*Jll ^ \ V s V > ,v V ^ ^ ^ ^ -% %'$' V -9 ^ , L"^ a\ V -/•> **■ V ^ cv x 00 -,. o>' ** ** V V* ' ** V- ,\\ ,6 X \ 0c ^. •\ 'p ^ ^ vOo ,x\ V o 0' OO 1 -> \^ ■V s ,0o ^ » 8 I V > ^ -o ,\ V A?" o ' , \ vOo 1 B , ■ >< c> " ■ ■'■s- A -/■ PRICE, OXTE DOLLAR. ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE MYSTERIOUS £1,000 BOOK AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, Agents. THE KING IN HIS ROYAL ROBES. THE Private Life of a King. EMBODTING THE SUPPRESSED MEMOIRS THE PRINCE OF WALES, AFTERWABDS George IV, of England. NOW FIRST PUBLISHED. — By JOHN BANVARD, Artist. WITH CORROBORATIVE AUTHORITIES, DRAWN FROM THE SECRET ARCHIVES OF THE CHARTISTS, AND AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. PUBLISHED BY THE LITERARY AND ART PUBLISHING COMPANY, 806 Broadway. 1875. DA5.3S Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by JOHN BANVARD, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. PREFACE MERICANS, in the contemplation of royalty, are led into the estimate of kingly character as presented to them through the medium of political history, and gene- rally written by sympathizers of royalty, and often under its direct influence. The sacred precincts of the palace are rarely invaded by the vulgar, and the secret misdoings there are carefully screened by the satellites who cater to the sensual pastimes of a king. We think the time has now arrived when royalty should be exhibited as it is, in all its deformity. The world moves, and the times demon- strate that man and government can do without a king, especially such a one as he whose character is portrayed in these pages ; that man is capable of governing himself ; that the monarchical system is on its decline. During the late civil war in the United States we heard repeatedly, and in many forms of expression, from monarchical Europe that the experiment of the republican form of government had failed, that the Great Eepublic had exploded, and it was so ex- ultingly announced on the floor of the English Parliament; and the various Governments of Europe acted upon this belief, and conducted their policy regarding the United States accordingly. But how egregiously they were mis- taken, the haste with which imperial Napoleon left Mexico to save the ignominy of being driven out after the " Great Republic" hinted he had better leave, and how readily monarchical England paid over the fifteen millions of dol- lars on account of her spoliation on republican commerce on demand, testify. Vi PREFACE. A common man may have vices or virtues, and these may be hidden, and when he dies all the good and evil of his moral character will find oblivion in the grave ; not so with a ting, for the effect of his accidental existence lives after him, and is, for good or bad, the property of the historian. In illustration of this we have, therefore, seized upon the private character of George the Fourth, as it is public his- torical property, and we shall endeavor to work what good we can out of it for the benefit of our fellow man and in the interest of the republican form of government; and perchance, though not expected, our writing may fall be- neath the royal eye of some European prince — perhaps the present heir to that throne once occupied by the subject of these memoirs — and remind him that his transient life, be it virtuous or sinful, will live after him ; and never mind how dark he thinks he keeps his secret vices, they will be shown up in all their hideousness by some future historian, as we now do those of his defunct titular namesake's. A king is, in the truest sense of the word, a public man ; not only so to his own people but to the world at large — for his "foreign policy " affects the remotest nations of the earth, and we have a right to examine and record his existence and its results as affecting our republican interests as we judge proper for the good of our fellow citizens. The chronicles of England exemplify the fact that the tone of the people's mind ever harmonized with the charac- ter of the ruling monarch. The vigorous character of Elizabeth formed the minds of her subjects to earnest ac- tions, while Charles II, by audacious profligacy, transplanted almost every foreign vice into his country ; and if England to-day enjoys the purest Court she ever possessed, it i& the reflex of the beautiful life and character of her pure and virtuous monarch. J. B. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Introductory. Birth of George III. How George II regarded the marriage rite. Han- nah Lightfoot. George III and a strange mystery. Secret history suppressed. Private theatricals at Holland House. Marriage of George IH. Bacchanalian Scenes at Lambeth Palace. Scandalous lives of the clergy. CHAPTER II. Birtn of George IV. The Stamp Act. Invested with the title Prince of Wales. Bap- tism. His skill as a youthful musical amateur. First failure in love making. Two future Kings of England arrested in disguise. The beautiful maid of Honor. Mrs. Robinson, the actress. The sylvan beauty of Richmond's groves. The Perdita and Florizel romance. The Oxford students. The flower girl. CHAPTER III. The Prince attains his majority. Introduced to the House of Peers, November 11, 1783. Burke, Fox, and Sheridant ie great triumvirate. Festive wit. A beautiful meteor in the social sky. The English nation tired of the American War. Mrs. Billington the celebrated singer. Questionable associates. Dealings with money lenders. Love letter to the Duchess of Devonshire. The contested Westminster election in. 1784. Miss Johnstones's wit. CHAPTER IY. Mrs. Fitzherbert. Her history. Desperate love of the Prince. Her departure for Holland. Their marriage. Mary Anne Fitzherbert the legal wedded wife of the Prince of Wales. The mysterious sealed box in Coutfs bank. Letter of the Duke of Wellington. Mrs. Fitzherbert's death. CHAPTER T. Generosity of the Prince. His enormous debts. Loan of the Duke of Orleans. First illness of George III. The Regency '.Bill. The Prince of Wales initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry. " Amateur theatricals at- Richmond House. Old English hospitality. Sunday evening amusement at Court. CHAPTER YI. An unnatural Mother. Titled ladies as gamesters. The Diamond Locket. A Rural Breakfast. A Prince's opinion of female virtue. The wooden spoon story. Wisdom and Folly. The beautiful Lucy Howard. Faro tables in nohle man- sions. The infamous Lady Archer. The initials. CHAPTER YII. Brilliant Court at Carlton Palace. The Pavilion at Brighton. Bon mot of Sheridan. The famous horse "Escape" of the Prince. Fraud at the gaming table. Secret agents. Marriage of the Duke of York. The Post Obit Bonds. Royal swind- lers! The mysterious wreck. Anecdotes of the servants of Carlton House. Proposed alliance of the Prince with Caroline of Brunswick. CHAPTER YIII. The influence of the Press. Jeffery's negotiations for the marriage jewels. Birth of Princess Charlotte. A separation proposed of the Prince from Caroline. The history of M'Mahon, the infamous panderer. The Royal Marriage Act. What George III paid the Prince of Hesse Cassel for the Hessians to put down Brother Jonathan. Accession of Fox to ministerial power in 1806. Innocence seeking the protection of the Church. Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. The Peace of Amiens. Hatred of the English for Napoleon I. The American rebel- lion of 1861. George IV as an imitator of John Kemble. A future King of Eng- land snubbed by an opera dancer. A star of the British Court. The lost Pleiad. Where the money of the people goes. A national tragedy. Visits of Sir Sydney Smith to Montague House. Lady Douglas accuses Caroline of high treason. Death of Pitt and Fox. CHAPTER X. History of the memorable trial of the Duke of York, in 1809. The English army led by an adulteress. Charge in the House of Commons. Abject state of the clergy. The heroine of the day. The Ambassador of Morocco. The Duke resigns the command of the army. Wilberforce's offence to the Royal family. CHAPTER XI. Thackeray's lectures on the four Georges. Lord Heaves' defence. The Tory Editor of Blackwood. The satires of Punch. Return of the King's malady. The Prince as Regent. Royal love of show. The wonder of American travellers at the pliancy of British subjects. CHAPTER XII. Power of female beauty and accomplishments. The clergyman's daughters. The Duke of Queensbury's opinion of women. The Assassination of Spencer Per- ceval. Resignation of Wellesley. Sequel to the bond story. A benevolent Jew. CHAPTER XIII. A coming drama. The King's wardrobe. Visit of the Emperors. Romantic escape of the Princess Charlotte from Warwick House. Departure of Caroline from England. Triumph of the Prince Regent. Treaty o' Peace with America, 1814. CHAPTER XI Y. Loss of Naval prestige. Waterloo. Marriage of the Princess Charlotte. Royal hobbies. Death of Sheridan. Dlness and death of the Princess Charlotte. Suicide of Sir Richard Croft. Death of Queen Charlotte. CHAPTER XT. Last years of the Regency. The skeletons of Royal closets. Birth of Victoria. Death of George III. The Chartists. Accession of George IV. The Milan Commis- sion. The Bill of Pains and Penalties. Trial o£ Caroline. CHAPTER XVI. Coronation of George IV. Humiliation of Caroline. The King's visit to Ireland. Illness of Queen Caroline. Anxiety of the People. Her Death and Funeral. CHAPTER XVII. The crown of Hanover placed on the head of George IV. Greville's Memoirs. Impeach- ment of the House of Brunswick. The Duke of Queensbury and the parvenu. Visit to Scotland. The black book of the Chartists. Perceval's suppressed book. CHAPT'ER XVIII. Opening of Parliament, 1824. The Catholics and Orange lodges. The King emerges from his retirement to open Parliament, 1826. Death of the Duke of York and George Canning. Rumors of the King's illuess. Alarm of the People. The King informed his last moments are at hand. The sacrament. Last words — "This is death." THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. fflfoatrtw jtatt. " Let facts be submitted to a candid world," says the American Declaration of Independence when enumerating on the many wrongs that were inflicted upon this country by George III, the immediate progenitor of George Augustus Frederick, the subject of these pages. In this work we propose to recount some facts not enumerated in that catalogue of grievances, although some of them were the direct cause of the u repeated injuries and usurpations " therein stated. The first words uttered by George III after he was noti- fied of the death of the reigning sovereign, and he, conse- quently, King, were the distinct utterance of A lie. At the time he was out riding, when a messenger, who was sent to tell him of the death of the King, met him and informed him that he was sovereign. George did not reply, but for some reason known to himself turned to his attendant, and, to their great surprise, said that his horse had become lame, and he must return to Kew, and, although his groom assured him to the contrary, he re- turned immediately. A writer observes, " It is singular that the longest reign in British annals should have commenced with the utter- ance of an unnecessary and puerile falsehood.' 7 * * Cassell. London. 1* 10 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. As George III figures extensively in American political history, and his public acts are well known, we will here give a slight sketch of his private life, which has not found comment in our histories, as a prelude to that of his more abandoned son, George Guelph, of infamous memory, and — " let facts be submitted to a candid world." George III, that j>rince " whose character was marked by every art which may define a tyrant," was born 4th of June, 1738, and, in the words of Shakspeare, " scarce half made up," as his mother did not go her " full time," for George III did not have strength of brain given him to carry him through his lifetime, as he was but an idiot the latter part of his days, and the great losses the British realms sustained during his reign may be attributed to his mental incapacity, occasioned by his being ushered into the breathing world before his time. However, on this point there has been some controversy, some denying his legiti- macy, which his mother explained by his being a " seven months' child." Not expecting he would live, he was bap- tized on the day of his birth. A healthy gardener's wife was hired to suckle him, and, like a sensible mother, she took her charge to bed with her, to the utter dismay of the royal family — a novel and vulgar familiarity, which was vehemently objected to. " Nay, nay," said the good woman, "you may nurse the boy your- selves." She was wisely allowed to have her way. The x>oet laureate got upon stilts at his birth, and in grandiloquent rhyme presented his best thanks to Nature that she did dare to "complete the wondrous man," George. After the usual nursery career, he was consigned to a governor and his preceptor, and commenced his studies at about six years of age. George III. did not like some of his early preceptors, especially Lord Walgrave, and the dislike appears to have been mutual.* In his Memoirs Walgrave says : " I found * Walpole's Reign of George IT, vol. 1, page 328. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 11 His Highness uncommonly full of princely prejudices, contracted in the nursery, and improved by bedchamber women and pages of the back stairs."* So it appears that thus early in his life women began to exert an influence over him. He was very backward in " book learning," his mother said, at the age of seventeen. On the other hand, he was good natured and cheerful.t The Princess, his mother, knowing well from her own experience of the natu- ral frailties of the female sex, for she, at the time, was hav- ing adulterous intercourse with the Earl of Bute.l We will call things by their right names, not hi the tender language of Capt. Jesse, who, in his "Memoirs of George III," when speaking of this well known connection, " that it was al- most universally believed that a tender connection existed between the Princess Dowager and the Earl of Bute." It was not " believed " only, but universally known, that she was in sinful communion with Bute. It was greatly to the interest of the Earl of Bute and his royal paramour to maintain a commanding influence of the heir apparent, and they ommitted no means whereby they could attain this end, and how well they succeeded the independence of this Kepublic proves, for it was this undue influence that Bute gained over the Prince, and maintained while King, who carried out all his recommendations as minister regarding the oppression of the colonies."§ But for Bute's influence over George III, we might now be but colonies of Great Britain, and as far behind the age of progress as are now " Her Ma- jesty's Territories of the New Dominion." The Prince being cognizant of the said "tender relations" existing between his mother and the Earl of Bute, it is not to be believed * Walgrave Memoirs. f Jesse's Life of George III, vol. 1, page 20. \ Jesse's Life of George III, vol. 1, page 25. § Memoirs of George III. (See also Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution. Also Bancroft.) 12 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINGK that lie could have lived a very virtuous life with the females of his mother's Court and the " women of the bed- chamber.'^- with whom he principally associated, as his passions were being developed in the full power of man- hood, for his mother was afraid to trust him in the com- pany of the maids of honor, whom she intimated u were no better than they should be." Scott, his preceptor, writing to a lady friend of his, says : " Several of the young ladies of the Court try to entrap His Eoyal Highness the Prince with their fascinations and blandishments, and as certain of them are very alluring they may succeed, for though a Prince he is but mortal." When at Polton, afterwards, Mrs. Coldwood said : "When Prince George was about eighteen years of age, I had frequent opportunities of seeing George Scott, and asked him many questions about the Prince of Wales. He said he is extremely honest, and has no turn for extrava- gance, but has great temptations to be gallant with the ladies, who lay themselves out in a most shameful manner to draw him in." Usually to the stronger sex has been attributed the crime of seduction, but here is certainly historical proof to the contrary, for we see that the Prince was actually seduced by the Court ladies, who, in the words of his preceptor, " laid them themselves out " especially for this purpose, and his preceptor was certainly in a position to know. His favorite among the ladies was his mother's maid of honor, the beautiful and fascinating Miss Chudleigh, after- wards the celebrated Duchess of Kingston, who, as a writer says, understood the disposition of the Prince, and a lady (?) whose intimate experience in the intrigues and gallantries of a Court enabled her to succeed.f The minister of the King endeavored to neutralize the in- fluence of the Princess his mother and the Earl of Bute ♦Walpole, f Monthly Magazine. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 13 over the heir apparent. To effect this, Walpole, who, as he says, believed him " young and chaste," writes, " What influence might not a youthful bride obtain over the Prince?"* Suggestions of marrying him to some eligible Princess, and by such means remove him out of the influ- ence of the courtly lovers, his mother and Bute. The Prince was very ungrateful and thankless. His Aunt Amelia told Horace Walpole that having one day, when the prince was a boy, done something to incase him, the Princess Dowager said to her, " Madam, you are very good to my children j but, madam, if you was to lay down your life for George, George would not be obliged to you."f Lord Chesterfield, who was then training his only son, not to abandon vice, but to be a gentleman in the practice of it, pronounced the Prince to be " a most hopeful boy, gentle, and good natured, with good sound sense." His royal grandfather, on the other hand, declared he "was good for nothing except to read the Bible to Ms mother" — a good, and homely, and not unprincely virtue. The Prince of Wales was undoubtedly of a less vivacious spirit than his brother and companion, Edward of York, and certainly had through life a more correct sense of propriety. I de- rive from a note of Mrs. Piozzi's, written in a copy of u Wrax- all's Memoirs," which she was annotating, one evidence of the correctness of the Prince's conduct, and which evidence reached Mrs. Piozzi through a cousin attached to the house- hold of Prince Frederick. " The Princess was sitting one day of her early widowhood, pensive and melancholy, her two eldest sons were playing about the room. c Brother, 7 said the second boy (Edward, Duke of York,) when you and I are men grown, you shall be married, and I will keep a mistress.' l Be quiet, Eddy,' replied the Prince of Wales, ' we shall have anger presently for your nonsense. There * Walpole's George III. See also Lord Chesterfield. fLast Journals of Horace Walpole, vol. 1, page 111. 14 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. must be no mistresses at all.' ' What you say f cries old (?) Augusta, l you more need learn your pronouns, as the pre- ceptor bid you do. Can you tell what is a pronoun V i Yes, very well/ replied Prince Edward, c a pronoun is to a noun what a mistress is to a wife — a substitute and a represent- , ative.'* Whatever parts the Prince's tutors may have had, one of their pupils, at least, was not without a lively knowl- edge of the world. The Dowager Princess had reason to be afraid of the manners of the age — here was one of her caged birds with the audacity of a page, and an insight into social arrangements that would have made him popular with the Mormons had that polygamous sect then existed. Walpole again urged the necessity of marrying the Prince in order to counteract the influence of Bute and the Princess of Wales. The King entered into the views of Walpole,. and said it would perhaps be politic to " amuse the Prince with matrimony." Thus did the old King speak of God's most sacred ordinance as amusement only, not as a holy sacrament, merely a pastime for princely amusement. In 1754 the Prince exhibited evidence of his constitu- tional warmth of temperament and the susceptibility to the fascinations of female loveliness, by falling desperately in love with a very obscure individual, no less a personage than a discreet and amiable young Quakeress, the lovely Hannah Lightfoot. This is the first known amour of his outside the palace walls, and around which there has been thrown a great deal of romance and mystery. A peculiar interest has been attracted to this affair, deserved partly from the youth of the parties and the previous history of the young lady. A strange mystery hangs over the fate of the beautiful girl, who, whatever may have been her secrets or her sorrows, she carried them unshared to her grave.t * Doran's Princess of "Wales. f Memoirs of George III. Jesse : London, 1867. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 15 There was a u Secret History of the Court of George III " printed in London, but telling too many unpalatable truths regarding the royal household, and containing courtly se- crets ; it was immediately suppressed. In that u Secret History " are some details given regarding the particulars of the elopement and marriage of Hannah Lightfoot. It is stated that she was married by a Dr. Wilmot, and that his royal brother witnessed the ceremony ; this Dr. Wil- mot was also asserted to be the famous Junius. Another statement is that she was married by a certain Rev. Mr. Keith in the same place, the Ourzon Street Chapel ; while it has been denied they were ever married at all. There are persons now living claiming to be the legitimate descend- ants of this marriage ; and if so, as the marriage took place before the enactment of the " Royal Marriage Act," wherein the laivs of God are assumed to be annulled by act of Par- liament, the legitimacy of the present incumbent of the throne of England, Victoria I, can well be questioned. The family of Hannah Lightfoot originally came to Lon- don from Yorkshire 5 her father was a respectable trades- man, residing at Execution Dock, Wapping, in the east — a district sufficiently remote and obscure, one would have thought, to have preserved his daughter from the tempta- tions of a Court. Unfortunately, however, she had an uncle in business of the name of Wheeler, who resided near St. James' Palace. It was in his house she was destined to press the pillow of innocence for the last time, and it was here the Prince of Wales accidentally saw her for the first time. He returned to the palace after this first view of her wondrous beauty desperately in love. He thought of her constantly, and after concealing his passion- for some time resolved to possess himself of her, so he called into requisition the services of his palace favorite, who had been enjoying secretly his " tender passion," the lovely Miss Chudleigh, who was afterwards the too cele- 16 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. brated Duchess of Kingston,* a lady who was very skill- ful in such affairs, and had an intimate experience in the in- trigues and gallantries of the Court. After calling on the young Quakeress a number of times, she opened her " first parallel V against the virtuous citadel heart of the confiding girl. She dazzled her eyes, and the youthful imagination of her intended victim. Unfortunately, the young and incon- siderate girl listened to the courtly siren, and she eventu- ally persuaded her to leave her family and forsake the home of her youth. There are copious details given in a history published in London, in 1832, of this love affair of the Prince. The work was entitled u A Secret History of the Court of Eng- land from the Time of George III to the Death of George IV," which was immediately suppressed by the Govern- ment as soon as it made its appearance, as the facts treated of were of too momentous import to the Government to be allowed to circulate. The writer was said to be Lady Anne Hamilton, but as the authority is not considered reli- able we will not quote them. It has been asserted that when Hannah left her uncle's house it was with the distinct un- derstanding that she was to be married lawfully to the Prince, that she on no account was to be his mistress. Missing their child, her parents advertised her in the Lon- don newspapers, but to no purpose. The young Quakeress' charms were said to have had such potency in them that the Prince privately married his beau- tiful idol at Curzon Street Chapel, May Fair, in the year 1759.f Where the Prince and the fairy kept household is not on record, but the romance goes circumstantially into details, the chief of which relate to the alleged offspring of this supposed marriage, to the awakening of the Prince from his dream, and to the subsequent marriage of the well en- dowed fairy with a conveniently found swain. * Monthly Magazine, vol. 2, page 632. f Doran's Lives of the Princes of Wales, page 507. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 17 About the history, however, of Hannah Lightfoot there still rests an impenetrable mystery. At the time of her dis- appearance from the house " at the corner of Market Street, St. James' Market," she was the guest of her uncle Wheeler. The tradition still existing in her family is, that she left the house in St. James' to marry a "Mr. Axford," a perfect stranger to all but herself, at Keith's Chapel, in May Fair ; and that, in spite of every inquiry, she was never seen nor heard of afterwards by her relatives. Yet it is known that she sat to Sir Joshua Eeynolds for her portrait ; and it is not unreasonably supposed that this must have been by order of her royal lover. This fine work still exists at Knolle Park, Kent, and is described as the portrait of "Mrs. Axford." One would certainly like to know what became of this shy but successful young Quakeress. The secret must be with some one, however, for it is affirmed that the wife of one of the Prytherchs of Abergole is her grand- daughter.* The marriage has been as positively denied as it has been strenuously asserted ; and it is impossible at this late day to ascertain the truth with certainty. But it is well known that the lovers kept house together $ that they were devotedly attached to each other ; and it is added by some authorities that there were children born to them. In the progress of time, however, George became indifferent to the sedate and monotonous charms of the Quakeress, and she was disposed of by being married to Axford, who received her and her very considerable dower without asking any impertinent or inconvenient questions. From that period Hannah and her subsequent fate disappear beneath the shadows of oblivion. The fair and fascinating Lady Sarah Lennox was the next object of the affectionate regard of the young Prince. On a certain occasion the tragedy of "Jane Shore" was enacted at * Notes and Queries, 1856, vol. 1, page 322. 