- ber, or thrown themselves on the couch, mingling prayers and tears with their perpetual inquiries of the attendants. Neither rank nor wealth can afford any thing to relieve an agonized mind ; the Prince's situation, therefore, cannot be considered as less painful than that of persons under the like circumstances in inferior stations. Indeed, when \\« reflect how intimately the fate of the country stood connected with that of the individual, we can hardly conceive a situation of more painful anxiety. In the held of battle, when death is dressed Up in all the pomp of war, and reflection stunned by its tremendous din, the mind has no time to think of consequences, farther than regards the issue of the contest in victory or defeat. But in the chamber of affliction, and especially in " the hour of nature's sorrow," the serious mind anxiously turns to Him in whose hands are " the issues of life," to implore deliverance and relief: and all our accounts of this illustrious Pair, naturally dispose us to believe, that the hearts of both were thus directed. The deep sorrow which this severe disappoint- ment had impressed upon every countenance. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 385 formed a striking contrast with the calm resigna- tion shewn by the Royal Mother and her illustrious Husband. The Princess, instead of requiring com- fort from those around her, was the first to ad- minister it to others. When she perceived Mrs. Griffiths and her attendants weeping and lamenting that the child was still-born, she earnestly begged them by no means to distress themselves, and said, " It is the will of God, and it is our duty to sub- mit ;" adding, " this is the third* heir lost to the British Throne." It is really surprising, that insinuations of Her Royal Highness having been neglected should have been so widely circulated, when, so far from the Princess herself having entertained any such idea, she expressed herself in terms of the highest satis- faction respecting the skill and management of Sir Richard Croft, whom, as we have accurately stated, she herself selected as her accoucheur, and to whom she was very partial, on account of his tenderness and assiduity: besides which, she re- peatedly said to her immediate attendants, " God bless you; I thank you for all your attentions." During the whole time the Princess was in labour, the Great Officers of State appointed to certify a Royal birth, were in attendance in the Library, adjoining the bedchamber of the Princess, and had a constant communication with the medi- cal Gentlemen, who reported the progress of the labour. The moment the child was born, it was plunged into a warm bath, in the adjoining room, where every other means was used to promote its resuscitation, but, unfortunately, without effect. It was ascertained to have been alive on Tuesday night, but was suspected to be in a state of sus- pended animation on Wednesday morning; and * The lamented Princess referred to two previous miscarriages, only one of which had been publicly known. 16. 3 c 386 MEMOIRS 01 KEK ROYAL HIGHNESS hence every means for its recovery was in prepara- tion ; ,i id, in.iiiiriii it was born. The Members of tin- Privj Council then expressed their satisfaction, i hat the protracted labour had not made it neces- sar\ to nave recourse to extraordinary means; which necessity Sir Richard Croft had anticipat- ed, l>\ providing whatever could be wanted upon such ;i perilous occasion. But as the Princess appeared to be doing extremely well after the deli- very, lliey certainly bad great reason to rejoice, thai the accoucheur was not driven to such a des- perate extremity. Indeed, it is now extremely pro- bable, that had any artificial means of delivery been employed, the fatal termination would have been ascribed to those measures, however indis- pensable; and, it must be admitted, that such an opinion would, at least, have had more plausibility t<> support it, than the malevolent assertion, that the melancholy issue was owing, in both instances, to the want of skill and attention on the part of the medical attendants. For more than three hours after the birth, the Princess appeared to be doing extremely well; which pleasing intelligence being communicated to the Greaf Officers of State, the Archbishop of Can- terbury and the Bishop of London left Claremont about eleven o'clock; the medical attendants, of course, all remained. J)r. Baillie and Dr. Sims retired to rest; they had not seen the Princess during the labour; and Sir Richard Croft, who is erroneously stated never to have left the room, also retired t«» his apartment, which was an adjoining one, but did not take oft" his clothes. The amiable Princess, ^<» far from being in an exhausted state, appeared to be in excellent spirits, as the following circumstances, for which we are indebted to Mrs. Griffiths, the Nurse, will prove; — Prince Leopold a reclining on the bed, by the side of his beloved ' osort, on whom his eyes were continually fixed, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 387 and Mrs. Griffiths, seeing' the Princess so composed, had just gone into her own room, which opened into that of the Princess, in order to change her gown ; on her return, Her Royal Highness perceived the change, and saiuate offer of his Roval Father-in-law, and THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 391 refused to leave the mansion in which he had enjoyed so much happiness, while it contained the mortal remains of his beloved Princess. The express which Prince Leopold himself in- stantly sent off to the Queen, at Bath, found Her Majesty at dinner. It was addressed to General Taylor, who left the room to read it, and called out Lady Ilchester to communicate the fatal news in the tenderest manner. On Lady Ilchester's return, Her Majesty changed colour, and said, " I know some fatal event has happened." On hearing the particulars, the Queen " covered her face, gave a convulsive sob," and with the Princess Elizabeth immediately retired. The Duke of Clarence, who was also at Bath, had just sat down to a grand dinner, given to him by the City, when the dismal news was brought him. A letter from Bath says, — " No word escaped him. He seemed transfixed with horror. After a short interval, recollecting himself, he handed the note to Lord John Thynne, and instantly withdrew. Lord John then communicated the dismal contents to the company ; and the public were not surprised to learn, that the whole immediately dispersed. Every festive meeting in that loyal City shared the same fate." The following letter from Bath, dated Nov. 7, i» particularly interesting : " We feel ourselves inadequate to perform the painful task of reporting the afflicting sensations that fill the heart of every in- dividual in this City; and therefore we shall be pardoned in the trial of our efforts to describe the general feelings of sorrow which prevail among all classes at the melancholy tidings of the death of the beloved Princess Charlotte. At this interesting period, when Her Majesty was residing within the walls of a population, whose loyalty and attachment to the Royal Family was only yes- terday being manifested by the most public record of affection and esteem, a few hours converted the progress of rejoicing into the abyss of deep grief. 8 MEMOIRS t ourselves in the competency of describing the delicate rad domestic afflictions of our venerable Queen, the Prin- cess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Clarence, on this melancholy occarion; but n an\ious public will require every information that reguda the safety of the health, and the happiness, of the illustrious Consort of our Monarch. " Yesterday we stated the proceedings of the Mayor and Cor- poration with an Address, and the Answer of Her Majesty to this public memorial. Parsons, the Messenger, had previously arrived with the afflicting result of the accouchement. Her Majesty had only time to recover from her agitation and sorrow at the event, before the Corporation, headed by the Marquis of Camden, as the Recorder of Bath, were introduced into the Royal presence. " At the Queen's house, the Royal party had just sat down to dinner, when Fisher, the Messenger, arrived with a dispatch to Her Majesty. The afflicting nature of this second letter was unexpected. In fact, Her Majesty and the company might be said to have been dining in public view. But, alas! when the Queen perused the dispatch, she rose from her chair, and covering her face, uttered a convulsive sob, and left the table. Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth likewise retired to her chamber. The windows of the house were instantly closed, and for the remainder of the night a mournful and sad silence prevailed throughout the whole Household. " This morning the City presented a spectacle which was truly melancholy. Several of the principal shops were closed, and all of them were partly shut. The bells of the three churches were tolling their solemn knells throughout the day. The harpers at the Pump Room dispensed with their music. Her Majesty was anxious to depart, for retirement, to Windsor Castle ; and in this one in- stance, we can only express pleasure that her affectionate attendants prevailed upon the august Queen to defer her return until to- morrow morning early. The Princess Elizabeth continues in excessive grief at the afflicting tidings. The Duke of Clarence was impatient to return this day, but the contention of filial feelings and solicitude for his revered Mother, has induced him to defer his journey till to-morrow. * It is now five o'clock, and we hear at the Queen's house, that H fr Majesty is as well as can be expected under all the circum- stances of domestic calamity." THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 393 Both Her Majesty and the Duke of Clarence, after leaving handsome donations to the principal Charities of Bath, left that City, and set out for Windsor. — The following is an account of Her Majesty's journey : At six o'clock on Saturday morning, Major-Gen. Taylor set off for Windsor ; after which hour the bustle of preparation continued until the departure of Her Majesty. Before eight, Ladies Melville and Ilchester, Madame and Miss Beckendorff, Miss Rice, Colonel Stephenson, Colonel Desbrowe, and Lieutenant-General Sir. H. Campbell, respectively entered their carriages, some of whom preceded, and others followed the Royal carriage. Precisely at eight, Her Majesty, accompanied by the Princess Elizabeth, left their residence for Windsor Castle, and were escorted by a party of the 15th Royal Hussars, as far as the town of Reading. From that place, Her Majesty pursued her journey with- out any military escort: the dispensing with this customary honour gave the Royal cavalcade a more impressive consideration of the melancholy catastrophe which hurried on the departure of the Royal party. The Queen alighted for ten min- utes at the Castle Inn, Marlborough, and would not receive any refreshment. A great concourse of spectators were assembled, not as on Monday last, to welcome her arrival with rejoicings, but with silence they paid their respectful obedience to the illustrious personages, and their expressions fully confirmed the deep-felt reign of sorrow which per- vaded the hearts of the highest to the lowest of Her Majesty's loyal subjects. The same observation may be truly applied to the inhabitants of Speen- ham-land, where Her Majesty again alighted from her carriage at the Pelican Inn, and the Royal Party partook of a morning's dejeunL During the half hour the Queen remained at this spacious hotel, scarcely a word was uttered by the populace ; and 17. 3 v 394 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS on the return of Her Majesty and the Princess Elizabeth to their travelling carriage, they were so much affected, that the royal attendants were somewhat concerned for the security of the health of their illustrious Queen. It was half-past four o'clock on Saturday after- noon, when the Royal cavalcade changed horses at Reading, at which town a detachment of the Horse Guards (Blue) escorted Her Majesty's carriage. They afterwards changed horses at Knowle-hill, on the road through the Forest, avoiding passing the town of Maidenhead. Owing to the sudden return of Her Majesty, there was no time to arrange relays of horses ; consequently, several of the stages were performed by post-horses to Her Majesty's car- riage, rode by her own established postillions. The mournful countenances of the people in this part of the route, rather increased the dejection of Her Majesty. The Duke of Clarence immediately followed his Royal Mother, and took the route to Chippenham, for Lord Harcourt's seat, at Nuneham, near Ox- ford, where the daughters of His Royal Highness had been on a visit. The Cabinet Ministers immediately dispatched Messengers to the Royal Dukes abroad, and to all the Courts of Europe. Lord Sidmouth wrote to the Lord Mayor as follows : " Whitehall, Nov. 6, Six o'Clock A. M. " My Lord, It is with the deepest sorrow that I inform your Lordship, that Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte expired this morning at half-past two o'clock. " I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) " Sidmouth," " The Right Hon. tht Lord Mayor " THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 395 The tale of grief was ended by the following short, but expressive Notice, in the Gazette : " Whitehall, Nov. 6. " Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta, Daughter of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Consort of His Serene High- ness the Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg, was delivered of a still-born male child at nine o'clock last night; and about half-past twelve Her Royal Highness was seized with great difficulty of breath- ing, restlessness, and exhaustion, which alarming symptoms increased till half-past two o'clock this morning, when Her Royal Highness expired, to the inexpressible grief of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, of her illustrious Consort the Prince Leo- pold, and of all the Royal Family." The Theatres, and all places of public amuse- ment, were ordered to be closed until the Funeral ; and the Drawing of the Lottery, which was to have taken place on Friday, (Nov. 7.) was postponed, in consequence of a warrant issued by the Lords Com- missioners of the Treasury. When the melancholy intelligence reached the Old Bailey, the Recorder immediately adjourned the proceedings of the Court, as a tribute of respect to the memory of Her Royal Highness. The Lord Mayor took immediate mea- sures for summoning an Especial Meeting of the Court of Aldermen, which took place on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 6. It was attended by his Lord- ship, the Lord Mayor Elect, and seventeen Alder- men, with the Recorder, Sheriffs, and City Officers; when it was unanimously agreed, that the fitting-up of Guildhall for Lord Mayor's Day should be im- mediately discontinued, and that the preparations .3f)<; MI.MOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS alremlv made tfiert should be removed, and the following public Notice was issued: " WOOD, Mayor. " An ESPECIAL COURT of LORD MAYOR and ALDER- MEN, holden in the Council Cliamber of the Guildhall of the City of London, on Thursday, the 6th Day of November, 1817, and in the 58th Year of the Reign of George the Third, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, &c. " This Court, being deeply affected with the loss of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, daughter of His Royal Highness the Priuce Regent, and Consort of His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg ; and considering how un- seasonable any public rejoicing would be at a time when His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and the whole nation, are, on this mournful occasion, so sensibly afflicted with the greatest sorrow and concern, doth thereupon unanimously agree and order, That the Livery Companies shall not walk or stand in the streets, or pass in their barges on the water, on the next Lord Mayor's Day; nor any tiring of guns on the land or water, ringing of bells, or any other outward show or rejoicing heretofore accustomed, be per- mitted or suffered to be made on that day, but that the same be for this time wholly laid aside and forborne, and that public notice be given thereof; and it is- further agreed and ordered, That, waving all unnecessary pomp and state, the Lord Mayor Elect, in his private coach, accompanied with the present Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and Mr. Recorder, and attended only by the Sheriffs, and the principal Officers in coaches, the other Officers walking on foot, preceded by the two City Marshals on horseback, shall pass from the Mansion House to Westminster, and directly go up to the Court of Exchequer, there to take his oath; which being done, his LonLhip, attended as before, having entered Warrants of Attorney in the Court of King's Bench and Common Pleas, as usual, is de- aired to return in the same manner to the Mansion House. " WOODTHORPE." The -peat Bell of St. Paul's tolled from twelve to one o'clock; the tradesmen of the Royal Family, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 397 and many others, put up their shutters ; and that afternoon the Mercers and Haberdashers filled their windows with the materials for a general mourn- ing ; of which the following Notices appeared in the London Gazette: " The Deputy Earl Marshal's Order for a General Mourning for Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta, Daughter of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Consort of His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Saxe- Cobourg. " In pursuance of the commands of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, these are to give public notice, that it is expected, that upon the present most melancholy occasion of the Death of Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, Daughter of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Consort of His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg, all persons do put themselves into decent mourning ; the said mourning to begin on Sunday next, the 9th instant. " Henry Howard Molineaux Howard, Nov. 7, 1817. " Deputy Earl Marshal." " Horse Guards, Nov. 7, 1817. " His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, does not require that the Officers of the Army should wear any other mourning, on the present melan- choly occasion, than a black crape round their left arms, with their uniforms. — By command of His Royal Highness the Commander- in-Chief. " Harry Calvert, Adjutant-General." " Admiralty Office, Nov. 7. " His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, does not require that the Officers of 398 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the Fleet, or Royal Marines, should wear any other mourning, on the present melancholy occasion, than a black crape round their hit aim, with their uniforms, " J. W. Croker." We now return to Claremont, where every coun- tenance wore the appearance of the deepest melan- choly. The preparations which had been made for rejoicing, only served to deepen the general sorrow, by continually bringing to mind the loss which had turned our joy into sadness, and our rejoicing into lamentation. The preparations for illuminating, which had been made at the village of Esher and the town of Kingston, were reversed ; the houses closed, and scarcely a light to be seen. Prince Leopold, though overwhelmed with his affliction, did not forget to provide for the wants of the workmen employed in making the alterations and improvements at Claremont, which were sus- pended by the recent calamity: His Serene High- ness munificently ordered fifty pounds to be distri- buted among them; and this was soon after fol- lowed by an order for them to resume their labours, and compete the plans which had been for some time going on by the desire of the lamented Princess Charlotte. However, notwithstanding the magnanimity with which Prince Leopold endea- voured to bear up against this most severe visita- tion, it bad, as was naturally expected, an irame- diate and very unfavourable effect on his health. From Monday night, when his beloved Consort first became unwell, until the evening of the follow- in- Saturday, His Serene Highness was wholly in- capable of taking rest: this alone was a sufficient catise of indisposition, had it not been accompanied THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 399 by that heart-breaking affliction which deprived him of his rest. In consequence of his indisposed state, the following Bulletins were issued : " Claremont, Nov. 7. • " The Prince Leopold has had a bad night, but is more composed this morning." " Claremont, Nov. 8. " The Prince has had some sleep in the night, and is as well as can be expected this morning." " Claremont, Nov. 9. " The Prince Leopold had a calm night, and is, this morning, rather better than yesterday." On the twelfth, however, it was announced that His Serene Highness's indisposition hourly increas- ed, that he refused consolation, and suffered no one to approach him. He passed all his time absorbed in thought, and seemed absent to every thing, except such objects as recalled to memory his departed Consort. The most inconsiderable articles, once possessed by the lamented Princess, were endeared to him by fond recollections. Hence, her bonnet and cloak, which she wore in their last pedestrian excursion, were kept constantly before his eyes. They were hung by her dear hands upon a screen in the sitting parlour, and there they have remained ever since, as the Prince has positively forbidden any person whatever either to remove or even to touch them ! Her Royal Highness's watch, for the same reason, still hangs in the same place where herself placed it, upon the mantle-piece, as Prince Leopold would not suffer it to be touched or removed ! lit.) MBMOIBS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS s|„,rtlv after the death of the Princess, Prince Leopold senl an express to Scotland, for the Earl of Lauderdale, thai nobleman holding a high place in His Serene Highness's esteem and confidence. ]|i> Lordship met the messenger in Northumber- land, on his way to Town, and arrived at. Clare- in.itit on the Friday Following. On his entering- the room, His Serene Highness rushed into his Lord- ship's arms, with all the violence of a heart-broken man, and remained in that situation for some time, while Ins grief found vent only in sobs and groans. Lord Lauderdale, at last, gently tore himself away, and endeavoured to lead the Prince's mind to the consideration of minor objects. " How delightful it is, (said his Lordship,) to breathe the sweet odour of these flowers, so diversified, so rich ; it is a terrestrial paradise." These observations aroused the Prince, and he found himself momentarily relieved. " I will," exclaimed he, " live and die at Claremont. I will devote every moment of my future life to carry into effect all the ideas of that blessed angel whom I have lost for ever!" Here he burst into a flood of tears. Lord Lauderdale remained with him three hours, and was not per- mitted to retire, until: he had given the Prince a solemn promise to pay him frequent visits. The next Bulletin of Prince Leopold's health was U follows : " Claremont, Nov. 10. His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold has passed rather a calm night, and is something better this morning." This Bulletin was signed by C. Stockmar, His s rene Highness^ resident Physician, who accom- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 401 panied him to England, and has since constantly resided with the Prince. The day before, the Duchess of York arrived from Oatlands, to pay a visit of condolence to Prince I eopold, with whom the Duke of Gloucester also passed three hours, having travelled all night from Weymouth, in the most private manner. His Royal Highness had arrived with his Duchess from Weymouth at Carl- ton House at half-past seven that morning ; and the Duchess was so overpowered upon seeing her august Brother, the Prince Regent, in his deep affliction, that the effect of her sensibility, added to the fatigue of her journey, rendered it necessary for Her Royal Highness to take some repose : an apartment at Carlton House was therefore imme- diately prepared, and Her Royal Highness con- sented to retire to rest; on which, the Duke pro- ceeded alone to Claremont, while the Prince Regent, having been apprised of the effect this heart-rending calamity had produced ou the mind of his Royal Mo- ther, manifested his strong filial affection by paying Her Majesty and the Princesses a visit of sympa- thetic condolence at Windsor. His Royal Highness went alone, and travelled with all the blinds of his carriage up. On the demise of any Member of the Royal Family, it is the duty of the Serjeant Surgeon of the King to embalm the body. Accordingly, Sir Everard Home had an audience of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on Thursday morning, (Nov. 12.) and immediately after went to Claremont, accompanied by Sir David Dundas and Mr. Brand, to perform this melancholy task. At the same time, 17. 3 E MI.MOIR8 OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ,,, order to satisfy the anxious and tortured feelings , if all those who most tenderly loved the Princess, w, II as to justify t ho Medical Practitioners, it w;iv determined to ascertain the proximate cause of her Midden demise. In order to this, the body was opened; but no morbid appearance whatever was found, to account for the sudden dissolution. In the pericardium, or region of the heart, about two ounces of serum were found: the medical Gentle- nun, however, were unable to account for its pro- dnetion, and remained of opinion, that the consti- tution of the Princess had been exhausted by severe and protracted pains, and, at length, had sunk be- neath the struggle. The body having been neces- sarily opened for this inspection, was afterwards embalmed, as was also that of the Royal Infant: for which purpose, not less than two sacksful of odoriferous flowers, herbs, and ground spices, were employed. The internal parts of each body were deposited in Urns: that containing the heart, &c. of the lamented Princess Charlotte, is of English Oak, lined with lead, and covered with crimson velvet. The body of Her Royal Highness was enclosed in a great number of linen cloth wrappers, which had been previously waxed, and will pre- serve it for a great number of years: it was then enclosed in rich blue velvet, and tied with white satin ribbon. The feelings of Prince Leopold were much wounded by the embalmment, which he justly con- sidered ;is indelicate and disgusting. We should nave supposed that none of the Royal Family Mould wish their bodies to be submitted to such an operation, merely to preserve their features to the view of posterity, which could be done in a manner so much more agreeable and complete by their busts or portraits. The public feeling upon this point, was in perfect unison with the sentiments expressed by His Serene Highness; and the follow- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 403 ing beautiful Verses, which were published upon the melancholy occasion, were read with great interest and approbation : Hark ! that deep bell's sepulchral tone, Which only speaks of Princes dead, Bids list'ning anxious crowds bemoan Their hope, their pride, for ever fled. It tells of youth's untimely blight ; Of virtues form'd a realm to save, For ever lost in Death's dark night, With all the patriot hopes they gave. And was there aught of added woe, To wound the Royal Husband's breasf, Who saw Death's shadows veil the brow, His lip of love so oft had prestl Yes — Pagan rites in Christian land, His soul with added anguish mov'd ; For strangers, though with licens'd hand, Profane the sacred form he lov'd. The meanest hind by sorrow bow'd, Who kneels the humblest bier beside, At once the form he lov'd may shroud, And e'en from Pity's glances hide. And must the Royal dead alone Distinctions that degrade possess? Must England still such customs own, As Feeling's nicest sense oppress? No more let heathen customs tear A Christian Husband's heart in twain ; Nor, slumb'ring on her honor'd bier, A Christian Princess' form profane. KM MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Bid funeral robe of costly gold, Or Hope, and Heaven's own beaming blue, With proud distinction still enfold Those forms which Sovereigns' splendors knew. But be that robe, in future clos'd O'er limbs which secret rest have known, To mourning Love alone expos'd, And touch'd b> Love's fond grasp alone. Princess, most lov'd, when known the most, With thee our brightest prospects close; A people's joy, a nation's boast, Will on thy early grave repose. Blest was thy life ; oh ! soothing thought, Beyond a royal charter blest : He who thy heart Love's lesson taught, Became the partner of thy breast. Blest was thy lot ; for wedded bliss, Earth's sweetest meed, to thee was giv'n ; And, the sole gill, surpassing this, We trust is thine, the bliss of Heaven ! On the very day of the embalmment, when Prince Leopold was lumself so much in need of consolation, when his feelings were outraged by the preparations for that revolting process, he never- theless manifested the greatest resignation ; and, observing that Mrs. Griffiths was retiring to her room overwhelmed with distress and agitation, he followed, and endeavoured to comfort her; His Serene Highness condescendingly sat down in her apartment, and begged that she would not give way to unavailing grief, adding, " It is the wiil of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 405 God that we should be separated, and we must submit to it: had the Princess lived, she would have been your friend ; what she would have been, that I will be to you ; you have done every thing in your power." How deeply His Serene Highness's condescend- ing kindness was felt by Mrs. Griffiths, and how sincerely he must have been beloved by all around him, the reader may judge by the following relation : After stating the various interesting facts which have been detailed in the course of these Memoirs, during which she often exclaimed, of the Princess," Oli ! she was such a woman !" Mrs. Griffiths declared that " she could in no way account for the death of the child, nor for that of its Royal Mother, nor yet for the sudden change which preceded Her Royal Highness's death ;" she observed, that " until that fatal change, the Princess appeared to be doing as well as any case she had ever attended." And, the moment the Prince was named, added, " Poor Prince Leopold, so mild and amiable, he is as near a perfect man as any I ever saw ! No one of the Household ever saw a frown upon his countenance during the eighteen months of his married life !" The above interesting facts are truly indicative of the sterling character of this excellent Prince; who, in the midst of such severe affliction, seems to have sought consolation in endeavouring to administer it to others. There certainly is no surer method of ascertaining the disposition of any individual, than by observing the conduct of that individual when placed in difficult or distressing circumstances, which either call forth or overwhelm all the powers of the mind ; and, in either case, rarely fail to expose to view the secret workings of the heart. Prince Leopold has been thus put to the test by an ordeal of the severest kind ; through which he has hitherto passed with unshaken magnanimity, but at the same time in every action 40' i MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS displayed that tenderness of feeling- which always iftrndn true heroism, and which has deservedh • \. ited the liveliest sympathy in his behalf. The fast \i>it i»t' condolence paid by His Royal Highness the Prinee Recent to hi< truly afflicted S i-in-law. wai on tlie lirst Tuesday evening after the melancholy event. This affecting interview, in which the Husband and the Father were at hrst alike overpowered with the emotions of their heart- felt grieC lasted an hour; during which time such profound secrecy and silence prevailed, that it was a \ery considerable time before it was generally known that His Roval Highness had visited Clare- mont. It was observed, that the most restless night that Prince Leopold had passed since his irreparable loss was that which followed this pater- nal interview. The Prince Regent could not bj any means be restrained from seeing; the remains of his beloved Daughter ; and the shock, upon this extremely distressing occasion, was so great, that it excited the utmost alarm and apprehension. A Highness received such consolation as the sincere sympathy of all who approached him l our neighbours the French, by letting ofl a considerable number of Congreve Rockets, the birth of an Heir to the British dominions; and every one was on the tiptoe of expectation for the arrival ol tins epoch, which was to spread universal joy over t!i<' land. Tin: first check to this effusion of glad- thc account of the death of Sir Richard Croft in the Appendix, page -3 10. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 409 ness was the arrival of a dispatch at four P. 31. on Thursday, to the Earl of Liverpool, who was then sitting as President to the Cinque Ports Anniver- sary Bible Meeting, announcing the accouchement of the Princess, and its attendant consequences ; upon which, the Earl set off instantly for Walmer Castle, and from thence to London. About seven in the evening, another express arrived, addressed to Lord Castlereagh, who was staving at the Go- vernor's apartments at the Castle, with the dreadful tidings of the decease of England's hope, the Princess Charlotte ; and his Lordship, attended by Mr. Planta, lost no time in proceeding to London. Upon the confirmation of the distressing intelligence the following morning, every soul was struck with dismay and consternation, every vessel in the harbour hoisted her colours half-mast high, and -the vessels belonging to the French nation paid the same tri- bute of respect, which has continued ever since. As far as the shortness of time would admit, the mourning to-day has been pretty general. A num- ber of couriers, to the different Powers of Europe, with the disastrous news, have embarked since Friday. Bristol, Nov. 9. We were in the most awful suspense about the dreadful news, till the arrival of the London Mail. I was on the Exchange when it approached : the sound of the horn seemed to strike terror into every soul. A great crowd was collected, who then in- stantly rushed round the mail, inquiring of the Guard if the news were true? he replied, " Both are dead." — " Both are dead," was reverberated by the crowd, and the flash spread like lightning. Dejec- tion marked every countenance; and, I think it is not too much to say, that " tears gushed into every eye." So eager was the demand for the news- 17. 3 f 410 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS papers, thai they sold at eighteen-pence each; ami persons were seen in all directions devouring, with the greatest avidity, their mournful contents. During the remainder of the day, nothing but con- dolence was heard. Every public " sign of woe" thai could be made has been done, by the tolling of the church bells, by the hoisting of flags half-mast bigh <>ti public buildings and ships, and by the other usual demonstrations. Weymouth, Nov. 8. The afflicting news of the death of our ever to be lamented Princess Charlotte, was received here terday, by especial express, to the Lodge, and occasioned a general sensation of grief and sorrow, more easily conceived than described. The Palace became an immediate scene of general mourning; and the (flict that it produced on the feelings of the Duke and Duchess, were equal to the irrepara- ble loss the Royal Family, as well as the country, has sustained. In consequence of this direful catastrophe, the Theatre, and all the public places, were shut; and the grand rout, to which near one hundred persons were -invited, to have taken place at Mr. and Mrs. E. Hennings's, was immediately put off. In short, all ranks joined in bestowing the last tribute of respect to the memory of a Princess whose public and private virtues were so well known in this town. This day, the Royal Party and attendants left us. The Duke and Duchess will not stop on the road before they reach Carlton House. Canterbury, Nov, 11. The funeral of the much lamented Princess ( harlotte, we learn, from authority, is fixed for >\ ednesday next. In consequence of this deplored THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 411 event, the Mayor of this city has directed all exhi- bitions and places of public amusement to be closed till after that period. It will be seen also, that, with a becoming sense of the moment, the President of the Catch Club has suspended its meeting on Wed- nesday next. All balls, assemblies, and public places of amusement, are likewise universally post- poned throughout the county. Bury St. Edmunds, Nov. 11. In consequence of the melancholy intelligence of the death of the Princess Charlotte, the organs of all the chapels and churches in this University and town have been closed since Friday last; and a general full mourning, even to caps, will take place throughout the University. The great bell of St. Mary's church tolled during near the whole day on which the fatal news arrived. Manchester, Nov. 11. Under the pressure of an awful event, so deeply afflicting to the Royal Family, and so universally deplored, as the recent death of Her Royal High- ness the Princess Charlotte of Wales, the Borough- reeves and Constables of Manchester and Salford could not fail to embrace the earliest opportunity of giving effect to the sorrowful feelings which at this moment pervade the inhabitants of these towns. A Public Meeting is therefore appointed to be held in the Large Room of the Police Buildings, in King Street, Manchester, on Friday the 14th inst. at eleven o'clock in the forenoon precisely, for the purpose of preparing a dutiful, loyal, and affec- tionate Address of Condolence to His Royal High- ness the Prince Regent, and of adopting such other local testimonies of sorrow and respect, as may best J 12 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS accord with the solemnity and importance of this mournful occasion. T S WlTHINGTON, Borouglireeve^ Thomas Salteb, \ Constables S of Manchester. \\m. Saw i'i CRD, ) 3 JoSBfB BUCKLEY, Borouglireeve^ i »EY LEES, j Constables [ ofSalford ' N. Shelmbedine, > 3 Manchester Police Office, Nov. 10. 1817. The expression of regret did not rest on the liquid glaze of the eye, nor on the solemn aspect of the race: it threw a damp on business, which, for the daw was almost suspended. The stillness of the sale-rooms throughout the town, afforded additional proof of the deep impression which had been made by the awful visitation. Liverpool, Nov. 11. The great bell of St. Peter's Church was tolled on Saturday and yesterday, and " muffled peals" ha\e been rung on the twelve bells of St. Nicholas; which are to be continued each day from twelve to one o'clock, by the direction of the Churchwardens, till after the funeral of the much lamented Princess Charlotte. All the vessels in the port, of all nations, have their colours hoisted half-mast high, as were also the colours upon all the private flag-staffs throughout the town, in token of individual sorrow, for the same lamented cause. Gloucester, A T ov. 11. The dismal tidings were received in this city so earlj as three o'clock on Friday morning, at which hour an express arrived to Sir George Nayler, who iiuuiediatel) afterwards set off from hence for Lon- don. The arrival of the mail but too soon con- firmed the fatal news, which was soon afterwards THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 413 announced by the tolling* of the great bell at the Cathedral, and gloomy sorrow clouded every coun- tenance, whilst unspeakable regret filled every heart. Sheffield, Nov. 10. Death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. — The arrival of the above melancholy intelligence has occasioned in this town a general impression of sorrow and disappointment. As soon as the infor- mation was brought by the last night's mail, it was immediately announced by a dumb peal from the parish church bells. It was also communicated to the audience at the Theatre, by Mr. Fitzgerald, in the following feeling Address : " Ladies and Gentlemen, " With heartfelt regret I appear before you to announce a melan- choly event, in which the dearest interests of the whole nation are involved: A Gazette Extraordinary has this night arrived, announc- ing that the Princess Charlotte of Wales is no more. — ' Death lies upon her like an untimely frost upon the fairest flower of the field ;' and, to add to this most dreadful calamity, the event that we all looked to with so much cheering hope, has been the cause of her untimely fate ; and both the mother and the offspring ' press one silent bed.' Under these unhappy circumstances, Ladies and Gen- tlemen, I know of no better mode of discharging my duty, and ex- pressing my real sorrow, than by closing the Theatre until after the interment of our beloved Princess shall have taken place." At the conclusion of the above Address, the com- pany from all parts of the house retired, and the doors were immediately closed. Bristol, Nov. 13. The calamity, which it was last week our melan- choly office to announce to our readers, has over- .]!! MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS spread the cation with a funereal and unabating gloom. T<> speak of a whole people as literally solved in tears, might be deemed exaggeration; nor will we say, that we lament like the Egyptians, wii«». stricken bj the Divine wrath, awoke in the morning, and found the first-born dead in every house : yet do we no more than justice to the public feeling, in recording, that the death of the Princess Charlotte is a chasm in the great British family, which lias impressed upon every countenance the mournful traces of a domestic affliction. Approach- ing to it, perhaps, was the sensation occasioned by the fall oi* INelson, at the moment of victory. Brighton, Nov. 14. The town continues to wear an air of sadness. This sombre spirit has by no means been improved l»\ the weather, which, almost without intermission, has, throughout the week, been wet and gloomy. \\ e had just written the above observations, when we heard, from respectable authority, that the Re- gent (with whose grief every manly heart sympa- thizes) may be daily expected at the Pavilion, His Royal Highness being anxious, for a while, to seek consolation in the bosom of retirement. Canterbury, Nor. 14. The Chief Magistrate of this city has invited his fellow citizens to unite with him in closing the win- dows of their shops and dwellings, and abstaining from all outward appearance of worldly concerns, thai the city, in unison with the national feeling, may appear what it really is, a house of mourning. Andover, Nov. 14. it gives us great pleasure to record the patriotic and sympathetic feeling f this loyal town and its THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 415 vicinity, on the death of our lamented Princess Charlotte. On the arrival of the melancholy tidings, an universal gloom pervaded the whole place, and every kind of business and gaiety was in a moment at an end. The unwelcome news was soon extended to the adjoining villages, and among them that of Longparish was one of the most conspicuous in anxiety to manifest its grief on the mournful occasion : the minute bell there tolled from six in the evening till midnight, and an evening service was performed with appropriate anthems. On the following Sunday, a well adapted sermon was preached by the Rev. Robert Cole, and the inhabitants (at the request of Major Hawker, and the other principal residents) antici- pated the general order, by appearing immediately in mourning. Oxford, Nov. 15. In our retirement, we have painted to ourselves what was, and what now is ; we have followed the course of events ; the war successfully terminated; trade and manufacture reviving ; a Heiress to the Throne of our country, full of health and anima- tion, married to the man she adored, and adored by the man she married ; an English woman, born amongst us, beloved by all; her character, both religious and moral, unsullied — a few, a very few days since, walking with her beloved consort in the gardens of Claremont, and anticipating, what all fondly anticipated, the appearance of the pledge of their mutual love, the hope and the glory of themselves and the country — their country, full of anxiety, waiting with impatience for a confirmation of their hopes and wishes ; preparing for public rejoicings, and viewing, in the mind's eye, a long line of splendid progeny — a long, long succession of Sovereigns, descendants of our present beloved 4i<; mbmoibs of her royal highness Monarch.— Alas I in the bitterness of anguish be n spoken, all our hopes and all our wishes are crushed, are annihilated; for our Princess is dead! Every paper >'> the kingdom bears ample testi- moii\ to the feelings of all resident within its circuit; in almost every city and town, shops are partly shut; the inhabitants are in deep mourning; all places of amusement closed; the churches bang with black ; even clubs and other convivial neetiogs suspended, and sorrow depicted on every countenance. Sunday the Rev. Dr. Green, one of our City Lecturers, preached before the Corporation; his subject was appropriate, and taken from the 90th I Nal m — " So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." In his discourse he feelingly addressed his auditors on the melancholy subject of the deeply deplored loss of our lamented Princess. Cambridge, Nov. 14. The melancholy intelligence of the ever to be lam. lit. (1 .hath of Her Hoyal Highness the Prin- s Charlotte of Males, was received in this place \miIi thai sincere regret which has pervaded the whole kingdom. The great bell at St. Mary's Church was tolled for several hours on Friday last; since which period there has been no organ played ;it the ( lollege chapels, as well as in various churches i" the i„wii. The day of the funeral will be ob- ijerved bcre with due solemnity. The following Not* t has beet issued in the University: " Clare- Hall Lodge, Nov. 11, 1817. Hi. \ , . ( hancrllor begs leave to communicate to the Uni- ,llU "" "" '".lantholv occasion of the death of Her Royal - "V Prince* Charlotte of Wales, a Sermon will he preach- lauyt, on Wednesday next, hv the Regius Professor of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 417 Divinity 5 and the Vice-Chancellor requests all Nohlemen and Mem- bers of the Senate to meet him in the Senate House at a quarter before eleven o'clock, in full mourning, and proceed from thence to St. Mary's Church. " The Vice-Chancellor requests the Tutors of Colleges to com- municate to their pupils, that they are expected to appear at St. Mary's on Sunday next with their caps at least in mourning." Birmingham, Nov. 14. ' The shops in this town will be closed on the day that the funeral takes place; the bells in the different churches will toll the whole of the day ; all the pul- pits, &c. are clothed in black : and nothing will be omitted by the inhabitants of this loyal town to endeavour, however faintly, to express the sense they entertain of the loss the empire has sustained. A requisition, signed by the magistrates, clergy, and inhabitants, has been presented to the High- Bailiff, William Cotterel, Esq. desiring him to call a meeting of the inhabitants, to consider of an Address of Condolence to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, upon the melancholy occasion,. The High-Bailiff has appointed Friday next, the 21st instant, for that purpose. We have no doubt the kingdom at large will follow so laudable an. example. We never witnessed so distressing a change of countenance throughout a whole population, as we did the day the news was received ; and we hope never again to witness such a scene. Sunderland, Nov. 15. The afflicting news spread rapidly through this town and neighbourhood ; and on almost every countenance was depicted a melancholy gloom, expressive of sorrow at the sad event. It absorbed every other topic in almost all departments of life ( and the great bells of the churches tolled upwards 18. 3 g 418 MEMOIRS Of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS of two hours. At a respectable meeting of the inha- bitants, beld at Ibe Exchange, it was determined, that the day of interment of the amiable Princess and her infant son, should be observed with marked sol. ■innity; " that the shops shall be closed, and the usual occupations of business suspended the whole d,i\ ; that the ships in the harbour do hoist their colours halt-mast high ; and the minute bell toll during the morning, distinguishing the hour of inter- ment by a dumb peal." Leeds, Nov. 15. The death of the Princess Charlotte has filled the whole British empire with grief, dismay, and mourning. It has effected what few events could product — an unanimity of feeling; but, alas! it is the sad unanimity produced by an universal partici- pation in the same irreparable calamity. It was our mournful task to announce this heart-rending intelligence to the greater part of our readers in our last publication: and to few of them can it now be necessary formally to commuuicate, that on " Thursday morning, the 6th instant, at half-past two o'clock, this illustrious Princess, after having a few hours before been delivered of a still-born male child, died, to the inexpressible grief of the whole British people." — This mournful intelligence spread with amazing rapidity through the whole empire, and every where it was felt like the stroke of death, and diffused more than grief. — At no period, perhaps, in the whole compass of our history, his the death of the presumptive heir (we may say heirs) to the throne produced so poignant a sense of grirf. so general a feeling of despondency. All the kindhesl feelings of our nature had gathered round thi^ illustrious female: there was in her a purity ind a strength of virtue, a freedom from the fashion- le vises and the heartless follies of the age, which THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 419 rendered her equally an object of love and vene- ration ; and, though young, she was thoroughly imbued with those just and constitutional principles of government which could not fail, under the blessing of Heaven, to have rendered her reign pros- perous and happy. But the hopes of the nation extended still further, and with prophetic view seemed to behold a long line of patriot Princes, continuing, to the remotest posterity, the Royal diadem in the illustrious House of Brunswick. But these fond anticipations, these towering hopes, are dashed to the earth, and, instead of the joyful anthem, " Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is. given," we have to listen to the funeral dirge, and join in the requiem for the death of two generations of Princes in the short space of a few hours. Truro, Nov. 15. The Princess Charlotte is no more! — The hopes of the nation have been blasted ; and, in place of congratulating our readers on the birth of an heir to the British Throne, we have to assume the cypress, and join in the general expression of regret which is at this moment felt by millions! — The Princess Charlotte is no more; and her infant, for whose birth a loyal and affectionate people watched with a hope so anxious, has perished with her; thus leaving us no other memorial of her we so highly and so justly valued, than the melancholy remem- brance of her virtues — a memorial, indeed, as ines- timable as it is deathless; but which, at the same time, serves to remind us of the value of what we have lost, and thus adds poignancy to our regret. Seldom has there occurred a circumstance so fully calculated to call forth the sympathies of our nature. Young, lovely, amiable, and happy; raised as the landmark of a nation's hope, and, apparently, all that its wishes could desire— just as she was ex- |20 MEMOIRS <>i IKK KOVAL HIGHNESS pected t<» crown Ihat hope, and to gee, at least, the first pari of these wishes accomplished, by an event which alone seemed wanting to till up the measure of her h licit) as a woman and as a Princess, a dispensation severe and inscrutable, though, we must believe, wise and just, has snatched her from the envied pinnacle <>u which she was elevated, and, in a few, shorl hours, all that was left of the future Sovereign of a mighty empire, the expected mother of a line of Kings, the beloved Princess, and the happy wife, was a lifeless corpse! Whilst dwelling on this sad reverse, the admired lines of Pope recur forcibly to our recollection: " How lov'd, how valued once, avails thee not; To whom related, or by whom hegot: — A heap of dust alone remains of thee; Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be," Dublin, Nov. 10. It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce (he melancholy event of the decease of the Princess Charlotte, which took place at Claremont at half- past two o'clock on Thursday morning, after Her Royal Highness had o-iven birth to a still-born infant son. We must suffer our readers to collect the particulars from the statements of the London papers and the official documents, all of which we copy in the fullest detail. The accounts of this double calamity were received in town yesterday, and certainly no circumstance which has" occurred within our recollection ever caused to the public t<< ling bo general and agonizing a shock. The sen-, ration which was produced was not simply that of disappointment, or pity, or grief— it had in it much more oi consternation] livery countenance ex- pressed astonishment and anguish— every individual fell as it suddenly overwhelmed by some deplorable THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 421 misfortune : every family seemed as if it lost one of its dearest members. We know, in short, no event which could at this time produce such intense emotion, as was exhibited in every quarter of this city, from the moment at which the lamentable tidings were made known. The people appeared to be wholly unprepared for such a visitation. The soundness of the Princess's constitution, the great regularity of her life, the excellence of the arrange- ments which it was believed had been made for her confinement, and the high professional character of her medical attendants, had nearly obliterated all apprehension of the heart-rending catastrophe which has happened. We will not attempt to express what we feel upon this occasion ourselves. Inde- pendent of the important political considerations to which so heavy a national infliction must give rise, it is impossible to contemplate a domestic calamity of so affecting a description without sensations of the profoundest regret. To see a sensible, amiable, and accomplished female, with such brilliant pros- pects, such endearing connexions, and such excel- lent dispositions, snatched away from this life almost as soon as she had begun to enjoy it — to see the heiress of a throne, the hope of an empire, the onlv child of a Prince, and the benevolent wife of an affectionate husband, carried oft' at a moment's warning, in the very morning of her days, in the full possession of youth, and health, and happiness, is a lesson too awful and too afflicting not to touch the most obdurate heart ! — Freeman s Journal. Distressing and melancholy as is this deeply to be deplored event, we could scarcely have imagined that it would have made such an impression on the public mind as it appears to have done ; an impres- sion which absorbs all other subjects, whether of local or general interest. All places of public amusement in this city have been, for the present, 1J-2 MIMOIKS OF HKK ROYAL HIGHNESS dosed bv cider of the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor. The opening of the Theatre is also deferred. — Car- nek's Mmming Post. [From the Dublin Journal.] Dublin Castle, Sunday Morning. My Lord, I have the very painful task of informing your Lordship, that a Messenger arrived this morning with the melancholy intelligence of the Death of tier Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte. I < in lose a copy of the Gazette Extraordinary which v\us published in London. I have the honour to be, my Lord, Your very faithful servant, Robert Peel. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor. Dublin, Nov. 12. The Lord Chancellor has postponed to a future day, on account of the. lamented death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, the grand enter- tainment which his Lordship was to have given to- morrow to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, the Countess of Talbot, and several of the Nobility, and two other personages of distinction now in town. Several entertainments of the Nobility, and others in high life, are deferred on this melancholy occasion. The Clara Musical Association have closed their Assembly-Rooms, and discontinue public playing until further notice. Office of Arms, Nov. 11. It ii his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant's order, that all persons who appear at His Majesty's Castle The princess charlotte-augusta. 423 of Dublin do go into mourning on Wednesday next, for Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta, Daughter of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Consort of His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg. In pursuance of the commands of His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, these are to give notice, that it is expected that upon the present most melan- choly occasion of the death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, Daughter of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and Consort of His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Saxe- Cobourg, all persons do put themselves into decent mourning; the first mourning to begin on Wednes- day the 12th instant. William Beth am, Deputy Ulster King of Arms of all Ireland. Carlisle, Nov. 8. The Mayor having notified to Mr. Ashley the arrival of an express, with the melancholy and afflicting intelligence of the death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, the preparations for the concerts were immediately discontinued, and the performances postponed. The party attended divine service at the Cathedral the next morning; and, at the request of the Rev. Mr. Goodenough, the Canon in residence, sung an anthem from the 25th chapter of Matthew, " The Righteous are gone to rest eternal," which was most highly appreciated by the audience. Glasgow, Nov. 10. This city yesterday exhibited the most marked feeling of kind affection and deep sorrow for our departed Princess, accompanied at times with a |24 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS dubious apprehension lest the event should have* an unfavourable effect upon the future destinies of the kingdom. Remote as we are in this part of the country from the scenes which Her Royal Highness graced, we have had no opportunity of witnessing thai amiable condescension and those kind offices which woo her the hearts of those around her; but we can figure to ourselves a lovely young woman, endowed with every virtue and with the most fasci- nating manners, brought up with the expectation of ruling over a mighty empire, and enjoying in fond imagination the happiness she was to diffuse to her people; contemplating this picture, we can enter into the feelings of her sorrowing friends, and con- sider ourselves as in some degree involved in the calamity. Edinburgh, Nov. 11. The most melancholy tidings announced in a few words have come upon us so suddenly and so un- locked for, that, while we feel with our fellow- citizens the extent of the public loss, we are as yet unable to estimate the probable consequences or remote results of this great national calamity. Our n aders arc well aware, that the Princess was under- wood to be on the eve of giving birth to another heir to the British throne; and the medical bulletin m our last publication announced, that in conse- M'l.nce of the Princess being taken Unwell on niesday last, messengers were sent to summon the attendance of the Privy Counsellors; that the medical gentlemen appointed to attend Her Royal Highness were in close attendance, and that there was every appearance of a safe and fortunate ac- ""'•'""'cnt. The subsequent details, and the melancholy result, we need not rehearse; they will '" ; found amply and feelingly narrated in another column. rhe Princess and her oflspring— the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 42-3 grand -daughter and great grandson of our venerable and beloved Sovereign, the presumptive heirs in direct succession of his house and throne, are no more. Our aged Monarch cannot feel or know the loss : but there is a Father and a Husband, and there is a loyal people, who feel it deeply and disconso- lately. The shock which this afflicting event has given to the feelings of the nation was very strongly evinced when the news reached this city on Sunday morning. Many persons who had crowded to the post-office burst into tears, when the death of the Princess was announced ; and an air of most sad. and impressive seriousness appeared in the coun- tenance of the crowds who thronged our streets and places of public worship, to attend, as usual, at this season, the great solemnity of the Christian church. This expression of the public sympathy (unlike the usual mourning for Princes) is, on the present occasion, not less genuine than it is general. The amiable virtues of this young Princess, the bright promise of her early life, her connubial hap- piness, the edifying picture of domestic economy and of exemplary benevolence which she held out, her well known constitutional principles, as well as the high political considerations dependent on her life, all combine to render the event of her death a calamity that must involve the empire in universal gloom. — Edinburgh Star. Dumfries, Nov. II. The Magistrates and Town Council of Dumfries met this day, and unanimously agreed to go to church in a body, in deep mourning, on account of the lamentable death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. Most sincerely do we offer our humble tri- bute of condolence to the Husband, who has lost such a Consort ; to the Father, who has lost such a 18. 3 h ijn MLMOIKS OF liEK ROYAL HIGHNESS Daughter; and to the Nation, that has lost such a Princess !— Never, «< has been duly said, did Eng- land display such a scene of real sorrow. Glasgow, Nov. 13. S\V understand that the Lord Provost and Magistrates propose to attend divine service in St George'i church, on Sunday next, in mourning, in consent nee of the much lamented death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales; win u it is expected the general mourning will com- mence here. A correspondent suggests, that, as it a ppc aro to be the general feeling and wish of our fellow-citizens to shut up their places of business on the day fixed for the funeral of our much lamented Princess, it would tend greatly to their edification if a funeral sermon was preached on that day in each of our churches, the collections to ;be given to the charitable institutions. Carlisle, Nov. 15. In this city mourning has become general ; and it is imt only the outward garb of grief that has been put on, sorrow dwells in the heart. All kinds of public amusement have been suspended, by order of the Mayor; the assemblies have been postponed, as have also two concerts which were to have taken place on Monday and Tuesday nights; and his Worship lias called a public meeting to take place • it tin Town Hall on Thursday next, the day after <•"■ funeral, ' ; for the purpose of preparing a dutiful, loyal, and affectionate Address of Condolence to J lis Huyal Highness the Prince Regent, and of adoptiug such other testimonies of sorrow and uesped u may best accord with the solemnity of the present mournful occasion." We highly applaud > promptitude; it does honour to the Mayor, and THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 427 it will do honour to the City to be among the first to approach the Throne in language of condolence to the Father, who, in his beloved Daughter, has not only lost a child dear to his heart, but an heiress to whom he looked for a long extension of his line, and on whom the best hopes of the nation were reposed. We feel assured that this meeting will be numerous and respectable. The flag at the Castle has been hoisted half-staff high, since the death of the Princess Charlotte was known, and will remain so till after the funeral. {From the Carlisle Patriot.] Carlisle, Nov. 15. We have this week the painful duty of recording a national calamity, as melancholy as it was unex- pected — the death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, and her Royal offspring ! The feelings of the whole community, from one extremity of the kingdom to the other, will, ere this, have been forcibly agitated by an event, which, while it overwhelms every humane and loyal breast with the deepest sorrow and regret, strongly mani- fests the uncertainty of every human expectation, and the instability and transitory nature of all earthly greatness. Addresses of Condolence to the Royal sufferers, prompted by the best feelings of sympathy and attachment, will, no doubt, in proper season, proceed from every town within the United Kingdom. Since the announcement of the distressing tidings, a heavier gloom is stated to have been thrown over the Metropolis than has ever been remembered ; the windows of the shops are generally half closed, the various places of public amusement are shut, the civic festivities are dispensed with, the business of the legal courts has been suspended, and a general 428 MEMOIRS OF HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS mourning semis alone wanting, to complete the appearance of a deep and universal affliction: and do wonder; for, without reference to the dignity of her birth, <>r the peculiarly tender circumstances of her fate, Her Royal Highness gave the strongest assurances, in case of her happily ascending the throne of her fathers, of becoming a " nursing mother" to a loyal people. She was, indeed, an anchor of hope; to which the nation clung with all their heart, and mind, and soul, and strength. How agonizing, then, must be the pang that tears them asunder! The dreadful news arrived in Carlisle by the mail on Saturday. All Mere on the tiptoe of expectation, and with smiling faces awaited the announcement of the birth of a son or daughter, as a kind of cer- tainty; the soldiers quartered here stood in groups in the streets, ready to welcome it with three times three cheers; the flag was prepared at the Castle to be hoisted on the instant: but as soon as the fatal event was known, joy gave way to sorrow, deep, heart-sickening sorrow; — the nation's loss might have been read in every countenance. [INTELLIGENCE FROM FRANCE.] Paris, Nov. 10. L< tters from Calais, arrived this day, announce the dreadful news of the death of Her Royal High- ness the Princess Charlotte, and of the Prince to which she had given birth. This melancholy event has plunged the whole empire of Great Britain into grief. — Gazette de France. telegraphic dispatch announced yesterday ;""' mm that the Princes Charlotte of England Md spired, after being delivered of a still-born THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 429 child. This dreadful intelligence, which took place in the night of the 5th and 6th instant, is confirmed to-d ay. — Quotidienne. At three o'clock this morning we received, by express, the following official Bulletin, which it is our melancholy duty to publish. Ibid. — [Here follows the London Gazette Extraordinary .] An extraordinary Courier, who arrived on Friday evening at the Court, and a Messenger who, the same night, alighted at the British Ambassador's, have brought the sad tidings of the death of the Princess Charlotte of England, and her son, after a painful labour. It was on the night of the 5th that this melancholy event took place : for the Bulletins contained in the English journals of that day, and which came down at six o'clock in the evening, do not announce even the delivery. — Journal de Paris. The hopes excited by the English papers of the 5th, with respect to the safe accouchement of the Princess Charlotte, have been cruelly deceived ; we have just received the following intelligence, which it is our melancholy duty to communicate. — Journal des Debats. Here also follows the London Gazette. Calais, Nov. 11. The disastrous intelligence of the death of the Princess Charlotte, excited the most poignant sen- sations of sorrow amongst the English families resi- dent here. On the arrival of the packet, crowds rushed to the Library, to learn the particulars of the heart-rending event, by a perusal of the London Prints. The etiquette of introduction was sus- pended ; and an unanimous expression of respect for her virtues, and of painful apprehensions of its |30 Ml MOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS public i-'-nIt *«> toe country, was the theme of every tongue. The slups in the harbour lowered their colours to the half-mast; and preparations were mad. I>\ tlu' English for a general mourning. Paris, Nov. 11. The details which we have given in our article in. m London, on the premature and unexpected death of the Princess Charlotte, will be read with tin in<»t touching- interest. There is, in the cala- mities of the powerful of the earth, something* which Mtoakfl at once to the imagination and the heart, and whirh does not allow us to remain insensible to \\\r spa tacle of these great and august misfortunes. The regrets which they inspire are doubled, when, to tin image of power swallowed up in the grave, is joined the idea of youth, grace, and beauty, cut down in their flower, brilliant hopes vanished, and a royal posterity buried at once in a single tomb. In this union of melancholy circumstances, pity, that common tie of humanity, annihilates distance, effaces limits, extinguishes recollections, and unites all sentiments The mourning of one nation be- eones that of all; and then, more than ever, they remember that they are brethren. Prance will not then be insensible to a death which throws England into such profound conster- nation. .Naturally generous and feeling, French- man will not see, without emotion, the tears of a I ather and a Husband. They will figure to them- saWest ||nt without a participation in sorrow, that Bngtdsh of a Royal Family, that grief of a whole people, which has been manifested in a manner so nniversal and so striking. Never did attachment iMitutional principles of a monarchy take 1 n k i. i at once more general and more solemn than on this sad conjuncture. At the funeral sounds 'I" betH of St. Paul's, all the inhabitants of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 431 London spontaneously put ou mourning; marks of grief and signs of mourning are impressed on the very journals that announced the fatal event : the theatres were closed ; and fasting and prayer super- seded profane amusements and public pleasures. Though, in the days of prosperity, power sometimes experiences, in England, contradictions and resist- ance; in those of misfortune, it only meets with cousolation, with homage, and devoted loyalty. It is then that, every thing concentrated in its true affections, that nation feels only one wish — that of softening, by the free expression of its sentiments, the sorrow of the Chiefs whom it places its glory in obeying. — Journal des Debuts. [The other French papers insert additional ex- tracts from the London papers, on the same melan- choly subject, at greater or shorter length, but make no comments.] Brussels, Nov. 11. Mr. Kerr, the Messenger, has arrived with the afflicting intelligence to the Duke of Kent, of the death of the Princess Charlotte. His Royal High- ness was much affected ; his grief is described as being boundless. The Prince and Princess of Orange were likewise greatly affected by the melan- choly tidings. Paris, Nov. 14. It was remarked, that there was not a single Englishman at the last performance of the Opera. Those whom we meet in the streets, are either in mourning, or wear crape ou their arm. England offers to us at this moment, the spectacle of a nation deeply impressed with the salutary doc- trines of Legitimate Succession. The general sor- row which the death of the Princess Charlotte has MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS , xcfted, is an example worthy the contemplation of those turbulent and unquiet spirits, who affirm, that persons should be reckoned as nothing, and that it is only to things we ought to attach ourselves. ^ « s ; it may be so, according to a rash and arrogant philosophy; but the friends of humanity, the friends of their country, reason differently; and, indepen- dent of the lofty character which Princes have in their eyes, they view them as the protectors of nations, and the surest guarantees of their insti- tutions. The English journals are filled with the most affecting lamentation, inspired by their sorrow for the loss which the country has sustained. She was " the expectancy and rose of the fair state," they exclaim ; thus uniting, in a single phrase, patriotic affections with those which are produced by the fate of youth and beauty, so unexpected. Happy are the people, who thus appreciate the virtues of their Princes ! Faction will strive in vain to pro- due*' agitation among them ; and, in the sort of union which now subsists between governments, this circumstance is not indifferent to the repose of the world. "While the voice of heartfelt sorrow was thus heard throughout the land, and operated powerfully upon all ranks and conditions, to prevent the dan- ous alarm that this melancholy event was likely to produce in the minds of pregnant females, it was verj properly observed, that the universal sensation thereto} created, was greatly heightened by the well- known tart, that scarcely more than one woman in ////// thousand dies in chiid-bed ; for it was obvious, that not only the many excellencies of the Princess Charlotte's amiable character, and the interesting relation which she bore to an admiring people, but THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 433 the agonizing thought, that this unusual lot should have fallen upon the lovely Heiress to the British Throne, was one of the principal causes which so sensibly agitated the public mind. — Had it not been for this judicious observation, it is extremely pro- bable, that the lives of many Ladies, in similar cir- cumstances, might have been lost, through the same nervous forebodings which proved so fatal to Lady Albemarle, the youthful companion of the departed Princess ; and the observation is therefore here in- serted, as a powerful antidote to such groundless, but too often fatal, apprehensions. The melancholy preparations for the funeral inter- ment were now in a forward state. The Royal Sepulchre was again opened, to admit the remains of the illustrious dead. This extensive and admir- ably constructed receptacle, was chiefly from the design, and in no small degree under the personal superintendence, of our beloved, venerable, and afflicted Sovereign himself. It is constructed in the souterrain of a freestone building, attached to the east end of St. George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle, (somewhat in a similar way with the an- nexation of Henry VIFs Chapel to the east end of Westminster Abbey,) long known by the familiar appellation of " Wolsey's Tomb-house." In point of fact, the building was originally commenced by the Prince above mentioned, who intended it as a burying-place for himself and his successors ; but afterwards altering his purpose, he built the more noble structure at Westminster ; and this remained neglected until Cardinal Wolsey obtained a grant of it from Henry VIII., and, with a profusion of ex- pense, (for the vanity and ambition of this arch- favourite were unbounded,) began therein a sump- tuous monument for himself, whence the building 18. 3 I 431 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS obtained the name of "Wolsey's Tomb-house." This monument was so magnificently constructed, that it far exceeded that of Henry VII.'s, in his apel at Westminster Abbey; and at the time of the Cardinal's disgrace, the Tomb was so far exe- cuted, that Benedetto, a celebrated statuary of Florence, received 4250 ducats for what he had already done; and £380 18*. was paid for gilding only half of this monument. The Cardinal dying Bftortly after his disgrace, was buried in the Cathe- dral at York, and the monument remained unfin- ished. In 1640, the statues and figures, of gilt copper, of exquisite workmanship, were sold. James II. converted this building into a Popish chapel, and mass was publicly performed here. The ceiling was painted by Verrio, and the walls were finely ornamented and painted. The whole, however, was much neglected since the reign of .'ames II.; and being no appendage of the Collegiate Church, long waited the Royal favour, to rescue it from a state of decay. This, however, has been amply extended, by the munificence and solid taste i I our present gracious Sovereign, who, during the construction of the Royal .Sepulchre, is said, point- ing to one of the superior niches, to have observed, " lb re I shall lie; and I believe I shall not be one of the worst of those who will occupy this vault." In the year 1810, an excavation was formed of the whole length and width of the building, to the depth of fifteen feet from the surface, and in this the Sepulchre was constructed. The dimensions of tin- tomb are seventy feet in length, twenty-eight in width, and fourteen in depth. The receptacle for bodies on the sides of the tomb are formed by wive Gothic columns, of an octagon shape, sup- porting a range of four shelves, each of which, in the space between the columns, will contain two bodies: the whole range of each side admitting thirty-two bodies. At the east end are five niches, THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 435 for the reception of as many coffins. In the middle, twelve low tombs are erected for the Sovereigns : and the Sepulchre will thus contain eighty-one bodies. The columns are of fine Bath stone, and the shelves of Yorkshire granite. A subterraneous passage is formed from the vault under the choir of St. George's Chapel, in which an aperture is made, near the ascent to the Altar, for the bodies to descend ; and from the columns springs a vaulted roof, entirely over the tomb. In this cemetery are deposited the bodies of the late Duke of Gloucester and of one of his younger daughters ; and also the remains of the Princess Amelia, who was interred Nov. 13, 1810; and the Duchess of Brunswick, interred March 31, 1813. The above represents the external Coffin, destined to contain all that was left on earth of what so lately was life, and sprightliness, and generosity, and affection; which, as well as the internal, was, in every respect, corresponding to the rank of the lamented occupant. The inner receptacle was of mahogany, lined and pillowed with white satin, and MBMOtBS OF H\ER KOYAL HIGHNESS endoMd in lead. The magnificent Coffin surround ing those, was of the finest Spanish mahogany, co- , ,| with crimson Genoa velvet, and decorated with the asual taournful and heraldic insignia; the massive bandies, cVc. were of silver, gilt; and the ■ides divided into compartments by many thousand nails of the same costly materials. A large silver Plate on the lid bore the following Inscription: DEPOSITUM, ILLl'STRISSIM.E PRINCIPISSJE CHARLOTTE AUGUSTJE, ILLl'STRISSIMT PRINCIPIS GEORGII AUCUSTI FREDERIC!, PRINCIPIS WALLIiE, BRITANNIARUM REGENTIS, FILIiE UNICE: CONSOHTISQUE SERENISSIMI PRINCIPIS LEOPOLDI GEORGII FREDERICI, DICIS SAXONIJE, MARCHIONIS MISNIjE, LANDGRAVII THURINGIJE, PRINCIPIS COBURGI SAALFELDENS1S, EXERCITUUM REGIS MARESCHALLI MAJESTATE REGIJE A SANCTIORIBUS CONSILIIS NOBILISSIMI ORDINIS I'KRESCELIDIS, ET HONOR ATI SSIMI ORDINIS M1I.1TAR1S DE BALNEO ECH'ITIS : OBIIT SEXTA DIE NOVEHBRIS, ANNO DOMINI MDCCCXVII. JETATIS SUiE XXII. The following is a literal translation: The Remains Of the Most Illustrious Princess Charlotte-Augusta, The only Daughter of George-Augustus-Frederick, Prince of Wales, Regent of Great Britain; Con>ort of His Serene Highness Prince Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Margrave of Misnia, Landgrave ol'Thnringia, Prince of Cobourg-Saalfeld, Marshal in His Majesty's Army, Prifj Counsellor, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter. and the Bath, &e. Died on the Gth of November, in the Year of our Lord 1817, and in the 22d Year of her Age. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 437 This is engraven in a simple plain manner, and in no respect distinguished by adventitious ornament. It is of an oblong shape, and is surrounded with a plain border. Upon the whole, the Coffin, although extremely elegant, exhibits none of those gaudy ornaments which have been so floridly described, and which, if adopted, would have evinced very little taste in those who had the direction of the cere- monies. The Coffin itself is lined with white satin. At the angle of each panel were corner plates, on which was engraved a coronet encircled with palm branches, and the letters P. C. A. the initials of Princess Charlotte-Augusta. — A transcript of the preceding Inscription was also engraved on a silver Plate, inserted on the lid of the interior leaden Coffin. The Urn, containing the heart of Her Royal Highness, was of English oak, lined with lead, and covered with crimson velvet, the sides and top of which were formed into panels, with corner plates, &c. decorated as the Coffin. A gold medallion on the lid contained P. C. A. November 6th, 1817. The above is a representation of the Urn, and the Coffin of the Infant. This Coffin, like that of the |38 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Royal Parent, was of mahogany, covered, &c. the same, with only the difference of while nails. On a Plate oq the lid was engraved the following Inscrip- tion : THE STILL-BOFN MALE INFANT OF THEIR ROYAL AND SERENE HIGHNESSES THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA AND PRINCE LEOPOLD OF SA XE-COBOURG. NOVEMBER 5til, 1017. Late in the evening, of the 15th of November, the interior Coffins arrived in a hearse from London, and, to avoid every unnecessary excitement to the still inconsolable sorrow of Prince Leopold, were conveyed through a private entrance of the Lodge, to the Royal Chamber, where the last mournful duty of consigning the body of the Princess to that narrow home was performed by the Surgeons, &c. and witnessed by the superior attendants of the Household. It is needless to add, that the spec- tators were dissolved in tears, and that not a word was uttered to disturb the deathlike silence of the awful scene; of which the following extract of a letter, dated Claremont, Sunday, Nov. 16, 1817, affords an affecting description : ' Last evening was the time appointed for the final enclosure of the body of the most exalted and beloved of Princesses, in her ( tin., & c . Mr. Marsh, of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, ■rroed early, to superintend the proceedings, which were arranged so to take place, that the feelings of Prince Leopold might not be banned by the right or knowledge of any thing that was going on ; •'lid, at m ven o'clock, when His Serene Highness retired to his pri- vate room, the Rev. Dr. Short, and Dr. Slockmar his resident Phy- •iciau, accompanied him; and it was so arranged, that they were THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 439 to remain constantly with him, to engage his attention. Soon after the retirement of the Prince, the Plumhers, attending for that purpose, proceeded to solder the lead Coffin. The removal of the State Coffin from London to this place, had been very judiciously arranged : it left the house of Messrs. France and Banting, in Pall Mall, between five and six o'clock, in a hearse, drawn by four horses, followed by a mourning coach, in which was the outside Urn, and the outside Coffin for the Infant; another mourning coach followed, in which was Mr. Banting, one of the Royal Undertakers, and his assistants. They proceeded on the road in a private man- ner, unnoticed, and only halted for a short time at Kingston Bottom, to rest and feed the horses. They arrived a little before ten o'clock, and entered the Park and the House by the back entrance, in the most solemn silence. The State Coffin was then conveyed to the bed-room, where the remains of the Princess were deposited in the inner mahogany Coffin, enclosed in a lead Coffin, which have al- ready been described ; they were lifted into the State Coffin, which is of mahogany, covered with the richest crimson velvet, ornament- ed in the most splendid and elegant style, and far surpassing any thing of the kind that has ever been executed. The handles, which have, on former occasions, been only resembling those of trunks, have been executed in a manner to have the effect of very handsome ornaments, highly finished, and embossed with very superior work- manship. The Urn is ornamented in a similar manner. The Coffin^of the Infant is covered with crimson velvet, the ornaments of silver; those of the Princess's Coffin and Urn are highly gilt. The Plate on the Princess's Coffin was engraved by Mr. Gilbert, the King's Goldsmith, in Cockspur Street. The spectators of this mournful and heart-rending performance were — The Baron Har- denbrock, Sir R. Gardiner, Colonel Addenbroke, Lady J. Thynne, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Papenbourg, &c. " The great object in facilitating this solemn performance, was to have the whole completed before eleven o'clock, that being the hour at which His Serene Highness has nightly visited the remains of his beloved Princess since her decease, to weep over them, previous to his retiring to bed. Happily, the whole was ac- complished before the clock struck eleven ; and the persons era- ployed in the operations retired from view, so that when the Prince entered the room, he would only behold one coffin substituted for another." 440 MKMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS On Wednesday the twelfth, His Royal High- - the Prince Regent visited Claremont, to behold, lor the last time, the beloved remains of his departed Daughter. The shock was intense, and all tin- feelings of the Parent were awakened to a degree, which for a considerable time it was found impossible to tranquillize. An unfinished Portrait of Her late Royal Highness, from the pencil Of Sir Thomas Lawrence, was immediately ordered to Carlton House, where it has ever since been the companion of a Father's solitude, and almost the only apparent consolation to a Father's heart. As the day approached which was to consign all that could perish of our once lovely Princess to the hist cerements of mortality, every exertion, both public and private, was used to give due effect to the solemnity of the occasion. Arrange- ments were made for the entire suspension of all public business in the Metropolis, and for the performance of Divine Service in all Churches and Chapels throughout the kingdom. Amongst numerous other announcements, the following was issued by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor: " SMITH, Mayor. " Mansion House, Nov. 15, 1817. The Lord Mayor begs to inform the public, that the Mansion House, and Guildhall, will he closed, and no business will be tran- I it < ulier place on Wednesday next, being the day appointed fat tbc Funeral of Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales. The Lord Mayor does not presume to dictate to his fellow- i itimu what line of conduct they should pursue, as he is persuaded they will do what is suitable to that melancholy occasion." " By order of the Lord Mayor, (Signed) "Francis Hobler." THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 441 It will be an era in the history of our country: the period announced for the interment of the Princess Charlotte, was a day of most solemn and devout observance, not only throughout the vast Metropolis, and amongst all sects and denomi- nations of Christians, but throughout the whole realm of Britain. The Churches were generally opened as on Sunday, and were crowded in a remarkable degree; appropriate discourses were delivered ; and, wherever the Preacher alluded personally to the deceased object whose Funeral was the occasion of their assembling, the feelings of the hearers, as well as his own, were but too promptly indicated by their gushing tears. No awful ceremony of this kind, on the demise of any of our rulers, or of any branches of their illustrious families, has ever, we believe, been marked by so general and unequivocal a testimony of unfeigned sorrow and regret. The Parochial Churches and the different Chapels, both of the Establishment and of Dissenters, exhibited the signs of public grief, by the covering of their pulpits, desks, and galleries, with the sad emblems of mourning. Beside the shops being shut up with a strictness equal to the observance of the sacred Sabbath; the ordinary business of the town was suspended, and most private houses had their window shutters entirely closed. All that custom ordains as the signs of external sorrow, were to be seen every where, in the public streets, in the parks, and in the most retired and obscure parts of the Metropolis. Unconfined to those with whom a change of dress is no consideration, the same sentiment operated with equal effect upon thousands whose condition approaches closely to difficulty and poverty. Among those inferior classes, there were few who could find the means of procuring any black, that did not eagerly put on the visible demonstrations of their unaffected sorrow. The 19. 