18 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. Holland House. Charles Fox represented Hastings, and Sarah Lennox played the part of the unfortunate yet beau- tiful heroine of the piece. Her acting was so natural and affecting, and her personal charms were so powerful, that she completely stormed the heart of the susceptible Prince, who witnessed her performance ; and had she not been a subject, her lover would have led her to the altar, and possessed her honorably. It was affirmed that a u tender connection " existed between them outside of legal wedlock. At the present day no positive evidence exists of this fact, but, looking at all the circumstances, it is presumed such connection did exist. Lady Sarah Lennox was only seventeen years of age when her fascinating charms and bewildering beauty captivated the heart of the young Prince. This is not to be wondered at, for she was universally acknowledged to be the most beau- tiful lady of title in England. Edward IV, or the Blue Beard Harry VIII, would have married her publicly and placed her on the throne until their loves were sated, regardless of all consequences. Charles IPs course would probably have been, judging from his reckless character, to have se- duced her. What course this Prince adopted to possess her is in doubt, some writers asserting there was no illicit connection, while the chroniclers of the time say there was.* Walpole affirms that the young lady was beautiful be- yond conception, and that her loveliness and expression were above the reach of artists to emulate. This peerless fair one's mother, the Duchess of Eichmond, was more beauti- ful than even her daughter Lady Sarah, or her other two daughters, one of whom became the mother of Charles Foxj the other, of the unfortunate Lord Edward Fitzgerald. The lady who had touched the Prince's heart so nearly was about seven years his junior, but the legend will have it that he made her an offer of marriage, which she accepted, * Selwin and His Correspondence. London, 1843. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 19 and, as some say, was married. It must have been a short lived and secret honeymoon, however brilliant a romance, for when Lady Sarah appeared publicly at her royal lover's wedding, when she was only in her eighteenth year, it was not as bride, but as bridesmaid ! She found speedy consolation, too, in marrying Sir T. 0. Bunbury, and subse- quently the Hon. George Napier. The eldest child of this marriage was the gallant soldier, Sir Charles Napier, whose "very existence" is described by his brother, Sir William, as being an "offence to royal pride." Thus the Napiers seems to have held that the Lady and not the Prince was to blame. An antagonism, almost comical^ was established on the Napier side. When the two respective eldest sons of the two marriages once met at Court, the son of Lady Sarah's old lover (George Augustus, Prince of Wales) u took the liberty" of calling Lady Sarah's son, u Charles !" A grace- ful condescension which the -Latter young man, then nine- teen, notified to his mother with an ungenerous, "Marry, come up, my dirty cousin." It has been often said by those who wished to damage the character of Charles Fox, that he employed very active influence in the love passages which passed between Lady Sarah Lennox and the Prince of Wales, about the year 1760 ; and that this influence turned to induce the Prince to marry that fair cousin of young Charles. It is not likely, even if he were in the secret of the existence of the love, that he was in the confidence of the lovers ; or that he could have exer- cised any influence at all in an affair of such delicacy. As the Prince manifested too erratic a disposition in his amours, the King and his advisers bethought themselves to " amuse" him with marriage, and an eligible bride was sought for. Yarious persons were suggested in this emergency. The mother of the Prince, and Lord Bute, who already occupied the questionable relation toward her which afterwards led to 20 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KTNCK his elevation to the premiership, were in favor of a member of the house of Saxe-Gotha, to which she herself belonged. But George II declared, in no very delicate manner, that he had had enough of that family already. At length Co- lonel Graeme, a Hanoverian favorite of the monarch, was despatched to the continent with orders to visit all the German courts without divulging his purpose 5 to scruti- nize the merits and peculiarities of the several eligible prin- cesses, and report the results of his observations. In the execution of this commission, the Colonel happened to pass a few days at the famous baths of Pyrmont. There were collected together a number of noble families for the pur- pose of enjoying the salutary effects of the waters. Eti J quette and formality were in a great measure thrown aside; and delicate and fair young ladies, who at home were models of obedience to the rigors of an iron restraint and formality, enjoyed themselves with a i)erfect and healthful freedom. Among the handsomest and wildest of these enfranchised young slaves were the two daughters of the Dowager Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz. The vigilant Colonel soon became sensible of the superior beauty and in- telligence of the younger of these ladies, the Princess Char- lotte Sophia, and immediately fell vicariously in love with her. He sent information directly to the Court of London of the important discovery which he had made ; expatiated at length upon • the merits of the Princess ; and thus be- came the means of eventually providing a Queen for Eng- land. Nor does the choice of the acute Colonel appear to have been a bad one. Charlotte was the daughter of Charles Louis, the Duke of Mirow, the second son of the Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz. She was born in May, 1744. She had, in her earlier youth, been instructed by Madame de Grabon, who has generally been termed the German Sappho. She had been carefully educated by Dr. Geitzner in Lutheran theology, in natural history, and other useful THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A ICING-. 21 sciences. She was a good linguist, a good musician, and an admirable dancer. She was a young lady of sense and spirit \ and to all these charms she added the less impalpa- ble ones of a very intelligent and pleasing countenance, and a figure of medium size, perfect in its mould and pro- portions. After the death of George II, and the accession of his grandson, the latter communicated to his council his approaching marriage in July, 1761. At first the announce- ment was not received with any great enthusiasm either by the Cabinet or by the people $ for Mecklenburg Strelitz was one of the most insignificant of the many insignificant principalities of Germany, and unworthy of the connection. But soon everybody became reconciled to an event to which indeed there could be no valid objection ; and Lord Har- court was deputed to visit Strelitz, and demand the hand of the young Princess in form. There were few or no difficul- ties in the way. A favorable answer was readily given. The treaty of marriage was signed at Strelitz on the 15th of August ) and the Earl of Hardwicke was sent to convey the intended Queen to England. He was accompanied by two ladies of extraordinary beauty, the Duchesses of Ham- ilton and Ancaster. The Princess was astonished, as she well might be, when she first beheld the fair companions of her voyage, and inquired with some apprehension if there were many such beautiful women in the English Court. These ladies had, in fact, no rivals in this respect in Eng- land 5 yet even in their presence the graceful and talented young bride of George III need not have been in the least degree discouraged. The bride traversed the channel in the fleet commanded by Admiral Anson. The passage was stormy but not dan- gerous. Having at length disembarked at Harwich, she commenced her journey toward London, accompanied by a large retinue of noble ladies and their attendants, who had been sent to meet her. She retained her buoyant spirits 22 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. until she arrived in view of the Palace of St. James, where her public presentation was to take place. Here for the first time she became somewhat disconcerted and grew pale. The Duchess of Hamilton endeavored to cheer her, when she replied : " My dear Duchess, you may laugh, you have been married twice 5 but it's no joke to me P On the 8th of September, 1761, the marriage took place at near midnight, in the Chapel Eoyal at St. James. His love, Lady Sarah Lennox, was one of the bridesmaids, and it is said he cast frequent glances on her during the cere- mony — at the termination of which they all repaired to the drawing room. Walpole said Lady Sarah Lennox looked charming.* The King appeared to regret his choice, and, if his heart was known, was wishing his bride was Lady Sarah instead of the Princess. It was gently hinted to the Queen bride that the " King liked keeping early hours." She re- plied, " Quelle ne voulait passe couclier avec les poulets."] The bride showing no disposition for retiring, the Duke of Cumberland plainly intimated that the Princess Augusta and himself were becoming sleepy, the young Queen took the hint and expressed her readiness to retire. Shrinking from that repulsive ceremony of " bedding," she had stipu- lated that no one should accompany her to the bridal apart- ment but the Princess Dowager and her two German wait- ing maids, and no person admitted to the nuptial chamber but the King,! wishing to avoid the license which was usu- ally practised in the bridal chamber of royalty, which we have described in another part of this work. The following day at the levee, the King having remarked to Lord Hard- wicke that it was a u very fine day." " Yes, sire," said the old Chancellor, with a significant smile, u and it was a very fine night." Even Lord Bute, despite his natural pompos- ity, let off a quizzical jest at His Majesty. His daughter, *"Walpole's letters, vol. 3, page 434. f Jesse's Reign of George III. % Warpole's Reign of George III. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 23 Lady Margaret Stuart', had been married but the day before to Sir James Lowther. " My Lord Oxford," said he to the King, " has laid a bet that your Majesty will be a father before Sir James." " Tell my Lord Oxford," said the King, " that I shall be glad to go him halves." It may be re- marked here that the King would have been winner had his offer been accepted.* His marriage proved very prolific, which the overburdened taxpayers of England afterwards discovered to their cost. The marriage life of George III was quite regular. His amours thereafter he managed to keep secret, with the ex- ception of that with the Dowager Duchess Hamilton, who appears to have for awhile alienated his affections from his lawful spouse. He could not conceal his wanderings from his legitimate Court, and his wife soon mistrusted him, and discovered the beautiful cause in the person of the lovely widow of the Duke of Hamilton. This lady had won the hand of James, the Duke, when she was simply the beauti- ful and attractive little Elizabeth. Dunning. She was at this period even more attractive as a widow than she was as aJbelle, and, consequently, drew over to her for awhile the affections of the King. The Queen manifested her jeal- ousy, and it was remarked by the Court. f No doubt the well applied Caudle Lectures by the injured spouse was the cause of his sudden reformation in this respect. After chil- dren were born to him, and he found a large family growing up around him, he became a patron of good morals, and en- deavored to reform the morals of the higher dignitaries of the Church, as the English clergy, from the Bishops down, had, from the examples of their sovereigns, become very loose in their morals, and many of the stipendiaries of the Church were known to keep mistresses, to the great scandal of religion. He wrote a letter to Dr. Cornwallis, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, and a relative of our American his- * Walpole. f Jesse's Reign of George III. 24 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. toxical character of " surrender " fame, regarding the Bac- chanalian scenes carried on at the Archiepiscopal Palace of Lambeth : "I hold these levities and vain dissipations/' he wrote, "as utterly inexpedient to pass in a residence for many centuries devoted to divine studies and religious re- tirement $ and from the dissatisfaction I hold these impro- prieties, not to speak in harsher terms, I trust you will sup- press them immediately." As were the prelates, such in a great measure were the inferior clergy, some stooping even to theft. At a drawing room held by the Queen in 1777, Cumberland, who was present, asserts that a nobleman had his Order, which was encircled with diamonds worth seven hundred pounds, snatched from his ribbon 5 and he believed the theft to have been committed by a clergyman who stood near him, but one of such high position that he did not dare charge him with it. Another attempt was made on a similar oc- casion to tear off the diamond guard of the sword of the Prince of Wales, which was of great value ; and in this in- stance the known but unpunished offender was a clergy- man of the Established Church. Dr. Dodd received no mercy from the King, when convicted of forgery and con- demned to death, inasmuch as the monarch was resolved to make an impressive example of him to the recreant order of men to whom he belonged. Their notorious vices and un- worthiness led, to the beneficent reforms introduced by Wes- ley and Whitfield, and which endure to the present day. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 25 WUyUx Swa- the eldest son of George III, the infamous Prince of Wales, was born at St. James' on the 12th of August, 1762. It will little interest Americans (for whom this book is written) to enter into a full detail of the genealogical history of the house of Brunswick to prove his royal descent from " Caius CEtius, the old Eoman who lived some time about the fourth century," or either to follow the old chronicles back to the time of Charlemagne to prove his noble blood, when every page of the following record goes to prove him, when weighed in the scales of moral humanity, to be not only an ordinary man, but in the words of a contemporane- ous historian, a " beast of a man."* Although, as is well known, the inhabitants of monarchial countries attach great importance to hereditary rank and descent, and that a man without a genealogical tree is without a character ; in our liberal Bepublic we care little for this — the tree we judge only by its fruits. Americans care not who a man's remote ancestors were, or how far into the misty depths of the past the bifurcation of ^his-genealogical tree may ex- tend, so long as the individual himself is honest and up- right, and suited to tEifstation, either public or private, he may be called to occupy. However, the history of the immediate progenitors of our subject, George Guelph, is part of the history of our own country, for he it was that our forefathers in the Declara- tion of Independence stamped asa" Prince whose charac- ter was marked by every act which may define a tyrant, and unfit to be the ruler of a free people." 2 * P'crcival's Refle'ctions. 26 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. As the public and political acts of George III bearing upon the history of our country are pretty well defined in our nation's documents, and well known to every American schoolboy, we propose here to enter a little into the private history of this scion of the house of Brunswick which is not so well known. George Guelph is given no prominence in the history of the United States, when he is, in fact, the first cause of our becoming an independent nation. When old King George III awakened to the fact, by the birth of his first child, that he was likely to have a large and expensive family, also that the new Prince must have a proper " royal establishment," and that this would take money, and not wishing to draw upon his own civil list, he inquired of his new Lord Chancel- lor, George Grenville, who had just assumed the powers of his office, how money could be procured, what new taxes could be imposed on his now over taxed subjects. Grenville, in considering the question, replied, the nation could not bear any further burdens, and proposed to the King to im- pose a tax on his American colonies. "CasselFs Illustrated History" says that " Grenville, a plain man, of no remarkable talent, thus inaugurated the first remarkable act of his ad- ministration by passing the Stamp Act, by which he lost us America." So none of the millions squandered by that profligate Prince of Wales, as detailed in this work, was ever wrung from Americans. Our brave ancestors spent " millions for defence " in a bloody war, but u not one cent for tribute " towards a u royal establishment." When troubles with the American colonies were culmin- ating, the old King was determined to have money, and in- sisted on his ministers in demanding from Parliament a half million of pounds ($2,500,000) to defray some extra debts incurred by the birth of our subject and his royal brothers, who required " royal establishments " to aid them in breathing the free air of this world. The " civil list " at THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 27 this time, without the royal perquisites, was eight hundred thousand pounds a year, but the King and Queen, with most reckless disregard of economy, lavished the gold, wrung from the toiling taxpayers, on all sides in their luxurious existence. It was shown for the one item of the Royal coach there had been charged seven thousand five hundred and sixty two pounds !* His faithful Commons voted him the amount. Only think of the American Presi- dent sending into Congress a demand for this item alone, among others : " For coach and horses," thirty-seven thousand eight hundred and ten dollars ! ! What would the opponents of " back grab n say to that ? To Americans the following description of a royal ac- couchement will undoubtedly prove interesting, having been drawn from the public prints of the time : Agreeably to the state of etiquette, which has always been observed on the accouchement of the Queen of Eng- land ever since the birth of the son, or pretended son, of James II, the great officers of state are always summoned to attend the birth of a royal infant ; and on the occasion of the birth of George IY there were present the Princess Dowager of Wales, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Devonshire, the Duke of Rutland 5 the Lords Hardwicke, Huntingdon, Talbot, Halifax, Bute, Masham and Cantalupe, and all the ladies of the bedchamber, and the maids of honor. The whole party assembled in a room adjoining to that of the Queen, having the door open leading into it — the lords arranging themselves at the greatest possible distance — the ladies having no other re- striction placed upon them than to preserve a solemn si- lence, the accomplishment of which was a task of almost insuperable difficulty. Delicacy had, in those days, so far the ascendancy that the obstetrical art was principally practised by females, and on this occasion the Queen was * Cassell's History of England. 28 THE PRIVATE LITE OP A KING. delivered by Mrs. Stephen, Dr. Hunter being in attendance amongst the ladies of the bedchamber and maids of honor, in case of his j:>rofessional assistance being required. Her Majesty was delivered exactly at twenty-four min- utes after seven o'clock P. M., having been in labor above two hours. A messenger was immediately despatched to the King with the pleasing intelligence, and so delighted was he with the news that he presented the bearer of it with $2,500 (£500,) which, of course, came out of the pockets eventually of the good taxpayers of the realm. The Privy Council assembled with all possible despatch, and it was ordered that a settled form of prayer for the Queen's safe delivery should be prepared by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, to be used within the Bills of Mortality on the following Sunday, and throughout the King's dominions the Sunday after it had been received by the respective ministers. Nothing can mark more strongly the character of a mon- archical nation than the periodical publications that were put forth on this occasion. The Queen refused all medical assistance from the other sex, and was attended by a Mrs. Stephen. The obstetric science was then but faintly under- stood, for Dr. Denman, of London, had not written his famous work on midwifery; and reference was always made to the ancients from Aristotle to Galen, and from him to the doctors of the Sorbonne. Hence the press had teemed with numerous speculations, or rather prophecies, upon her Majesty, some not very delicate ; and whilst a few denied her being enceinte, others entered into peripherical phenomena, and pretended to predict the sex and future destinies of the child. Mrs. Draper, who was the royal nurse, had published a pamphlet upon the subject; but such matter would not be tolerated amongst us at present, and we must dismiss such subjects as features of an age gone by. Slander was mixed up with these publica- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 29 tions ; and when the Queen appeared at the installation of the Garter at St. George's Hall, Windsor Castle, four weeks after her accouchement, several violent articles were written upon the indelicacy of so early an appearance; whilst she, on the other hand, was defended by her friends, upon the plea of the customs of her country being different from those of England. A man who then ruled London, with respect to opinion, as powerfully as the King himself — the Eev. Mr. Simpson — preached against the Queen's in- delicacy ; but he was answered in a pamphlet by the Eev. Dr. Yandergucht, who cited all that could be found upon the subject from the Bible : and although any quotation of that description was then omnipotent, still the doctor's Dutch name was mistaken by the vulgar for German — he was considered as a partisan of the Germans, and met with very severe usage from the populace. The birth of the Prince diffused a general joy throughout the nation, and congratulatory addresses were voted to " their Majesties" by both Houses of Parliament, by the city of Lon- don, the two Universities, and the other great bodies corpo- rate of the kingdom. We shall not, however, occupy our pages with the transcription of any of these addresses, for, considered as mere matters of form, they are unworthy of notice, and as the vehicles of the most fulsome adulation and bombastic panegyric they would be the objects of ridicule and contempt to American readers. The young Prince soon became the object of general solicit- ation, and for the gratification of the public it was announced, before he was twelve days old, that his Eoyal Highness was to be seen at St. James', from one o'clock till three, on draw- ing room days. The crowd of ladies whom this offer tempted to flock to Court to see the royal infant and taste her Majesty's caudle and cake soon became immense ; the daily expense for cake alone was estimated at $200 (£40,) and the consumption of wine was greater than could have 30 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINGt. been expected. All persons of title and fashion were per- mitted to enter the sacred presence of royalty' and gaze upon the little scion of Brunswick, but under important rules and restrictions, laid down by the Grand Master of Cere- monies, partly as follows: " Visitors must step with great caution and as noiselessly as possible." "Visitors must not touch the royal infant." For the better protecting his sacred person from the vulgar contact, a kind of Chinese screen was set up across the room, through the lattice of which only were the visitors allowed to gaze on his sacred person. " Oh, ain't he beautiful !" " How sweet !" " Oh, how I would like to kiss him !" * and other suppressed exclamations were heard from the admiring female visitors. How little did those ladies imagine that that little bundle of humanity would eventually become one of the greatest seducers of their sex the world has ever known. The eldest son of the King of Great Britain is known as the Prince of Wales, but he is not bom to the title, but is always created such after his birth by " royal letters patent." So, on the fifth day after the birth of little George, a grand ceremony was had for the investiture. We will not go into all the details of the ceremony, but merely state that the " gold verge," " cap coronet," " great seal," " gold ring," etc., etc., did their dujby on the occasion, and the young infant was duly created Prince of Wales. It may be as well to state here the titles he was bom to. Besides being the heir apparent to the crown of Great Brit- ain, he was likewise hereditary Steward of Scotland, Duke of Rothsay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, and Duke of Cornwall. This last title is very important, as the rev- enues of the Duchy of Cornwall are very extensive, and the Prince of Wales is entitled to them from the day of his birth. It may be interesting to American citizens of Irish birth to know that among the numerous titles of the Prince of Wales he enjoys no Irish honors or titles. * Life of George IV. London. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 31 On the 18th of September the royal infant went through the important ceremony of baptism in the great council chamber of the Palace. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Dukes of Cumberland, of Devonshire, and the Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz being godfathers; the Dowager Princess of Wales being god- mother. Here certainly was enough of paternity and ma- ternity to have kept this royal child in the paths of rectitude and virtue in his more mature age; but they must have been sadly deficient in carrying out the behoofs of their office as prescribed by the rules of the Church and exempli- fied in the after life of their royal godchild. The important consideration of settling the royal infantile establishment was now determined by the appointment of the following persons to office as follows : Lady Charlotte Finch, Grand Governess. Mrs. Henrietta Coultworth, Deputy Governess. Mrs. Scott, Dry Nurse. Mrs. Chapman, Necessary Woman. Mrs. Dodson, First Eocker. Jane Simpson, Second Rocker. Who was the cantatrice or chanter of the lullabies, history saith not, but ive opine that the most necessary and import- ant of these offices, when taking the age of our illustrious subject into consideration, must, have been the " necessary woman." Royalty robs a mother of one of her sweetest enjoyments, it being contrary to royal etiquette for a Queen of England to suckle her own child. Just before the Prince became three years of age, he was called upon to go through his first official act ; accordingly he was tutored and drilled for a week or so in advance. He was to reply to a public address presented from the Society of Ancient Britons, who were to appear before him to solicit 32 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. his patronage for an institution of charity attached to their principality, from which he derives his title. Prince of Wales. After much drilling and rehearsing he learned to speak his little piece ; so, on St. David's Day, the 1st of March, 1765, the governors, officers, and members of the august Society of Ancient Britons appeared before his royal infantile pres- ence and presented the address. "Your royal parents/ said that important document, u remember no period of their lives too early for doing good ; and when a few years shall have called forth your virtues into action, your Eoyal High- ness may perhaps reflect with satisfaction upon your faith- ful Ancient Britons thus laying themselves at your feet." The Prince then stood on his little feet and replied: " Gentlemen, I thank you for this mark of your duty to the King, and wish prosperity to the charity." The journals of the day announced with a great flourish that the noble Prince delivered his reply with great dignity and propriety, and that his action was admirable. At the conclusion of these interesting infantile ceremonies, the little Prince was handed a purse containing $500 (£100,) which he donated to the treasury of the " Society of Ancient Britons." In 1765 the Prince was made a Knight Companion of the " most noble Order of the Garter," and in 1766 was inocu- lated for the smallpox. It was on the 25th of October, 1769, that the Prince of "Wales, then only in his seventh year, with his brothers and sister, the Bishop of Osnaburg (the Duke of York,) Prince William, and the Princess Boyal, held their first drawing room ; the latter was only then in her second year ; and cer- tainly it could only have entered into the head of a German Princess, who had been accustomed to infantine drawing rooms, to place the children of the King of England in such a truly ridiculous situation. The historians of those days inform us that the young Princes received the company with the utmost grace and affability ; but, on the other hand, THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 33 the caricaturists were not idle, for there is a caricature in existence, in which, in ridicule of these infantine drawing rooms, the Prince of Wales is made to enter the room with a kite on his back, the Bishop of Osnaburg with his hobby horse between his legs, Prince William is spinning his top, and the Princess Eoyal is behind a screen receiving some very indispensable assistance from her nursery woman. The ridicule with which these drawing rooms was received soon induced the Queen to discontinue them ; and, indeed, Her Majesty found it a difficult matter to persuade either the Prince of Wales or the Bishop of Osnaburg to attend them; and on one occasion, when the royal youths were engaged in a game of cricket, and were called upon to dress for the drawing room, they returned a message that the company were to wait till the game was over. A Prince is not educated like a common individual. He must have certain peculiar preceptors, who receive dictum from the King. Parliament appears to have nothing to do with this all important office, although it can limit the set- tlement of the crown and arrange marriages of the royal family. The education of Princes is a prerogative of the King, of which the two Houses have no right to interfere. The education of the Prince of Wales was conducted on a plan calculated to make him both a respectable and a polished scholar, to outward appearance ; but, on the other hand, it was not calculated to make him a wise Prince or a great monarch. Dr. Markham was his accredited preceptor, and Lord Bruce was appointed his governor. Some changes were afterwards made. Dr. Markham was succeeded by Dr. Hurd ; afterwards he had Dr. Jackson, and Markham was dismissed. There was some difference between the gover- nor and the tutor as to the studies of the royal pupil. The plan of the Prince's education as followed by Dr. Markham was laid down by the King himself. It was conducted with too much austerity — with too little regard to the great prac- 2* 34 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. tical principles of common life. The moment the education was considered completed, and the Prince freed from his studies, he felt as a prisoner released from confinement, and, like any boy out of school, he was wild and eccentric. He had been unwisely debarred from the natural pleasures of youth, and when free plunged- headlong into the pleasures and dissipations of London society. ^Upon finishing his education, and being released from the control of his tutors, a number of persons of a perfectly op- posite character were in waiting to celebrate his freedom, and administer to his gratification and delight. Among them the nation must ever lament were certain individuals celebrated for the splendor of their talents and vices, and in their earliest intercourse with the Prince much more ready to corrupt his morals by the one than to enlarge and elevate his mind by the other. Here we catch the first glimpse of the cause of those painful misunderstandings which took place between the then sovereign and the heir apparent. The early friends of the Prince were in avowed opposition to the Government, and they soon infused their hatred of ministers and their jealousy of the King into the unsuspecting mind and sus- ceptible heart of their illustrious companion. On political grounds alone the King had reason to be incensed at their influence over his son 5 but when to this we add the moral injury they were inflicting on one whom the pious father wished above all things to train for God and his country, we cannot wonder that, wounded by their arts on his royal, his paternal, and his Christian feelings, he should have set his face against the men, and treated with rigor the son who had made them his companions. It cannot, however, be denied that on those points in which the preceptors of the Prince were answerable their duty was well performed. On attaining the years of ma- jority he was unquestionably the most accomplished young THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 35 Prince in Europe. His knowledge of the ancient languages was correct and extensive, and of the modern dialects. He could converse with ease and fluency in French, Ger- man, and Italian. His attainments as a polite scholar were so universally admitted that it is unnecessary here to dwell upon them further than to observe that the best English writers, particularly the poets, were familiar to His Royal Highness ; and that on all subjects relating to belles lettres there were few critics who possessed a purer taste or a more refined judgment. In those accomplishments, which may be deemed rather elegant than necessary, he had made a proficiency equally striking. He had cultivated the science of music with great success, and, considered with that indulgence which is always due to an amateur, he excelled both as a vocal and as an instrumental performer. His taste in the fine arts has in many instances been strikingly exemplified, and the interest which he took, at a subsequent period, in their prosperity may be judged from the munificence with which his artists have ever been rewarded. The manner in which the birthday of Prince George was celebrated at Windsor, in the year 1781, is thus described in a letter from Windsor : " We had the most brilliant company here yesterday of any this season. Great numbers of the nobility and gentry of both sexes came to compliment their Majesties and the royal family on the Prince's birthday. In the evening the terrace was so crowded that the King, Queen, and Princesses did not walk more than half an hour, and then went into their apartments. " The public celebration of this day of festivity did not commence till this morning, when there was a review in the park and firing volleys. About two o'clock the royal family went from the Queen's house to an apartment in one of the towers, whilst the terrace underneath was crowded with 36 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. the greatest number of nobility of both, sexes seen together for many years. The Yorkshire Volunteers, commanded by Lord Fauconberg, were drawn up on King Charles' Bowl- ing Green about three o'clock, and fired a>feu dejoie, which was followed by three cheers from the battalion, who imme- diately formed into files and marched off with their colors lowered in honor of the royal presence. " After this, their Majesties and the Prince of Wales, with the rest of the royal family, proceeded to St. George's Hall, where they dined with about eighty of the nobility ; and in the evening there was a grand ball at the Castle, which did not break up till five the next morning, and was remarkably brilliant and crowded. Windsor was also illu- minated at night, and the day closed with bonfires and other demonstrations of joy. " The entertainment was upon the same plan as those given by the King at the Queen's Palace, with this differ- ence, that the three tables were in one room, viz., St. George's Hall. The King and Queen, Prince Edward, Princess Royal, Princess Augusta, and Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll, Ladies Effingham, Egremont, and Wey- mouth, supped' at a small table facing the company under a canopy. "At the second table was the Prince of Wales, Lady Augusta Campbell on one side, and one of the young Ladies Dunmore on the other side ; the Duke of Cumber- land, Duke of Dorset, Marquis of Graham, and all the young nobility that danced. " At the third table were the Dukes of Queensberry and Montagu, Lords North, Boston, Weymouth, Southampton, etc.; Ladies Clarendon, Boston, Fauconberg, North, Dun- more, Courtown, etc. There were thirty-four covers at each table. "The Prince of Wales danced with Lady Augusta Camp- bell ; the Duke of Cumberland danced some part of the THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KLNO. 37 night with the Princess Boyal, and the remaining part with the young Lady Duninore ; Prince Edward danced with the Princess Augusta ; and the Duke of Dorset with the Princess Boyal. Their Majesties, etc., supped at twelve o'clock, and retired at five." One of the greatest beauties of the British Court, and who, consequently, was the chosen favorite of the Prince of Wales, assisted at this fSte. This individual was Lady Sarah Campbell, the selected partner of the Prince at the table and the ball $ and, perhaps, a more angelic creature never captivated his affections. The assiduities which the heir apparent to the crown may show towards any particu- lar lady have something in them of a wholly different char- acter than those which pass between individuals whose rank and station are equal 5 the former can have only one object in view — the possession of the person — for the usual expectation of any matrimonial union resulting from the familiar and affectionate intercourse cannot for a moment be entertained ; and, therefore, to the strictly virtuous female, whom no blandishments, however royal, can divert from the_ path of modesty, cannot be received but with the most repulsive indignation. The keenness of the female eye sees at once the aim, where any great disparity of rank exists $ and to the honor of Lady Sarah Campbell, be it said, that she did see the aim of the Prince's attentions; and, although she might have loved-*-and if one line in the composition of Prince George be true, she might have received and given " the stolen kiss," yet all beyond was preserved as pure as the pearl taken from its native shell. She saw the danger with which she was surrounded; the chain was not yet so strongly entwined around her but it might be broken. She did break it, and became the wife of one of the most amiable noblemen of the day. He essayed the poetic element on this lovely being, but signally failed ; here are some of his sentiments : 38 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Oh 1 Campbell, the scene of to-night Has open'd the wound of my heart ; It has shown me how great the delight Which the charms of thy converse impart. I've known what it is to he gay, Iv'e re veil' d in joy's fleeting hour, I've wish'd for the close of the day, To meet in a thick woven bower. 'Twas there that the soft stolen kiss, 'Twas there that the throb of our hearts, Betray'd that we wish'd for the bliss Which love, and love only, imparts. But fate will those hearts oft dissever, By nature design'd for each other; But why should they part? and forever ! And forced their affections to smother. How short and how blissful the hour When round each lone hamlet we .stray'd When passion each heart could o'erpower, And a sigh the sweet feelings betray'd. Oh whence is that glance of the mind Which scenes that are past oft renews : Which shows them, in colors refined, With fancy's bright ghtt'ring hues ? Now, sweet be thy slumbers, my friend, And sweet be the dreams of thy soul ; Around thee may angels attend, And visions of happiness roll. * * * * This was one of his first failures in the field of love. A very alarming circumstance happened at this time to the Prince, which might have been attended with the most disastrous consequences. He was invited to dine with Lord Chesterfield at his house at Blackheath, -when the whole party having drank too freely, they set their inven- tion to work as to what acts of mischief they could commit. Amongst other acts, one of the party let loose a large dog THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 39 of a ferocious disposition, which immediately flew at one of the footmen who was looking on, tore one of his arms in a shocking manner, and nearly strangled a horse. The whole company now formed themselves into a compact body and assailed Towzer, who defended himself with great resolu- tion, and he had just caught hold of the skirts of the coat of the Prince, when one of the party, by a blow on the head, felled the dog to the ground. In the confusion, how- ever, the Earl of Chesterfield fell down the steps leading to his house, and very severely injured the back part of his head. The Prince, who scarcely knew whether he had been fighting a dog or a man, jumped into his phaeton as best he could, and there fell fast asleep, leaving the reins to his uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, who conducted him safely to town. He was drunk. The period when a y,oung man of illustrious rank and splendid fortune attains his majority forms an important epoch in his life. The young nobility of England, educated for the most part at schools and at the universities, when they come of age have generally acquired a tolerable share of experience in the world. Their companions in their out- set in life are generally those with whom they have associ- ated at school $ and their previous habits of thinking and acting for themselves, which the public seminaries are so admirably calculated to teach, fit them to enter on the great theatre of the world with credit and advantage. With our Prince, however, the case was wholly different 5 he had been educated, indeed, under the ablest masters, and his progress in all the useful, and many of the orna- mental, branches of learning reflected equal honor on the diligence of the teachers and the capacity of the pupil ; but a knowledge of real life formed no part of the system of his education, and he made his entrance into public life under the disadvantage of having passed his youth in a state of seclusion and restraint. In order to give some idea of the 40 THE PEIVATE LIFE OF A KING. restrictions that were imposed on the Prince to prevent him mingling with society, we will relate the following anecdote: Abont a twelvemonth before he attained his legal majority, he received the invitations of some of the most distinguished nobility to make a tour through the country during the summer months, when their respective residences should be prepared for the reception of their illustrious guest. This invitation, as may be conceived, was eagerly accepted by the young Prince, and prepara- tions were actually made for his journey ; but, when the consent of his father was asked, the King refused to permit the design to be carried into execution. A system of restraint pushed to this extent could not fail to have an injurious influence on the conduct of the Prince at his first introduction to public life $ for, in proportion to the force of the restraint which was put upon him, so were his gay and wanton wanderings when he found himself eman- cipated from the trammels of all parental and scholastic authority. In one of these cases, when the consent of the King was asked, it was refused on the ground that His Majesty had it himself in contemplation to proceed on a party of pleasure, in which it was his royal will that the Prince should accom- pany him ' 7 and, with the view of giving to the Prince some real and substantial ground for his refusal, His Majesty pro- jected a trip to the ISTore, which took place in the month of August, 1781. The King and the Prince embarked in dif- ferent yachts, and as they proceeded down the river they were saluted as they passed Woolwich Warren by the ships in Long Eeach, and by Tilbury and Gravesend Ports, and about four in the afternoon they anchored in Sea Eeach. At five o'clock in the morning the yachts got under way, and arrived at Blackstakes about nine. The King and Prince went on shore, and visited the dockyard and new fortifications; about twelve they left the yard and THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 41 returned to the Nore, where they were saluted by Vice- Admiral Parker and his squadron, who had at that moment come to an anchor. In the evening the King and the Prince went on board the Fortitude, on which ship the Admiral's flag was flying 5 His Majesty retired into the great cabin, where the captain and officers of the squadron were graciously received, and had the honor to kiss His Majesty's hand. The King and Prince, after visiting the several parts of the ship, returned to their yachts, and sailed for Chatham, where they arrived at nine o'clock the same day. This trip of the King was regarded at the time as merely undertaken to alleviate the pain of disappointment which the Prince experienced in not being allowed to accept of the invitation of the nobility to visit their country resi- dences, and it met with the ridicule which it deserved. A wit of the age thus describes it : " The King and Prince went to the Nore, They saw the ships and main ; The Prince and King they went on shore, And then came back again." Among the various accomplishments which distinguished the Prince, his skill as a musician was particularly conspic- uous. He was a very superior performer on the violoncello, having been instructed on that instrument by the celebrated Crossdill, whose unrivalled performances were~the theme of universal admiration, not only in England, but on every part of the continent. The merit of this eminent man was greatly aided by his intercourse with the polite world, and His Eoyal Highness was so well pleased with his gentle- manly deportment and elegant manners that he made him his companion, and honored him with his company at all his musical parties. Crossdill retired early from the pro- fession, but appeared at the coronation, being the only per- former who had attended the coronation of George HI, 42 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINGK which he did as one of the choristers of Westminster Abbey. The Prince was not merely an instrumentalist, but he was also a vocal performer of no mean celebrity. Sir Wil- liam Parsons, the Master and Conductor of the King's Band, had the honor of instructing him in singing ; and it was very justly and happily said of him that he was not only a musician amongst princes, but a prince amongst musicians. He possessed not only a very good voice, but a very correct knowledge of the science. He was a very effective member of the Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Catch and Glee Club at the Thatched House Tavern, which he attended very frequently, conversing with the utmost famil- iarity with all the professors, and occasionally taking a part in the different compositions which were performed with great effect. He is the reputed author to the second verse to the glee of The Happy Fellow, " I'll ne'er," etc. ; and also of the additional verse to the song, " By the Gaily Circling Glass." which he was accustomed to sing in his convivial moments with great effect, when sometimes he would take a glass too much. Although he was so partial to Crossdill, it did not pre- vent his enjoying the gratification of hearing and appreciat- ing the merits of Cervetto, his talented competitor. Speak- ing of the performances of these eminent men, he was heard to say that the execution of Crossdill had all the fire and brilliancy of the sun, whilst that of Cervetto had all the sweetness and mildness of the moonbeam. It was his delight to attend the Italian Opera merely to hear Cer- vetto's accompaniments of the recitatives, which were ac- knowledged to be unrivalled. It was a banquet for the ear, he said, at which his appetite increased in proportion as it was administered to. At one of his last musical parties he commanded a trio of Corelli's to be performed on two violoncellos and a double bass by Cervetto, Dragonetti, and THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 43 Schruin $ the latter was a musician attached to his house- hold, but whose health did not permit his accepting of any public engagement ; his great merits were therefore only- known to a few individuals of the profession, and to the illustrious individual who patronized him. The Prince was, with his royal brothers the Dukes of Cumberland and Cambridge, a director of the King's Con- cert of Ancient Music, at Hanover Square Booms, select- ing the music for the first night's performance, and pre- sided in the directors' box. He also patronized the annual benefit of the Eoyal Society of Musicians, given in conjunc- tion with the above mentioned concerts. He was also the patron of the Philharmonic Society, but, from some supposed personal slight which was shown to a lady who was then considered to stand the highest in his estimation, he at a future period withdrew his attendance from the Ancient Concerts, although he continued to support them by his subscriptions. At this period of his life of wraih we are now treating, he was the great and liberal sup . rter of all musical con- cerns : the Opera, the Pantheon, the Professional Concerts ; Vauxhall, and his favorite resort the Eotunda at Kanelagh Garden, which he was accustomed to visit almost every evening, enjoying the promenade, sourrounded by and dis- coursing with all the elegantes of fashion, and the object of universal admiration. Intriguing with pretty actresses of the popular theatres, he was often seen behind the scenes. But he was also the object of notoriety on another account, for he frequently degraded himself by being the principal in the broils which took place in the gardens ; and it is an accredited fact that he always had a number of reso- lute fellows at hand who were prepared to rescue him when he was likely to be overmatched. To this circum- stance may be attributed the patronage which he afterwards bestowed on the most celebrated pugilists of the day ; for 44 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. he himself had been tutored by Angelo in the art of self- defence 5 and, urged on by the courage natural to his fam- ily, he was often led on to be the aggressor, especially if the object in dispute were a female. It was, however, generally in disguise that he committed these indiscretions ; and the masquerades, which were then more prevalent than at present, were the grand scenes of his libertinism. A ludi- crous circumstance has been mentioned connected with these frolics, which we have heard related by one of the parties present. At a masquerade in which the Prince appeared in the character of a Spanish grandee, accom- panied by four of his squires, he paid particular attention to a nun, who appeared to be under the protection of a youthful sailor. The assiduities on the part of the grandee were evidently unwelcome to the fair Ursuline, and the gal- lant tar threatened instantaneous chastisement if any fur- ther provocation was given ; the grandee, however, was not to be daunted, and he was very ably supported by his squires, who, boasting of the high and noble descent of their master, declared it to be an act of the greatest condescension in him to hold any parley with a common English sailor. Some high words arose, and some taunting expressions were used, tending to imply the opinion that the fair nun possessed no real pretensions to the Character which she had assumed. At last, some allusion having been made to the ladies of Portsmouth Point, the choler of the sailor could no longer brook the indignity, and a general row was the consequence. The constables were called in, and the disputants, in a posse, were marched oif to the watch house, the Spanish grandee leading the way in all his gorgeous finery. On arriving in the presence of the constable of the night, the culprits were called upon to declare their real characters. The grandee unmasked, as did also the sailor. — a Eh! William, is it youf exclaimed the former j " Eh ! George, is it you V exclaimed the latter. The THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 45 sailor was no other than the future sovereign. The whole of the party burst into a loud laugh. The constable was confounded when he saw the heir apparent of the crown before himj he received a guinea, and the parties retired to complete the frolics of the night. The Prince was deeply concerned in the affairs of the Opera House, and after that theatre was unfortunately destroyed by fire, in 1785, he, from a sense of justice, sided with the old proprietors and creditors under Mr. Taylor, in consequence of the Marquis of Salisbury, then Lord Cham- berlain, aided by the Duke of Bedford, granting a license to O'Beilly for an Italian Opera at the Pantheon $ but, after this theatre was also destroyed, an accommodation was entered into through the influence of the Prince by which the license was again transferred to the old proprietors in the Haymarket, but saddled with an incumbrance of £30,000 occasioned by losses incurred at the Pantheon. It is not perhaps generally known that a certain ambas- sador at one of the northern Courts owes his elevation prin- cipally to the skill which he displayed at Carlton House on the violoncello, the favorite instrument of the Prince ; it deserves to be mentioned as a rather singular coinci- dence that two of the most confidential servants of the Eegent owed their elevation to their skill in music. In entering upon that part of the life of the Prince when his illicit passions were first excited, we are fully aware that we are treading on delicate ground, and that the task is one of difficulty, so to steer the middle course as, on the ■ one hand, not to avert our view from the actual truth, and, on the other, not to overstep the bounds prescribed by modesty. The depraved appetite of the sensualist might be grati- fied by the revelations of certain scenes, which the general interests of society demand should be kept in the back- ground. 46 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. It has been generally believed that Mrs. Eobinson was the first object of the Prince's affections. As regards pub- lic notoriety this was true, but his attachment to the beau- tiful maid of honor, Harriot Vernon, preceded this connec- tion. The commencement of this girl's Court life was as brilliant as its close was dark and dismal. She had not long been a resident of the household before her black eyes and sylphlike form attracted the notice of the Prince, who was just approaching his majority. The secluded manner in which he had been reared prevented for a time any familiar intercourse ; but it happened that the apartments which were allotted to the Prince looked exactly upon the rooms opposite, inhabited by the maids of honor, and it was here they first conversed, not by words but by signs, too expressive of the mutual feelings of their hearts to be mis- understood by either. It was through the medium of Lord Maiden, afterwards the Earl of Essex, who subsequently made such a conspicuous figure in the negotiation with the celebrated Perdita, that the great difficulty of obtaining a private interview with the illfated girl was overcome. After a prolonged correspondence, a clandestine meeting with the beautiful object of his passion was arranged in a retired part of Kew Gardens. A Marj)lot now appears upon the scene in the person of the Duke of York. The attachment of the two brothers was truly fraternal, and, except during those hours devoted to their studies, they were almost inseparable companions ; consequently, one of the greatest difficulties to be surmounted to prevent the detection of the lovers was how to conceal the amour from the Duke. This was, under the circumstances, impossible, and the Prince at last, trusting to the generosity of his brother, made him his confidant, and the sequel will show that it was this very circumstance which saved the lovers from detection. On the night appointed for the meeting, it was the opinion of the Prince and of Harriot that the sun THE PBIYATB LIFE OF A KING. 47 moved slower towards the west than on any other evening ; but darkness came at last. Disguised in one of Lord Mai- den's great coats, the Prince hastened to the appointed spot. There was Harriot Vernon, the object of his ardent passion — of his second, and, as he conceived, of his unalter- able love. It was, however, perhaps the guardian spirit that was watching over the innocence of the lovely, yield- ing girl, that prompted the King just on that evening, and just at that critical moment, to command the presence of the Prince to play a game at chess ; but the Prince was not to be found. The Duke, anxious for the safety of his brother, hastened to the place of assignation. Never, perhaps, did the Prince regret his knowledge of the game at chess more than at this moment ; one more, and as sweet a rosebud as ever bloomed on its parent stem, would have lain defoliaged at his feet; but the barrier was broken down, although the citadel was not yet gained. The con- quest, however, was not long retarded ; it fell, after a faint resistance, and the triumph of the victor was complete. We will throw a veil over the future relations of this beautiful girl with the Prince, and we wish that we had it in our power wholly to exonerate him from the charge of neglect and indifference towards her after she had sacrificed to him all that was the most dear to her on earth. He had enjoyed the kernel, the shell was not worth his keeping, and he threw it away to hasten in search of another which had yet something of value to give him. The tears which ■she shed are to his account, and the sighs which rose from her breaking heart must have often burst on his ear, and startled him in the midst of his midnight orgies, as the sound of some accusing spirit telling of the innocence which he had destroyed. That the royal parents were not entirely ignorant of the predilection of His Royal Highness for the beautiful maid of hoiior may be deduced from the following conversation 48 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. wMcli took place between the Queen and the Prince ; and it was conjectured at the time that she purposely intro- duced the subject to give her an opportunity of letting the young libertine know that she was not so ignorant of his amours as he supposed her to be : " Well," said Her Majesty, taking it on the whole, the life of a maid of honor is a very monotonous one." " I perfectly agree with your Majesty," said the Prince ; " it must be dulness itself ; for what can be more vexatious to the spirits than to make one of a formal procession through the presence chamber to the drawing room j never to speak but when she is spoken to ; to make an occasional one of six large hoops in a royal coach ; to make up, at least, two new Court suits a year, and to aid the languor of an easy party at a side box in a royal play V 7 " And, George, is there no other act which a maid of honor performs V 7 asked the Queen, significantly. " Oh yes," replied the Prince, " she goes to plays, con- certs, oratorios, etc., gratis 5 she has physicians without fees, and medicines without an apothecary's bill." " But you have forgotten one very material act," said the Queen. " V§ry likely," said the Prince, " the acts of a maid of honor formed no part of my education." "Then I will tell you one," said the Queen, "of which you have lately attained the knowledge, and that is, you were right when you said that a maid of honor goes to plays, and concerts, and oratorios gratis ; but you forgot to add that she also flirts with young Princes, and goes to meet them by moonlight — and is that also gratis V 7 The Prince was completely confounded. " His Majesty requires your presence in the library," said the Queen. The Prince took the hint and retired, stung with mortifi- cation at the rebuke which he had received. A few days previous to this conversation Harriot Ver- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 49 non had ceased to be be an honorable maid ; the day sub- sequent to it she was no longer a maid of honor. It cannot be concealed that one of the greatest faults of the Prince at this time was his unbounded propensity to gal- lantry ; he had formed a connection with certain persons whose principal aim appears to have been to exalt him in his own opinion, and who servilely fell into all his views for their own aggrandizement. There was no act too grovelling nor too base to which they would not stoop to ingratiate themselves in his favor ; there was no virtue which they would not attempt to undermine to pander to his passions. It must be admitted that they were men of superior talents and education 5 but, as the companions of a Prince naturally addicted to libertinism, they were perhaps on that very ac- count the very worst men he could have selected as his associ- ates. In manners they were themselves debauched and profligate; in fortunes they were broken, and it was for the amendment of the latter that they looked up to the Prince. The period was fast approaching when a separate establish- ment was to be formed for the Prince commensurate to his rank as the heir apparent to the Crown; and the uncontrolled command of an income adequate to the support and dignity of that exalted station was looked forward to as the event which would enable them to enrich themselves, and this they well knew could be effected in proportion as they administered to the gratification of his governing passions. It was, there- fore, a part of their plan to entangle him in nets from which he could not extricate himself without their assistance; they became the confidants of his actions, the depositaries of his secrets ; and thus he insensibly fell into their power, which they knew how to wield to their advantage whenever the opportunity presented itself. The Prince was indebted to nature for a fine and hand- some person ; to art for a graceful exterior, and the most polished manners, ilis accomplishments were of the first s 50 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KLNGc. order, but his flatterers were incessantly employed to make him believe that they were much greater than they really were. They inspired him with the belief that, in regard to female favors, he had only to ask and to receive ; and it must be acknowledged that a great number of the blooming women, who by their beauty adorned the Court of his mother, required little or no persuasion to concede to his wishes; they even appeared to be vain of the honor of being thought in possession of such personal attractions as to captivate the affections of such a Prince, and so far from repelling him in his advances, they encouraged him — in many instances anticipated him — and in all, gloried in their conquest. With every fresh amour his appetite appeared to be sharpened ; with the possession of each object his self opinion and his natural inconstancy increased. Like the bee, he roamed from flower to flower, sipped the honey, but never visited that flower again. That these amours often led him into some serious scrapes may be easily imagiued ; in many instances he had to contend with the jealousy of the husband or the wounded honor of the brother; or, perhaps r what was still more dangerous, and more liable to lead to an exposure, the envy and hate of other females who were aspiring to his affections, and who, consequently, could not endure the triumph of a rival. The following is one of those cases in which he was extricated by the mere presence of miud of one of his confidential associates who resided in the Palace : One of the most celebrated beauties of the British Court at this time was a lady whose husband enjoyed a situ- ation in the household, with apartments in the Palace as his residence. His avocations 'frequently required his personal attendance in town, and it was during these tem- porary visits that the Prince succeeded in ingratiating himself in the good opinion of his angelic wife; but it hap- pened that one of those events took place which the imps THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 51 of mischief are sometimes so industriously and provokii%ly employed in bringing about for the purpose of marring the happiness of human beings when it is the least expected by them. The husband had on one occasion expressed his determination to remain in town during the night, as he did not expect that his business could be completed so as to admit of his return during the day. As might be expected, the advantage of this opportunity was not to be lost ; it was most anxiously embraced by both parties, and the sleeping apartment of the Prince was on that night to be tenant] ess. It happened, however, that the business of the gentleman was finished sooner than he expected ; and as the hour of midnight struck from the tower of the Palace, he was heard knocking at the outer door of his apartments in the court yard. Consternation filled the breasts of the hitherto happy lovers. To escape out of the room was imi)ossible j a detec- tion would be the inevitable ruin of one of the parties, and the indelible disgrace of the other. In this emergency no other resource was left but concealment in a small adjoining room, but then the confinement would continue the whole of the night, and the escape in the morning, when the whole of the household would be in motion, could not be expected to be accomplished without a discovery. But there was no alternative ; the Prince slipped on his clothes, and hurried into the adjoining room. He was, however, rescued from his distressing situation by the tact of Mr. Oholmondely, who in this amour was the confidant of the Prince, and who, on seeing the husband knocking at the door of his apartments, hurried towards him, and addressing him, said, "My dear fellow, I am truly rejoiced at your return; some- thing rather of an unpleasant nature has happened to the Prince, and he commanded me to desire your attendance in m y apartm ents immediately on your return. Accompany me, therefore, thither without delay, and I will hasten to apprise the Prince that you are in attendance." There was nothing 52 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. by^any means improbable in the Prince being in some dilemma, as it was by no means a case of rarity, and the gentleman therefore most willingly accompanied Mr. Ghol- mondely to his apartments, where he was politely invited to repose himself until Mr. 0. went in search of the Prince. The sequel may be easily foreseen ; Mr. Cholmon- dely hastened to the lady's apartments, liberated the royal lover from his confinement, and hastening back to the hus- band, he informed him that the Prince had retired to rest ; and on the following morning he was informed that the business had been arranged without his interference. During the earlier years of the Prince his passions were vehement, and his temper unmanageable; but his generosity was unbounded, and his faults appeared to be those which observation and experience would materially alter. To literature or to science he was not, however 1 , much attached, and his amusements were chiefly those which unfortunately encouraged expensive habits and dangerous associations. Yet on the Prince the hopes of the nation were centred ; and, habitually kind and indulgent towards their rulers, the English viewed with a favorable eye the follies of his youth, and predicted a maturity of great and generous principles. The first event, however, which peculiarly attracted public attention, and which occurred prior to the Prince having attained his majority, tended, in some measure, to alter public opinion. On entering upon that subject a great degree of delicacy is required in the relation, not only in regard to the illustrious subject of these memoirs, but also as far as it respects the fame of one whose beauty, whose talents, and whose misfortunes cannot fail to interest every susceptible mind in her favor. There are few of our readers who have not heard or read of the lovely, beautiful, and in many respects highly talented Mrs. Mary Eobinson. This lady was the wife of a careless, neglectful, and profligate young man, who left her, with her fascinating, mental, and THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 53 personal attractions, exposed to the gaze and blandishments of libertine rank and fashion. A separation had taken place between them ; and on an introduction to Garrick and Sheridan she was encouraged to adopt the stage as the means of her future subsistence. She accordingly came out at Drury Lane Theatre in the character of Juliet, in which she was eminently successful, and ultimately obtained an engagement, at a high salary, to enact the principal characters in tragedy and comedy. At the period when Mrs. Eobinson first attracted the attention of the Prince she was in the twenty -first and His Eoyal Highness in the nineteenth year of his age. She has herself left us the history of her intercourse with the Prince, written at a season when the heart deals with sincerity — in a season of sickness and dejection ; When the gay prospects of her early life had vanished from her eyes, and nothing remained for her but an existence, struggling with personal inconvenience, debility of frame, and unavailing regrets. The narrative which she has left us of this connection carries with it indubitable evidence of its veracity, and though some allowance must be made for one who speaks or, per- haps, to use a more appropriate phrase, who rather pleads in her own behalf, still an air of candor and sincerity so pervades that portion of her memoirs to which we more particularly allude that we feel no hesitation in using her own materials to give the narrative of the Prince's first public introduction into the world of gallantry ; we say pub- lic, for although it was well known that he had, like a wander- ing bee, been sipping the sweets from many an opening flower, and in which the bee too often left its sting behind ; yet it was only some of the airy spirits who hovered about the dark recesses of the gardens of Kew, or inhabited the sylvan haunts of Richmond's groves, who could tell the tale of how the lovely rosebud fell defoliaged, to wither and die neglected. With Mrs. Robinson, however, the Prince may 54 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KINO. be said to have publicly exhibited himself in the temple of Yenus, and it must be admitted that his knee was never bent before a more lovely or more angelic votary of the god- dess, for she looked, without doubt, as she herself said in the play— " A bank for Love to lie and play on." Mrs. Robinson commences her narrative by stating that ■" the play of ' The Winter's Tale' was this season commanded by their Majesties ; I never had performed before the royal family, and the first character in which I was destined to appear was that of Perdita. I had frequently played the part, both with the Ilermione of Mrs. Hartley and Miss Farren, but I felt a strange degree of alarm when I found my name announced to perform it before the royal family. " In the green room I was rallied on the occasion $ and Mr. Smith, whose gentlemanly manners and enlightened conversation rendered him an ornament to the profession, who performed the part of Leontes, laughingly exclaimed, i By Jove, Mrs. Robinson, you will make a conquest of the Prince, for to-night you look handsomer than ever.' I smiled at the unmerited compliment, and little foresaw the vast variety of events that would arise from that night's exhibition. " As I stood in the wing opposite the Prince's box, wait- ing to go on the stage, Mr. Ford, the manager's son, pre- sented a friend who accompanied him ; this friend was Lord Viscount Maiden, afterwards Earl of Essex. We entered into conversation during a few minutes, the Prince all the time observing us, and frequently si)eaking to Colonel (after- wards General) Lake, and to the Honorable Mr. Legge, brother to Lord Lewisham, who was in waiting on His Royal Highness. I hurried through the first scene, not without much embarrassment, owing to the fixed attention with which the Prince of Wales honored me ; indeed, some flat- -- = ss iM PEEDITA ROBINSON. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 55 tering* remarks, which were made by His Royal Highness, met my ear as I stood near his box, and I was overwhelmed with confusion. , " The Prince's particular attention was observed by every one, and I was again rallied at the end of the play. On the last curtsey, the royal family condescendingly returned a bow to the performers ; but just as the curtain was falling my eyes met those of the Prince of Wales, and with a look, that I never shall forget, he gently inclined his head a second time 5 I felt the compliment, and blushed my gratitude. " During the entertainment, Lord Maiden never ceased conversing with me 5 he was young, pleasing, and perfectly accomplished. He remarked the particular applause which the Prince had bestowed on my performance ; said a thous- and civil things, and detained me in conversation till the evening's performance was concluded. " I was now going to my chair which waited, when I met the royal family crossing the stage ; I was again honored with a very marked and low bow from the Prince of Wales. On my return home, I had a party at supper, and the whole conversation centred in encomiums on the person, grace, and amiable manners of the illustrious heir apparent. u Within two or three days of this time, Lord Maiden paid me a morning visit. Mr. Kobinson was not at home, and I received him rather awkwardly. But his Lordship's embar- rassment far exceeded mine 5 he attempted to speak — paused — hesitated — apologized; I knew not why. He hoped I would pardon him 5 that I would not mention some- thing he had to communicate ; that I would consider the peculiar delicacy of his situation, and then act as I thought proper. I could not comprehend his meaning, and there- fore requested that he would be explicit. "After some moments of evident rumination, he trem- blingly drew a small letter from his pocket. I took it, and knew not what to say. It was addressed to Perdita. I 56 THE RIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. smiled, I believe rather sarcastically, and opened the billet. It contained only a few words, but those expressive of mere common civility ; they were signed Florizel.* u c Well, my Lord, and what does this mean?' said I, half angrily. u i Can yon not guess the writer V said Lord Maiden. u 'Perhaps yourself, my Lordf cried I, gravely. " l Upon my honor, no !' said the Yiscount, i I should not have dared so to address you on so short an acquaintance.' " I pressed him to tell me from whom the letter came. He again hesitated ; he seemed confused, and sorry that he had undertaken to deliver it. 1 1 hope I shall not forfeit your good opinion, 7 said he, c but ' " <• But what, my Lord?' u i I could not refuse, for the letter is from the Prince of Wales.' " I was astonished — I confess that I was agitated — but I was also somewhat skeptical as to the truth of Lord Mai- den's assertion ; I returned a formal and a doubtful answer, and his Lordship soon after took his leave. " A thousand times did I read the short but expressive letter ; still I did not implicitly believe that it was written by the Prince. I rather considered it as an experiment made by Lord Maiden either on my vanity or propriety of conduct. On the next evening the Viscount repeated his visit, we had a card party of six or seven, and the Prince of Wales was again the subject of unbounded panegyric. Lord Maiden spoke of His Royal Highness' manners as the most polished and fascinating, of his temper of the most engag- ing, and of his mind as the most replete with every amiable sentiment. * I heard these praises, and my heart beat with conscious pride, while memory turned to the partial but * Perdita and Florizel are two characters in "The Winter's Tale," and those who are acquainted with that comedy will easily trace the signifi- cation of these adopted names. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 57 delicately respectful letter which I had received on the pre- ceding morning." For some months a confidential correspondence was carried on between these celebrated parties through the agency of Lord Maiden j and Mrs. Eobinson, amongst other tokens of inviolable regard, received the Prince's portrait in miniature, painted by Mr. Meyer. Within the case containing the picture was a small heart cut in paper, on one side of which was written, Je ne change qiCen mourant ; on the other, Unalterable to my Perdita through life. Mrs. Eobinson, who was an excellent judge of literary composition, speaking of this epistolary correspondence, says, " There was a beautiful ingenuousness in his language, a warm and enthusiastic adoration expressed in every let- ter, which interested and charmed me." At length, after many alternations of feeling, an interview with her royal lover was consented to by Mrs. Eobinson, and proposed, by the management of Lord Maiden, to take place at his lordship's residence in Dean street, May Fair, But the restricted situation of the Prince, controlled by a rigid governor, rendered this project of difficult execution. A visit to Buckingham House was then mentioned, to which Mrs. Eobinson positively objected, as a rash attempt, abounding in peril to her august admirer. Lord Maiden being again consulted, it was determined that the Prince should meet Mrs. Eobinson for a few moments at Kew, on the banks of the Thames, opposite to the old Palace, then the summer residence of the elder Princes. The account written by Mrs. Eobinson, in a letter to a friend, of the lovers' meeting, is couched in elegant and flowing language, and with much apparent ingenuousness. It deserves par- ticular attention in another point of view, as it presents us with a more faithful portrait of the manners and accom- plishments of the Prince of Wales at this period of his life. The date of this letter is in 1783. 3* 58 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. " At length an evening was fixed for this long dreaded interview. Lord Maiden and myself dined at the inn on the island, between Kew and Brentford. We waited the signal for crossing the river in a boat which had been engaged for the purpose. Heaven can witness how many conflicts my agitated heart endured at this most important moment ! I admired the Prince, I felt grateful for his affection. He was the most engaging of created beings. I had corres- ponded with him for many months, and his eloquent let- ters, the exquisite sensibility which breathed through every line, his ardent professions of adoration, had combined to shake my feeble resolution. The handkerchief was waved on the opposite shore, but the signal was, by the dusk of the evening, rendered almost imperceptible. Lord Maiden took my hand, I stepped into the boat, and in a few min- utes we landed before the iron gates of old Kew Palace. The interview was but for a moment. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, "then Bishop of Osnaburg, were walking down the avenue. They hastened to meet us. A few words, and those scarcely articulate, were uttered by the Prince, when a noise of the people approaching from the Palace startled us. The moon was now rising, and the idea of being overheard, or of His Royal Highness being seen out at so unusual an hour, terrified the whole group. Afrer a few more words of the most affectionate nature uttered by the Prince, we parted, and Lord Maiden and myself returned to the island. The Prince never quitted the avenue, nor the presence of the Duke of York, during the whole of this short meeting. Alas ! my friend, if my mind was before influenced by esteem, it was now awakened by the most enthusiastic admiration. The rank of the Prince no longer chilled into awe that being who now considered him as the lover and the friend. The graces of his person — the irre- sistible sweetness of his smile, the tenderness of his melo- dious yet manly voice — will be remembered by me till every vision of this changing scene shall be forgotten." THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 59 It was at this period that the Prince requested Mrs. Bob- inson to sit to a celebrated artist for her picture — a request which she complied with, although not without some reluct- ance. The Prince accordingly deputed Stroehling to exe- cute the task, and he completed the beautiful paintiug from which many engravings have been taken. At the Prince's particular desire, the doves were introduced into the picture in allusion to FlorizeVs own words in the play : So turtles pair That never meant to part. When the rupture between the lovers took place, and which is alleged to have taken place on the part of the Prince on account of some alleged infidelity committed by the lady, the Prince would no longer allow the picture to adorn his cabinet, but made a present of it to one of his household. "Many and frequent were the interviews," continues Mrs. Kobinson, " which afterwards took place at this romantic spot ; our walks sometimes continued till past midnight ; the Duke of York and Lord Maiden were always of the party; our conversation was composed of general topics. The Prince had from his infancy been wholly secluded, and naturally took most pleasure about the busy world, its manners and pursuits, characters and scenery. [Nothing could be more delightful or more rational than our mid- night perambulations. I always wore a dark colored habit ; the rest of our party generally wrapped themselves up in great coats, to disguise themselves, excepting the Duke of Tork, who almost universally alarmed us by the display of a buff coat, the most conspicuous color he could have selected for an adventure of this nature. The polished and fascinating ingenuousness of His Eoyal Highness' manners contributed not a little to enliven our promenades. He sang with exquisite taste, and the tones of his voice break- ing on the silence of the night have often appeared to my entranced senses like more than mortal melody." 