3 k 442 MF.MOIKS OP HER IIOYAL HIGHNESS Charity children in several parishes bore the signs of mourning. The Courts of Law, the Custom [loose, the Public Offices, the Royal Exchange, &c. if ere closed. Orders were sent to all the Dock- yards, to prohibit the usual transaction of business. British vessels, and those of all other nations, hoisted their colours only half mast high ; and on the river Thames, and at the different sea-ports, minute-guns were tired all night. Even the Gam- bling houses, which are a disgrace to our Nobility and to the National Legislature, thought it neces- sary to suspend their debasing work on the day of the Funeral of the Princess Charlotte: the master of one of the most famous of these infamous houses of ruinous resort, issued the following order on that melancholy occasion : " Gentlemen are informed, that, in consequence of this being the day appointed for the burial of Her Royal High- thc Princess Charlotte, as a proper mark of respect to her beloved memory, play will not begin till to-morrow at ten o'clock." The tolling of the great bell of St. Paul's, ac- companied by the bells of all the other Churches, excited much feeling in the evening, when the mourning crowds were assembled on Blackfriar's- brtdge; and when the solemn effect was increased by the stillness of the river, and by the soft clearness of the moonlight. The removal of the bodies of the Princess and the Royal Infant from Claremont being fixed for biz o'clock on Tuesday evening, the 18th, a nume- rous party of the 10th, or Prince's Own Regiment, arrived at. five. Several of them were stationed in the Park, near the paling, to prevent disorder; and, at the appointed time, a mourning coach and drove up to the grand entrance of the house; soon after which, the coffin, containing the corpse of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 443 the Infant, and the Urn, were brought out and placed in the coach; directly after, Sir Robert Gardiner and Colonel Addenbroke followed, and entered the coach. The hearse then drove up ; and the state coffin, containing the remains of the Princess, borne by ten men, was brought out and placed within it. The hearse, drawn by eight horses, was then driven completely out of sight, to prevent the Prince seeing it when he came out. The coach which was to convey him being announced to be in readiness, His Serene Highness then came out and entered it, attended by the Rev. Dr. Short, in his full robes. The Baron Hardenbrock, two Gentlemen Ushers, Lady J. Thynne, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Lewis, and Mrs. Phillips, went in the other mourning coaches. Every thing was conducted with the greatest regularity and solem- nity, and no sounds were audible but the deep sighs of the few afflicted spectators who were admitted into the Park. Before half-past six o'clock the Procession began to move, preceded by upwards of thirty horsemen, three a-breast, in full mourning ; and the whole was followed by a party of the 10th dragoons. Both Walton and Hampton Court bridges were mentioned confidently as roads for the procession, but it was finally determined to go over Walton-bridge, in consequence of the Commander-in-Chief having ordered Gen. Bolton to direct a party to ride over the two roads, and report which was the best. Great numbers of horsemen and pedestrians fol- lowed, and the bells of the different churches in the towns and villages through which it passed tolled their solemn sounds. The roads were thronged with weeping spectators, and every house was closed. At Egham, the escort of the 10th regiment was relieved by the Royal Horse Guards Blue, and the Funeral Procession arrived at Wind- sor shortly after midnight, at a slow foot pace, 4J4 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS and without flambeaux, or any other lights. The remains of the Princess were then received at the Lowei Lodge, by the Yeornen of the Guard, who carried the coffin; and a Guard of Honour, from the 3d Regiment of Foot Guards, was station- ed outside. The Corpse of the Infant, and the Urn, were then immediately conveyed to St. George's Chapel, and there received by the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Hobart, the Dean, the Rev. Mr. Northey and the Rev. Dr. Cooksoo standing beside him ; with T. B. Marsh, Esq. of the Lord Chamberlain's depart- ment, and eiuht Yeomen of the Guard standing round : the Coffin of the Royal Infant was borne from the coach by four, and the Urn by two Yeomen of the Guard. The Body and the Urn were then gradually lowered by a windlass into the Royal Cemetery ; where two of the Yeomen descend- ed to receive them. They were then deposited tem- porarily on a shelf, previously to their being placed on the Coffin of the Princess. No service took place ; and the most awful stillness was preserved throughout. The hearse then proceeded into the front court of the Lower Lodge, where the body of the Princess Charlotte was placed, under a canopy prepared for its reception. His Serene Highness Prince Leopold was received and con- din ted to his apartments by Sir George Nayler, Knight, and Hale Young Wortham, "Esq. ' the King's Gentleman Usher in Waiting, attended by the Officers of the Lord Chamberlain. The rooms that the Corpse passed through were covered in every part, walls, ceiling, and floor, with black cloth; and the adjoining "room, where it was placed, was fitted up in a style of melancholy the Coffin, the ground, also covered was placed a THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 445 canopy, with plumes, shadowing the Princess's coronet, and against the wall was a large escut- cheon of Her Royal Highness's arras, emblazoned on satin. Three large candelabras were on each side of the Coffin, and numerous small wax candles on all sides of the room. Prince Leopold, his attendants, &c. alighted at the Lower Lodge, His Serene Highness having expressed his intention to sit up all night with the Corpse of the Princess, or at least to visit it. He did so during the night, and again at eight o'clock on the Wednesday morn- ing, when some few persons attached to the House- hold were afterwards permitted to enter the awful chamber. During the whole route from Esher, it was a fine night, and the moon shone brightly all the way from Claremont till the Procession reached the town of Windsor; when, in a most remarkable manner, the sky became overcast, the moon was hidden with clouds, and darkness ensued : — this sudden change visibly affected thousands of specta- tors, and seemed to spread an additional and unexpected gloom over the scene of sorrow. Shortly after eight o'clock, on Wednesday even- ing, the mournful cavalcade proceeded to the last abode of departed Royalty. In St. George's Cha- pel, every preparation had already been made to add solemnity to the awful scene, by lining the whole of its interior with black cloth, and by making every other arrangement that could give effect to the mournful solemnity. The Procession of this Sepulchral Pageant, was in the following order: Servants and Grooms of Her late Royal Highness and of His Serene Highness, on foot, in deep Mourning. Servants and Groom,s of the Royal Family, the Prince Regent, and their Majesties, on foot, in full State Liveries, with crape hat-bands, and black gloves, four and four, bearing flambeaux. A U> MEMOIRS OF HEU ROYAL HIGHNESS The full band of the Royal Horse Guards Blue. THE HEARSE, Drawn by eight of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent's Q Black Horses, fully caparisoned, ~ fa Horse attended by a Groom in full State Livery. - . : His Majesty's Body Carriage (Drawn by a full set of His Majesty's Horses, g» £. ■» each Horse attended by a Groom in full State Livery), &* ' conveying 2 © 3 C <^ His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold, ? go_ __ Chief Mourner, *. a and g O their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence, Supporters to the Chief Mourner. The Carriages of the Prince Regent, the Royal Family, and the Prince Leopold, each drawn by six Horses, closed the Procession. The whole Procession from the Lower Lodge, to St. George's Chapel, was flanked by the Military, every fourth man bearing a flambeau. Upon arrival at St. George's Chapel, the Servants, Grooms, and Band, filed oft' without the south door. At the entrance, the Dean and Canons, attended by the Choir, received the Body; and the Procession, (which had been formed under the direction of Sir George Nayler, Knt. York Herald, executing this part of the duty on behalf of Garter), being flanked by the Foot Guards, every fourth man bearing a flambeau, moved down the south aisle, and up the nave, in the following order: Poor Knights of Windsor. Pages of their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Augusta, Elizabeth and Sophia, Mr. Harding. Mr. Moore. Mr. Gollop. Pages of His Serene Highness Prince Leopold, Mr. Ammershuber. Mr. Phillips. Mr. Lyons. Mr. Fairbairn. Mr. Hewett. Mr. Heock. Mr. Bagster. Mr. James Sims. Mr. Thomas Poole. Mr. Henry Florschutz. Mr. Paul Mechin. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 447 Pages of His Highness the Duke of Gloucester, Mr. Hart. Mr. J. Moss. Mr. J. Venables. Pages of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Mr. Urlin. Mr. Sams. Pages of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, Mr. Reblourne. Mr. Blackman. Pages of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, Mr. Salisbury. Mr. Gaspar Perelion. Mr. J. Ball. Mr. Paulet. Pages of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, Mr. Redwood. Mr. Jeminett. Mr. Hutt. Mr. Robinson. Pages to His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Mr. Luraley. Mr. Silvester. Mr. Gibbon. Mr. Worley. Mr. Kendal. Mr. Frantz. Mr. Goodes. ' Mr. Shell. Mr. Patte. Pages of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, viz. Pages of the Back Stairs, Samuel Wharton. Charles Beckt. Benjamin Lucas. Pages of the Presence, Joseph Ince. Thomas Messenger. John Dobell. George Wedgberrow. Pages of the Bed-Chamber, Jenkins Stradling, Joseph Norden, Robert Jenkins, Samuel Bow tell, John Wood, Charles Downes, Esqrs. Pages of Her Majesty, Christopher Papendick, H. F. Grobecker, William Duncan, Daniel Robinson, Esqrs. Pages of His Majesty, Joseph Bott, John Clarke. Anthony Healey, William Baker, John Bott, Henry Cooper, W. Suart, Esqrs. Solicitor to Her late Royal Highness, John Smallpiece, Gent. 448 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Apothecaries of Her late Royal Highness, Mr. Richard Walker. Mr. E. Brande. Surgeons of Her late Royal Highness, Mr. Neville. Mr. Robert Keate. Rector of the Parish of Esher, Reverend J. Dagle. Serjeant Surgeons to the King, >.r David Dundas, Bart. Sir Everard Home, Bart. Physician to the Prince Leopold, Christian Stockmar, M. D. Physicians who attended Her late Royal Highness, John Sims, M. D. Matthew Baillie, M. D. Sir Richard Croft, Bart. M. D. Chaplains to Her late Royal Highness, and to His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold, The Rev. Alex. Starkey. The Rev. William Kuper. The Rev. J. Hammond. The Rev. Dr. Short. Equerry to Her late Royal Highness, Lieut. Col. the Hon. Henry Percy. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund Currey, Esq. Lieut. Col. Samuel G. Higgins. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Captain White. Lieutenant-Colonel Count Linsingen. Equerry to His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, H. F. Stephenson, Esq. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, Captain Jones. Major Frederick Poten. Colonel Charles Wade Thornton. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Carr, K. C. B. Major-Gen. James Moore. Lieut.-Gen. Fred. -Augustus Wethcrall. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Lieut.-Col. the Hon. J. Stanhope. Lieut.-Col. Delancy Barclay. Equerries to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, Colonel Seymour. Major-Gen. Sir R. Hussey Vivian, K. C. B. Sir William Congreve, Bart. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 449 Clerk Marshal and First Equerry, Lieutenant-General Francis Thomas Hammond. Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, Majov-Gen. Sir Henry Torrens, K. C. B. Quarter-Master-General, Adjutant-General, Sir J. Willoughby Gordon, K. C. B. Sir Harry Calvert, G. C. B. Officers of the Duchy of Cornwall, viz. Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, William Harrison, Esq. William Draper Best, Esq. Lord Warden of the Stanneries, The Earl of Yarmouth. Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal, John Leach, Esq. Chamberlain to the Great Steward of Scotland, Admiral Lord Viscount Keith, G. C. B. Grooms to the Bedchamber to the Prince Regent, Admiral Lieutenant-General Sir G. Campbell, K. C. B. the Hon. Sir Edward Paget, G. C. B. Lieuteuant-General General Sir T. Hilgrove Turner, Knt. Sir William Keppel, G. C. B. General Lieutenant-General Sir John F. Cradock, G. C. B. the Hon. Edward Finch. Pursuivants of Arms. Portcullis, G. F. Beltz, Esq. Rouge Dragon, Bluemantle, C. G. Young, Esq. F. Martin, Gent. Treasurer of the Prince Regent's Household, Lord Charles Bentinck. Heralds of Arms, Somerset, Richmond, J. Cathrow, Esq. J. Hawker, Esq. Lancaster, Chester, E. Lodge, Esq. G. M. Leake, Esq. Privy Purse and Private Secretary to the Prince Regent, The Right Honourable Sir Benjamin Bloomfield. 19. 3 L ' MfcMOIBfl OF HB1 KOYAL HIGHNESS Lords of the Prince Regent's Bedchamber, The Right Hon. Lord Amherst The Right Hon. Lord Graves- Tin- Earl ofDelawam Lord Viscount Lake. I , i llm s Murray Lord Viscount Melbourne. The M.ii<|uis of ilcadford. Lord Charles Spencer. 1'. Townsend, Esq. Windsor Herald, acting for Norroy King of Arms. The Rt. Hon. Lord Ellenborough. The lit. Hon. Lord Grenville. The Lord Bishop of Exeter. The Lord B. of Salisbury.C.G. The Lord Bishop of London. The Minister of State of Hanover, and the Minister of Saxony, Count Munster. Baron de Just. The Deputy Earl Marshal, Lord Henry T. Howard Molyneux Howard. The Earl of Chichester. The Marquis Cornwallis. The Marquis of Salisbury, K. G. His Majesty's Ministers, viz. The Right Hon. Charles Bathurst. The Bight Hon. W. W. Pole. The Bight Hon. George Canning. The Right Hon. N. Vansittart. Lord Viscount Sidmouth. Lord Viscount Melville. Lord Viscount Castlereagb, K.G. The Earl of Mulgrave. The Earl of Liverpool, K. G. The Earl Bathurst, K. G. The Karl of Westmoreland, K.G. The Earl of Harrowby, Lord Privy Seal. Lord President of the Council. The Right Honourable Lord Eldon, Lord High Chancellor. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. Choir of Windsor. Canons of Windsor. Dean of Windsor. Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, The Earl of Macclesfield. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 451 The Lord Steward of x _,. i „. ,, . . , J I he Kings Master of His Maiestv s / , ri , T 111 v the Horse, Household, > ™ ri .i f „ » r ™ I The Duke of _ne Marquis of \ _ A v n Winchester. OI , , , 7 Montrose, Jv. Lr. The Groom of the Stole, The Marquis of i f Ralph Bigland, Esq. Norroy, acting for Clarenceux King of Arms .The Coronet of Her late Royal High- ness, borne, upon a black velvet cu- shion, by Colonel Addenbroke, Equerry to Her late Royal Highness. Garter Principal King of Aims, Sir Isaac Heard, Knt. bear- ing his Sceptre. /'The Lord Chamber- "x Secretary to the Lord \ lain of His Majes-/ "\ ty's Household, /■ / The Marquis of Hert- \ Supporter, H. Y.Wortham, Esq. one of His Majesty's Gentlemen Ushers. Supporter, W. Woods, Esq. Chamberlain, John Calvert, Esq. ford, K. G. Supporter, Robert Chester, Esq. Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber. Supporter, J. Pulman, Esq. The Vice Chamberlain, Viscount Jocelyn. Supporter of the Pall, the Right Hon. Lady Elleuborough. Supporter of the Pall, the Right Hon. Lady Grenville. THE BODY, Covered with a black velvet pall, adorned with eight escut- cheons of Her late Royal Highness's arms, the cothn car- ried by eight Yeo- men of the Guard, under a canopy of black velvet, borne by eight Gentlemen Ushers. Supporter of the Pall, the Right Hon. Lady Arden. Supporter of the Pall, the Right Hon. Lady Boston. 452 MEMOIRS OF HER ROVAL HIGHNESS iiis Royal Highness llu- Duke of Clarence, in a long black cloak, lli— train borne bi Rear-Ad- miral the llonnur- nlil<> >ir Henry Blackwood, Bart. and the Hon. Courtney Boyle. The CHIEF MOURNER, His Serene Highness The Prince Leopold, in a long black cloak, His train home by Baron de Hardenbrock, and Lieutenant - Colonel Sir Robert Gardiner, K. C. B. Aides-de-Camp and E- querries to His Serene Highness. His Royal Highness the Duke of York, in a long black cloak, His train borne by Lieut.- Col. Armstrong, andLieut.-Colonel Cooke, Aides-de- Camp to His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, in a long black cloak, his train borne by Major-General Sir G. Townshend Walker, G.C.B. Groom of the Bedchamber, and Major Perkins Magra, Equerry to His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, in a long black cloak, his train borne by General Vyse, Comp- troller of the Household, and Lieutenant-General Henry Wyn- yard, Groom of the Bed-cham- ber of His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, in a long black cloak, his train borne by Colonel Dalton, and Lieutenant-Colonel Cotton, Grooms of the Bedchamber of His Royal Highness. Lady Gardiner. Lady John Thynne, one of the Ladies of the Bedchamber of Her late Royal Highness. Women of the Bedchamber of Her late Royal Highness, Miss Charlotte Cotes. Mrs. Campbell. His Majesty's Establishment at Windsor, viz. Groom of the Stole, The Earl of Winchelsea, K. G. Master of the Robes, Vice-Chamberlain, The Right Honourable Lord Vernon. Lord John Thynne. Lords of the Bedchamber, The Right Hon. Lord Rivers. The Right Hon. Lord Somerville. The Right Hon. Lord Arden. The Right Hon. Lord St. Helen's. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 453 Grooms of the Bedchamber, Vice-Admiral The Honourable the Hon. Sir A. K. Legge, K.C.B. Robert Fulk Greville. Lieutenant-General Vice-Admiral Sir Henry F. Campbell K. C. B. Sir Harry Neale, Bart. K. C. B, Clerk Marshal and First Equerry, General Robert Manners. Equerries, General George Garth. Gen. Francis-Edward Gwynn, Lieut. -Gen. Sir B. Spencer, G.C. B. Lieut.-General W. Cartwright. Lieut. -Gen. William Wynyard. Master of the Household, Benjamin Charles Stephenson, Esq. Her Majesty's Establishment at Windsor, viz. Master of the Horse, Earl Harcourt. Treasurer of the Household, Vice-Chamberlain, Major-General Herbert Taylor. Edward Disbrowe, Esq, Equerries, Major-Gen. Hon. Sir E.Stopford, K.C.B. Col. Hon. A. P.Upton, Ladies of Her Majesty's Bedchamber, The Countess of Ilchester. The Countess of Macclesfield. Viscountess Melville. Women of Her Majesty's Bedchamber, The Hon. Mrs. A. M. Egerton. The Right Hon. Lady Radstock, The Hon. Mrs. Courtney Boyle. Gentlemen Ushers, George N. Vincent, Esq. Charles Rooke, Esq. T. Gore, Esq. Ladies of the Bedchamber of Their Royal Highnesses the Princesses, Lady Mary Powlet. Lady Mary Taylor. Lady Eliz. Montague. Women of the Bedchamber of Their Royal Highnesses the Princesses, Miss Disbrowe. Lady Campbell. Miss Vyse. Attendants on Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, Mrs. Cronberg. Mrs. Lewis. Mrs. Phillips. Attendants on Her Majesty and the Princesses, j.-, I ah. mm IKs OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS l poo entering the choir, the Bo.lv was placed on a platform, ..,,,1 ,|,. Coronet and Cushion laid upon the Coffin. The Chief Mourner sal on ■ chair placed for His Serene Highness at the bead of the Corpse, and their Royal Highnesses, his Supporters, on chain on either side: the Supporters of the Pall sat in their places near the Body, and the Lord Chamherlaiu of His Majesty's Household onachairal the feet of the Corpse. The Royal Dukes, and tli«' Nobility, Kniirhts of the Garter, occupied their respective Stalls: and tlie Ministers of State, Officers of the Household, and Others of the Procession, were conducted to their respective places. This procession was conducted with the utmost solemnity, and when it arrived in the choir, the deepest interest was evinced by a solemn and mourn- ful silence. The choristers, on their entrance to the chapel, began to chant the solemn service of "I know that my Redeemer liveth:" the canopy followed moving- at a very slow pace : under this was the Royal coffin, carried by eight Yeomen of the Guard, and enveloped by the magnificent pall which was supported by four Baronesses. Prince Leopold followed the corpse as chief mourner ; and Ins appearance created the utmost interest; — his countenance was dejected; and though he made evident efforts to preserve calmness and fortitude, yet be frequently burst into a flood of tears. His Serene Highness walked along with unsteady steps, and took the seat provided for him at the head of the coffin. During the whole time of the funeral Bervice, he preserved one fixed but downcast look towards the coffin of his beloved Wife; and never <»nce raised his eyes to the congregation : so totally was he absorbed in his grief. The Royal Dukes who sat or stood beside him, watched with much solicitude, as if they were afraid he would sink under his affliction. His distress, however, was tolerably subdued till the moment when the coffin was gradually lowered into the grave; at this awful THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 455 crisis he was alarmingly moved, though by a strong effort lie seemed also to conquer even this emotion ; and the rest of the service passed on without requir- ing any particular notice. The usual anthems were chanted with proper solemnity; and the Dean of Windsor read the awful ceremony with dignity and pathos. The music was generally the same as is usually performed at public funerals in St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbev, with the addition of Dr. Blake's favourite anthem, from the 16th Psalm — " I have set God always before me." That part of the service before the interment being read, the body was again raised on the shoulders of the Yeomen, and followed by the procession in its origi- nal order: the whole proceeded up the side aisle to the mouth of the vault immediately behind the altar, where the body being lowered into the vault, and the mourners standing around, the burial service was completed. Sir Isaac Heard, Knight-Garter, Principal King of Arms, in a voice more broken with grief than age, then proclaimed the style of Her late Royal Highness as follows: " Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto his Divine Mercy, the late most illustrious Princess Charlotte-Augusta, Daughter of His Royal High- ness George Prince of Wales, Regent of this United King- dom ; Consort of His Serene Highness Prince Leopold George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld ; and Grand-daughter of His Most Excellent Majesty George the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, whom God bless and preserve with long life, health, and honour, and all worldly happiness." In delivering this, Sir Isaac Heard was deeply affected. His voice faltered, and he wept; and at that moment there was not, perhaps, a dry eye in the Chapel. l',i; MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS After this lasl sad rite. His Serene Highness the CM. i Mourner, the Princes of the Blood Royal, il, t Great Officers, Nobility, and others who had .1 the procession, retired; having witnessed that » \ tv part of the most mournful and afflicting ceremony had hern conducted with great regularity, decorum, and solemnity. They all returned back without the state accompaniments, the organ play- ing the " Dead March in Saul." The melancholy solemnity was terminated about eleven o'clock, but tlifc Chapel and the avenues were not completely cleared until after twelve. At that hour the whole town of Windsor was full of bustle :md confusion. The carriage-ways were all blocked up with vehicles of every description, and the foot- paths u ere impassable for the multitude of spectators. rrince Leopold was supposed to have returned to Claremont almost immediately after the mournful ceremonial : but it is certain, that an hour after the other mourners were withdrawn, His Serene High- ; i 98 was found in the vault of death weeping over the dear remains of his beloved Charlotte; and that it was only by a friendly violence that he could be removed. When removed from the vault, and requ( Bted to pass the rest of the night at Windsor, His Serene Highness declared his determination of immediately setting out for Claremont, saying, " I must return to-night, or I shall never return !" He had made in the morning a short call at the Queen's Lodge, and walked for a short space in the Little Park with the Duke of Clarence. The Queen and Princesses kept themselves closely confined to their chambers, as did the Prince Regent at Carlton House. All persons admitted into St. George's Chapel appeared in deep mourning; and no officer was admitted in uniform who was not on military duty within the Chapel. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 457 When the hearse reached the entrance of the Chapel, the crowds of spectators whose tickets of admission were restricted to the Castle-yard, in the agony of feeling gave the homage of their hearts. Sighs, tears, and ejaculations, responded from one side of the square to the other. Peace to her manes ! was the language of affliction. — Virtues such as her's may " walk through the valley of the sha- dow of death, and fear no evil" — the Stay and Staff of Israel was with her. The procession entered by the gate on the south aisle, through which it proceeded, and moved up the nave into the Chapel. The aisle on each side was lined by a detachment of the Foot Guards, three deep; and it is but justice to the assembled soldiery to say, that they conducted themselves with the most exemplary conduct, and evinced their full participation in the anguish and distress of their fellow-citizens. It is rare to see the bosom of a great country so deeply agitated, and the heart of a noble nation moved, by a burst of emotion, at once so generous, so powerful, and so various. But that manly heart, and those warm emotions, ought now to be relieved from too intense a pressure. Sensibility was given by the wise Creator, not merely for the ornament", but for the use of man; and our best affections are often wounded, that we may be roused more forcibly to a sense of our duties — to think, to resolve, and to reform. This national movement has assumed a character unexampled in the history of nations. Foreigners, indeed, may well stand amazed, when we are alarmed at the solemnity of our own impres- sions. Esteem, affection, pity, for the illustrious object, who vanished like a spirit, while the eye still gazed upon her form ; disappointment of her own ardent hopes; solicitude for our future, though not immediate prospects; the combined operation J9. 3 M MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS <>l* all these feelings it is difficult, perhaps, to under- stand. The grief arising out of them is a graceful sentiment in the breast of any individual: when it pervades an entire nation, it becomes elevated and majestic. The English have now displayed an ardour of temperament, in its nature always noble; but if abused or perverted, not at all times safe. They have shewn such attachment to the virtues of the Royal House, as must shame and repudiate the charge of unprovoked or general disaffection. Let their Sovereigns cherish this ardent people; they are an impregnable defence of a constitutional and lawful throne: — let their enemies beware of such a people; for whatever course their passions take, their vigour will reuder them irresistible. They have wept over the memory of their Princess with that ardency with which they loved her, and though time will calm the agony of their regret, short reign, has added more to the glory of the British name, than any of his predecessors; and the Heir of the Crown, thus embellished by moral virtue, and by national glory; could not depart from the conspicuous scene in which she was placed, without exciting the patriotic sorrow of a well-judging and affectionate people. But when these high considerations were brought home to our own domestic feelings, by the circumstance of the loss we have suffered, the public sorrow took a tender tone, and the national feeling Was softened down into a family affliction, which assumed, in each individual, the colour which was most con- genial to each: — One mourned as for a wife, another lamented as for a sister; parents felt their own wounds re-open, and their sorrow for their own chil- dren returned upon their souls: mothers, who recol- lected at once the throes of their travail, and the maternal ecstasy which followed them, lamented that even the consolation of seeing the face of her child was denied to the Royal and unhappy Mo- ther; and that she must, before her departure, have fell some of the pangs which we now feel for her. — But from all such pangs she is now i'vee. The tomb has thus closed upon two generations, from whom we expected a long line of patriot Princes, continuing to the remotest posterity the royal diadem in the illustrious House of Brunswick, lint these fond anticipations, these towering hopes, are dashed to the earth, and, instead of the joyful Anthem k Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given," we have had to listen to the funeral dirge. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 461 and join in the requiem for the death of two gene- rations of Princes, in the short space of a few hours. " O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory?" Great, indeed, has been the victory the Grave has gained ; and deeply do the universal British family feel this sting of Death. In contemplating the character of this virtuous Princess, we may say, with the pious and eloquent Flechier, " She was worthy of being praised in the face of the altars of the Lord, by the ministers of the gospel. When, in these funeral orations, we have to contemplate those worldly lives of which we can only praise the end, and the Christian practices of which are reduced to some acts of religion done in the course of sickness, it is difficult not to flatter vanity, to confound fortune with virtue, and to scatter some of those grains of incense which we owe to God, upon the world, which is but an idol. Woe to us, if we praise what God has not approved — if we consecrate, without discernment, those virtues purified in haste, on the point of breathing the last sigh — and if we excuse years of vanity, because of some days of penitence. But thanks to Jesus Christ, I am now relieved from such difficulties and fears. I speak of a Princess whose virtue was never either relaxed or belied. Her life was a preparation to die well : and her death is to us an exhortation to live well. What- ever action we touch upon is virtuous and pious. Court intrigues, affairs of the world, state reasons, are strangers here ; and it is the grandeur of my subject to be confined to a life all Christian. " The history of this Princess is not connected with that of the age : she has no part in the wars or the peace of nations. Her actions have no greater eclat than that which virtue gives. The Providence of God has not made so much use of her to do great works, as to set great examples. However honoured she was, she had less reputation than MM MIMOIRS Of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ■ merit, and we may literally say of her, what the Prophet Kin- said, ' that the whole glory of the King's Daughter was within herself.'