60 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. These poetical flights would appear, perhaps, ornamental in " Hubert de Sevrae," or any other romance which the beautiful and highly gifted Perdita may have written ; but these songs of His Royal Highness are not in exact keeping with the extraordinary secrecy by which these nocturnal meetings appear to have been characterized. The royal lover was in momentary dread of a discovery, and a song by His Royal Highness, with, perhaps, a chorus by the whole strength of the company, was admirably calculated to bring certain individuals to the spot, who in a very few moments would have put an end to the harmony of the meeting. In this respect we opine that the fancy of Mrs. Robinson had rather more to do in the representation than truth ; but it is these inconsistencies which, more than any other circumstances, threw a hue of discredit over the char- acter of a narrative which, in other respects, might be entitled to our unqualified belief of its authenticity. " Often have I lamented the distance which destiny has placed between us 5 how would my soul have idolized such a husband ! Alas ! how often, in the ardent enthusiasm of my soul, have I formed the wish that that being were mine alone, to whom partial millions were to look up for protection." " The Duke of York was now on the eve of quitting the country for Hanover j the Prince was also on the point of receiving his first establishment, and the apprehension that his attachment to a married woman might injure him in the opinion of the world rendered the caution which we inva- riably observed of the utmost importance. A considerable time elapsed in these delightful scenes of visionary happi- ness. The Prince's attachment seemed to increase daily, and I considered myself as the most blessed of human beings. During some time we had enjoyed our meetings in the neighborhood of Kew, and I now only looked forward to the adjusting of His Royal Highness' establishment for the public avowal of our mutual attachment." THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 61 Mrs. Bobinson proceeds to relate that the daily prints now fostered the malice of her enemies by the most scan- dalous paragraphs respecting the Prince and herself. " i now found," she says, " it was too late to stop the hourly augmenting torrent of abuse which was poured on me from all quarters. Whenever I appeared in public I was over- whelmed by the gazing of the multitude 5 I was frequently obliged to quit Eanelagh owing to the crowd which staring curiosity had assembled round my box ; and, even m the streets of the metropolis, I scarcely ventured to enter a shop without experiencing the greatest inconvenience. Many hours have I waited till the crowd dispersed which surrounded my carriage in expectation of my quitting the shop. I shuddered at the gulf before me, and felt small gratification in the knowledge of having taken a step which many who condemned it would have been no less willing to imitate had they been placed in the same situation. " Previously to my first interview with His Royal High- ness, in one of his letters I was astonished to find a bond of the most solemn and binding nature, containing a promise of the sum of £20,000 to be paid at the period of His Eoyal Highness coming of age. " This paper was signed by the Prince and sealed with the royal arms. It was expressed in terms so liberal, so voluntary, so marked by true affection, that I had scarcely power to read it. My tears, excited by the most agonizing conflicts, obscured the letters, and nearly blotted out those sentiments which will be impressed upon my mind till the latest period of my existence. Still I felt shocked and mortified at the indelicate idea of entering into any pecuniary engagements with a Prince on whose establishment I relied for the enjoyment of all that would render life desirable. I was surprised at receiving it 5 the idea of interest had never entered my mind 5 secure of the possession of his heart, I had in that delightful certainty 62 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. counted all my future treasure. I had refused many splendid gifts which. His Eoyal Highness had proposed ordering for me at Gray's and other eminent jewellers. The Prince presented to me a few trifling ornaments, the whole in their value not exceeding one hundred guineas. Even these, on our separation, I returned to His Eoyal Highness by the hands of General Lake. u The period now approached that. was to destroy all the fairy visions which had filled my mind with dreams of hap- piness. At the moment when everything was preparing for His Eoyal Highness' establishment, when I looked im- patiently for the arrival of that day, in which I might behold my adored friend gratefully receiving the acclama- tions of his future subjects, when I might enjoy the public protection of that being for whom I gave up all, I received a letter from H^ Eoyal Highness — a cold and unkind letter — briefly informing me that we must meet no more ! "And now I call Heaven to witness that I was wholly unconscious why this decision had taken place in His Eoyal Highness' mind. Only two days previously to the letter being written I had seen the Prince at Kew, and his affec- tion appeared to be boundless as it was undiminished. "Amazed, afflicted beyond the power of utterance, I wrote immediately to His Eoyal Highness requiring an ex- planation. He remained silent. Again I wrote, but re- ceived no elucidation of this most cruel and extraordinary mystery. The Prince was then at Windsor. I set out in a small pony phaeton, wretched, and unacconrpanied by anyone, excepting my j>ostilion, a boy of nine years of age. It was dark when we quitted Hyde Park Corner. On my arrival at Hounslow the innkeeper informed me that every carriage which had passed the Heath for the last ten nights had been attacked and rifled. I confess the idea of per- sonal danger had no terrors for my mind in the state it then was, and the probability of annihilation, divested of THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 63 the crime of suicide, encouraged, rather than diminished, my determination of proceeding. We had scarcely reached the middle of the Heath when my horses were startled by the sudden appearance of a man rushing from the side of the road. The boy, on perceiving him, instantly spurred his pony, and, by a sudden bound of our light vehicle, the ruffian missed his grasp at the front rein. We now pro- ceeded at full speed, while the footpad ran, endeavoring to overtake us. At length my horses fortunately outrunning the perseverance of the assailant, we reached the first Mag- pie, a small inn on the Heath, in safety. The alarm which, in spite of my resolution, this adventure had occasioned, was augmented on my recollecting, for the first time, that I had then in my black stock a brilliant stud, of very con- siderable value, which could only have been possessed by the robber by strangling the wearer. " If my heart palpitated with joy at my escape from assassination, a circumstance soon after occurred that did not tend to quiet my emotions : this was the appearance of of M. H. Meynel and Mrs. Armstead, afterwards the wife of Charles James Fox. My foreboding soul instantly saw a rival, and with jealous eagerness interpreted the hitherto inexplicable conduct of the Prince, from his having fre- quently expressed a wish to see that lady. On my arrival the Prince would not see me. My agonies were now inde- scribable. I consulted with Lord Maiden and the Duke of Dorset, whose honorable mind and truly disinterested friendship for me had on many occasions been exemplified towards me. They were both at a loss to divine any cause for this sudden change in the Prince's feelings. The Prince of Wales had hitherto assiduously sought opportunities to distinguish me more publicly than was prudent in His Eoyal Highness 7 situation. This was in the month of August. On the 4th of the preceding June, I went, by his desire, into the Chamberlain's box, at the birthnight ball ; 64 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. 9 the distressing attention of the circle was drawn towards the part of the box in which I sat, by the marked and inju- dicious attentions of His Eoyal Highness. I had not been seated many minutes before I witnessed a rather singular species of fashionable coquetry. Previously to His Royal Highness beginning the minuet, I perceived a lady of high rank select from the bouquet which she wore two rosebuds, which she gave to the Prince, as he afterwards said to me, emblematical of herself and him. I observed His Eoyal Highness immediately beckon to a nobleman, who has since formed a part of his establishment, and, looking most earnestly at me, whispered a few words, at the same time presenting to him his newly acquired trophy. In a few minutes Lord 0. entered the Chamberlain's box, and giving the rosebuds into my hands, informed me that he was com- missioned by the Prince to do so. I placed them in my bosom, and I confess I felt proud of the powers by which I had thus publicly mortified an exalted rival. His Eoyal Highness now avowedly distinguished me at all public places of entertainment, at the King's hunt near Windsor, and at the reviews and the theatres. The Prince only seemed happy in evincing his affection towards me." Of the causes which led to the alienation of the affections of the Prince from his lovely and accomplished friend, Mrs. Eobinson has not left in her narrative any clue wherefrom to form a right judgment. " My good natured friends," she proceeds, " now carefully informed me of the multitude of secret enemies who were employed in estranging the Prince's mind from me. So fascinating, so illustrious a lover, could not fail to excite the envy of my own sex. Women of all descriptions were emulous of attracting His Eoyal Highness' attention. Alas ! I had neither rank nor power to oppose to such adversaries. Every engine of female malice was set in motion to destroy my repose, and every petty calumny was repeated with tenfold embellish- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 65 ments. Tales of the most infamous and glaring falsehood were invented, and I was again assailed by pamphlets, by paragraphs and caricatures, and all the artillery of slander; while the only being to whom I then looked up for protec- tion was so situated as to be unable to afford it. " In the anguish of my soul I once more addressed the Prince of Wales ; I complained perhaps too vehemently of his injustice, of the calumnies which had been by my ene- mies fabricated against me, of the falsehood of which he was but too sensible. I conjured him to render me justice. He did so ; he wrote me a most eloquent letter, disclaiming the causes alleged by a calumniating world, and fully acquitted me of the charges which had been propagated to destroy me." After some weeks passed in much wretchedness of mind, Mrs. Robinson had an interview with the Prince of Wales, which for a moment promised a renewal of their intercourse. As this interview was the last that took place between them with any view of reviving their connection, we shall give the account of it in Mrs. Robinson's own words : u After much hesitation," says she, u by the advice of Lord Maiden, I consented to meet His Royal Highness. He accosted me with every appearance of tender attachment, declaring that he had never for one moment ceased to love me, but that I had many concealed enemies, who were exerting every effort to undermine me. We passed some hours in the most friendly and delightful conversation, and I began to flatter myself that all our differences were adjusted. But what words can express my surprise and chagrin when, on meeting his Royal Highness the very next day in Hyde Park, he turned his head to avoid seeing me, and even affected not to know me % " Overwhelmed by this blow, my distress knew no limits. Yet Heaven can witness the truth of my assertion — even in this moment of complete despair, when oppression (>G THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. bowed me to the earth, I blamed not the Prince. I did then, and ever shall consider his mind as nobly and honor- ably organized ; nor conld I teach myself to believe that a heart, the seat of so many virtues, could possibly become inhuman and unjust. I had been taught from my infancy to believe that elevated stations are surrounded by delu- sive visions which glitter but to dazzle, like an unsubstan- tial meteor, and natter to betray. We shall only remark upon this narrative that it bears on the face of it unquestionable marks of sincerity and genu- ineness. It is written with the freedom of frendship, and the language and sentiments are such as a person of a sen- sible and well cultivated mind, but of strong feelings, would in all probability use. It has, indeed, scarcely any- thing of the air of an apology. Mrs. Robinson candidly acknowledges that the manners, the accomplishments, the fascinations of the heir apparent completely seized upon her affections, and rendered her totally unable to resist his Royal Highness 7 advances. To this it may be added that, to the latest period of her life, her attachment for the Prince continued unabated. When on her death bed she requested that a lock of her hair might be presented to His Royal Highness ; and this mark of her regard is said to have been received, on the part of the Prince, with strong demonstrations of sensibility — might we not also add, of compunction ? The beautiful poem which was published in " The Annual Register," and entitled, by Mrs. Robinson, "Lines to him who will understand them," evidently seems to have been com- posed at no very distant period from the date of her sepa- ration from the Prince. As these lines breathe a pensive spirit of tenderness, affection, and regret, which no one but an amiable and accomplished object could have inspired, we shall offer no apology to our readers for presenting them with the following extract : THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 67 tl Thou art no more my bosom friend, Here must the sweet delusion end That charmed my senses many a year, Through smiling summers, winters drear. Oh Friendship ! am I doomed to find Thou art a phantom of the mind — A glittering shade, an empty name, An air-born vision's vap'rish flame ? And yet the dear deceit so long Has waked to joy my matin song, Has bid my tears forget to flow, Chased every pain, soothed every woe ; That truth, unwelcome to my ear, Swells the deep sigh, recalls the tear ; Gives to the sense the keenest smart ; Checks the warm pulses of the heart ; Darkens my fate, and steals away Each gleam of joy through life's sad way. Britain, farewell ! — 1 quit thy shore ; My native country charms no more ; No guide to mark the toilsome road ; No destined clime ; no fix'd abode. j Alone and sad — ordained to trace The vast expanse of endless space ; To view, upon the mountain's height, Thro' varied shades of glimmering light, The distant landscape fades away In the last gleam of parting day ; Or in the quiv'ring lucid stream To watch the pale moon's silvery beam ; Or when in sad and plaintive strains The mournful Philomel complains, In dulcet notes bewails her fate, And murmurs for her absent mate, Inspir'd by sympathy divine, I'll weep her woes — for they are mine. Djdven by Fate, where'er I go, O'er burning plains, o'er hills of snow, Or on the bosom of the wave The howling tempest doom'd to brave, Where'er my lonely course I bend 68 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Thy image shall my steps attend ; Each object I am doom'd to see Shall bid remembrance picture thee. Yes, I shall view thee in each flower That changes with the transient hour; Thy wand'ring fancy I shall find . Borne on the wings of every wind ; Thy wild impetuous passions trace O'er the white waves tempestuous space ; In every changing season prove An emblem of thy wav'ring love." In dismissing this subject, replete with so much import- ance to the early character of the Prince, we cannot, consist- ently with that partiality which ought to distinguish an his- torian, wholly acquit him of a certain degree of unfeeling conduct towards an individual who had sacrificed her fame, her honor, and her person to the ardor of his passion, and on whose affection and kindness, considering her own amiable and endearing conduct, she undoubtedly possessed the highest claim. Notwithstanding, Mrs. Eobinson, in the ful- ness of a woman's love, makes every attempt to palliate the conduct of the Prince, and to throw a veil over the harsh features of the latter part of it; yet it must be apparent to everyone that it cannot be justified on any principle of honor, feeling, or humanity. Still, however, it must be allowed that we see only the puppets, but not the secret machinery by which they are moved; and, therefore, in common charity, we are bound to put the most favorable construction on the actions of those who are known not to be wholly independent, and who are obliged to act according to the power and control of others. In the generality of cases, the effect usually determines the presence or absence of any foreign interference; but, in the present instance, there was no plea urged of any secret constraint— on the contrary, there was a studied and mysterious concealment of the motive— an obstinate and decided objection to enter THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 69 into any explanation of the sudden change which had taken p&ce in the sentiments of the Prince towards the avowed object of his love; the most chilling indifference succeeded almost instantaneously to the most ardent protestations of unalterable affection, and all without any other ostensible cause than mere caprice. ' Justice, honor, and humanity, therefore, here step in, and denounce the»action as contrary to every one of their acknowledged principles; she saw herself abandoned, deserted, and exposed to the contumely of a censorious and malicious world— a helpless being for the finger of scorn to point at — a victim to an ardent and ill requited love. That love was to her a holy spot in the waste of her memory — it was the single theme of her thoughts, the idol of her dreams, and the separation was forever. It is evident that the calculation of Mrs. Eobinson was founded in error when she supposed, great and superlative as were her personal charms, and splendid as were her mental endowments, that she could enchain the affec- tions of so fickle, so accomplished, and so illustrious a lover, surrounded as he was by the youthful beauties of his father's Court, and roaming at large amongst the still, perhaps, greater beauties of the humbler ranks of life. Herein she failed, and everything must have conspired to tell her that her failure was inevitable. That a connection of this kind could have been perma- nent could scarcely have been expected by the most san- guine and enthusiastic spirit; but the dark shade which envelopes the character of the royal libertine arises from the manner in which the once cherished object of his early love was discarded. She had sacrificed for him everything that was dear to woman — for him she bounded over the barrier which is considered the safeguard of female virtue ; she clung to him with an affection which none but a woman's heart can feel. Self-interest was an idea too base 70 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. and grovelling to hold dominion for a moment in a mind like hers ; she lived but for hint, and in him only was she happy- When her enemies assailed her (and that a woman, standing in the relation which she did with the heir appa- rent should be without enemies, would, indeed, be a miracle in the history of human life) — when she became the object of the malicious wit of literary hirelings, and her name was coupled with the most noted Messalina of the day, did she shrink from an investigation jof her conduct ? — did she hide herself behind the veil of secrecy ? — did she not appeal to her royal lover to disprove the charges of her enemies ? — and did he not then unequivocally declare that he believed all those charges to be founded in malice and falsehood ? It is, therefore, proved by his own declaration that it was not any imputation which had been thrown on the charac- ter of Mrs. Robinson which effected a change in the Prince's sentiments towards her ; but his discarding of her partook of the character of the individual, who, having enjoyed the kernel, throws away the shell with indifference. Had he given any plea or excuse for his apparently unfeeling con- duct 5 had he sheltered himself under the consciousness, which, to suit his purpose, might be supposed to have burst suddenly upon him, of the moral impropriety of the connection, as standing in the exalted rank of the heir apparent to the crown, the lovely sufferer, even then, would have felt the blow severely $ but then, as a balsam to her wounded spirit, she would have had an apparently osten- sible cause to support her for her loss, and she would have derived some consolation from the reflection that it was not the decline nor the death of his affection which had estranged him from her, but that it was simply owing to the peculiarity of the circumstances under which her lover was placed. Had he adduced, as the cause of his estrangement, that the mandate of a parent had been issued to put an end to the connection, or that having THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 71 now attained his majority, and having entered as an ex- alted member into the great family compact of the nation, it behoved him, as the future ruler, to be circumspect and prudent in his conduct — a tear might have fallen at the destruction of her earthly hopes, and the memory of the blissful hours of their love would have hallowed the last moments of her existence. But the beautiful flower was thrown aside with the most callous indifference 5 the spoiler had revelled in its sweets — he had satiated himself with its beauties — in -the ardor of his love he took it to his bosom, blooming, fresh, full of life and bounding spirit : he threw it from him, broken, defoliaged, faded, destroyed for ever. We have looked in vain for one mitigating plea, for one redeeming reason, for the conduct of this royal libertine, and we sincerely wish, from that regard which we otherwise entertain for his general character, that some clue had been left us by which the mystery in which his conduct towards Mrs. Eobinson is involved could have been satisfactorily solved. We enter not into the question of the morality of the connection, nor do we attribute the termination of it to any conscientious scruples which might have arisen in the mind of the Prince of Wales, for his subsequent conduct contradicts that assumption $ but for our desire to rescue his memory, as much as possible, from the unfeeling and ungenerous conduct towards a lovely and confiding woman, who, but for his allurements, would have remained an orna- ment to her profession, and who, perhaps, would have closed her earthly career with the exhilarating conscious- ness of having spent a life of virtue and decorum. Notwithstanding, however, the moral turpitude of this connection of the Prince with Mrs. Eobinson, there were not wanting some who endeavored to throw over it the veil of extenuation, and to represent it as attended with a very small degree of indecorum and impropriety. Thus, one of the writers of that day says : " It was a case stained 72 THE PRIVATE LIFE 6f A KING. with no remarkable turpitude or gross departure from the moral laws of society. It was not a case of seduction, and the person who, of all others, had the most right to com- plain had released his wife from her vow by his own estrangement of conduct. Here, then, was nothing very flagrant in this particular action of the Prince's life, yet it has been much dwelt upon by those who have made the abuse of the Prince of Wales (and such men there are) their livelihood. These ungenerous and unprincipled writers, who look, into characters only for the purpose of finding faults, have stigmatized this transaction in the most virulent terms ; and have inferred, from his attach- ment to a beautiful and amiable woman, an unbounded and promiscuous passion for the sex in general. This calumny, equally detestable and unfounded, has been propagated in a hundred ways ; and, there is reason to apprehend, with too much success, for no one can be ignorant how much quicker scandal flies, and how much more tenaciously it is retained than truth : " Discit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat, et veneratur." " The youth of the Prince, and the seductions to which his rank exposed him, never entered into the calculations of these writers. It is not for their purpose to seek out extenuating circumstances, but to magnify what are, at worst, mere levities or indiscretions, or the pardonable ebullitions of youth. By what analogy was it to be expected that the generous blood of the heir apparent was to be icebound, while that of every noble youth in the kingdom might run riot, and flow without reproach V J The sophistry of these arguments, although very finely spun, is most easily detected ; and it affords another proof of the injury which an over zealous and officious friend may commit in the espousal of any cause, when he has not prudence nor ability to guide him through it. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 73 With all the facts staring him in the face, as related in the simple and candid narrative of Mrs. Robinson, the writer departs wholly from the trnth ; and, in order to save the honor of the Prince, ventures to pronounce that it was not a case of seduction $ from which he draws the infer- ence that the conduct of this royal rake was divested of all flagrancy. It will not, however, require great powers of reasoning to prove that it was a case of the most studied, the most deliberate seduction. Previously to the moment when the charms of Mrs. Robinson captivated the affections of the royal youth, calumny had not dared to inflict a single stain upon her character. A beautiful woman, neglected and deserted by her husband, is gener- ally the object of the seductive arts of the libertine ; and such being the case with Mrs. Robinson, we are able to assert that her virtue had undergone and surmounted the severest of temptations. The very profession which she had chosen as the means of her support, and which may with justice be considered as the severest ordeal to which female virtue can be exposed, tended, whilst it made her the object of public admiration, to throw her into that very society where, if her disposition had been to fall, she would have found hundreds who would have been willing to accelerate and to triumph in it. We have only to refer to the Duke of Queensberry and to another duke, almost as notorious as the former in the pages of gallantry, who used every instrument which rank or fortune could place in their hands to undermine the virtue of this lovely woman, but she remained firm, unconquerable ; and when the latter nobleman sent her a carte blanche to fix her own terms, she returned the memorable answer : "Poverty with virtue and happiness is preferable to affluence with guilt and misery." We are by no means ignorant that, at the time when the Prince of Wales was captivated with the charms of Mrs. 4 74 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. Robinson, there were other suitors for her favors, amongst whom General Tarleton was considered as the most favored. The following anecdote, however, deserves men- tion, as it shows the manner in which she treated some of those suitors, who wholly mistook her character, in con- sidering, according to the prejudice of the day, that, as she was an actress, her favors were a marketable commodity, : and to be purchased by the highest bidder. Amongst the most dashing rakes of the city at that time was Mr. Pugh, the son of Alderman Pugh, who had seen Mrs. Robinson in the character of Juliet, and, becoming violently enam- ored of her, he wrote to her, offering her twenty guineas for ten minutes' conversation icith her. Mrs. Robinson imme- diately answered him, consenting to grant him the favor he asked for the stipulated sum 5 and, elated with the prospect of the consummation of his wishes, Pugh repaired to the house of Mrs. Robinson at the appointed time. On his arrival, however, instead, as he expected, of being closeted with Mrs. Robinson, he was ushered into a room where he found that lady in company with General Tarle- ton and Lord Maiden ; and on his entrance Mrs. Robinson detached her watch from her side, and laid it on the table. She then immediately turned from her former companions, and addressed her conversation wholly to Pugh, who, by the titter which sat upon the countenances of General Tarle- ton and Lord Maiden, evidently saw that he was a com- plete dupe in the hands of his beautiful inamorata. Mrs. Robinson now took up the watch, the ten minutes were expired 5 she rose from her chair, rang the bell, and, on the servant entering, she desired him to open the door for Mr. Pugh, who, completely confounded, took his leave, minus twenty guineas, which, on the following day, were divided amongst four charitable institutions.* But the evil hour came at last. On a sudden she * Suppressed edition. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 75 beheld herself, in the most unexpected manner, the idol- ized object of one of the most handsome and accomplished youths in the kingdom, and that youth the heir apparent to the crown. It were to betray a total ignorance of human nature, and particularly of the female character, if we were to assert that the vanity of Mrs. Robinson was not nattered in beholding herself the chosen object of the affections of the Prince of Wales, for which many a bosom was sighing in vain, and to attain which every snare and net were laid which love or passion could devise. Agents young in years, though skilled in intrigue and in the con- quest of female virtue, were immediately set to work ; and to the indelible disgrace of one of those agents be it recorded that he condescended to the commission of acts worthy only of the most unprincipled panderer. This man — for we will not affix the epithet of noble before that word, on the principle that every nobleman is not a noble man — so far degraded himself as, on the first night of the assignation of the Prince with Mrs. Robinson, to carouse with her husband, and to leave him in such a state of com- plete intoxication as to divest the parties . of all fear of any intrusion on his part j for, although living almost in a state of separation from his wife, he was in the habit of continually annoying her, especially when he thought that she had received any part of her salary from the theatre. The very difficulty, however, which the Prince experienced in obtaining the consummation of his wishes showed that the virtue of Mrs. Robinson was of no ordinary strength. The fruit which he had hitherto enjoyed had fallen from the bough at the first shake ; and the unexpected obstacles, therefore, which now presented themselves, only tended to increase the keenness of his appetite. Every art and strat- agem which the most finished seducer, assisted by the most experienced agents could suggest, were adopted. Assignation after assignation was held, and chiefly at the 76 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Eelpie House, the Prince leaving Kew Palace in various disguises, and on one occasion he scaled the walls of the garden disguised as a watchman. Months after months, however, elapsed, and still the cit- adel held out — the struggle was great — it was agonizing ; it was a contest which, to the honor and character of the assailed party be it said, that few in her situation would have maintained so long — the victory at last was won ; and if female seduction be attended with flagrancy, the conduct of this royal seducer cannot, in this instance, stand absolved from it. He knew Mrs. Eobinson to be a married woman, and the mother of a daughter — the seduction of her, therefore, stamped him with the character of the adulterer ; and when We are told by the advocates of the Prince that the conduct of her husband released her from the obligations of her mar- riage vow, we cannot find words sufficiently energetic to ex- press our disapprobation at the danger and immoral ten- dency of such a doctrine. Mr. Eobinson was certainly a bad and profligate husband ; but it is breaking one of the most important links in the chain of human society to allege that the profligacy of the husband authorizes any profli- gacy on the part of the wife ; much less can it, in the least degree, extenuate her infidelity. We have been purposely diffuse on this subject, as we wish to place all the charac- ters who came into immediate personal contact with the illustrious individual, who has now gone to his account where guilt really presents itself, there let it be fearlessly exposed — let the burden of iniquity be borne oh the right shoulders 5 and never let it be repeated that, in order to screen the vices or jirofligacies of the prince or the mon- arch, we servilely throw an unmerited obloquy on the char- acter of those who are no longer in this world to exonerate themselves from the imputations which are cast upon them. On the whole, this may be considered as the history of a THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. 77 transaction which, created suspicions which must ever be deplored, and feelings of dissatisfaction which were never afterwards entirely obliterated. The advocates of the Prince, indeed, contended that the connection was improper — that Mrs. Eobinson was a married woman and an actress — that the Prince was but a young man — that it would have been improper, and indeed criminal, to have perpetu- ated the intercourse— and that the only possible way to avoid the evils which the connection would entail on him, was u to get rid of her at once." But to such defence it was replied, that the Prince had sought ■, nattered, caressed, and won the heart of Mrs. Eobinson 5 that for more than two years the intimacy had subsisted between them $ that there was no pretence now for breaking off the connection, especially as others were forming $ that it displayed a waver- ing and vacillating disposition, and affections inconsistent alike with a great mind and a generous heart 5 and, princi- pally, that, even if the action were in itself correct, the man- ner in which it was performed was alone sufficient to indi- cate a total absence of sensibility, and all the finer feelings of the Ti'eart. On such conflicting conclusions it is here unnecessary to offer any opinion. The facts, unvarnished, have been presented by Mrs. Eobinson, and the present and succeeding generations will draw their own conclusions. In one particular, however, Mrs. Eobinson has forgotten to do that justice to the character of the Prince which it deserves, and which goes, in some measure, to show that in her connection with the Prince she was not wholly exempt from selfish motives. It is true that she sent him back his bond 5 but, nevertheless, on her leaving the country, she threatened to enforce the penalty of it, although, in some respects, it could not be considered as much more than a bit of waste paper. The business was ultimately left to the arbitration of Mr. Fox, who, for particular reasons, which rather tarnish than exalt his character, used his utmost 78 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A.KING. endeavors to promote the expatriation of Mrs. Robinson. A handsome annuity was finally settled on her, 'and also to extend to the life of her only daughter by Mr. Robinson. That the affection of this lovely woman for the Prince was not of a transient, fickle nature, but that it was interwoven with the closest fibres of her heart, may be gathered from the circumstance that on her death bed she requested that a lock of her hair might be presented to His Royal High- ness; and the last mark of her regard, this indisputable proof that he still lived even in death the object of her love, was, it is said, received by the Prince with strong feel- ings of solicitude and care. We envy him not his feelings when he received it. We now find the Prince running the range of the Opera House — the idol of the women — the envy of the men. To fix him, however, long in his attachments, appeared to be in direct variance with his nature ; and there were many who had no sooner flattered themselves that they held him fast in their chains than, to their great mortification, he snapped them suddenly asunder, and appeared as if he had never felt their pressure. This was particularly the case with Oarno valla, whose husband originally belonged to the orchestra, and who, subsequently, by the interest of the Prince, became manager of the Opera House. This lady, although not a beauty of the first order, was in her man- ners one of those fascinating women who often, in the absence of any great personal charms, establish an un- bounded influence over the heart of man ; and it was to this power of fascination that Carnovalla owed the dominion which she held for a short time over the affections of the Prince. It must not, however, be concealed that this con- nection, for reasons the mention of which must be omitted, was one of the most disreputable which the Prince ever formed ; and when the husband of the lady afterwards turned out to be an incendiary, by setting fire to the Opera THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. 79 House, a considerable share of the opprobrium fell upon the Prince, in having been the instrument of obtaining for so bad a character the management of the concern. The period was now approaching when the Prince was to be emancipated from parental control, and to take that station in society to which his illustrious rank entitled him. In the month of June, 1783, Lord John Cavendish, who then filled the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, pre- sented the following message from His Majesty to the House of Commons : " George E. " His Majesty, reflecting on the propriety of a separate establishment for his dearly beloved son, the Prince of Wales, recommends the consideration thereof to this House, relying on the experienced zeal and affection of his faithful Commons for such aid towards making that establishment as shall appear consistent with a due attention to the cir- cumstances of his people, every addition to whose burthens His Majesty feels with the most sensible concern. " G. K.» George II, when Prince of Wales, enjoyed an income of $500,000 per annum, but the House of Commons deter- mined upon a far inferior sum, $250,000 a year, for the Prince, in answer to this petition of his father. Mr. Fox, then Secretary of State, and many others, argued against the scanty allowance, foreseeing the em- barrassments that would arise from an income so dispropor- tioned to the habits of the Prince at a period when he was exposed to all the allurements which can captivate the youthful passions. The wisdom of the King was never better displayed than in this instance. The disastrous and expensive war with America had just closed, and, at a time when economy was loudly called for in every branch of the public expenditure, h^ was unwilling that any exertion 80 THE PKIVATE LIFE CE A KING-. should be made to increase the allotment to the Prince, who, it will be remembered, enjoyed in addition to this grant the revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall amounting to $150,000— in all, $400,000 a year. Surely no mean in- come for a youth just attaining his majority. The only military rank the Prince of Wales ever held was a Colonelcy of the 10th Light Dragoons, which he retained until his coronation. It was at this time that he manifested that predilection for Brighton which induced him at a future period to make that town his residence. The reports current at the time were that he was more influenced by the angelic figure of a sea nymph he saw upon the beach than by the marine views or the salubrity of the place. In this amour, how- ever, he was completely duped. So far as personal charms were concerned, Charlotte Fortescue was as lovely as one of Tennyson's sea fairies, but in mental qualifications she was very illiterate, and unparalled in artifice. She knew how to throw such, an air of innocent simplicity over her actions that would have deceived even a greater adept than this royal hbertine. She was not long in discovering the high rank of the individual whom she had captivated by her charms, and with her innate cunning for a time frus- trated all his attempts to obtain a private interview, know- ing that what is easily gained is lightly prized. Keeping her residence a secret for some days, she was neither seen nor heard of. Upon a sudden she made her appearance suf- fused in tears, announced her approaching marriage and her departure from the country. This stirred the Prince to immediate action, and, overcoming all her well feigned scru- ples, a romantic elopement was arranged, in which the beau- tiful fugitive should fly with the Prince in the dress of a footman, and a post chaise was to be in waiting a few miles on the London road to bear away the prize. The truth of the old adage of the cup and the lip was THE PRIVATE LIPE OF A KING. 81 confirmed in this instance, however. Just as the hour was approaching, the arrival of George Hanger, who had just commenced his profligate career in fashionable circles, was announced. The Prince could do no less than invite him to dine, at the same time intimating that he must excuse him at au early hour, as important business compelled him to leave that night for the metropolis. After dinner the Prince inquired of Hanger what brought him to Brighter % so suddenly. "A hunt $ a hunt, your Eoyal Highness," said Hanger. " I am in chase of a d — d fine girl whom I met at Mrs. Simpson's in Duke's Place, and although I have taken pri- vate apartments for her, yet the hussy takes it into her head every now and then to absent herself for a few days ; and I have been given to understand she is carrying on some intrigue with a felloiv here in Brighton. Let me but catch him, and I will souse him over head and ears in the ocean !" It did not take the Prince long to guess that the lady with whom he was about to elope was the identical runaway friend Of Hanger's, and he began to study how he should extricate himself with the best possible grace from the mor- tifying dilemma. He was convinced he was the dupe of a cunning, designing girl, and therefore it would be his great- est pride and joy to outwit her. Disclosing the whole of the intrigue to Hanger, they concocted a plot which should avenge them both. Hanger, putting on the dress in which she had been accustomed to see her royal lover, took Ms seat hi the chaise instead of the Prince. The whole affair was well managed. The Prince remained at Brighton. Hanger bore off the lady to London, who was covered with chagrin at the unexpected termination of her romantic elopement. Prince George became intimate with certain distinguished students of Oxford, whose doings are graphically described 4* 82 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. in the English " Spy." He was known frequently to take a run down to that famous collegiate town, and have a lark with the fast young men there. It was, perhaps, in those gay times he made the acquaintance of a noted old woman known as u Mother Goose," once a noted procuress, and it is possible she still offered her vocation in the inter- est of her royal patron, for George ; as Blackmantler says '(•His Majesty never passed through Oxford without pre- senting Mother Goose with a donation." She had two interesting, buxom daughters, quite young, which, it is pre- sumable, was the direct cause of " His Majesty" afterwards taking such interest in their old mother. She had a num- ber of other children besides the two daughters, all illegiti- mate and also females, every one of whom, except the youngest, this unnatural mother sacrificed for gold, and sold to a life of infamy and shame. A being in the shape of a man, in, her declining life, supposing she had amassed a fortune by her nefarious profession, married her only to find himself mistaken. She ultimately became blind, and find- ing she could no longer earn the libertine's gold by seducing from the paths of virtue innocent, inexperienced girls, she took to selling flowers and bouquets — peddling them around to the students of the various colleges. Her clean and neat appearance, her singular address, never failed of procuring good prices for her beautiful flowers, especially when she informed the young gentlemen of the generosity of their fathers or uncles. " --:; MOTHER GOOSE AT HER VOCATION. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 83 ©ftairtM Ifttol On the 12th of August, 1783, the Prince of Wales at- tained his majority j the celebration of it, however, was postponed at Court in consequence of the accouchement of the Queen of her fifteenth child, which took place on the 7th of the same month. The King and royal family, there- fore, received the congratulations of the nobility in a pri- vate manner, and George gave a very grand entertainment to several of the nobility at the White Hart Tavern, Wind- sor. A large turtle, of the enormous size of four hundred weight, was killed on the occasion, being a present sent to the Prince from the East Indies. The first establishment of the Prince was a welcome event to^his numerous flatterers, especially to some amongst them whose profligacy and poverty seemed to vie with each other which should the soonest complete his ruin. Deeply did every real friend of the Prince lament that of this per- nicious class some had obtained an entire ascendancy over his ingenuous mind j and that, whilst they hailed his inde- pendence with hollow congratulations, they dreaded noth- ing so much as for his spirit to become as independent as his circumstances, and his opinions to disdain the restraint which his person had shaken off. They were, in fact, re- solved that neither persons nor circumstances should long continue independent of their control; hence arose that course of extravagant folly to which they urged him, and which in a very short time compelled the King and Parlia- ment to interfere for his relief. 84 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. At the opening of Parliament, on the 11th of November, 1783, Prince George was introduced into the House of Peers, on which occasion the following ceremonial was observed : # He having been, by letters patent, dated the 19th day of August, created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, was in his robes, which, with the collar and order of the Garter, he had put on in the Marshal's house, introduced into the House of Peers in the following order, as pub- lished in newspapers of the day : Gentleman Uslier of the Black Rod, with his Staff of Office; Earl of Surrey, Deputy Earl Marshal of England ; Lord Privy Seal ; Garter Principal King of Arms, in his robes, with the Sceptre, bearing His Royal Highness' Patent; Sir Peter Burrell, Deputy Great Chamberlain of England ; Viscount Stormount, Lord President of the Council ; The Coronet, • On a crimson velvet cushion, borne by Viscount Lewisham, one of the Gentlemen of His Royal Highness' Bedchamber ; His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, carrying his "Writ of Summons, supported by his Uncle the Duke of Cumberland, and the Dukes of Richmond and Portland. And, proceeding up the House with the usual reverences, the writ and patent were delivered to the Earl of Mans- field, Speaker, on the woolsack, and read by the Clerk of the Parliament at the table, " His Eoyal Highness "and the rest of the procession standing near ; after which " His Eoyal Highness " was conducted to his chair on the right hand of the throne, the coronet and cushion having been laid on a stool before the chair, and " His Eoyal High- ness " being covered, as usual, the ceremony ended. The King was seated on the throne with the usual solem- * London Gazette, temp. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING, 85 nities, and having delivered his most gracious speech, retired out of the House. Then " His Eoyal Highness," at the table, took the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and made and subscribed the declaration, and also took and subscribed the ridiculous oath of abjuration. The session in which the Prince now took his seat in the great council of the nation was one of the most important, though its importance is lost in the magnitude of succeed- ing events. The Coalition ministry, with the Duke of Port- land at its head (but with Mr. Fox the efficient minister,) was then at the zenith of his power, and menaced the royal authority with some restrictions of perogative, which are supposed to have given high offence to the interior cabinet of Buckingham House. We allude to the celebrated India Bill of Mr. Pox, which was introduced in this session and caused the dismission of the Coalition administration. The first time the Prince ever spoke in Parliament was upon the motion of the Marquis of Abercorn for an amend- ment to the address of the Commons upon the King's proc- lamation for pre venting seditious meetings and writings, and in a manly, eloquent, and, it may be added, persuasive manner, delivered his sentiments. The Prince spoke in a manner that called not only for the attention but the admiration of the House, and the follow- ing 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." And he might have added, so long as they will support me in my extrava- gances. When the Prince arrived at that period which emanci- pated him from the control of the Queen's palace ; when all that could give pleasure, flatter vanity, and gratify passion, was at his command ; when impelled by the vivacity of early life and warmed by the glow of a generous mind, he 86 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. entered into the world as into a bower of delight, it becomes by no means a matter of surprise that the policy of certain men should actuate them to assume any and every form that might conciliate his favorable prepossessions, and hid. ing their serpent train in flowers, present themselves to his view in such a fascinating shape, and clothed with such attractions, as might appear to justify his warmest friend- ship. This, indeed, was a moment when severity itself knew not how to censure him for preferring the Epicurean to the Stoic philosophy. It is not by any means improbable that, in his unreserved and social hours, he now heard arguments insidiously sug- gested to support every branch and refinement of elegant intemperance. It might now be progressively insinuated to him that princes were elevated at too great a distance from the common herd of mankind to obtain a proper knowledge of them, and that to live as a subject was the best prepara- tion to fulfill the duties of a kirg; that to know the world it was necessary to mix in all the concerns of it ; that to indulge in what are called the vices of youth and fashion- able life was a proof of genuine spirit, and to give grace to his mode of enjoying them was a mark of superior genius ; that dignity was a grave and solemn quality which suited ill with youth ; that it was one of the formal accom- paniments of advanced life, and should be laid aside till the possession of sovereign power required the solemn exercise of it ; in short, that as the only period of enjoyment allotted to the heir of an empire was the uncertain space of time between the trammels of education and the cares of a crown, he was certainly more than justified in crowding into it all the pleasure it is capable of containing. Such doctrines might at this time have been propagated to. encourage the glowing dispositions of his age, while the crafty philosophers who taught them knew how to apply their principles to every object of luxurious and sensual THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 87 gratification. It must also be premised that, with the dis- positions which the Prince possessed and the partialities which he had formed, it could not be expected that a rigid prudence was to be found amongst the most conspicuous of his virtues, or that he would submit to the plague of economical attention $ and such was in reality the case ; he indulged himself in profuse liberality, a splendor of appear- ance, and a variety of pleasures beyond the power of his revenue to support. The people whom the Prince chose for his social friends soon contrived, also, to involve him in their political principles. It was the natural consequence of the society he had adopted. He was even persuaded to attend the debates of the House of Commons, as the great school of political instruction, and he appeared to reserve his approving looks for the orators of the opposition. Still, however, he preserved the decorum of respectful inter- course with his royal parent, and Mr. Fox, in a parliament- ary eulogium of him, represented it, with his usual ability, as a very promising feature in his character, that he knew how to reconcile an opposition to his father's ministers with filial duty. It is, however, a notorious fact that the men who at tbis time styled themselves the opposition were the original cause of the pecuniary embarrassments of the Prince. Their example, their suggestions, their prodigalities, pro- gressively seduced him from the moral standard before he had acquired any knowledge of human artifice, and, in the moment of that seduction, they meanly and ruinously fat- tened upon his exceeding bounty $ yet no sooner were those means of improvident support withheld than they blotted all recollections of his munificence from their memories, and had the audacity to affect a pity for his diminished splen- dor, and publicly blamed him for having suffered himself to be their dupe and sacrifice. They rudely cast him upon an ^discriminating society, encumbered in a great degree with 88 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. a weight of responsibility for their own irregularities ; they shaded his perception, but could not suppress the arguments of his heart. Among the earliest friends of the Prince, Fox, Sheridan, and Burke may be considered as the most distinguished, a triumvirate of talent and genius which we can scarcely expect ever to behold again. In the formation of his estab- lishment the Prince consulted Mr. Fox, and it is undoubted that he entertained for him the most sincere regard. With Mr. Fox, therefore, he thenceforth formed a permanent friendship. Influenced by his* eloquence and impressed by his arguments and j)ersuasion, he regarded that illustrious statesman as a pattern for his imitation, and esteemed and reverenced him as the friend of man. Into the amusements and follies of the lighter hours of Mr. Fox the Prince entered with a zest which his previous restrictions tended to increase, and these follies and extravagances not unfrequently in- volved him in private broils, which exposed him to public animadversion. Mr. Fox, then in the prime of life, though not of his glory, stood on a commanding eminence, and the eyes, not only of his own nation, but of all the Courts of Europe, were turned upon him as the man above all others in the British domin- ions best qualified to be at the head of the Government. But his bold, independent spirit j the firmness with which he resisted the encroachments of the crown, and, above all, his sincere and unalterable attachment to the priviliges of the people, were insurmountable objections to his reception at Court. The King, educated in high Tory maxims, was ad- verse to his principles, and dreaded his spirit ; the favorites of the Court were naturally disgusted with his integrity, and shrank beneath his superior talents. In his parliamentary conduct there was nothing to censure, and as a minister he had shown himself incapable of being influenced by the seductions of office, or tempted by the love of power, to THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. 