— Omnis gloria FtUti / gis abintus" The Princess was, indeed, a personage so inter- esting, i mi sex and age, and circumstances pecu- liar to li rself, that on no one of the Royal House could tli hand of death have fallen with a force that would have been more appalling, or inflicted a wound that would have seemed more difficult to be healed. But there are two upon whom the wound it has inflicted can be healed only in the grave — the Father and the Husband ; of the Father, whom the fatal blow has rendered childless ; of the Husband, exalted, by her preference, from a nominal German princedom, to reign in her heart, if not upon her fu- ture throne, and hereafter to hold the hand that held the sceptre of her hereditary realm, now widowed both of his love and his hopes, and cast back into society from an elevation to which, in early life, even his ambition could not have dared to aspire ; — of those elder branches of Royalty, to whom her sudden translation to the invisible world has <»jx ned a vista of gradual succession to their Father's Crown; — of Her, who shares that Crown, and who, at the crisis of this calamity, had just removed to Bath, for the restoration of her health, full as she is of years, and rich in honours: — of these, and of their feelings, we shall only say, Sacred be their sorrows, and hallowed to their f resent and eternal interests, the death of their ovely and lamented relative! But as in great national calamities men learn, or ought to learn, great and salutary lessons, we trus! that no man has since failed to derive benefit fn.in this awful visitation. It is in the nature of -I affliction to bring man closer io his Maker, to revive his slumbering conscience, to give a voice to hi^ iniquities, and make them pom- themselves in THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 463 v repentance and prayer at the feet of Him who alone has power to punish and to forgive — he must have felt the melancholy event as a visitation from on high. This salutary impression is enforced from the pulpit; and in all churches, the death of the young, the virtuous, and the loved, is the theme of religious consideration. Men are called upon to acknowledge the chastening hand of the Almighty, and not only to bow in humble resignation to his will, but to search out in their own hearts the causes of his wrath, and attempt, with sincerity, to propitiate Him by the most pleasing of all sacri- fices, the offering of a contrite spirit. If the general calamity lead to this effect, the Princess Charlotte will not have died in vain. We now proceed more particularly to notice the remarkably solemn manner in which the memorable day of the Princess Charlotte's interment was ob- served by the British nation. — At an early hour^ the bells throughout the vast city of London tolled the funeral knell, which was resumed at intervals during the day, and continued until twelve o'clock at night. Among them, the deep and melancholy tone of St. Paul's struck upon the ear with a force and effect greatly exceeding all its melancholy associates. The Standard on the Tower was hoisted at day-break, half-staff high ; and the example was followed by every vessel in the river that had an ensign or union jack to display. In the different sea-ports, minute guns were to be fired at night ; and every ship of every nation was to hoist their colours half-mast high. In all the parishes, the parochial children were partly dressed in mourn- ing — black collars and cuffs, instead of red, or blue, or green, and black bindings round their caps and badges : the females, with black ribbons on their gowns and caps. The scene around us was one of universal mourning. All the upper classes were in 4M MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS full suits of Mack, and persons even in humblest lit,- were not without some mark or emblem of Divine service was performed in all the and Chapels of every religious sect and ft. Eleven o'clock was iu general the hour of its commencement. A few minutes before that hour, the crowd tha*t hctd ;i> tinbled about St. Paul's, waiting for the opening of the doors, was more than sufficient to fill that spacious edifice. It blocked up the streets mi as to render thorn almost impassable. The fold- ing doors were closed when the body of the Cathe- dral was tilled; which was a great disappointment to those waiting on the outside, as they could not gain admittance. At the time appointed for the commencement of the service, those on the outside, in a numerous body, made a rush iu, to the immi- nent danger of those in the inside; they injured the windows and doors, but happily no accident oc- curred. This caused great confusion and alarm throughout the Cathedral, and the stalls appointed in g< m -ral for the choristers were completely filled. The congregation waited a considerable time for the seraoe i begm. At length, one o'clock arrived, and a report was current over the place that -the service was to be suspended; which report spread a ^sii>!o gloom on all the congregation, who were highly respectable, and who appeared to be deeply sensible of the great loss the nation had sustained. In const -qucii' e of the great tumult, and leaving some danger might accrue, the city officers were sent for, who, after some time arrived, and they \\>re directed to keep the place quiet, and, if pos- sil.l. , i » clear the body of the Cathedral. lne report of the suspending the service being spread, ii v. as thought prudent to send for the Lord yor, who was at the time in company w r ith Sir >\ iliiam Curtis at another church. He came mimed lately, and paid the strictest attention to the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 465 comforts of the congregation ; but being incapable of succeeding, he left the Cathedral. The Cathe- dral was appropriately fitted in black, the Altar and Pulpit being covered therewith, and the Coat of Anus of the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg placed on the front of the latter. Here Mr. Atwood ap- peared in the gallery by the organ, and announced, that in consequence of the Stalls being so very full, the Service must inevitably be suspended, as they could not hear it with any pleasure. The Lord Mayor again appeared, who, we suppose, not hear- ing the former announcement, expressed his grati- fication at witnessing so numerous a congregation, and that the Service should commence as soon as possible. They waited in suspense till some time after the appointed hour, for the Service to commence, but in vain. Here the Officers attempted to clear the body of the Cathedral, but to no purpose. The Lord Mayor then addressed the Congregation, and said, that the Clergymen had left the Cathe- dral, and likewise the Choir, and, although he lamented it as much as any one present, the Service must naturally be suspended, as there was no Cler- gyman present to celebrate it; and he hoped they would retire in a peaceable manner. Here a burst of indignation, mingled with a degree of feeling, burst forth from the disappointed multitude, with a cry of " The Service." A gentleman from one of the Stalls said, " My Lord, if the Service wili com- mence when the Stalls are cleared, let somebody unlock the doors, and I am sure it will be compiled with, if that was what prevented the Service from commencing." The doors being opened, they all left the Stalls, but the Service did not begin, and the Officers proceeded to clear the body of the Cathedral ; some persons they turned out, but others were more obstinate, and kept their stations ; at the 90 3 n L66 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS right of the Officers the Congregation seemed enraged. Some cried out for the Clergyman to apologize, others for the Lord Mayor, and others In the seats in the gallery, "Why have we paid our money.*' A Gentleman in the body of the Cathe- dral rose, on the Officers ottering to turn him and his company from their seats; he said, he was sur- prised that so numerous an assemblage of persons, collected together to solemnize so melancholy au event, after waiting so long a time, to have it announced they could not hear Divine Service: it was degrading to the feelings of all present, he was sure. He did not see what right the Lord Mayor had to use his interference in the case. The Lord Mayor had told them it was with great pleasure he witnessed so numerous an assemblage on the occa- sion, and the Service would commence as soon as possible ; and he did not see for what reason it should not begin, as many persons, perhaps, were prevented from attending other places, in order to attend there. They had come there — he hoped all present had — with an intention to pay that respect to the memory of the departed Princess — [Here the (■cutlcman was quite overcome by his feelings] — but, instead of indulging them with what they ex- pected, they were robbed of that entitled respect which was due to their country, their Prince, and their departed Princess. — (Applause.) He thought the Lord Mayor, instead of preventing the Service taking place, ought to be the very person who should cause its commencement. In his opinion, everj place of worship throughout the United Kingdom, should unite in deploring the loss which they had at this time sustained, even the humblest Of them, and it would be noticed if they did not: what must it then be for the head of all Churches to abstain from it, that of the Metropolitan Church? He woidd advise that the Service should begin im- mediately, and said, for God's sake do not send THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 467 people home to their dinner without satisfying that feeling of affection due on the occasion. At this time Alderman Sir W. Curtis entered the Cathedral, and addressed the Congregation. He had just left the place of worship where the Lord Mayor had been sent for; he enquired what caused the confusion? On being told, he made a long speed) to them, and in tears exhorted them to act like Christian people, and leave the place, as the Clergy had done, in a quiet and peaceable manner. [Here many cries were heard against the Lord Mayor, and for the Service.] He said, neither him nor the Lord Mayor had any power there; it all lay with the Heads of the Church, &c. and im- plored them to act like people that loved their God, and retire peaceably. Another Gentleman rose and said, he hoped their feelings would not be aggravated to that de- gree, to send them home after waiting so long; he thought it wrong in the Clergyman to leave in the manner he did. Sir W. Curtis assured them the Lord Mayor had done every thing a good man ought to do; and he hoped they would leave the Church. The latter Gentleman said, he had been mis- guided ; he was now convinced he had accused the Lord Mayor without just grounds; and was conscious his Lordship had done every thing that was right. The former Gentleman rose, and requested the Lord Mayor, as the regular Clergyman was not there, to be so obliging as to send his own Chap- lain, to satisfy the Congregation. With this request the Lord Mayor complied; but not being able to find the Chaplain, or the regular Clergyman, re- turned, and informed them, that if they would have patience till three o'clock, Service would commence without fail; and then left the Cathedral. The Service commenced accordingly at three 408 lltMOJBS <>F HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ', lock, kill which time all kept their places. A v iilh' -in, composed for the occasion by Mr. A i wood, Organist, immediately preceded the ; tin- words are taken from the 90th Psalm, !.;,;■ terse, "Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last, I be gracious unto thy servant." The Psalms from the Se for the Burial of the Dead were used instead of those appointed for ,the day. The Te Deuui and Jubilate, composed by Richard Patrick, . by the Choir; the Litany, composed by Tallin was chanted by the Choir, accompanied Organ. In the course of the Service, the following selection from Handel's Anthem, com- posed for the Funeral of Queen Caroline, was performed : QUARTETTO. When the ear heard her, their it blessed her, And when the eye saw her, it gave witness of her. CHORUS. She delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless, and him that had none to help hini. Kindness, meekness, and comfort were in her tongue : If there was any virtue, and if there was any praise, She thought on those things. QUARTETTO. Her body is buried in peace. CHORUS. But her name liveth evermore. At an early hour, all the avenues leading to the Choii in Westminster Abbey were crowded to an • oever before witnessed on any occasion, an • ii was with the greatest difficulty the Dean and Clergj gained admission. The prayers were read by the Kev. Messrs. Shelton and Webb, two of THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 469 the minor Canons; and the Psalms in the Funeral Service were used instead of those appointed for the day of the month. Two lessons suitable to the. melancholy occasion were especially selected by the Dean, and read accordingly; after which Dr. Green's celebrated Anthem, " Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days," was sung in an exquisite manner by the gentle- men belonsrina: to the choir. The Dean then de- livered an impressive Sermon from 1 Cor. xv. 49. " As we have borne the image of the earthly, so we shall bear the image of the heavenly." The happiness of departed spirits, the certainty of their entering on immediate possession of that happiness, and the consolation thereby presented to surviving relatives, were described in a very able and judicious manner, as were also those great moral instructions which the late melancholy occurrence suggested. A considerable number of Peers and Members of the House of Commons were present. — The great bell in the Abbey tolled the greatest part of the morning, and also the whole of the afternoon and evening. The Rev. Mr. Blomberg performed Divine Ser- vice before the Prince Regent, at Carlton House. His Royal Highness did not quit his room the whole day, and received no society, except that of the Duchess of Gloucester. At the Royal Military Chapel, Whitehall, there was a company of the Guards at the door to keep a clear passage to the entrance, the crowd being very great; the Chapel was filled with Nobility and Gentry; the altar, pulpit, desk, and the Royal pew, were covered with the finest black velvet. A most impressive Sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Howlett, one of the readers, who took his text from the 90th Psalm, 12th verse; " So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." 170 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS St Margaret's Church was also extremely crowd- ,,| : an excellent Sermon was delivered by the I; , . William Groves, from 1 Thess. iv. 18. " Com- f or i y r one another." The Speaker of the House of ( 'ominous was present, attended by several of the Members. 1 n St George's, Hanover Square, there was a numerous congregation of the Nobility and Gentry, to whom a most impressive Sermon was preached on tin- mournful occasion, by the very Rev. the |) ( an of Chester. In the German Lutheran Protestant Church, in the Savoy, the pulpit was placed near the altar, and covered with black, as well as the canopy over it; on one of the side walls were two escut- cheons of the arms of the lamented Princess Charlotte and her Consort. The discourse was delivered in the German language. After the Evening Services were concluded, the ulterior object of thousands was to hear the deep and awful tones of the great bell of the Metropo- litan Cathedral. At eight o'clock either side of St Paul's Church Yard was nearly impassable. At that hour, being the moment at which it was arranged the sad buU magnificent Funeral Proces- sion should set out from the Lower Lodge, for the place of Royal interment, the great bell began its solemn requiem, which vibrated to the hearts, as well as on t\i^ ears, of the mournful and atten- tive auditors. It was not, however, mvffltd, and the intervals of the strokes were less than minutely. I lie mode of producing the sound was not through the ordinary process of rotatory motion, but by means of a rope attached to the clapper to strike therewith the side of the bell; which mode has lopg been practised, with the largest hell in the world, viz. that in the Patriarchal urch of Moscow, which is called "St. Anne," being a present from the Empress of that name THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 471 to the great Church of the ancient capital of Russia. Next to this in solemn and imposing tones, vibrated the great bell in the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow, familiarly known by the appel- lation of "Bow Bell." Its tones, which are sono- rous, and not much inferior in strength, though not so striking a bass, attracted numbers: and we venture to say, that never on any former occa- sion, at such an hour of the night, were such myriads assembled : — they choked up the progress from the bottom of Ludgate Hill to the eastern extremity of Cheapside, clad in the sable garb of woe, and mourning within, as well as in external shew. The following interesting extract from the Ser- vice of the People of the Jews, shews the deep interest excited by the Princess's death : " O Lord God ! behold us confessing our sins and transgres- sions, and presenting our supplications before Thee, O Lord our God ! — Thou hast put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Thee, O Lord ! Alas ! in secret do our souls weep, and our eyes pour down streams of tears, for the loss of the Daughter of Britannia's people; every heart is melted, and all the spirit within us is darkened, for the delight of our eyes is taken from us, the Princess is departed ! she who was of the most excellent conduct a virtuous woman, a crown to her husband, an only child, sole hope of the kingdom, its pride ! its glory ! and its praise ! the Princess of the kingdom ! Princess Charlotte ! While yet in its greenness, was this rose cut down. We hoped for peace, and there is no good ; for a time of health, and behold trouble — dust, in the place of a crown — for in our expectation we hoped to beho'd the branch of a very glorious stem ; but now, alas ! the exultation of our heart is destroyed, our joy is turned into mourning : Vain is the hope of miserable man, if Thou art angry with him; and vain all his thoughts, if Thou hidest thy countenance from him \" The Chapel of the Portuguese Ambassador, was 472 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS attended bj several of the English and Foreign Nohilitv, to whom high mass was celebrated in a nost solemn and magnificent manner. The singing and mafic were excellent. Also, high mass was celebrated at the Sardinian Chapel, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the same magnificent manner. At Drnry Lane Theatre, which was re-opened on Friday 21st, and Saturday 22d November, for a charitable purpose, the greatest respect was paid to the memory of the illustrious dead, by allow- ing no performance to take place, except a most solemn and appropriate selection of music, which was entitled to the warmest praise. The free-list was suspended, and not an order admitted : never- theless, every seat in the pit and galleries was occu- pied long before the rising of the curtain; and before the conclusion of the first act, the boxes were equally full. Upon this occasion the theatre was hung with funeral emblems ; the pillars were entwined with bands of black cloth, which were secured at the capitals by knots of white ribbons. The box usually occupied by the Princess Char- lotte was hung with black, the draperies and front being of the same; and over it was an escutcheon, with the arms of the Prince Leopold and his Consort, the latter in a sable field, and ornamented with true lovers' knots in white ribbon. The effect of the whole was extremely affecting, and operated very perceptibly upon the company, who, during the whole evening, manifested a state of mind highly creditable to the national character. The music selected by Sir George Smart, and performed under his direction, was most judiciously chosen, every part of it being exactly adapted to the occasion. It consisted chiefly of Mozart's Requiem, (one of the noblest efforts of human gemus,) the sublime Funeral Anthem of Handel, and the last act of the Messiah, with the " Dead THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 473 March in Saul," and a few sacred songs intermixed. The performers who excited the chief attention were Mrs. Salmon and Miss Goodall. The former seemed resolved to exert all her astonishing and delightful powers, to heighten the effect of this per formance; and her success was undisputed. Miss GoodalPs unaffected simplicity, her correct taste, and melody of voice, were never more apparent. She sang with great pathos, and seemed to be im- pressed by a recollection of the notice which she received at Claremont upon one of the very last occasions that music and cheerfulness resounded within the walls of that now melancholy mansion. After the " Dead March in Saul," the following Monody, written by Thomas Campbell, Esq. was spoken by Mrs. Bartley: Britons ! although our task is but to show The scenes and passions of fictitious woe, Think not we come this night without a part In that deep sorrow of the public heart, Which like a shade hath darken'd every place, And moisten'd with a tear the manliest face. The bell is scarcely hush'd in Windsor's piles, That toll'd a requiem through the solemn aisles, For Her, the Royal Flow'r low laid in dust, That was your fairest hope, your fondest trust. Unconscious of the doom, we dreamt, alas! That e'en these walls, ere many months should pass, (Which but return sad accents for her now) Perhaps had witness'd her benignant brow, Cheer'd by the voice ye would have rais'd on high In bursts of British love and loyalty. But Britain, now thy Chief, thy people, mourn, And Claremont's home of love is left forlorn; There, where the happiest of the happy dwelt, The 'scutcheon glooms — and Royalty hath felt A grief that every bosom feels its own — The blessing of a Father's heart o'erthrown — 20. 3o 474 MPMOTRS Of BIH ROYAL HIGHNESS Tin iii-.-t lx luv.l Mini most devoted Bride Ton fr*»ni an agonized Ilnsl)and's side, \\ lio, Ions >»s Memory holds lier seat, shall view Tluii ipeechlew, more than spoken, last Adieu ! When the (ix'U mi KOIRS 01 HER ROYAL HIOHM » Q (irn r0 s( I.) move a similar Address of Condo- lence to the afflicted Consort of Her Royal High- Altbough such a proceeding was not con- iplated in the Summons to the Meeting, yet he fell he should stand excused before the Meeting- for deviating a little from the strict forms of proceeding on public occasions. The Reverend Gentleman then expatiated upon the virtues of Prince Leopold, and remarked, that in the dreadful interruption which his happiness and his prospects had sus- tained, he must feel as though the world had sunk under him, and he was left an insulated being. But in the midst of this overwhelming and comprehensive grief, Providence had permitted some good to spring up. The sentiments which had been uttered from every part of the empire, on this mournful event, proved that, however men might differ upon points of doubtful disputation, there still existed an attach- ment to the House of Brunswick, which the collision of opinions could not shake; that the stamina of loyalty were unimpaired; and that the reverence and love for those institutions, which were the sources of our glory, and the safeguards of our liberties, were fixed in the hearts of the people. The Address was voted with the greatest cordiality; and, after the usual routine of business, the Meeting broke up. Stamford. The day on which the mortal remains of the ever to be lamented Princess Charlotte were consigned to the tomb, was observed in this place with pro- found respect. The ordinary occupations of life were wholly suspended, and the shops of the trades- men remained shut from Tuesday night until Thurs- day morning. Divine Service was performed on Wednesday at three of the Churches of the town: the Corporation attended at St. Mary's in the morn- ing, where the Mayor's Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Butt, delivered an impressive discourse from Pro- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 485 verbs, chap, xxvii. ver. 1. "Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." — In the evening, from seven to eight o'clock, half-minute bells were tolled at all the six Churches of the town; and there was Divine Service at the Independent Chapel, where the Rev. George White preached an eloquent and pathetic Sermon to a crowded and attentive congregation, from the 15th chapter of Jeremiah: "She hath given up the ghost ; her sun is gone down while it was yet day." Grantham. The day was observed in the following manner: — • The minute bell commenced ringing at nine in the morning, the whole of the shops were closed at twelve, and, at three in the afternoon, the Alder- man, and other members of the Corporation, (with scarcely an exception) proceeded in respectful form to Church, a dumb peal of half an hour having been rung previously to the assembling of the con- gregation, which was the largest remembered for a long time. The Service was performed by the Rev. W. P. Thackray, Sequestrator, whose selection of the Lessons was very judicious, and whose Sermon (from the 19th verse of the 3d chapter of Genesis) was appropriate to the solemn occasion. When the Service was over, another dumb peal was rung, which was followed by the minute bell's striking twenty-two times, (the years of the Princess's age,) 'succeeded by twenty-two changes on the dumb bells, which was again followed by twenty-two blows on the minute bell ; changes and minute bell continuing to succeed each other till eight o'clock ; afterwards, the minute bell alone till ten in the evening. Ely. Wednesday, the 19th of November, 1817, being the day on which the remains of our beloved and -JHO MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS , much lamented Princess Charlotte were committed to Ihe silent tomb, the Rev. William Kellett, of March, in the Isle of Ely, preached an affectionate and impressive discourse, from the 10th, 11th, and 1 2th verses of the 88th Psalm, to a very numerous and highly respectable congregation in that place. The Pulpit, Reading-desk, Altar, and Singing Gal- lery, were respectively hung with black cloth :— the shops of the different tradesmen were completely closed ; and the inhabitants seemed to vie with each other in shewing every mark of respect to their deceased Friend. There was scarcely a person to be seen who did not evince their attachment to her by their external appearance; and all classes of people appeared most sensibly depressed by the loss they had sustained. Bury St. Edmunds. Although it was found impracticable timely to alter the day of our market, yet the request of the Alderman of this Borough to suspend all business soon after noon on Wednesday last, was generally complied with; indeed the shutters of numerous private houses and many shops were half closed early in the morning, and wholly so at the time appointed, when the markets were quickly cleared. The great bell had been kept tolling from morning- dawn : — In short, no mark of respect was wanting which could add to the solemnity of the day, and** the thoughts of every one seemed directed towards the approaching ceremony. In the evening, the bells gave notice of Service in the Churches by a most awful muffled peal, which, added to the still- s of a clear moonlight night, had a peculiarly solemn effect. Never was known in this town so large a congregation as attended St. Mary's Church. For some time before the doors were opened, the crowd was so excessive as to render THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 487 the street almost impassable, and when admit- tance was gained, the rush was so great as to excite some alarm in the females, and a few cause- less screams were heard. The aisles and all the pews were immediately filled indiscriminately, and the regular parishioners, after reaching their own seats with the utmost difficulty, had the mortifica- tion of finding many of them occupied. During the whole of the Service, the aisles were thronged, and the pressure against the pews was extreme. In the usual Evening Service, most appropriate psalms and hymns were introduced ; and the lessons were extracted from the Burial Service. But we want words to describe the beautifully pathetic sermon so feelingly delivered by the Rev. Henry Hasted, from Job xix. 25, 26. " I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth : and though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." The Service at St. James's Church commenced with Martin Luther's Hymn, sung in good style by Master Westrop, of Lavan- ham, and others, whom Mr. Harrington, (the or- ganist) had engaged for that purpose. After the first lesson, the " Dead March in Saul" was per- formed, and afterwards the Anthem, the same which was sung at Windsor, from Psalm xvi. " I have set God always before me." The Rev. Mr. Mills delivered a very able and appropriate discourse from 1 Cor. xv. 19. " If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." After the Sermon, the following Hymn, taken from chap. iii. of the Book of Wis- dom, was sung at both our parish Churches: The right'ous souls that take their flight, Far from this world of pain, tn God's paternal bosom blest, For ever shall remain. 48H iEMOlRfl 01 m.li ROYAL HIGHNESS To mindfl unwise they seem to die, All joyful hope to cease; Whilst, they, secur'd by faith, repose In everlasting peace. For at the great, the awful day, When Christ descends from high, With myriads of angelic Saints, They'll meet him in the sky. Their God, their Judge, their mighty Lord, Shall pour redeeming grace, And call them ever to behold, The brightness of his face. After Service, the muffled peal was continued till after midnight ; rendering it altogether a more im- pressive and solemn commemoration of public cala- mity than has ever before been witnessed in this town. Divine Service was also performed at the Rev. Mr. Dewhirst's Independent Meeting, which was extremely crowded in all its parts ; and where a very apposite discourse was delivered by that respected Minister, from Hebrews ix. 27. " It is appointed unto men -once to die." A very affect- ing Sermon was likewise preached by the Rev. Mr. Scargill, at the Unitarian Chapel, (the pulpit, &c. of which were hung with black,) from Jer. xv. 9. 11 Her sun is gone down, while it was yet day." — The Wesleyan Chapel was also fully attended : indeed, but one sentiment of grief prevailed with til sects of Christians! Lincoln. It having been announced from authority that the Funeral of our lamented Princess Charlotte would take place on Wednesday, the inhabitants of this city have shown that they fully sympathize THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 489 with their fellow subjects in every part of the United Kingdom, in the feelings of respect and sorrow on the occasion. The Mayor issued a few days before a request that all shops might be closed during Divine Service on the 19th, which was complied with by a general and close shutting up during the whole day. At the cathedral, the Dean preached, to an unusually crowded congregation, a very suitable and excellent Sermon, from Psalm Ixxxix. 48. " What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?" The composition was highly honourable to the very Reverend Preacher: in dwell- ing upon the painful occasion of the solemnities of the day, he added, to a correct and judicious strain of eloquence, a portion of pathos that was strongly felt by a great part of his audience ; and he con- cluded by a very excellent practical appeal to his hearers, which, to use his own words, went directly home to their " business and bosoms," by incul- cating a sense of the shortness and vanity of this life, and our obligations to prepare for another. The service was performed without organ or sing- ing except the appropriate anthem. There was Divine Service and a Sermon at each of the eight parish Churches. The three compa- nies of the 95th Regiment, and the Staff of the North Lincoln Militia, marched to Church by the beat of muffled drums. Great Tom in the after- noon sent out his mighty toll, and in the evening alternate peals of muffled bells were rung from the Cathedral and St. Peter's. The churches were hung with black, every individual appeared in sable habiliments, and this ancient city displayed every possible mark of affectionand regret. Sheffield, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1817. Wednesday last, having been appointed for the interment of the remains of the lamented Princess 21. 3q Mr.MOlKS OF HKK ROYAL HIGHNESS Charlotte, and her l>al)c, the whole nation, by a consentaneous impulse, seemed of one heart and one mind, to solemnize the same as a day of public mourning and humiliation, at the footstool of that righteous, and just, and merciful Being, by whose unsearchable counsels, the cion and the bud, the blossom and the fruit, the promise and the pledge of Royalty, had been removed from the eyes and the hopes of a desiring and expecting people. No sabbath in our remembrance, nor any day of fast- in.; and prayer commanded by public authority, was ever more apparently observed with serious- ii« >s of thought, and devotion of feeling, than was this voluntary consecration of that day to religious exercises, and to mournful, yet tenderly soothing, and awfully sublime contemplations of what she tens, of what she is, of what she may be, who lately lived, and breathed, and moved amongst us, — who lives, and hreathes, and moves on earth no longer, — but a spirit among spirits ; whose very infant, amidst the realities of eternity (unseen, unheard, and unconceived, by eye, or ear, or mind of mortal man) already knows more than all the wise, the good, or even the inspired, have ever known in the body, of that state into which souls are born in death. Divine Service was performed in all the Churches and Chapels, in the presence of crowded and deeply affected audiences, to whom faithful and very seasonable exhortations were delivered by the pective Ministers ; including at once the most awful warnings, and the most delightful consola- tions of the gospel, — persuasion by the terrors of the Lord, and constraint by the love of Christ. The children of the National Schools, and the Church Sunday Schools, attended at the several Churches ; where their young voices, mingling with those of the congregation in the occasional psalms nnd hymns, produced a very sweet effect. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 491 The children of the Lancasterian Boys' and Girls' Schools were assembled, in the large room, in Gibraltar Street, nearly to the number of 1*250, where they were suitably addressed on the mourn- ful occasion, both in the forenoon and afternoon, by friends who were present. A number of other boys having assembled in the yard, and manifest- ing; a desire to be admitted, it was found on inquir- ing that they had formerly been scholars there themselves. Of course they were immediately and cordiallv welcomed to the School Room. A Meeting of the Independent Congregations was held in the evening, at Queen Street Chapel, when Messrs. Docker, Richards, Smith, and Boden, discussed with great pathos and reverence to the subject, the variety, mystery, and equity, of the dis- pensations of Divine Providence. After all the places of worship had been closed, minute guns were fired for two hours from the Barrack ground, by order of Lieut.-Col. Fenton, announcing the last ceremonial ever to be perform- ed on earth, in honour of the deceased Princess, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. These deep- toned heralds of the closing tomb, and the muffled bells, slowly pealing, or striking their mournful and solitary sounds, (at intervals of the long protracted knell,) awakened sensations consonant to the duties and solemnities of the day. Edinburgh, Nov. 20. Last night, being the time appointed for the Funeral of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, the same was observed in this city with becoming solemnity. On Monday, a notice was issued by the Magistrates, informing the inhabitants that the Churches would be opened for Divine Service at two o'clock yesterday afternoon, and suggest- MOWS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ins to their fellow citizens the propriety of clos- ing thnr Bhops, &c. at that hour; which was fully (I upon. At one o'clock the bells began to t,,||, and before half past, every office and shop shut up, and all business suspended. At four o'clock the bells again tolled till five; again at >i\, and continued till right. The streets were remarkably quiet throughout the evening. In the High Church an excellent and appro- priate Sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. David Ritchie, of St. Andrew's Church, from Job iii. v. 19. "The great and small are there," before the Lord Provost and Magistrates, the Lords of Session, the Lord Advocate, the Com- mander of the Forces, the Officers of the North British Staff", and a number of other Military Officers, and one of the most crowded audiences we ever saw in that Church. All persons seemed deeply affected. Sermons suitable to the solemn occasion, were preached in the different Establish- ed Churches and Episcopal Chapels of this City, with the exception of St. Cutbbert's, St. George's, and St. Andrew's (the latter under repair), and in almost every other place of public worship; and all were well attended. The vessels in Leith harbour and the ri ads had their flags hoisted half-mast high, and the flags on the Castle and Nelson's Monument were displayed in the same manner. The bells in the different steeples were tolled at intervals from one to eight o'clock: and a very solemn and striking effect was produced by the tiring of minute guns from the Hag-ship in the roads, which continued from eight to ten o'clock, and which, heard through the silence and darkness of our deserted streets, recalled to mind, in ;i very impressive manner, the funeral rites which in a distant quarter were at that moment closing over the grave of our beloved Princess and her Child. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 493 Glasgow, Nov. 20. The day of interment of the Princess Charlotte was yesterday kept with a solemn expression of the deep sorrow that so severe a national calamity has impressed upon the hearts of the people. Business was universally deferred ; and the gloom of the inhabitants was marked by all the habili- ments of deep mourning. The churches were imusally crowded, and a willing sympathy was every where expressed with the pathetic sentiments delivered from the different Established and Dis- senting pulpits. It fell to our lot to witness the brilliant, affecting, and admirably eloquent dis- course of our great Preacher the Rev. Dr. Chal- mers ; several passages of which were spoken with such fervour, energy, and pathos, as have probably never been surpassed, if they have ever been equalled, in modern times. In particular, when he painted the death of the lovely sufferer, and sculptured out, with such fidelity to nature, the bitter and forlorn and desolate condition of her surviving Husband, every eye gushed with tears. In the course of a long sermon, he was led to discuss some political questions with a firmer tone of independence than be has used since he came to Glasgow. He severely reprimanded those who complied with the solemnities of the Court, while they neglected the ordinances of Christianity. He signified the strongest disapprobation towards those creatures of Ministers, whose servility was ready on every occasion ; and who, provided peace and obedience were maintained by the poor, were altogether reckless of their temporal or eternal happiness. In the last division of his discourse he enforced the necessity of new Churches, and mentioned twenty as the number required for Glasgow. Appropriate sermons were also delivered in the 4f>4 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS M Churches, Chapels, and Meeting-boo* c!i were well attended: and the bell- tilled from three to ri\e. and again from nine to ten at \ jh the shopkeepers had been reqw shut their shops onlj from tv\o to rive o'clock, rally continued them shut the whole afternoon; even! (fee-room, that place of per- petual buzz. e\en on a Sunday, was nearly deserted. Dublin. \ esterd is a dav of mourning in Dublin. All the Public Oinces. Law I Custom House, Post Office, Boa; Is, Instituti- I, Libraiies, and Sho;»s. wire closed. No newspapers, (a thins: un- precedented, we believe, in the annals of the diurnal press, were published yesterday. No carriages were seen in the street-, except a few taking the elder branches of the gentry to and from public worship. Also the Churches, Protestant, Carbolic, ami Dissenting, "f all denominations, were crowded with thrir i - tive members: and. for the first time in Iielaml. not a single individual appeared in the street Out of mourning. National joy is a verv lively and striking i xhibition. We are sure that onal sorrow, as it is more touching, i< calcu- lated, in a still greater degree, to shew the character of a people in a more amiable and interesting point of new. The first partakes, in some respect, of fisbnees and pride: the latter manifests gratitude and affec . ititude too of the purest kind, and affection which has a tincture of the Divinity. Those who have witnessed the exhibition of yesterday, tho>e who have participated in the solemn rites the day, (and who i s will newer forget the impression it has left behind. ===== Paris. The English at Paris celebrated a Funeral Ser- vice on Sunday last, for the Prince-s Charlotte, in THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 45-J the Temple de TOratoire, Rae de Saint Honore : an English [Minister preached a Funeral Sermon. And it was particularly observed by the French journalist- at on that evening not a single Englishman was seen at any of their places of public amusement. Brussels, Nm\ 19. A Funeral Service was performed this morning in the Protestant Church of the ancient Chapel of the Court, on account of the death of Her Roval Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wale- All the English who were present at this pious ceremony were in deep mourning : a part of the Church was hung with black, fitted up with crape. The silence and devout grief of all who were present, gave to this ceremonv an air of gloom and solemnitv. The following application and improvement of this awful event, we extract from one of the most admired Sermons* to which it gave rise: in which, tir-t addressing himself to those who are the inhe- ritors of rank and power, and speaking of their delusive and fascinating tendencies, the Preacher proceeds with this impressive admonition: •■ Let their ± rs remember, however, that they most shortly be divested of the brilliant appendages and splendid distinctions of rank and station, and enter into a world where they are unknown; where they will carry nothing but the essential elements of their being, impressed with those inde- lible characters which must sustain the scrutiny of Omni- science. These artificial decorations, be it remembered, are not, properly speaking, their own : the elevation to which Sermon by tLe Rev. Robert Hall, of Leicester, pc - 406 MEMOIRS OF HEB ROYAL HIOHNESS ili.-v belong is momentary; and as the merit of an actor is not estimated bj the part which he performs, hut solely by the troth and proprietj of his representation ; and the peasant is often applauded where the monarch is hissed ; so when the ,i drama of life is concluded, Me, who allots its scenes, and determines its period, will take an account of his ser- vants, and assign to each his punishment or reward, in his proper character. The existence of a perfect and eternal Maid, renders such an order of things necessary; for with whatever skill society may he organized, still it will make hut a faint approximation to our limited conceptions of justice: and since there is an original Mind, in which these ideas subsist in their utmost perfection, whence the finite conception of justice is transcribed, they must, at some period or other, be realized. That they are not so at present, is obvious. Merit is often depressed, vice exalted ; and, with the best regulations of human wisdom, executed with the utmost impartiality, malevolence will ever be armed with the power of inflicting a thousand nameless indignities and oppressions, with perfect impunity. Though the efficacy of human laws is far more conspicuous in restraining and punish- ing, than in rewarding, in which their resources are ex- tremely limited, it is only those flagrant offences that disturb the public tranquillity to which they extend; while the silent stream of misery, issuing from private vice, which is inces- santly impairing the foundations of public and individual hap- piness, by a secret and invisible sap, remains unchecked. The gradations even of rank, which are partly the cause, and partly the effect of the Jiighest social improvements, are accompanied with so many incidental evils, that nothing but an enlarged contemplation of their ultimate tendency and effect, could reconcile us to the monstrous incongruities and deformities they display, — in wealth, which ruins its possessor; titles, which dignify the base; and influence, exerted to none but the most mischievous purposes. The enlightened ob- server of human affairs is often struck with horror at the consequences incidentally resulting from laws and institutions which, on account of their general utility, command his un- feigned veneration. These are the unequivocal indications "I a fallen state ; hut since it is also a state of probation, the irregularities by which it is distinguished, in the frequent exaltation of the wicked, and the humiliation and depression of the righteous, are such as furnish the fittest materials for trial. What state, let me ask, is better calculated than the present, to put it to the test, whether we will suffer ourselves THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 497 to be swayed by the dictates of reason, or the fascinations of pleasure ; whether we will allow the future to predominate over the present, the things that are invisible over those that are seen, and preferring an eternal recompense with God, to the transitory objects of concupiscence, submit to be con- trolled by his will, and led by his Spirit. " Whatever reception these views may meet with, one thing is certain, that it is invariably the most necessary they should be impressed on those to whom they are most unwel- come ; and that if there be any one description of persons more in danger than another of being- lulled into a forgetful- ness of future prospects, it is to them especially the warning voice should be directed, the eternal world unveiled. And who but will acknowledge, that this danger is especially incident to such as bask in the smiles of fortune, and pos- sessing an unlimited command over the sources of enjoyment, are bound to the world by the most vivid associations of plea- sure and of hope. ' Give me neither poverty nor riches,' said one of the wisest of men, ' lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of God in vain.' While riches exempt their possessors from the temptation of meaner vices, his obser- vation taught him their peculiar exposure to practical impiety, and to that forgetfulness of God which is the root and core of all our disorders. " Let them turn their eyes then for a moment to this illus- trious Princess ; who, while she lived, concentrated in herself, to the utmost degree, whatever distinguishes the higher orders of society, and may now be considered as addressing them from the tomb. " Born to inherit the most illustrious monarchy in the world, and united at an early period to the object of her choice, whose virtues amply justified her preference, she enjoyed (what is not always the privilege of that rank) the highest connubial felicity, and had the prospect of combining- all the tranquil enjoyments of private life, with the splendour of a royal station. Placed on the summit of society, to her every eye was turned, on her every hope was centred, and nothing was wanting to complete her felicity, except per- petuity. To a grandeur of mind, suited to her illustrious birth and lofty destination, she joined an exquisite taste for the beauties of nature, and the charms of retirement ; where, far from the gaze of the multitude, and the frivolous agitators of fashionable life, she employed her hours in visiting, with her illustrious Consort, the cottages of the poor, in improving- 21. 3 R I! MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS her villus, in perfecting her reason, and acquiring the know- ledge besl adapted td qualify licr for the possession of power, and the carefi of empire, One thing- only was wanting 1o oar satisfaction complete, in the prospect of the act rion of snfch a Princess: it was, that she might become the living mother of children; an event which the nation passion- ately desired. •• Hie long wished for moment at length arrived ; but, alas ! the eVent, anticipated with such eagerness, will form the most Fancholy page in our history. " It is no reflection oh this amiable Princess to suppose, that in her early dawn, with the * dew of her youth so fresh upon her,' she anticipated a long succession of years, and acted to be led through successive scenes of enchantment, ig above each other in fascination and beauty. It is natural to suppose she identified herself with this great people whom she was destined by her birth to govern, and that while she contemplated her pre-eminent lustre in arts and in arms, her commerce encircling the globe, her colonies diffused through both hemispheres, and the beneficial effects of her institutions extending to the whole earth; she considered them as so many component parts of her grandeur. Her heart, we may well conceive, would often be milled with emotions of trembling ecstasy, when she reflected that it was her province to live entirely lor others, to compose the felicity of a great nation, to move in a Sphere which would afford Scope for the exercise of philanthropy the most enlarged, of Wisdom the most enlightened; and that while others are doomed to pass through the world in obscurity, she was to supply the materials of history, and to impart that impulse to (\, which was to decide the destiny of future generations. '1 with the ambition 6f equalling, or surpassing, the most distil led of her predecessors, she probably did not despair of reviving the remembrance of the brightest parts of their story, and of once more attaching the epoch of British glory l" the annals of a female reign. It is needless to add, that the nation went with her, and probably outstripped her in elightful anticipations. We fondly hoped, that a life so inestimable, would be protracted to a distant period, and that after diffusing the blessings of a just and enlightened administrati n, and being surrounded by a numerous progeny, she would gradually, in a good old age, sink under the hori- t the embraces Of her family, and the benedictions try. Rut, alas! these delightful visions are fled, and vl.-.i do we behold in their room, but the funeral pall THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 499 and shroud, a palace in mourning, a nation in tears, and the shadow of death, settled over both like a cloud! O the unspeakable vanity of human hopes ! the incurable blindness of man to futurity! ever doomed tog-rasp at shadows, to seize with avidity what turns to dust and ashes in his hand, ' to sow to the wind, and reap the whirlwind.' " How must the heart of the Royal Parent be torn with anguish on this occasion : deprived of a Daughter, who com- bined every quality suited to engage his affection, and elevate his hopes ; an only Child, the Heir of his Throne, and doomed, apparently, to behold the sceptre pass from his posterity into other hands ! his sorrow must be such as words are inadequate to pourtray. Nor is it possible to withhold our tender sym- pathy from the unhappy Mother, who, in addition to the wounds she has received by the loss of her nearest relations, and still by more trying - vicissitudes, has witnessed the extinc- tion of her last hope, in the sudden removal of one in whose bosom she might naturally hope to depose her griefs, and find a peaceful haven from the stormS' of life, and the tossings of the ocean. But, above all, the illustrious Consort of this lamented Princess is entitled to the deepest commiseration. How mysterious are the ways of Providence, in rendering the virtues of this distinguished personage, the source of his greatest trials. By these he merited the distinction to which Monarchs aspired in vain ; and by tbese he exposed himself to a reverse of fortune, the severity of which can only be adequately estimated by this distinguished sufferer. These virtues, however, will not be permitted to lose their reward. They will find it in the grateful attachment of the British Nation, in the remembrance of his having contributed the principal share to the happiness of the most amiable and exalted of women; and above all, we humbly hope, when the agitations of time shall cease, in a reunion with the object of his attachment, before the presence of Him who will ' wipe every tear from the eye.' " Had we not taken the same consolatory view of this afflictive event, with which the above pious and elegant writer closes this part of his admirable ser- mon upon the mournful subject, our visit to Clare- 500 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS moot, of which we are again about to speak, would have been distressing in the extreme. Even with this preparation it was impossible to behold, with- out emotion, the place which had so lately been the favoured seat of the highest mortal felicity, trans- formed into the abode of deep, and silent, and unavailing sorrow ! In the cursory conversation of the inhabitants of Esher, we were struck with an undesigned coincidence with the preceding details of the singular domestic happiness, the amiable dispositions, and the continual beneficence of the lamented Princess and her disconsolate Husband. Indeed, as every day of the Princess Charlotte's life was marked bv her bounteous distribution of food m among the neighbouring poor ; His Serene Highness seems to have determined that the day of her final removal from the sphere of her enlarged benevolence should be signalized by one of those acts of princely and appropriate munificence, in which, throughout fife, his beloved Consort had delighted to engage. The day preceding that on which her mortal re- mains were consigned to the untimely tomb, Prince Leopold sent fifty pounds to the Postmaster at Esher, to be distributed among the poor upon the day Of the Funeral : of this, that gentleman himself informed us just before .we proceeded through the Park; and as we slowly approached the Mansion, fixing our eyes upon the mournful ensign of death, the escutcheoo, which now appeared conspicuously over the grand entrance. There we ascended the steps of the beautiful portico, and having entered, inquired for the Baron de Hardenberg, who has apartments in the House; and were informed that he was at that time in Town: but that Colonel Addenbroke, who resides in the neighbourhood, and goes daily to Claremont, was at leisure in the adjoining apart- ments. The condescending politeness and affability of this gentleman, demand our warmest acknow- ledgments. Having stated the first object of our THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 501 application to be, that of obtaining the permission of His Serene Highness Prince Leopold to take a drawing of the House, and to survey the grounds that so delightfully surround it; while the answer to this application was necessarily delayed by His Serene Highness being that morning engaged with Turnerelli, to whom he was at the moment giving directions for finishing a bust of his beloved Princess, Colonel Addenbroke kindly engaged us with a most interesting conversation upon the late distressing events. The affectionate zeal and assiduity with which Prince Leopold had devoted himself to his grand design of perfecting the noble and truly Bri- tish character of his late illustrious Partner, were particularly noticed. His Serene Highness, it was observed, centered his whole happiness in the deve- lopement of the excellent qualities of his lamented Princess; while she was equally anxious to accept of her beloved Husband's assistance ; and so effec- tual are the operations of sincere love, that the pleasing consequences had already exceeded his most sanguine expectations, when death anticipated the rich harvest of his hopes. It is a positive, but hitherto disregarded fact, that no person ever ac- quired that, salutary influence over the ardent mind of our youthful Princess, which she willingly con- ceded to her truly wise and affectionate Consort ; whose sole aim and delight was to promote her permanent felicity, and unfold the latent excel- lencies of her energetic character. The sitting-room, to which we were first intro- duced, contains every thing necessary for domestic comfort, without the least appearance of profusion. The furniture is neat, but at the same time elegant. We particularly remarked the large handsome chan- delier in the centre ; and the time-piece, ornamented with a female figure about to clip the wings of a little cupid, whom she has detained for that purpose. On one side appeared the beautiful half-length like- -2 Ml ..VIOl US OF HEK ROYAL HIGHNESS u.-ss of Prince Leopold, by Dawe;* directly oppo- site to which hung a corresponding frame, which once contained the pictured semblance of his lamented Princess; but was mow empty, and awakened the most heart-rending recollections. There too were the piano and the harp, upon which she was accustomed to play, with a large collection of music, by the best masters, for both instruments, neatly bound, and lying in the same order as she herself had placed them. The Princess Charlotte had inscribed her initials in several of the music books ; but unfortunately these precious mementos, as well as some sketches of the Princess's drawing, had entirely disappeared, and the initials were sup- posed to have been erased since her decease; as not an iota of the Princess's hand-writing could be found either here or in the library. Much has been said upon this subject; and we have hereto add, from the authority of Colonel Addenbroke, that Her Royal Highness was very little in the habit of writing, although from some pretended fac-similes the public might be led to suppose that the Princess never employed an amanuensis, but wrote every petty note herself; and another gentleman also attempts to persuade us, that Her Royal Highness devoted much of her time to the composing of child- ish forms of prayer, and drawing up critical compa- risons between classical authors ; with not a few other absurdities — all of which the discerning public will, no doubt, readily detect. Near the vacant frame which had contained the likeness of the Princess Charlotte, appeared that of her pious and venerable preceptor the Bishop of Salisbury, to In the correct Likeness of His Serene Highness, which accom- panies this work, Prince Leopold is represented wearing his mus- bicb, at the desire of the Princess Charlotte, he suffered to grow, and will probably retain until the anniversary of her decease; after which, it is supposed that the Prince's well known deference for English cu/toras and feelings will again induce him to remove them. THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 503 whom Her Royal Highness always delighted to express her gratitude. On each side of the mantle- piece hung small water-coloured paintings of the Duke of Cumberland and the Princess Elizabeth; and in another part of the room, of the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Vittoria. The dining- room, into which a door from the sitting-room opens, is very large, and exceedingly plain ; the principal object there being an elegant glass chandelier sus- pended from the centre. From the dining-room we passed to the library, which was remarkably full of books, and principally consisted of the standard authors in English Literature. A full length like- ness of Prince Leopold, at the upper end of the room, immediately attracted attention, as also did some superior prints ; among which were likenesses of Lieutenant-General William Stewart, the late Sir John Moore, and Lord Castlereagh. In this spacious and elegant apartment, all the Great Offi- cers of State were assembled during the labour. Every thing at this time remained in the exact state in which it had been left at the Funeral ; and a most beautiful green parroqnet, that once enjoyed the notice of the departed Princess, and which we here found in mournful solitude among the disarranged furniture of the room, occasioned a sudden melan- choly sensation, which it was impossible to resist. The poor desolate bird seemed to have forgotten its natural loquacity, and hardly turned its head to notice us; while we admired its beauty, and re- marked, that even it appeared to participate in the universal sorrow. It seemed a fit and touching emblem of him who is most personally concerned in our great national loss ; and who has ever since with- drawn himself, as far as possible, from the world. In our account of the accouchement and death of the Princess Charlotte, it i-s Observed, that the library adjoins the bed-room where Her Royal Highness died. This apartment, we presume, no 604 MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Englishman could enter without a mingled feeling of profound awe and inexpressible regret. In this room, which has thus acquired an unhappy cele- brity, the brightest prospects of the British nation were in a few hours doubly disappointed ; and the whole fabric of their expected happiness levelled with the dust. He that could survey this since celebrated scene of patient suffering, where hope and fear alternately triumphed, where the scale of death twice preponderated against the fond antici- pations of the youthful Husband, the Royal Parent, and the admiring people, without emotion, must be incapable of all the charities of civilized life. Every object here seemed replete with interest, and the whole indicated a combination of delicacy, taste, and comfort. The room is not large, and extremely plain. A very large unornamented cedar wardrobe is the chief piece of furniture; and the dressing tables and utensils remained in the exact and admirable order in which they were last left by the Princess Charlotte. At the foot of the bed was a sofa, apparently for the convenience of sitting to dress. The bed itself is of a full size; it was hung with British chintz of a neat pattern, in festoons, having the head-boaril above covered with plaited blue silk, and converging to a gilded ornament in the centre, behind the heads of the sleepers. On entering this memorable room, it was instantly discovered that, on the preceding night, His Serene Eliglmess Prince Leopold had occupied it for the first time since the loss of his august Partner; though it appeared that up to the day following that time he had not been able to collect himself suffi- ciently to resume his wonted domestic custom, of dining with the principal persons of the Household. His feelings upon returning to the widowed bed cannot be described ; but some idea of them may be formed from the comparative state of seclusion in which he has since lived, and especially from the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 505 misrepresented circumstance attending his visit to Windsor after the funeral. His Serene Highness did not, as was stated in the public papers, a second time enter the Royal Vault ; but went into the Chapel, and remained there some time at his devotions.* This sufficiently evinces the decidedly religious turn of mind, which has been justly attributed to Prince Leopold in the preceding pages of these Memoirs; and without which, he could hardly have conducted himself with such singular propriety, fortitude, and delicacy, as he has never failed to manifest, and to which we may fairly attribute the universal sympathy and esteem by which he is attended. His Serene Highness, being at length disengaged, graciously signified that we were at liberty to take a view of the House ; and while the able Artist, to whom this Work is indebted for much valuable information, as well as for his appropriate designs, proceeded to take that faithful and elegant View of the Building which is attached to these Me- moirs, we ascertained, that for many weeks after the decease of the Princess, Prince Leopold sel- dom walked out for more than an hour each day; and that he shortly intended removing to the sea- side for the recovery of his health, and would embark for the Continent in the spring, having resolved to pay a last visit of filial affection to his aged Mother, who could not possibly come to see him ; and after spending two months at Cobourg, to return to England, and pass the remainder of his days at Claremont. In pursuance of this pri- vate determination, His Serene Highness's indispo- sition was soon announced in the public prints, which gave the following account of his illness and removal : * For this correction, we are indebted to Colonel Addenbroke, who attended the Prince upon that occasion. 21. 