89 continue in place when the dictates of honor and conscience told him that he ought to resign. In the public life, therefore, of this illustrious man there was nothing that the most implacable of his enemies could fix upon that rendered him unfit to occupy the first place in the confidence of the heir apparent to the crown 5 and, therefore, in order to justify the obloquy which was cast upon the Prince for this attachment, it was necessary that the private character of Mr. Fox should undergo an exami- nation, and the amusements and follies of his ligher hours were made to pass in a severe and malignant review before the public judgment. And here it must be confessed that his enemies had some tangible grounds to proceed upon, for it is indisputable that he was guilty of many of the levi- ties and indiscretions which young men of fashion and for- tune commit; and that, like them, he experienced those pecuniary vicissitudes which generally indicate extrava- gance and imprudence. Into these follies and indiscretions the Prince of Wales unfortunately entered, and not possess- ing at that period that hold on the public opinion which the parliamentary exertions of Mr. Fox hajl ensured to him, he participated in the disgrace incidental to such conduct, with- out enjoying the counteracting influence of public esteem. It is our wish, from the sincere reverence which we feel for the extraordinary talents of this great man, that we could wholly acquit him of some acts which partake strongly of dishonor, and a wanton neglect Of those upright principles on which the genuine moral character is founded. We are aware that these sentiments are at direct variance with those expressed by a very able writer when treating of the private character of Mr. Fox, who says, " Take the word i honor 7 in whatever acceptance it can be applied, it will, from the nar- rowest scrutiny that can possibly be gone into Mr. Fox's life, be found that he never, even in the remotest degree, violated the strictest laws of honor. 77 90 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. The person who was supposed at this time to hold a second place in the friendship of the Prince of Wales as a political man was Mr. Burke. Of the character of this great orator we are not to judge from the maxims of his later years, but from the principles which he asserted up to the period when he was distinguished by the friendship of the Prince. Brought into public notice by the munificence of the Marquis of Bockinghani, and attached to the Whig party both by sentiment and gratitude, the splendor of his eloquence, and his various literary attainments, had raised him to a high rank both in the political and literary world. The conduct of Mr. Burke, in his declining years, casts a shade over his character $ but we are disposed rather to view this luminary as he shone in the political hemisphere at the meridian of his glory than in his declension, when the evening and the lowering tempests of night obscured and deformed his setting rays. Mr. Burke was, on many accounts, one of the most re- markable men of his times. He was what few of our modern statesmen have been — the architect of his own preferment, without ever having had occasion to blush for the means which brought him forward to public notice. Born with a vast and comprehensive genius, which he cul- tivated with the most assiduous industry, he rose to emi- nence by his own talents. In one particular, however, we will do that justice to the character of Mr. Burke which it so preeminently deserves, by declaring that he neither encouraged nor fostered the libertine dispositions of the illustrious indi- vidual who honored him with his friendship and esteem. In many instances he attempted to dissuade him from pursuing a career which must ultimately end in disgrace and ruin, and to which it was evident that he was led on by the example of his profligate companions, reckless, as it would appear, of the consequences resulting to the injury of his character as a prince and a man. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 91 The argumentative powers of Mr. Burke were of the highest order; his sources of knowledge were universal and inexhaustible ; his memory was comprehensive and faithful, while his mind teemed with the most luxurious imagery, clothed in the most elegant language, and strengthened by the most applicable and brilliant expres- sions. It has been admitted, even by those who have most rigidly examined his pretensions to fame, that the splendor of his eloquence has seldom been excelled by the most accomplished orators or even poets of any age or country. Sheridan, the wit, the poet, the dramatist, and the orator, but the drunkard, the gamester, and the rake, was also the personal friend of the Prince. To the talents of Sheridan as an orator the tributes of admiration and applause have been as numerous as they have been just. And yet Sheri- dan as a moralist was as defective in principle as he was incorrect in practice. Sheridan, poor, deserted, diseased, and wretched, expired in loneliness and misery; and so died, not purely, as has been alleged, a martyr to his love of liberty, but rather to his vices and licentiousness. An acquaintance, therefore, with Sheridan, whilst it could not fail of improving the judgment, enlivening the fancy, and heightening the imagination and wit of the dullest of his associates, yet it could not also fail of injuring that high tone of morals with which the heart of a monarch of a Christian country should be especially inspired. In the amours of Mr. Sheridan the name of the Prince was con- stantly involved, and this circumstance additionally tended to the permanent injury of his character and reputation. Of the Prince's intimacy with Sheridan many pleasant and, we regret to add, painful anecdotes are related. The following will show the familiar footing on which they stood with each other: The Prince became a member of Brookes' 92 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Club, in order to have more frequent intercourse with Mr. Fox. The Prince was the only person who was ever admit- ted without a ballot, and on his first appearance every member rose and welcomed him by acclamation. When Fox first became acquainted with Sheridan, he was so delighted with his company and brilliant conversation that he became exceedingly anxious to get him admitted as a member of Brookes 7 Club, which he frequented every night. Sheridan was frequently proposed, but as often had one black ball in the ballot, which disqualified him. At length, the balls being marked, the hostile ball was traced to old George Selwyn, a stickler for aristocracy. Sheridan was apprised of this, and desired that his name might be put up again, and that the further conduct of the matter might be left to himself. Accordingly, on the evening that he was to be balloted for, Sheridan arrived at Brookes', arm in arm with the Prince, just ten minutes before the balloting began. Being shown into the candidates' waiting room, the waiter was ordered to tell Mr. Selwyn that the Prince desired to speak with him below immediately 5 Selwyn obeyed the summons without delay, and Sheridan, to whom he had no personal dislike, entertained him for half an hour with a political story, which interested him very much, but which, of course, had no foundation in truth. During Selwyn's absence the balloting went on, and Sheridan was chosen, which circumstance was announced to himself and the Prince by the waiter with the preconcerted signal of strok- ing his chin with his hand. Sheridan immediately got up, and apologizing for an absence of a few minutes, told Mr. Selwyn that the Prince would finish the narrative, the catas- trophe of which he would find very remarkable. Sheridan now went up stairs, was introduced to and wel- comed by the club, and was soon in all his glory. The Prince in the meantime was left in no very enviable situa- tion, for he had not the least idea of being left to conclude THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 93 the story, the thread of which (if it had a thread) he had entirely forgotten, or which, perhaps, his eagerness to serve Sheridan's cause prevented him from listening to with suffi- cient attention to take up where Sheridan had dropped it. Still, by means of his auditor's occasional assistance, he got on pretty well for a few minutes, when a question from Selwyn, as to the flat contradiction of a part of the Prince's story to that of Sheridan, completely posed him, and he stuck fast. After much floundering to set himself right, and finding all was in vain, the Prince burst into a loud laugh, and exclaimed, " D — n the fellow ! to leave me to finish this infernal story, of which I know as much as the child unborn — but never mmd, Selwyn, as Sherry does not seem inclined to come back, let us go up stairs, and I dare say Fox or some of them will be able to tell you all about it." They adjourned to the club room, and Selwyn now detected the manoeuvre. Sheridan rose, made him a low bow, and said, " 'Pon my honor, Mr. Selwyn, I beg pardon, for being absent so long, but the fact is, I happened to drop into devilish good company ; they have just been making me a member, without even one black ball, and here I am." " The devil they have !" exclaimed Selwyn. " Facts speak for them- selves," replied Sheridan, " and as I know you are very glad of my election, accept my grateful thanks (pressing his hand on his breast and bowing very low) for your friendly suffrage 5 and. now, if you'll sit down by me, I'll finish my story, for I daresay His Eoyal Highness has found considerable diffi- culty in doing justice to its merits." " Your story ! it is all a lie from beginning to end," screamed out Selwyn, amidst immoderate fits of laughter from all parts of the room. Among the nobility who at this time were more particu- larly honored with the countenance of the Prince were the Dukes of Norfolk, Bedford, Devonshire, Portland, and Northumberland, the Earls of Derby, Cholmondeley, and Fitz william, and Lords St. John, Ponsonby, Craven, South- 94 THE PKIYATE LIFE OF A KING. ampton, and Bawdon (afterwards the Earl of Moira,) who,, after i^assing the greater part of his life in the enjoyment of the respect and esteem of his fellow countrymen, became the object of their scorn and contempt by the mean and pitiful conduct which he pursued in the investigation of the charges which were brought against Caroline of Brunswick. In regard to the connection of His Boyal Highness with the other noblemen, he derived very little moral benefit or advantage. As the descendants of the illustrious champ- ions of freedom, or as men of great talents and acquisi- tions, they were fit associates for the heir apparent to the throne of Great Britain, but this assisted but little in dis- couraging the general penchant for the female sex, which, however it may accord with continental manners, ill agrees with the principles of morality, or the opinions and views of the Christian population. Example is unfortunately, as well as fortunately, the school of mankind. In the short space of three years the Prince had been introduced to circles as dissipated as they were gay, and as immoral as they were dissipated. His personal and mental endow- ments attracted for him the admiration of women distin- guished as much for rank and virtue as for duplicity, licen- tiousness, and infidelity. The residence of the Prince was now chiefly confined to Carlton House, it having been presented to him by his father, and it soon became the focus of conviviality. Bril- liant were the flashes of festive wit which enlivened the royal board, and some idea may be formed of the nature and spirit of those meetings from the following comico-trag- ico event which took place, in which the celebrated George Hanger was the principal performer. It is well known that the above mentioned* person was the particular companion of the Prince, and many of the youthful improprieties which he committed were ascribed to the company which he kept ; and particularly to the THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 95 society of Sheridan and Major Hanger. On a particular occasion, when the latter was raising recruits, the King hearing that the Prince was taken from place to place by him and others in high life, collecting mobs and throwing money to them in large quantities, for the sake of creating the fun of seeing a scramble, and other worse purposes, he, with much feeling, exclaimed : "D — n Sherry, and I must hang — hang — Hanger, for they will break my heart, and ruin the hopes of my country." The following will be read as a rich treat to the lovers of fun and mischief ; it shows the extraordinary gaiety of the disposition of the Prince and the familiar manner in which he lived with his companions : It was at the celebration of the Queen's birthday, 1782, that Major Hanger made his first appearance at Court; and it may be said to have been a debut which proved a source of infinite amusement to all who were present, and to no one more so than the Prince, who was no stranger to the singularity of his character and the general eccentricity of his actions. Being a major iu the Hessian service, he wore his uniform at the ball, which was a short blue coat- with gold frogs, with a belt, unusually broad, across the shoulders, from which, his sword depended. This dress being a little particular, when compared with the full trim- med suits of velvet and satin about him, though, as pro- fessional, strictly conformable to etiquette of the Court, attracted the notice of the King and his attendants; and the buz, " Who is he V 7 u Whence does he come ?" etc., etc., was heard in all parts of the room. Thus he became the focus of attraction, and especially when the con- trast presented itself of his selecting the beautiful Miss Gunning as his partner. He led her out to dance a minuet ; but when, on the first crossing of his lovely partner, he put on his hat, which was one of the largest Kevenhuller kind, ornamented with two large black and white feathers, the 96 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. figure which he cut was so truly ridiculous and preposter- ous that even the gravity of the King could not be restrained ; the grave faces of the Ministers relaxed into a smile, and the Prince was actually thrown into a convulsive fit of laughter. There was such an irresistible provocation to risibility in the tout ensemble of his appearance and style of movement that his fair partner was reluctantly obliged to lose sight of good manners, and could scarcely finish the minuet ; but Hanger himself joined in the laugh which was raised at his expense, and thereby extricated his partner from her embarrassment. This is, perhaps, the first time that the pas grave of a minuet has been considered as a mighty good jest, but there are moments when even the most serious circumstances serve only to produce a comic effect. The Major now stood up to dance a country dance, but here his motions were so completely antic, and so much resembling those of a mountebank, that he totally discom- fited his partner, put the whole set into confusion, and excited a degree of laughter throughout the room such as had never before been witnessed in a royal drawing room. On the following day the subject of the Major's ludicrous debut at Court became the subject of conversation at the convivial board at Carlton House, when the Prince pro- posed that a letter should be written to the Major thank- ing him, in the name of the company which had assembled in the drawing room, for the pleasure and gratification which he had afforded them. The joke was considered a good one. Writing materials were ordered and the Prince himself indited the following letter, which was copied by Sheridan, with whose handwriting the Major was not ac- quainted : " St. James' Street, Sunday Morning. " The company who attended the ball on Friday last at St. James' present their compliments to Major Hanger THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 97 and return him their unfeigned thanks for the variety with which he enlivened the insipidity of that evening's enter- tainment. The gentlemen want words to describe their admiration of the truly grotesque and humorous figure which he exhibited ; and the ladies beg leave to express their acknowledgments for the lively and animated emo- tions that his stately, erect, and perpendicular form could not fail to excite in their delicate and susceptible bosoms. His gesticulations and martial deportment were truly admi- rable, and have raised an impression that will not soon be effaced at St. James'." This letter produced a highly ludicrous scene, which often excited a laugh when the Prince related it to his guests as one of the most humorous which occurred to him during his life. On the day subsequent to the receipt of the letter the Prince purposely invited George Hanger to dine at Carlton House, and it formed a part of the plot of the Prince that Sheridan should not be invited. After dinner the conver- sation turned designedly upon the leading circumstances of the late ball, and, on the Prince ironically compliment- ing the Major on the serious effect which his appearance must have had on the hearts of the ladies, he in a very indignant manner drew from his pocket the letter which he had received, declaring that it was a complete affront upon him, and that the sole motive of the writer was to insult him, and to turn him into ridicule. The Prince requested permission to read the letter, and, having perused it, he fully coincided in the opinion of the Major that no other motive could have actuated the writer than to offer him the greatest affront. The Major's anger arose. " Blitz und Holle!" he ex- claimed, " if I could discover the writer he should give me immediate satisfaction." B 98 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING!-. " I admire your spirit/ 7 said the Prince. " How insult- ing to talk of your grotesque' figure !" "And then to turn your stately, erect, and j>erpendicular form into ridicule," said Mr. Fox. "And to talk of your gesticulations/ 7 said Captain Morris. " Sapperment P exclaimed the Major, " but the writer shall be discovered." " Have you not the slightest knowledge of the hand- writing V 7 asked the Prince. " The characters are, I think, somewhat familiar to me. Allow me to peruse the letter again." The letter was handed to the Prince. " I am cer- tain I am not mistaken," he said, " this is the handwriting of that mischievous fellow, Sheridan." " Sheridan !" exclaimed the Major, u - impossible — it can- not be." " Hand the letter to Fox," said the Prince, u he knows Sheridan's handwriting well." " This is undoubtedly the handwriting of Sheridan," said Fox, looking at the letter. " Then he shall give me immediate satisfaction," said the Major, rising from the table, and, addressing himself to Captain Morris, requested him to be the bearer of his mes- sage to Mr. Sheridan. Having written the note, in which a full and public apology was demanded, or a place of meeting appointed, Captain Morris was despatched with it, and in the meantime he (the Major) would retire to his lodgings to await the answer from Mr. Sheridan. The Prince now pretended to interfere, expressing his readiness to be a mediator between the parties, but at t.ie same time he contrived every now and then to increase the flame of the Major's resentment by some artful insinuations as to the grossness of the affront, and complimenting him on the spirited manner in which he had behaved on the occasion. The Major was determined not to be appeased, and he left; THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. T)9 the room muttering, " D— n the impudent fellow ! grotesque figure ! perpendicular form ! gesticulations P* The Major had no sooner retired than the whole party burst into a loud laugh 5 the Prince had brought him to the very point he wished, and in about an hour Captain Morris arrived with Sheridan, who entered immediately into the spirit of the adventure. It was then agreed that Sheri- dan should accept the challenge, appointing the following morning at daybreak in Battersea Fields, and that Mr. Fox should be the bearer of the answer of Mr. Sheridan to the offended Major — Mr. Sheridan undertaking, on his part, to provide the necessary surgical assistance. On the following morning the parties were punctually at the spot; the Major accompanied by Captain Morris, Mr. Sheridan by Mr. Fox, the Prince disguised as a surgeon, being seated in the carriage which conveyed the latter gen- tleman. The customary preliminaries being arranged, the parties took their station 5 the signal to fire was given — no effect took place ; the seconds loaded the pistols a second time — the parties fired again — still no effect was produced. u D— -n the fellow!" said the Major to his second, u I can't hit him." "The third fire generally takes effect," said Captain Morris, who with the utmost difficulty could keep his risi- ble faculties in order, whilst the Prince in the carriage was almost convulsed with laughter at the grotesque motions of the Major. The signal to fire was given the third time — the effect was decisive — Mr. Sheridan fell as if dead on his back. " Killed, by G — d P said Captain Morris 5 " let us fly instantly f and without giving the Major time to collect himself he hurried him to the carriage, which immediately drove away towards town. The Prince descended from the carriage almost faint with laughter, and joined Sheridan and Fox, the former of whom, as soon as the Major's car- 100 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. riage was out of 'sight, had risen from his prostrate position unscathed as when he entered the field; for, to complete the farce, it had been previously arranged that no ball should be put into the pistols, and that Sheridan was to fall on the third fire. The Prince with his two associates drove off immediately to town, and a message was sent to Major Hanger desiring his immediate attendance at Carl- ton House. The Major obeyed the summons, and he entered the apartment of the Prince with a most dolorous countenance. " Bad business this," said the Prince, " a very bad business, Hanger ; but I have the satisfaction to tell you that Sheridan is not materially hurt, and if you will dine with me this day I will invite a gentleman who will give you an exact account of the state in which your late antagonist lies. Eemain here till dinner time, and all may "yet be well." The Prince, from goodness of heart, and not wishing that the Major should have the painful impression on his mind that he had been the instrument of the death of a fellow creature, and one of the most convivial of their compan- ions, had imparted to the Major the consolatory informa- tion that his antagonist was not seriously injured ; and the Major looked forward to the hour of dinner with some anx- iety, when he was to receive further information on the subject. The hour came — the party were assembled in the drawing room ; " Now, Hanger," said the Prince, " I'll introduce a gentleman to you who shall give you all the information you can wish." The door opened and Sheri- dan entered. The Major started back with wonder; "How! how ! how is this ?" he stammered ; " I thought I had killed you ?" " 1ST ot quite, my good fellow," said Sheridan, offer- ing the Major his hand ; " I am not yet quite good enough to go to the world aoove — and as to that below, I am not yet fully qualified for it, therefore I considered it better to defer my departure from this to a future period ; and now THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. 