3 s 500 MftMOlKJ Oh HKK ROYAL HIGHNESS Claremont, Dec. 30. " We are eopcemed to state, that Prince Leopold has experienced a renewal of those rheumatic attacks, which originated in his last visit to this country, aggravated by the misen thai he cherishes for the afflicting death of his Con- tort, which circumstances have induced him to remove to the village of Came, about five miles distant from Wey- mouth, lor the benefit of the air. He himself has determined to retain all those domestics who attended the Princess; and accordingly Mrs. Lewis, who waited on Her Royal High- ness from her infant years, and in whose arms the Princess died, is to be continued in His Serene Highness's House. Nothing is allowed to be even touched, that belonged to the wardrobe of the Princess ; all is held sacred by her Prince ; even the large black bonnet, and gray cloth coat, which she wore when taking an airing in the Park, the morning of that Monday, on the evening of which Her Royal Highness was taken ill, are still objects of her widowed Husband's uneasy regard. He sent on Friday last, 23d inst. for Mr. Da we, portrait painter, to Her late Royal Highness, to examine the likenesses which were taken of her. Claremont is also undergoing those improvements which were contemplated by the Princess. Mr. Hardenberg, the sculptor, of Windsor, was also sent for, on the same day, to make a bust of the Princess Charlotte, which he had been proceeding with under the direction of the Prince, and Mr. Dawe, who was so well acquainted with the formation of her features, she baring sat to him frequently for about fifteen months. After the bust was finished and approved, yesterday morning, Prince Leopold, attended by Colonel Addenbroke, left Claremont in a coach and four, for Windsor, on a visit to the Queen and Princesses." Claremont, Jan. 6, 1818. " Prince Leopold having determined on going from Claremont to Came, for the recovery of his health, in the course of yesterday ; he rose between four and five in the morning, and left Claremont with his suite in three coaches and tour, arrived at the Bush Inn, at Staines, about seven o'clock, and passed through Egham about half an hour after- wards. They proceeded on their journey, changing horses at the following places: the King's Arms, at Bagshot; the White I. ion, at Hartford Bridge; Ponson's Arms, at Over- ton ; the Star, at Andover ;the Antelope, at Salisbury ; and \\ oodvert's Inn, Blandford ; from thence they proceeded to THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 507 Came, the seat of Mrs. Lionel Damer, where His Serene Highness was expected to arrive at nine in the evening." That evening His Serene Highness accordingly arrived at Came, and visited Weymouth next day. The following is an extract of a letter from that place, dated Jan. 17, 1818. " Last Sunday His Serene Highness Prince Leopold, and the whole of his establishment, observed the solemnities of the sabbath in a private manner, at Came House, where the Rev. Dr. England, Archdeacon of the diocese, officiated. On Monday, the Prince and his attendants took a ride on horseback, over Bincombe Down, through the village of Preston, and from thence through the turnpike gate leading to this town ; here he stopped for a considerable time, survey- ing the distant bays, esplanade, and different buildings. His Serene Highness appeared in deep thought, and it was observ- ed that he did not communicate his ideas of the different prospects either to Sir Robert Gardiner or Baron Harden- brock, but quitted the scene in a state of mind absorbed in melancholy." On the Thursday following, Prince Voroniesky and Gen. Count D'Ojarowsky, two Russian No- blemen, arrived at Came House, charged with Letters of Condolence from the Emperor Alex- ander. The Earl of Ilchesler, and several other Noblemen, and persons of distinction in this Country, have lately paid morning visits of inquiry ; but Prince Leopold's continued depres- sion of spirits has prevented the honour of their personal introduction. The hot and cold baths at the King's Lodge are kept in constant readiness for the accommodation of the Prince, who is expected to use them for the rheumatic attacks in bis head. The following is the Address of Condolence that was transmitted by the inhabitants of Weymouth, to this exalted character: " To His Serene Highness Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobour a. " We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Inhabitants of Weymouth and Melcomb- Regis, approach 608 MEMOIRS OF HLR ROYAL HIGHNESS Mi S. -ri-ne Highness, at this most afflicting hour, with the expression of our inconsolable grief for the loss of that in- comparable Princess, who was the object of your tender love, and the delight of all hearts. The people of this land, who bo latt !\ rejoiced in her, as their ornament and boast, ;irr now. by this sad and fatal reverse, plunged in universal mourning and sorrow. The stroke is felt by the nation through all its classes, and ranks, and orders; from the highest elevation of life, to the lowest station of poverty. Never was grief for the privation of any blessing so general ; never was it so bitter and so deep. " But in no part of His Majesty's dominions is the severe aud unexpected event more sensibly lamented than it is by 0ie Inhabitants of Weymouth. She condescended to reside among us at two different periods of time ; and, therefore, our judgment of her exalted virtues depends not altogether upon thf voice of report, but upon the witness of our own personal experience. To see her was, indeed, to love her ! Never can we forget — but, alas ! the recollection aggravates our sorrows ! — never can we forget those religious and moral qualities, which adorned her youth; that benevolence and goodness, which made the sufferings of others her own ; that charity, which was ever ready to hear, and to relieve the miseries of her fellow-creatures ; that feeling heart, which was never more gratified than in an opportunity of doing a kind office; that look of benignity, which she cast upon all when she appeared abroad ; but particularly, that bright ex- ample of piety and devotion which she held out to us in the hours of divine worship. But, if she had so early raised her public character to the highest degree of estimation, she was also, as the voice of the world attests, prominent in the meeker, but no less useful virtues of the conjugal and domestic life. Hence she was inexpressibly dear to the Nation ; and now, after death, she is embalmed in its heart. u From this rare and happy union in her of every endow- ment truly valuable in the human character, we confidently looked that when, in God's own time, she should ascend the throne, she would rule to the felicity of a willing and grate- ful people; and be, like the Princes of her illustrious Family, Ihe stead) protectress of our civil and religious liberties, which are dearer to this great country than life itself. But Providence has determined otherwise: to its awful decrees, always wise, we bow the knee with humble, but mournful resignation. f We beg that your Serene Highness woxild condescend to THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 509 accept this tribute of oar cordial sympathy, and permit us to mingle our sorrows with your's in this irreparable cala- mity. Your own most distinguished and exemplary virtues, the tender conjugal affection which you bore to our ever lamented Princess, who shewed the wisdom and clearness of her judgment by selecting you as the Husband of her love, have infinitely endeared you to the British Nation. ** We ardently pray the Almighty Disposer of good and evil, of life and death, to be present with you in this day of severe trial." From the date of the above account, to the pre- sent time, we lament to state, that the health of Prince Leopold appears to have undergone no favourable change; but on the contrary, has de- clined still farther; in consequence of which, and the air of Came not being sufficiently mild, His Serene Highness has been advised to remove to Weymouth, where Gloucester Lodge has been pre- pared for his reception. The loss of his beloved Daughter still continued so much to affect His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that he found himself wholly unequal to the opening of the next session of Parliament per- sonally, especially as the death of the Princess Charlotte unavoidably formed a prominent topic in the Speech from the Throne. Just before the opening of the session, while His Royal High- ness was at Brighton, where his visits are invari- ably distinguished by acts of charitable munifi- cence, Phoebe Hassel, a poor old woman, born in 1715, attracted his notice, while following her usual occupation of retailing fruit and gingerbread, on the steps of a lodging house near the south end of the Steyne. Her venerable figure interested the Prince, to whom she told some curious particulars of her history. She was present, as a soldier, at the battle of Bunker's Hill, in America; and served under Lord Heathfield at the siege of Gibraltar, 510 MEMOIRS Or HER ROYAL HIGHNESS where she received several wounds, but contrived to conceal her sex, until she was stripped to be punished Tor some misdemeanor: she had been admitted into the Brighton Workhouse, but she did not feel easy in such a situation, and preferred to follow her humble employment, aided by a small allowance from the parish. The Prince Regent commanded half-a-guinea weekly to be paid to her as long as she lives, and that as much more should be added as her wants may require. It would be impossible to detail the innumerable instances of similar beneficence which have marked His Royal Highness's residence at the Pavilion ; but it would be unpardonable to omit, that he very lately ordered five hundred stone of beef, at one time, to be distributed among the neighbour- ing poor. While Mr. Dykes, the Messenger, was on his journey with dispatches addressed to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, advices were re- ceived that Her Royal Highness, on the first of Si ptember, gave a grand Ball at her residence of Pesaro, where all the Nobility, and persons of dis- tinction in the neighbourhood, attended; and that on the fourth of November, the first day of the Princess Charlotte's labour, her Royal Mother gave another fete, with the addition of a comic ballet, in which she herself danced the principal character. On the 20th of November, the Kino's Messenger found her Royal Highness at Milan, and commu- nicated the deplorable news of the death of her be- loved Daughter; which so shocked her, that she fainted away several times successively. On the sixth of December, Her Royal Highness's beautiful villa of Este, on the lake of Como, where she formerly resided, was stated to be on sale, with all its de~ THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 511 pendencies: and the most important communica- tion which has since been received, is, that the Princess has finally resolved never more to revisit England. On the 27th of November, a Court of Common Council was held in the Guildhall of the city of London, at which a resolution was unanimously passed, expressive of the deep sorrow of the Court at the afflicting event of the death of the Princess Charlotte, which has deprived the nation of its brightest ornament and future hope; but that they duly appreciated the motive, that of not harassing the feelings of the surviving relatives, which led the Court to abstain from presenting Addresses of Condolence upon the death of any of the Royal Family. — This, however, did not prevent other Cor- porate Bodies from presenting such Addresses: — indeed, some of them had anticipated this resolu- tion, particularly the Corporation of Kingston-upon- Thames, which, on the 9th of November, was the first to present an Address of Condolence to Prince Leopold, through the Baron Hardenbrock ; from whom their Address, which is as follows, re- ceived a most respectful answer : ** My Lord, ** The Corporation of Kingston, deeply impressed with feel- ings of sorrow and regret at the great loss sustained by this Country by the recent calamities at Claremont, and fully sensi- ble of the trying and most painful situation in which His Serene Highness the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg is now placed, most re- spectfully beg leave to inquire after the state of His Serene Highness's health, to sympathize in his misfortunes, and to unite their hopes and wishes with those of the country at large, that His Serene Highness will be enabled to yield, with fortitude and resignation, to the awful visitation of Pro- vidence, and that His Serene Highness may yet live to enjoy ftlf MI.MOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS mam years of lieallh and happiness, in the merited esteem a|l(1 | f a nation endeared to him by the strongest ties of affection. " I am, my Lord, "Your Lordship's humble Servant, "C. Jemmett, Town Clerk." " Kingston, Nov. 9, 1817." It would extend this volume beyond all reasona- ble limits, were only a tenth part of the Addresses of Condolence presented to the Prince Regent and to Prince Leopold to be inserted ; but as it would be unpardonable to pass them by wholly unnoticed, the following are subjoined as specimens of the whole: To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. "We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars, of the University of Oxford, lament that the peculiar circumstances of the present melancholy occasion, preclude us from availing ourselves of the accustomed and honourable distinction of personal access to the Throne, which we have enjoyed under the favour of His Majesty and his Royal predecessors. But we humbly entreat that we may be permitted to sub- mit, in this manner, (as best suited to the feelings of your Royal Highness, under so heavy a calamity,) the dutiful ex- pression of our heartfelt grief on the death of a Princess, who was alike endeared to us by her personal virtues, and by the relation in which she stood to your Royal Highness. It is impossible that we should not, under all circum- stances, mourn over the loss of any member of a Family, to which we are indebted for the preservation of our civil and religious liberties; but that loss is now doubly afllicting, when the visitation is also of a nature to wound your Royal Hi gh- ness's parental feelings. We do not presume to suggest considerations of duty, or topics of consolation ; but we cannot forbear to express the hope, that it will afford relief to your Royal Highness to reflect, that the Hand which has afflicted you, is the Hand of Providence ; and that although the illustrious object of our regret has been summoned from this scene of probation too soon for our wishes, and for the happiness of your Roval THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 513 Highness, she yet was spared until her private virtues had conciliated the love of the whole nation, and until her cha- racter was so far developed, as to justify the universal expec- tation of future greatness. We indulge too the further hope, that it will alleviate the grief of your Royal Highness, to witness the unanimity with which all ranks of our fellow subjects press forward to pay the tribute of their sorrow to the memory of our departed Princess, and to tender, at the same time, the homage of their condolence. And while on this sad occasion we mingle our tears with the tears of the country, permit us to offer the renewed de- clarations of our attachment to your Royal Highness's Person, Family, and Government, which we acknowledge to be the source of the greatest public and private blessings, and to which we feel ourselves unalterably bound, by every tie of loyalty, affection, and gratitude. Given at our House of Convocation, under our common Seal, this 11th day of December, in the Year of Our Lord 1817. [Transmitted by Lord Grenville, Chancellor of the Univer- sity, and presented by Viscount Sidmouth.'] The Loyal Address of the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen, and Burgesses, of the Town of Cambridge. To His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom. Most Gracious Prince ; may it please your Royal Highness. We, His Majesty's faithful subjects, the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen, and Burgesses, of the town of Cam- bridge, deeply sympathizing in the keen anguish of suffer- ing with which your Royal Highness, Her Majesty the Queen, His Serene Highness Prince Leopold, and all the Royal Family, are overwhelmed, beg leave most respectfully to offer the tribute of our condolence upon the melancholy event, which, occurring at a moment, and under circum- stances so peculiarly mournful and heart-rending, has filled both the Palace and the Cottage with lamentation and sorrow. 22. 3 T -,M MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS V I the union of Her Royal Highness, your de- part, a Daagbteri as an event most auspicious to the future and glory of England. Y\ e followed In r into the tranquil, yet dignified scenes of domestic life, and beheld in her faithful discharge of s filial rod conjugal duty, in her silent unostentatious \ Christian charity, and in her entire devo- to all the sacred obligations of religion, the bright pro- e of an example, -which could not have failed, under the Divine blessing, to have diffused its influence most extensively and powerful!] for the happiness of these kingdoms; nor in the contemplation of Her Royal Highness's domestic virtues, did we fail to mark, and admire, in the proofs of her ardent attachment to the principles of our Constitution, the surest pledge of her anxiety to maintain the liberties, and promote the welfare, of her future people. But it has pleased God, in his inscrutable wisdom, to blight the prospect in which we had too fondly indulged, and to awaken us, by a signal infliction of his power, to a recollec- tion of our entire dependence upon his mercy. M v\ \our Royal Highness, may His Serene Highness, (in whose unbounded devotion of himself to the happiness of his Royal Consort while living, and in whose manly, though rt-broken sorrows and pious resignation to her loss, your Ro\al Highness, in common with all ranks of His Majesty's subjects, must find an ample source of mournful gratification,) ma) yon both find consolation in this agony of grief, where alone it is to be found ; and may we all be enabled to convert this national calamity individually to our moral and religious improvement. Given under our common Seal, this 4th day December, 1817. [Transmit t< (I by the Duke of Rutland, K. G. High Steward of the Borough, and presented by Viscount Sidmoulh.~\ To His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. May it please your Royal Highness, We, His Majesty's most faithful subjects, the Mayor, Aldermen, Bailiffs, and Common Council, of the Borough of LIVERPOOL, in Special Council assembled, humbly beg leave to offer to your Royal Highness our unfeigned condo- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 515 leoce, upon the melancholy and afflicting loss sustained by the nation, in the death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte- Augusta. As in common with our fellow subjects, we exultingly anti- cipated that proud day, in which we sought to hail the Royal Princess mother to an illustrious line of Kings, in common with our fellow subjects we now deplore that calamitous event which has bereaved the country of one of its brightest orna- ments, and called forth the mournful tribute of genuine uni- versal sorrow. Forbearing to repine at the decrees of that Almighty Being, who, in his wisdom, has thought fit to visit us with this affliction, and grateful for the many blessings conferred upon us, we submit with resignation to his Divine will. Deprived of that Succession which, in due time, our fond- est hopes had vainly pictured, it is still our earnest prayer that your Royal Highness may be long preserved to sway the sceptre of these realms, and that the illustrious House of Brunswick, for ages yet to come, may fill the British Throne, and prolong to the British people that solid and substantial happiness, which the exalted virtues of the Royal race have hitherto so eminently contributed to secure. Given under our common Seal, this 29th day of November, 1817. [ Transmitted by the Right Hon. George Canning, and Lieut. General Gascoyne, and presented by Viscount Sidmouth.] To His Royal Highness George Prince of "Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. May it please your Royal Highness, We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Gentry, Clergy, Merchants, and other Inhabitants, of the town of Liverpool, beg leave to offer to your Royal High- ness our most sincere and heartfelt condolence on the late melancholy event, which has overwhelmed the United King- dom with the deepest sorrow, and deprived your Royal Highness of an only and beloved child. Under this afflicting dispensation of Providence, we trust that your Royal Highness will derive some consolation from the general sympathy in your Royal Highness's grief, which has been so feelingly expressed by all ranks of His Majesty's HG memoirs 01 nr;n uoyal highness subjects; and t lint \<>u will consider a nation's tears as the most irratifytog and affectionate tribute to the memory and t| u . of your late illustrious Daughter. Disappointed in your loudest hopes, your Royal Highness will »et Save tKe satisfaction in reflecting, that the life of her M |,nui \< i lo deaefvedlj loved, was a life of innocence, and thai the moral qualities with which she was adorned, and the kind dispositions which endeared her to the whole nation, while she remained on earth, have now, we humbly trust, obtained for her a crown of glory in the heavens, that will never fade. We are anxious, upon this occasion, to renew to your Royal Highness our strongest assurances of attachment and fidelity to your Itoyal Highness's person, and your illustrious House, and to express our earnest hope that your Royal Highness may long be spared to a loyal and affectionate peopto. Thomas Case, Mayor, Chairman, ; Transmitted by the Right Hon. George Canning, and Lieu f. General Gascoyne, and jjresented by Viscount SidmouthJ] To FFis Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Mag it plm.se your Rvyaf Highness, We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Mayi/r, Aldermen, and Common Council, of the City of Bristol, in Common Council assembled, beg to approach your Itoyal Highness, under feelings of deep affliction, to r our heartfelt t-ibute of condolence at the recent death of the Princess Charlotte-Augusta, your Royal Daughter, and the Consort of Leop. id-George-Frederick, Prince of Sa\. ■CoboUrff. In ".:;• h-imhlc expressions o\' sorrow, we should in vain mpt to draw the character of the illustrious Dead : — dis- ced was her life by graces aud virtues, which opened brightest prospects to a nation's love — a melancholy p& 0V«f he;- tomb, which is consecrated by a • tears. Id bOW with submission to the awful dispensation '* '• D • will, which Skis thus bereaved the kingdom of '•niainen!, and its future hope. Great and irrepa- le is tin: loss sustained— but, amidst the general mourning THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 517 of the nation, Ave flatter ourselves that your Royal Highness will derive consolation from its sympathetic feeling, and satis- faction in witnessing its strong and increasing attachment towards your Royal Person, Family, and Government. "We trust, under Divine Providence, that the sovereignty and glory of these realms may be perpetuated in the illus- trious line of the House of Brunswick ; and that the founda- tions of the British Throne may remain long fixed in the affections of a loyal people. [Transmitted by John Hay f home, Esq. the Mayor, and pre- sented by Viscount Sidmouth.] To His Serene Highness Leopold-George-Frederick, Duke of Saxe, Margrave of Meissen, Landgrave of Thuringia, Prince of Cobourg of Saalfeld. We, His Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Magis- trates, Gentry, Clergy, Merchants, Manufacturers, and other Inhabitants, of the town and neighbourhood of Birmingham, approach your Serene Highness with our sincere expressions of condolence, on the melancholy decease of your Royal Consort the Princess Charlotte. Lamenting as we do, on our own account, the loss of a Princess to whom we had looked up with delight, as the pride of the House of Brunswick, and the future hope of our country ; we assure your Serene Highness that we deplore, with equal truth, the deep affliction in which your Serene Highness has been plunged by this mournful event. We deeply sympathize with the sorrows of a Husband, deprived, by this mysterious dispensation, of a Consort so justly, so dearly beloved; and we earnestly hope, that the same Al- mighty Power which has ordained the calamity, will also administer support and comfort under its infliction. We entreat your Serene Highness to believe, that your affectionate conduct to our beloved and lamented Princess, has excited in our minds the liveliest emotions of respect and attachment; and that, under all circumstances, and in all situations, your Serene Highness will ever be attended by the affections and the prayers of a grateful people. In the name and on the behalf of the Inhabitants of the Town and Neighbourhood of Birmingham, Wm. Cotterill, High Bailiff. ,ia MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS I o which Address His Serene Highness was pleased to return tin* following" Answer. "Sib, « | have this interests, its happiness, and welfare, were ever first in Nik thoughts and hopes, so He receives, in its sympathy and condolence, the only consolation He can now know. " 1 am commanded by the Prince Leopold to request you will convey to the Inhabitants of Birmingham and its neigh- borhood, His fullest acknowledgments for their earnest and affectionate participation in His distress. " I have the honour, &c. " Robert Gardiner. " Claremont, Nov. 28, 1817." To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. May it please your Royal Highness, We, the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town-Council, of EDINBURGH, the most loyal and dutiful subjects of His Majesty, beg leave to approach your Royal Highness with profound respect ; and to present the expressions of our unfeigned and deep condolence with the heavy affliction which has fallen on your Royal Highness and the Family of our beloved and venerable Sovereign, by the death °f Tour illustrious Daughter the Princess Charlotte-Augusta. uie talents, the accomplishments, the principles, the vir- and the piety, of that distinguished personage, had de- servedly endeared her with peculiar tenderness to the affec- tionate feelings of her Royal Father; while we, in common with the whole British people, had marked these eminent qualities in her character with the utmost respect, admira- tion, and love, and had fondly indulged the flattering antici- pation, that a Princess so accomplished, Was destined, by a gracious Providenc e, to promote, in her august person, the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 519 lustre of the Royal House, the dignity of the Throne, and the prosperity and glory of the empire ; objects which we know have ever been most dear to the heart of your Royal Highness. Deign then, Sir, to receive our humble assurance, that we deplore, with the most poignant sympathy, this cala- mitous dispensation, which has agonized and disappointed, by so fatal and mournful a reverse, at once the private pater- nal affections, and the public patriotic hopes, of your Royal Highness. Signed, in our name, and by our appointment, and the Seal of the City affixed hereto, at Edinburgh, the 10th day of December, 1817. Kincaid Mackenzie, Lord Provost. [Transmitted by the Lord Provost, and presented by Viscount SidmouthJ] To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loya subjects, the Merchant's House of the City of Glasgow, beg leave to approach your Royal Highness, and to mingle with the gene- ral grief on the late awful and melancholy event, which has so deeply agitated the bosoms, and affected the hearts, of your Royal Family and the British Empire. We sympathize with your Royal Highness on the un- timely loss of all that is lovely, and amiable, and engaging to a tender parent. We sympathize with His Serene High- ness the Prince Leopold, in that sorrow which admits of no sublunary cure. We sympathize with the Nation at large, on the sudden and eventful stroke which has disappointed the dearest wishes, and blighted the fairest promises, for the peace, the happiness, and the greatness of the country. If there can be any consolation to your Royal Highness — if there can be any alleviation to the British Nation for this irreparable loss — it will be in that universal burst of loyalty and lamentation which has identified your sufferings with our own, and which evinces the stability of the Throne in the hearts of the people ; and in the recollection of the virtues which endeared, the graces which adorned, and the accomplishments which ennobled, the elevated character of the Princess Charlotte- Augnsta ; and which, now that their ','12. MEMOIRS OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS relation I the tie fPM a domestic one. She loved the country of her ancestors, and refused the marriage which would have made her half a foreigner. There was something in the style of ber sentiments and habits that partook strongly of a period anterior to the new principles which had their origin in the revolutionary epoch of France. The old and faded English mind, with its indigenous properties and national enthusiasm, seemed to be restored in her to its original freshness and pri- mitive lustre. Local affections, home delights, unstudied care, decorous familiarity, hospitable intercourse with neigh- bours, and charih that came in contact with its object, how- ever humble, or old, or poor, were the pledges of her future greatness, the earnest of a magnanimous reign and beneficent sway, secure in its natural titles to the homage of gratitude, and of the free subjection of the heart. Something so warm and womanly, something so natively noble, so much soul, so much reality, so much natural relish, and such heartiness of sentiment, have rarely been coupled with so many artificial accomplishments, or survived a culture so studious and elabo- rate. Her part, indeed, was difficult to sustain with all eyes upon her conduct; from this fiery ordeal, nevertheless, she came out blameless, not by management, or artifice, or study, bnt a conduct above display, and even superior to her great station, — by making the Bible her monitor, and. living in the cheerful discharge of the duties of an elevated Christian. The crown of all this felicity was her Husband's love; a foreigner, but more like an English gentleman than Englisii gentlemen themselves ; a mild, virtuous, and intelligent Prince; fully sensible of the friendship and distinction with which this « ountry has received him, and giving back a full equivalent; ay, and how much more ! by the noble pattern he has dis- played before the eves of the nation, of a rational, domestic, and useful life. Such was the happiness which this Princess had procured for herself by her own free and well-directed choice, and such the hopes of the nation dependent upon the continuance of this happy union. " Such has been the personal loss: and in this personal loss the nation participates with the highly respectable Husband, and the illustrious Family of the deceased. The nation loved hi r for her oun sake. But greater still has been the moral loss. Would China open to us all the benefits of her com- merce, would the southern America give us the exclusive possession of her mines, were all the powerful states of the universe to meet in congress, and settle upon us in mortmain the entire dominion of the ocean, or to agree to liquidate for THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 523 us as much of our national debt as we might deem expedient, either, or any, or all of these events, would be little in com- parison of the happiness of having the throne filled by a -Sovereign of moral and religious habits, ruling in the fear of God, and training up children to uphold the succession, and to become the bright and Christian ornaments of the empire, the pledges of perpetuity and internal peace. The source of all substantial security in this country, the vital spring of government itself, is the moral principle which pervades the public, and determines the preponderancy of feeling and opinion as to laws, and measures, and men ; and the primary paramount source of this moral principle is to be found in the Prince upon the throne, and his family. He is the fountain of morality as much as he is the fountain of honour; and, in a qualified sense, the maker of good as well as of great men. The law by a metaphor supposes him to put new and noble blood into the veins : and in this moral sense and spirit of the phrase he may be said to put new life into the hearts of his people. The whole system rests upon a moral fulcrum. Every man in the country now fcolds an opinion of some sort or other, and is ready to act upon it as opportunity occurs. It is the natural effect of all the numerous institutions now actively on foot throughout the land, to stimulate into exercise and efficiency these reasoning, intermeddling, and deciding habits of the people. There is no undoing, no unravelling all this. It is become a part of the order of things, holding as determined a course as any of the physical appointments by which the natural destinies of the world are evolved. The thing has been set a-going, and even if it could be proved to be subversive in its tendencies, still no constitutional efforts of man can arrest its progression. The truth, however, is simply this — that all this fermentation of mind is only danger- ous, if neglected. If Princes, and rulers, and honourable and rich men, will but consider that while they promote uni- versal instruction they are setting up critics upon their own conduct, and giving an irresistible moral momentum to the multitude; if they will but consider that they virtually under- take to live according to that standard whose authority the institutions which they patronize profess to inculcate ; if they will but determine upon affording room for Christian worship to those on whom they bestow so much Christian education; if they will act like sincere men, by adopting what they recommend, and illustrating by example what they enforce by precept; there is no danger in all this stir given to the public mind. All then will be proportioned, natural, and MEMOIRS Ol HE* ROYAL HiiillNEsS , ii, i.il. lint il i> ;iv. I'"l to think of llic consequences, if all Litis change in Bocietj is treated as bringing with it no n- u duties or relations. All must be new, or it will be like putting "newwine into old bottles." No new theories, but a Dew practice is requisite. And that the mental effer- ence of the people may not find its vent, and vent it will dition or infidelity, or revolutionary madness, all men of light and reading, that love their country or them- selves, are called upon to live soberly, and circumspectly, and < onsisfc ntly. " It this be a just view of things, as we think will hardly be denied, it is scarcely possible to rate too highly the im- tortance of the religious and moral character of our rulers. t is every thing. Neither monarchy nor magistracy can afford to he for one day without it. There is no repose upon the rum h of preferment, no dignity in the staff of office, no terror in the sword of justice, no sanctity in the crosier, and no majesty in the diadem, unless opinion, religious and moral opinion, administer to them respectfully its unseen and gra- tuitous support. Without this alliance, " The strong statutes I Stand, like the forfeits in a barber's shop. As much in mock as mark." " Km mi in •< mrences in our Courts of Justice may serve t.i i onvince as how dangerous it is for men of rank and station to tamper with those gceal truths and solemn sanctions on which the security of the nation must ultimately rest. Their example is sure to be quoted against them: and however illogical and fallacious such a ground of defence or resistance must Ik- admitted to be, human infirmity and human prejudice will never patiently endure punishment from the hands of those whose example has partly led to the commission of the crime." "For these live and twenty years past our country has been exposed to far greater danger than at any other former period. Partial changes of the constitution, the transitions of power, the struggles for empire, the agitations of faction, or even the convulsions of intestine war, are events involving- mure or less of evil; hut they have their measure and their boundary, and sometimes their compensations. But the •Mimii in Cod from Ins throne in the heart, is an evil of which no thou -lit of man can calculate the amount, or mea- THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 525 sure the extent. To the verge of this evil we were brought, together with the rest of Europe, by the moral contagion of French principles, especially in the first years of the revolu- tionary sera. The source of Britain's safety through that menacing period was the moral and religious example of the King. He was, more than his own great minister, the pilot that weathered the storm. While all around was vacillating, and Europe was sinking fast into the vortex — while a vain and visionary philosophy was divorcing man from his Maker, and writing her decrees with the blood of her votaries, Great Britain's King, armed with intrepid moderation and steady purpose, pursued his right honest course, through good and evil report ; rose early, visited first the house of God, and, after the regular dispatch of business, divided the day between manly amusements, frugal repasts, and peaceable, pure, and home delights. Old, and infirm, and bereaved of sight, he yet preserved a heart unchanged — a moral courage unsub- dued. Still at the sun-rise, though it rose not for him, he was at his orisons. Still his duty to his people came next to that which belonged to his Maker and his Saviour. Still his Family felt his tender care, and yielded him his usual solace. The ornament of his domestic circle, his gentle and pious Daughter, was taken from him, and his reason lasted oidy to receive her last farewell, and mingle his blessings with her dying accents. Half in heaven, and separated from the taint of all earthly communion, he lives in the deep retirement of his palace, solitary, sequestered, silent, — but not forgotten. The remembrance of him still rules, his example is still pro- fitable, and the nation still hears, and is edified by hearing, that his grey hairs do not descend in sorrow to the grave, that his very aberrations are holy, and high, and happy ; and that God, avIio has taken from him reason, has, in exchange, given him peace. There is not a thinking being among his subjects that does not feel it a consolatory reflection, that the Royal Grandfather is iucapable of feeling the pang of his last privation." The present state of the Succession to the Throne having now become an object of paramount interest, we shall show, from Blackstone, what are the MI.MOIK* OF HER ROYAL H1GHNI£S> DOWen vested in Parliament; which we conceive, at the present juncture, will be particularly interest- hm 10 our readers : '• The grand fundamental maxim (says he) upon which the orona, or right of .succession to the throne of these king- doms, depends, is, — that the crown is, by common law, and constitutional custom, hereditary, and that in a manner pecu- liar to in. If; but that the right of inheritance may from time In time be changed ot limited Inj Act of Parliament. " 1st. It is in general hereditary, or descendible to the next heir, on the death or demise of the last proprietor. _M. 4l to the particular mode of inheritance, it in general responds with the feodal path of descent chalked out by flu- common law in the succession to the landed estates, yet with one or two material exceptions. Like estates, the Crown will descend lineally to the issue of the reigning Monarch, As in common descents, the preference of males to females, and the right of primogeniture among the males, an siri( tl\ adhered to. Like lands or tenements, the Crown, on failure of the male line, descends to the issue female; but among the females, the Crown descends by right of primo- iiuiv in the eldest daughter only and her issue, and not, a> in common instances, to all the daughters at once. The doctrine of representation prevails in the descent of the Grown, as it does in other inheritances, whereby the lineal di>cendants of any person deceased stand in the same place, a> thr a n ce s tor, if livings would have done. " Lastly; on failure of lineal descendants, the Crown goes to the next collateral relations of the late King, provided they are lineally descended from the Blood Royal, that is, from that Royal stock which originally acquired the Crown. But herein there is no objection (as in the case of common (h >rents) to the succession of a brother, an uncle, or other collateral relation, of the half blood, that is, where the relationship proceeds not from the same couple of ancestors, iv.hu h constitutes a kinsman of the whole blood) but from a •ingle ancestor only, as when two persons are derived from tht ii, father, and not from the same mother, or vice versa: provided only, that the one ancestor from whom both are descended be the one ancestor from whose veins the Blood Royal i- communicated to each. 'Lie doctrine of hereditary right does not imply an inde- • rigty to the Throne. It is unquestionably in the THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 527 breast of the supreme legislative authority of this kingdom, (the King and both Houses of Parliament,) to defeat this hereditary right; and by particular entails, limitations, and provisions, to exclude the immediate heir, and vest the inhe- ritance in any one else. " But however the Crown may be limited or transferred, it still retains its descendible quality, and becomes hereditary in the wearer of it. And hence in law the King is said never to die in his political capacity, though in common with other men he is subject to mortality in his natural. For the right of the Crown vests, eo instanti, upon his heir, either the hares natus, if the course of descent remains unimpeached, or the hares f actus, if the inheritance be under any particular settle- ment. So that there can be no inter regnum, but the right of sovereignty is fully invested in the successor by the very descent of the Crown." The death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales renders it a matter of great political interest, to take a short review of the present condition of the Royal Family of England, and, therein, to reflect a moment upon what may be the probable course and order of the descent of the Crown of Great Britain. In our history of the Houses of Brunswick and Stuart, we have shown that towards the end of the reign of William the Third, upon the impending extinction of the Protestant posterity of King Charles the First, it became necessary to have recourse to the descendants of James the First, the father of that Prince. The throne, upon the accession of King William, being limited to Protestants, the Princess Sophia, Electress, and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, was fixed upon as the root of a Royal stock. The Princess Sophia was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, who was the daughter of James the First. This Princess was the nearest of the ancient Blood Royal, who was not incapacitated by professing the Popish reli- gion. On her, therefore, and the heirs of her body, being Protestants, the remainder of the Crown, ai8 MLMOIKS OF HE! ROYAL HIGHNESS pedant on the death of King William and Queen lone, without issue, was settled by 12 and 13 \\ illiara III. She is the common ancestor, through whom alone the Crown of Great Britain can descend. This is the last limitation made by act of Parliament. The Princess Sophia dying before Queen Anne, the iitlii ritance, thus limited, descended on her son and In ir King George the First: and having, on the death of Queen Anne, taken effect in his person, from George the First it descended to His late Majesty, King George the Second. And from him to his grandson and heir, our present Gracious Monarch, George the Third. The following is a list of all the descendants now living of the Electress Sophia, to whose issue, being Protestants, the succession is limited : they are arranged in the legal order of succession; annexed are their respective ages ; and the relationship of each to the head of the branch, through which they derive their title, is marked by letters signifying son, grandson, great-grandson, daughter, grand- daughter, &c: as some individuals derive by more than one title, they are enumerated as often as their rights occur, a reference being made to their former place : /. Descendant* of George III. eldest Son of Frederick Prince of Wales, who was yreat-grandson of the Electress Sophia. Ages 1 George Prince Regent, S 55 '2 Frederick Duke of York, S 54 3 William-Henry Duke of Clarence, S 52 4 Edward Duke of Kent, S 50 5 Ernest Duke of Cumberland, S 46 Augustas Duke of Sussex, S 44 7 \ Charles of Hesse, S 73 ;')() Frederick of Hesse, G. S * 46 6 1 Christian of Hesse, G. S 4G 52 Mary of Hesse, Queen of Denmark, G. D 50 ;'!i| o; ?V G V G -S 1 | her children. 51 No. 30, G. G. D.J 55 Julia of Hesse, G. D 44 56 Louisa of Hesse, G. D 28 57 Frederick of Hesse, S 70 58 William of Hesse, G. S 30 59 Frederick of Hesse, G. S 27 GO George of Hesse, G. S 24 61 Louisa of Hesse, G. I"). 23 62 Mary of Hesse, G. D 21 63 Augusta of Hesse, G. D 20 VII. Descendants of Louisa of Enyland, Queen of I>enmark t next Dauyhtcr of Georye II. [she died 1751]. 64 No. 28, G. S. 65 No. 53, No. 29, G. G. D. 66 No. 54, No. 30, G. G. D. 67 No. 31, G.D. 68 Sophia of Denmark, Queen of Sweden, D. . . 71 69 Gustavus King of Sweden, G. S 39 70 Gustavus of Sweden, G. G. S 18 71 Sophia of Sweden, G.G.D 16 72 Amelia of Sweden, G.G.D 12 73 Wilhelmina of Denmark, Electress of Hesse-Cassel, D... . 70 74 No. 45, G. S. ^ 73 No. 46, G. G. S. ( , . ., . 76 No. 47, G. G. D. > her chlWren ' 77 No. 48, G. G. D. J 78 Louisa of Denmark, wife of Charles of Hesse-Cassel, [No. 48] D 67 79 No. 50, G. S. 80 81 No. 52, G. D. V her descendants. 82 83 THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE-AUGUSTA. 531 VIII, Descendants of Sophia of England, Queen of Prussia, only Daughter of George I. [she died 1757]. Apte 84 Frederick-William III. King of Prussia, G. G. S 46 85 Frederick- William, Prince of Prussia, G. G. G. S. . . 22 86 Frederick-Lewis of Prussia, G. G. G. S.. ............. . 20 87 Frederick- C bailee of Prussia, G. G. G. S.. , 16 88 Frederick-Henry of Prussia, G. G. G. S 13 89 Wilhelmina of Prussia, G. G. G. D . 14 90 Louisa of Prussia, G. G. G. D 9 91 William-Frederick of Prussia, G. G. G. S 23 92 Frederick of Prussia, G. G. G. D. 21 93 Frederick-Charles-Henry of Prussia, G. G. S 36 94 Frederick-William-Charles, G. G. S 43 95 Henry of Prussia, G. G. G. S 6 Q6 Mary of Prussia, G. G. G. D. ..... . 2 97 Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of York, G. G. D. 50 98 Wilhelmina of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands, G. G. D. 43 99 No. 35, G. G. G. S. ") ^»S:S:S:l:f*^- 102 No. 38, G. G. G. D. J 103 Christina of Prussia, Princess of Hesse-Cassel, G. G. D. . 40 104 No. 46, G. G. G. S.-l 105 No. 47, G. G. G. D. > her children. 106 No. 48, G. G. G.D.J 107 Frederica of Prussia, Princess Dowager of Orange, G. D. 108 No. 34, G. G. S. 109 No. 99, No. 35, G. G. G. S. 110 No. 100, No. 36, G. G. G. G. S. 113 No. 39, G. G. D. 114 No. 40, No. 14, G. G. G. S. 115 No. 41, No. 15, G. G. G. S. 1 16 Frederick-William of Prussia, G. S 37 117 Frederica-Dorothea of Prussia, Princess Radzivil, G. D.. . 47 118 No. 69, G. G. S. 119 No. 70, G. G. G. S. 120 No. 71, G. G.G. D. 121 No. 72, G. G. G. D. 122 Charles XIII. King of Sweden, G. S 69 123 Sophia of Sweden, Abbess of Quedlenberg, G. D 64 From the foregoing account it will be seen, that the three persons nearest the throne, being married ! bis head. He was quite dead. He could have no inten- tion of destroying himself when he went to bed, as he did not close the door of the apartment. Witness observed to the deceased before he went to bed, that he, witness, was in great agitation. Sir Richard answered, " AVhat is your agi- l at ion compared to miner' and witness supposed at the time thai lie was suppressing his emotions. The deceased bled at the nose several times during his attendance. — Mr. Hollings, Burgeon, of Green-street, Grosvenor-sqtiare, said, that he had observed a considerable alteration in the deceased's state of mind and his manners for some time past; he had frequently seen him so melancholy, that it was quite distressing; his mind was so absorbed, that he would not give answers to questions which were put to him: for the last ten days the deceased had been attending a patient who was in a danger- ous state ; and on witness conversing with him respecting her, deceased threw himself on the bed, and struck his forehead, as if his brain w r as very much agitated. He noticed him par- ticularly on Tuesday night, as he was attending a lady ; he so agitated, that Dr. Warren asked him if he was ill? He answered in an incoherent manner, " T\o." Witness is of opinion, that had a person been present when he had the ! - ol, he could have obtained no control over hira; indeed, lit- should have thought it very dangerous to have left such v. eapoos within his reach." A short time ago, witness was in company with the deceased, when he exclaimed abruptly, " Good God, what will become of me!" Witness positively believes he «as in a stale of derangement when he committed the act. [Here one of the jurymen asked Mr. Hollings, whether, in his opinion, the death of the Princess had been the exciting cause of his derangement? or whether he had observed his mind to be diseased previous to that, melancholy at? Mr. Hollings replied, he had no doubt whatever of the insanity of the deceased having been caused bj the unfor- tunate events al Claremont; that, previous to that time, he had never observed his mind to be disturbed.] — Drs. Baillie and Latham, and Vv. Finch, proved that the deceased had, since the death oi the Princess Charlotte, laboured under mental distress. He had repeatedly been heard to say, that iliis lamentable circumstance weighed heavy upon his mind, and he should never get over it. — The Jury then went to view APPENDIX. 549 the body. On a table lay the play of " Love's Labour Lost," which was open at a page in which appeared the words, " Good God ! where is the Princess ?" The Jury remarked this as a singular coincidence, and returned to the jury-room, where the Coroner summed up the evideuce, and the Jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of " Died by his own act, being, at the time he committed it, in a state of mental derangement." Sir Richard was in his 57th year. Lady Croft, who survives him, is in a very delicate state of health. Her Ladyship is daughter of the late Dr. Denman, and sister of Mr. Denman, the barrister. He has left three sons and a daughter. One of the sons is in the Army, and served in the late war on the Continent. Mrs. Thackeray, the lady whom Sir Richard was attending, was safely delivered about eight o'clock on the following morning: she was kept in total ignorance of the dreadful event, but only survived a few days. Account of His present Majesty's Jirst Illness in the Year 1788. Owing to the severe disorder with which it had pleased Divine Providence to afflict our gracious Sovereign, all ranks of people were filled with con- sternation. The first symptoms of the disorder were observed in the early part of October, 1788, and increased so much, that on the 17th of that month it was thought necessary to postpone the Levee at St. James's. It appears that His Majesty had caught cold by walking over some wet grass, which brought on a rheumatic pain, that fixed in his stomach ; but was soon removed into the extre- mities : and on the 24th His Majesty was so much recovered, that he appeared at the Levee ; but on ,0 APPENDIX. the nh of November had a relapse, attended with a violent pain in bis bowels; and on the 6th the symptoms were so very alarming, that the most , mill, iif Physicians were called in, and all the great Officers of State summoned; upon which the dis- order was pronounced to be of a most complicated nature. On the 11th it was thought necessary to send a daily official account of His Majesty's situ- ation to the Lord in Waiting, at St. James's. These reports were couched in general terms, such as, that His Majesty had passed a quiet, or more rest- less, night; that he was more, or less, composed ; that his fever had abated, or increased ; or that he continued in the same state. On the 13th of November, a Form of Prayer for His Majesty's recovery was ordered by the Lords of the Privy Council, to be prepared by the Arch- bishop of Canterbury; and the Dissenters of all persuasions united in the most fervent prayers for the preservation of a life so dear to all his subjects. In consequence of the new and singular situation of the Government, circulars were addressed to the Members of both Houses of Parliament, requiring their attendance on the 20th of November, the day to which they had lx en prorogued. On that, both Houses of Parliament accordingly met, and each unanimously resolved, 1. That this House do, on its rising, adjourn to this day fortnight; 2. That this House be called over on this day fortnight; 3. Thai the Speaker do send circular letters to the Sheriffs of every County, requiring the attendance of Members. On the 4th of December the Houses again met, and being resolved into Committees, after a long debute, agreed to the following Resolutions: 1. That it iv the (.pijiion of this Committee, that His Majesty is prevented, by his present indisposition, from com- ing to his Parliament, and from attending to public business ; and that the personal exercise of the APPENDIX. &>1 Royal authority is thereby, for the present, inter rupted ; 2. That it is the right and duty of the Lords, spiritual and temporal, and Commons of Great Bri- tain, now assembled, and lawfully, fully, and freely representing all the estates of the people of Great Britain, to provide the means of supplying the defect of the personal exercise of the Royal autho- rity, arising from His Majesty's said indisposition, in such manner as the exigency of the case may seem to require ; 3. Resolved, That for this pur- pose, and for maintaining entire the constitutional authority of the King, it is necessary that the said Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, of Great Britain, should determine on the means, whereby the Royal assent may be given in Par- liament to such Bill as may be passed by the two Houses of Parliament, respecting the exercise of the powers and authorities of the Crown, in the name and on behalf of the King, during the con- tinuance of His Majesty's present indisposition. After this followed long debates upon the famous question of the Regency, which still occupied the attention of the Senate until February ; when the daily official accounts of His Majesty's health, sent from Kew to St. James's, began to be more uniformly favourable; and at length afforded, on the 17th of that month, to a loyal and affectionate people, the pleasing intelligence, that His Majesty was in a state of convalescence. On the 27th, the report of the Physicians ceased, and the Lords of the Council ordered a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for His Majesty's happy Recovery. The Park and Tower guns were fired; illuminations, and all sorts of public rejoic- ings, followed throughout the kingdom; His Majesty went in procession to St. Paul's; loyal addresses were presented ; and His Majesty's Birth- day was celebrated with every demonstration of heartfelt jo v. 552 APPENDIX. tccouni of the Jubilee observed througfiout the United Kingdom, on October 25, 1809, in honour of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Coronation of our beloved and revered Sovereign King George the Third. This happy day was announced at the earliest dawn by the joyful ringing of the bells of the Metro- polis: guns were fired at intervals, from an early hour, from the wharfs upon the banks of the Thames, and from the vessels on the river, which were gaily decorated with the flags and standards of the friendly nations. The morning opened with a splendour and mildness that seemed to recal the finest period of summer : it was hailed by the peo- ple of all ranks and classes, who poured forth, as soon as it was day, and hastened in every direction on foot, on horseback, and in carriages of every description, from east to west, and from west to east; from the town to the country, and from the country to the town. Never on any former occasion were such immense throngs beheld; sounds of joy and happiness marked the way of all ; and through- out the whole day and night it was impossible to listen or look without perceiving that every Briton heartily concurred in celebrating the Jubilee of George the Third. At one o'clock a grand salute of fifty guns was fired from the Park and Tower. The regiments of Guards in Town attended divine service at the Royal Chapel, Whitehall, which had been repaired for their use, under the direction of i lis Royal Highness the Duke of York. The Life < iiiarda were also out, as were also all the Volunteer J orps of the Metropolis, many of whom, after hear- in u" di\ine service, had a grand field day in Hyde Park, where each fired a feu dejoye in most capital style. At half past ten o'clock the Lord Mayor proceeded from the Mansion House to Guildhall, APPENDIX. 553 in the City State Coach, drawn by his set of beau- tiful gray horses, splendidly adorned with ribbons, and attended by the usual Officers, preceded by the trumpets sounding, and the band of the West London Militia playing " God save the King." At Guildhall his Lordship was joined by the mem- bers of the Corporation, and the Procession moved to St. Paul's in the following order : Constables with New Staves. River Feucibles with new Uniforms. West Regiment London Militia. Twelve Trumpeters. Band playing " God save the King." Under Marshal. Marshalmen. The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor in State, The horses adorned with purple ribbons. Two Sheriffs in State. Under Sheriffs with their Officers, two and two. Aldermen in their scarlet gowns, according to seniority. The Common Councilmen in their Carriages, and violet mazarine gowns, one hundred and sixty in number, closed the procession. In the large space between the iron gate and great west door of the Cathedral, the West Lon- don Militia received the Lord Mayor and the rest of the procession with presented arms. Oji entering the great west door of the Cathedral, his Lordship was received by the Dean and Chapter. The central aisle to the choir was lined on each side by the River Fencibles in full uniforms. A most appropriate and excellent Sermon was preach- ed by his Lordship's Chaplain, from 2 Kings viii. 66. " And they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people." Before the Sermon, the Corona- tion Anthem was performed with great effect by the full choir. The procession returned about 23. 4 a ATPENDIX. three o'clock in the same order. At five o'clock, the Corporation were introduced up the grand staircase unto the Mansion House; the trumpets sounding during their entrance through the vestibule. The building had been previously decorated with a splendid illumination, consisting of elegant devices of the oak, thistle, and shamrock, in coloured lamps; in the centre a radiant display of G. R. and the Crown, with "Long may he reign." The pillars of the portico were tastefully ornamented with wreaths of lamps ; and the whole was much admired from its general grandeur and effect. On entering the grand saloon, which was lined by the band of the \\ est London Militia playing " God save tin' King," " Rule Britannia," &c. the com- pany were individually received by the Lord Mayor, and at half-past five o'clock the floors of the magnificent Egyptian Hall were thrown open, illuminated by the blaze of innumerable lamps, tastefully arranged round the pillars, and from elegant lustres and chandeliers suspended from the roof. The tables were laid out with the great- est taste, and covered with an elegant and hospi- table dinner, the whole of which was served up upon plate; the band- continuing all the time to play various delightful airs. After the cloth was removed " Non nobis Domine" was charmingly sung by Messrs. Taylor, Tyrol, Doyle, &c. and after an appropriate speech the Lord Mayor gave " The King, God bless him, and long may he reign overafree and united people;" which was drank with three times three, and with exulting en- thusiasm, amid thunders of applause, which un abatedly continued for a great length of time. After this effusion of loval feeling had subsided, the grand National Anthem of "God save the King' Mas performed by the professional Gentle- men present, with appropriate additional verses for the occasion, the whole company standing, and APPENDIX. 555 joining- with the most heartfelt zeal, accompanied by the animating sounds of the military band. The worthy Chief Magistrate then gave "The Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family," and " The Wooden Walls of Old England;" after which, " Rule Britan- nia" was sung, accompanied in full chorus by the band and company present; then followed "The Army of the United Kingdom," and " Prosperity to the City of London ;" after which, many other loyal and constitutional toasts were drank : and the company, consisting of upwards of two hundred persons of the first respectability, did not separate till a late hour. About four hundred of the most respectable Merchants, Bankers, &c. of the City of London, sat down at six o'clock to an elegant dinner at Merchant Tailors' Hall. They were joined at table by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Earls of Liverpool, Bathurst, Chatham, Camden, Harrowby, Lord Erskine, the Attorney and Solici- tor Generals, &c. with Beeston Long, Esq. in the Chair. After the cloth was removed, " The King, and long may he reign," was given with three times three, and received with the loudest acclamations ; then followed " The Queen, the Prince and Prin- cess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family," " The Navy, Army, and Prosperity to Commerce." The illuminations were exceedingly beautiful ; the Admiralty, and Horse Guards, were particularly splendid ; the grand colonnade at the entrance of the hall of the former, being ornamented with spiral rows of different colours, from the ground to the top, amounting, it is said, to 3000 for each pillar. The Bank of England exhibited coloured lamps, every where covering its walls ; there was, beside, not a pillar or niche in that immense pile, that did not display some brilliant and loyal device. The Post Office seemed like a beautiful promenade APPKNDIX. formed mt<> an arbourwith variegated lamps. The India House had a most dazzling appearance, and was profusely ornamented with elegant devices. Ml the Theatres were illuminated with a vast number of lamps; and the shops of the Strand, Piccadilly, and the City of London generally, w