101 I doubt not that His Royal Highness will give you an ex- plicit explanation of the whole business — but I died well, did I not, Hanger P The Prince now declared that the whole plot was con- cocted by himself, and hoped that when the Major next fought such a duel he might be in a coach to view it. , Con- viviality reigned throughout the remainder of the evening — the song and glass went round — the Prince singing the parody on "There's a Difference between a Beggar and a Queen," which was composed by Captain Morris, aud winch is to be found in the twenty-fourth edition of " Songs, Polit- ical and Convivial" by that first of lyric poets. At the time when the Prince had satiated himself with the charms of Mrs. Robinson, a lady appeared in the hemi- sphere of fashion whose beauty was the theme of general admiration, and whose mental endowments were little infe- rior, if any, to those of the illfated Perdita. That a meteor of this kind should be blazing in the world, and the Prince of Wales not desire to behold it, could not be expected by those who were in the least aware of his propensities. Of the early life of this lady it becomes us not to speak ; it is only when she appears as one of the characters in the scenes of the eventful drama which we are portraying that she becomes an object of our notice. At the period, however, when her beauty became the theme of general conversation, she was living secretly under the protection of Mr. Fox, although, to all outward appearance, her conduct was regu- lated by the strictest rules of propriety and decorum. She was received into the first circles, caressed by all the liber- tines of rank and fashion, although the doors of the royal drawing room were closed against her on account of some little stain which was supposed to attach to her character, and which she could not wipe off to the entire satisfaction of the rigidly virtuous and illustrious female who then pre- sided over the British Court. Moving, therefore, in a sphere 102 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. different to that of the Prince, he had no opportunity of obtaining a view of her in public, and he therefore applied to one of his immediate and confidential associates to effect an interview — and this associate was no other person than Mr. Fox himself. It was rather a startling commission for him, but at this period Mr. Fox so completely compromised his honor as to become the most active panderer to the passions of the Prince, and Mrs. Arm- stead was one evening introduced by him to the Prince at Windsor. The secret must now be told 5 from that moment Mrs. Robinson declined in his affections. She declares in her narrative that she found herself surrounded by enemies, and subject to attacks, but from what quarter they came she knew not ; she was assailed by pamphlets, but of the authors of them she was ignorant; she was libelled, caricatured, insulted, and abused, and all on account of falsehoods which were propagated to her injury by indi- viduals who, like the bat, kept themselves in the dark that their hideous forms might not be seen. And from what quarter did all these annoyances in reality proceed ? From a set of unprincipled and dishonorable men, who saw that as long as His Royal Highness was under the influence of a lady in no measure connected with their party, and whom they could not make subservient to their own personal views, their plans could not be carried on with that prospect of ultimate success as if that lady were supplanted, and one substituted for her who would fall into all their views, and through the medium of whom they could obtain the requisite information of the proceedings of the opposite party, who were endeavoring to obtain the ascendancy in the councils of the Prince. Mr. Fox and his party beheld in Mrs. Armstead the very individual who was to accom- plish this task, and every instrument was now set in motion, in the first instance, by base and insidious reports to defame the character of Mrs. Robinson, to undermine the attach* THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 103 ment of the Prince for her j and, in the second, by a con- tinued course of annoyance and persecution to induce her to leave the country. Mr. Fox undertook to effect the lat- ter, and the successful manner in which he executed his dastardly commission has been already described. Mrs. Armstead now became the companion of the Prince, and Mr. Fox consoled himself for the temporary loss of her edifying society by the benefit which her influence over a His Royal Highness" obtained for his party, personally and politically. In a short time, however, Mrs. Armstead shared the fate of her exiled predecessor, when Mr. Fox kindly and honorably accepted of her again j and we shall, in the sequel, find, when the question of the Eegency came to be discussed, that he was travelling on the continent with her, pointing out to her the beauties of southern France and Italy, and recruiting himself from his career of profligate dissipation in the contemplation of her faded charms. The ingredients of which honor is composed we believe to be fixed and determined, however differently they may be amalgamated according to the natural character of the individual $ but we have minutely analyzed this transaction in all its principles, and we hesitate not to say that we have not been able to discover one single ingredient in it of which honor, even in its most confined latitude, is sup- posed to be composed. We pretend not to enter the lists with any of our cotem- poraries on the authenticity or originality of their respect- ive statements, as that is a question which must be decided by the public voice ; but we cannot refrain from expressing our indignation at the attempts of some of them to purify and bleach the character of the Prince by blackening the characters of others, whose greatest misfortune in life was their connection with him and his associates. We feel a becoming respect for any virtues the Prince possessed, 104 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. which were allowed to be great and eminent before they were contaminated by an association with individuals so deeply steeped in dishonor and moral turpitude ; but we feel a higher degree of indignation for those who, to serve their still own interested views, could plunge him into a vortex of dissipation and of profligacy, which ultimately reduced him to such a state of disgrace, unparalleled almost in the history of princes, and which alienated from him the good opinion of that people over whom he was one day destined to rule. We have been led into these remarks influenced by the true spirit of impartiality, and with the sole view of doing justice to those characters which have been maligned merely for the purpose of courting the favor of "the powers that be," and to the utter falsification and perversion of the facts themselves, as they have been transmitted to us by indi- viduals whose veracity or testimony has never been im- peached, and also in open defiance of chronological truth. We allude particularly to the remarks inserted in the Court Journal of July 3, 1830, in which, in order to cast the odium of the affair of Mrs. Bobinson on her own shoulders, and to alleviate those of her royal seducer from the burden of the iniquity, an attempt is made to throw the hue of discredit on the whole of her statement by a pretended dis- covery of certain anachronisms and inconsistencies with which it is said to abound. In our extracts from the statement of Mrs. Eobinson contained in her autobiography, which was too long to insert in this work, we omitted the following passage : "At an interview with Lord Maiden I perceived that he regretted the task he had undertaken $ but he assured me that the Prince was almost frantic whenever he suggested a wish to decline interfering. Once I remember his Lord- ship's telling me that the Duke of Cumberland had made him an early visit, informing him that the Prince was most THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 105 wretched on my account, and imploring him to continue his services only a short time longer." The remarks made by the Court Journalist on the above passage are as follows: "At this period the Prince was only eighteen years of age, Lord Maiden only twenty-three, and the Duke of Cumberland only nine. We leave the reader to judge of the lady's accuracy, and of the open field she had for the exercise of her talents upon such youths." By what epithet ought this error to be characterized % The Duke of Cumberland spoken of by Mrs. Eobinson was the husband of Mrs-Horton, on account of whose marriage the celebrated Act was passed in 1772, restricting the marriages of the descendants of George II. He is the identical Duke of Cumberland of whom a writer of that day observes, " To reproach a man for being an idiot is an insult to Almighty God." The Duke of Cumberland was simply then Prince Ernest Augustus, and had not come to the title, and, at the time of the connection between the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Eobinson, was certainly only nine years old. We leave this without any further com- ment [a schoolboy would be whipped for such ignorance. The next perversion of facts, which, according to the dic- tion of the Journalist,- throws discredit on the narrative of the lady, is to be found in the supposed anachronism which exists between the dates of the Bishop of Osnaburg leaving England, in 1780, and the dq^e of the letter in 1783. His Eoyal Highness did certainly leave England on the 30th of December, 1780, as related by the Journalist ; but, in regard to the date of the letter he seems to be ignorant that, although the facts took place in 1779-80, it was not till the year 1803 that Mrs. Eobinson writes to her friend in America (Colonel, afterwards General Tarleton, not Carleton, as the Journalist has it,) giving him a full and explicit account of the whole of her connection with the Prince. Mrs. Eobinson does not say that the facts took 106 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. place in 1803, but she writes the account of them in that year, and thus the objections of the Journalist to the accuracy of the statement of Mrs. Eobinson again break under him. We cannot dismiss this subject finally from our atten- tion without passing our animadversions on the falsity of the statement of the Journalist — that the connection of the Prince with Mrs. Eobinson was broken off on account of the Prince's friends opening his eyes to her machina- tions, and thereby rescuing him from so pernicious a con- nection. Let us inquire who were those friends who stepped in so prudently and laudably to rescue the Prince from the predicament in which he found himself. They were the very men who had been the means of introducing Mrs. Armstead to him 5 who skipped about with the St. Yitus' dance of abhorrence at the moral turpitude of his connec- tion with Mrs. Eobinson, but who placed over their con- sciences the healing plaster of expediency when they conducted Mrs. Armstead to his arms. The name and temporary influence of the latter were a passport to the whole party to the convivial board of the Prince, to his bacchanalian orgies, and to a participation in scenes in which every fine and noble feeling of the heart— every principle of honor, integrity, and truth — was sacrificed on the shrine of personal emofciment. And in regard to the machinations of Mrs. Eobinson — with whom did she machinate, if we may be allowed the expression? Who were the men that she collected around her to work upon the credulity of u the simple, inexperienced youth ? " Where are the proofs that she committed an interested action by which the advantages of herself or any of her friends were promoted by her connection with the Prince ? She came to him impoverished, and she left him the same. His bond was restored to him — his trinkets, to the amount THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 107 of the paltry sum of £100, were returned to liim. Did Mrs. Armstead do the same ? On the contrary, did not the bounty and the presents of the Prince furnish her with the means of enabling the individual, who had meanly taken her to his arms again on her repudiation by the Prince, to continue his habits of extravagance and profligacy % Machination implies a concert of action in particular individuals for the attainment of some specific end ; but we have not a single proof, during the whole of the con- nection of Mrs. Robinson with the Prince, that she com- bined or coalesced with a single person for the accomplish- ment of any interested view. Machinations were not committed hy her but against her, and they were deep, disgraceful, and degrading to the parties in whose breasts they originated. We now take our leave of this subject 5 we have given our feeble aid in rescuing the memory of a beautiful, un- fortunate, but highly gifted female from the odium which has been attempted to be thrown upon her character; faultless it was not. The temptations with which she had to contend were more than a woman's strength could conquer 5 and, if she fell, let Charity drop a tear upon her errors, and let them stand as a warning example to others whose misfortune it may be to be placed in similar circum- stances, and remember the words of our Master, " He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone." The political contentions which at this time agitated the nation, the profligate life of the Prince and his apparent subserviency to all the views of the opposition, tended to destroy the equanimity of the King's mind, and he fell a prey to habitual dejection, becoming silent, thoughtful, and uncommunicative, instead of evincing his customary equal- ity of temper, suavity of manners, and cheerfulness of dis- position. It must, however, be taken into the account that the King was now no more the gay, impetuous youth ; the 108 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. cares of government had pressed for a length of time heavily on his shoulders, and the loss of the American col- onies had affected him deeply. The buoyancy of youth had yielded to the sobriety of age ; and, although he did not deny to the Prince the right to the enjoyment of the pleas- ures of life, yet he was constantly exhorting him to partake of them with moderation aud not to lose sight of the digni- fied station to which Providence had called him. The admonitions of the royal parent were listened to with becoming and respectful attention, but their effect was as transient as the characters traced on the shores of the ocean, which the next tide effaces, and they are lost forever to the view. The Prince repeatedly offended his father by the bold and unqualified manner in which he spoke of his ministers, depreciating their measures, ridiculing their talents 5 thus, " In the year 1781, which was a most inauspicious period for the British arms ; and the nation, getting tired of a long and inglorious struggle, vainly persevered to destroy those rational principles of freedom in our brethren across the Atlantic which we are so jealous to preserve and ready to defend at home ; at this time many were the -expedients proposed to bring about an accommodation, but the major- ity of them were more likely to perplex than to extricate our Government 5 the Prince, however, undertook to pro- pose a remedy, which would not cost much, would effectu- ally put a stop to the war, and give general satisfaction. The King, his father, demanded of him to state the nature of his projects ; the Prince, with great gravity, said, that three half crowns would buy three halters, and that one of these should be sent to Lord North, then Prime Minister, and one to each of his chief supporters in the Administration. The King was at first surprised at his boldness, but he imme- diately afterwards ordered this young counsellor to retire to his apartments and not to approach his sovereign until THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 109 he had made a proper apology. History is silent as to the apology being made, but Lord North's Administration was dismissed in a few months, without receiving the halter ; and peace, with its concomitant blessings, was soon restored to Europe. Thus wrote a historian .of the time. We wish not to refer to any part of the life of George III during the melancholy period of his intellectual aberrations, but we cannot refrain from inserting the following truly pathetic counsel which His Majesty, in one of his lucid intervals, gave to the Prince respecting the character of those with whom he associated : u George,' 7 said the King, u keep good company ; me- thinks I am already dead. I solemnly conjure thee, George, keep good company. Be a father to thy sisters, and a hus- band to the Queen, thy mother. O George, she well deserves thy tenderness. Banish the unworthy from thy presence; they natter thee, and call thee good and gra- cious, and so they would the man that had dethroned thee. Princes are always good and gracious to those who fatten on their favors, and from their smiles draw omens of still greater spoils. " George, let the virtuous counsel thee. Study thy peo- ple's good; their interests are united with thy own. In their happiness thou wilt find thy truest glory. " And remember, George, thou art mortal ; the vices of thy manhood will plant with thorns the pillow of reflecting age. Be wise in time; and let devotion to thy God obtain a glorious conquest — the conquest of thyself and death." Such was the substance of the royal admonition. The Prince wept and retired, his bosom convulsed with contend- ing j>assions. The effect, however, was but transitory. He was so entangled in the chains of dissipation and of liber- tinism that he could not shake them off. As his appetite increased fresh objects were always at hand to satisfy it; 110 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. and, to the shame of his associates be it recorded, that they were not always very nice in regard to the objects whom they selected. Of the trnth of this, a more striking proof cannot be given than the connection which he formed about this time with Mrs. Billington, the celebrated singer of that time. The exterior of this woman had something to recommend her to the attention of the royal libertine, bnt her manners were distinguished by the utmost grossness, and in many instances by the most positive indelicacy. To enter into any description of the life of Mrs. Billington previous to her connection with the Prince were to stain our pages with the delineation of scenes injurious to the interests of the rising generation, and at variance with those principles which we have laid down for our rule and guide in the accomplishment of the delicate task which we have under- taken. The exposure of vice may, in many instances, be of essential benefit to youth on his entrance into the world, as it is a monster which has only to be exhibited in its real and naked form to be despised and shunned ) but, on the other hand, it has its seductions and its blandishments, and they may, by talent and address, be so clothed in a captivating garb that the youthful heart, glowing with passion, may long to become familiar with them, and to partake of the enjoyment which their possession is sup- posed to afford. It was behind the scenes of the theatre that the Prince first became acquainted with Mrs. Billington, and at that time she appeared to be his chief inducement for visiting the theatre. Those who, like ourselves, are aware of some particular traits in the character of Mrs. Billington, and of the peculiar penchant which was her ruling passion in her intercourse with her favorites, must be well aware that the Prince was, notwithstanding his exalted rank and high personal endowments, not exactly the individual who could THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Ill long enchain her affections. The vicinity of her dwelling to the Thames, it being situate at Fulham and immediately on the banks of the river, offered many facilities to the Prince to partake of the society of the fascinating siren, and to enjoy the delight of her musical conversaziones, which were held almost every night that her presence was not required at the theatre. This connection of the Prince was not, however, of long duration 5 the coarseness of her manners soon disgusted him, and he declared at last that the only satisfaction he enjoyed in her society was when he shut his eyes and opened his ears. We shall briefly state another amour which followed that of Mrs. Billington, and that was with Mrs. Crouch, also an actress, who was then in the zenith of her beauty. On this lady the Prince expended considerable sums, in one instance to the amount of £10,000, independently of a pro- fusion of jewels and trinkets, which were purchased at Gray's, to the amount of £5,000, and which, when, in a short time afterwards, a schedule of the Prince's debts was laid before the King, it excited so strongly his disapprobation and resentment, that he refused to interfere in the liquida- tion of his debts. Kelly, in his Eeminiscences, when treating of the life of Mrs. Crouch, studiously avoids mak- ing any mention of the impression which her charms made upon " His Eoyal Higness f but it is melancholy to relate that, after having squandered immense sums of money and exposed himself to the ridicule of his associates, he found that he had selected an individual who, although her per- son and form were beauteous, was so addicted to intoxica- tion that her breath became disgustingly tainted, which gave rise to the well known simile of George Hanger, com- paring her throat to a smoky chimney — foul and stinking. In addition to the sum above mentioned, he settled upon her £1,200 a year • but when the debts of the Prince were 112 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. arranged previous to liis marriage, Mrs. Crouch's annuity was not recognized, as it was said no valuable consideration had been given for it. About this time the Prince and Earl Gray were suitors for the favors of the Duchess of Devonshire, after an understood separation from her hus- band (who had under his protection Lady Elizabeth Foster, the late Duchess). Earl Gray succeeded, and the Prince was ousted. The fruits of this connection was a daughter, a very accomplished lady. Since the days of Charles II, who gave Newmarket the ton by visiting it with, his Court, horse races have been one of the favorite amusements of the nobility and gentry, and at the period when the Prince of Wales became a sports- man the practice of keeping race horses was encouraged .by the first characters in the country. At this time the manner in which the Prince travelled to and from Brighton partook of the eccentric. He always had three horses to his phaeton, one before the other — in modern parlance, tan- dem ) the first horse was rode by a postilion, the other two managed by himself. He particularly prided himself upon the superiority of his racing stud. His horses w%re to be. seen at all the cele- brated race courses, and the Prince often condescended to honor Newmarket and other places of sporting resort with his presence. These amusements were attended with an enormous expense ; but no estimate can be formed of the amount /which the Prince incurred on this account, from the circumstance that the sums of money expended on a racing establishment, and the loss or gain of bona fide matches, bear no proportion to the sums that are hazarded upon betting speculations. With regard to the sums which he expended on betting, it is from the nature of the thing not to be expected that we should advance even a guess. The probability is. that the Prince, like most other gentlemen of the turf, experienced his share of the vicissi- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 113 tudes of fortune, and sometimes was a considerable gainer, and at others a considerable loser ; general report declares the latter to have been most frequently the case, but there was probably in this instance, as well as in many others, a large share of exaggeration, though it is likely that the candor of the Prince, and his well known spirit of honor, would expose him to some of the artifices of which the gentlemen of the turf have been accused, while his proud and dig- nified sense of propriety would not allow him to avail him- self of those advantages which others would not scruple to practise with impunity at his expense. Few characters of eminence have distinguished themselves on the turf who have not been suspected at one time or other of these unjus- tifiable artifices, and hence the graver part of the world has been disposed to view these sporting meetings with any- thing else than sentiments of approbation. That the Prince, on attaching himself to the sports of the turf, should have rendered himself liable to these imputa- tions was a consequence naturally to be expected from the equality that necessarily prevails on such occasions. Losers could no more conceal their chagrin when a Prince was the winner than they could when they paid their money to an equal $ and they well knew that this Prince was as liable to be deceived and imposed upon by his grooms, trainers, and dependents as any other gentleman of the turf 5 and, therefore, whenever the royal horses did not perforin according to their satisfaction, either by winning when they had an extraordinary opinion of their fleetness, or by losing when they thought they would prove deficient in spirit and speed, the result was the same; they attributed their disappointment, not to any accidental circumstances over which the Prince or his servants could not possibly have any control, but to some unfair manoeuvres on the part of the Prince and his dependents for the purpose of misleading the public judgment. The case of the Prince's 114 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. celebrated horse Escape, and respecting which we shall have to enter into some detail at a future period, will fully illustrate the truth of the foregoing statement. In the meantime the clamor against " His Boyal High- ness n on account of the ruinous expenses incurred in the maintenance of his racing stud was loud and incessant; and, in order to palliate those proceedings, his partisans very injudiciously beheld, in the attachment of George III to the pleasures of the chase, the same good reasons for imputing to him an equal degree of censure, not consider- ing that a very wide difference exists between the two pur- suits. The chase is an exercise highly salubrious and manly, and it is totally distinct in its best features and characteristics from the pleasures of the turf. The former encourages not the ruinous spirit of gambling; and, although a person may be a member of a field of hunters, he may be still as select in his companions as if he were following a brace of greyhounds with his immediate friends on his own estate. It is the suspicious and questionable characters with whom, as a patron of the turf, an individ- ual is obliged to associate which tends to throw an imputa- tion upon him, however high and unsullied his honor and integrity may be in the general relations of life. In this, as in other cases which we have mentioned, the very zeal and anxiety evinced by the friends of the Prince to exonerate him from the general charges alleged against the patrons of the turf only tended to involve him deeper in the obloquy, and to raise the clamor to a still higher pitch against the course of life which he was pursuing. Surrounded as the Prince was at this time by gamblers of every rank and degree, his losses became immense, his embarrassments alarming and disgraceful. His nights which were not otherwise employed were spent at the faro table, whither he was often taken in a state of almost help- less intoxication, to render him the greater dupe of those THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 115 who were then fattening on the unhallowed spoil obtained by their deliberate villainy. At this time there lived a Jew in Orutched Friars who had amassed a splendid fortune by his usurious advances to the extravagant libertines of the age. The exigencies of the Prince became oppressive to him, and every expedi- ent was adopted to obtain the necessary supplies for the extravagances of the day, however great the sacrifice might be. The channels from which the supplies had been hitherto obtained were completely exhausted, and not a farthing could be raised on the responsibility of any of the immediate associates of the Prince ; the whole of the party were actually in a state of the deepest poverty $ and Major Hanger, in the history of his life, mentions a circumstance in which he, Sheridan, Fox, an illustrious individual, and a Mr. Berkeley repaired to a celebrated tavern, then known by the name of the Staffordshire Arms, where, after carous- ing with some dashing Cyprians who were sent for on the occasion, the combined resources of the whole of the party could not defray the expenses of the evening. On this occasion Sheridan got so intoxicated that he was put to bed, and, on awakening in the morning, he found himself in the character of a hostage for the expenses of the pre- vious night's debauch. From such circumstances some idea may be formed of the depressed state of the finances of the whole party — their individual credit was far below par, and their chief and only expectation rested on the responsibility of the Prince, who had some sort of security to give, although perhaps at a very distant date. In regard to the Prince individually an immediate sup- ply was indispensably necessary, and Sheridan undertook to set on foot a negotiation with Moses Aaron, of Crutched Friars, who, on hearing that no less a personage than the heir apparent to the crown was to be the security for the 116 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. advance, consented to supply whatever was required, but on such terms as could not fail to draw ruin after them. According to the arrangement made with Sheridan, Aaron was introduced to Carlton House $ and the follow- ing scene which took place between those two personages in the antechamber of the Prince, previously to their intro- duction into his presence, will throw some light upon the characters of the Prince's associates, as they were then cur- rent in the world: "Ah ! my old friend Aaron," said Sheridan as he entered the room, " how do you do V "I should be better, Mr. Sheridan," said Aaron, "if every man had his due. 77 "Then, Moses," said Sheridan, "many a man would have a halter." " It may be so, Mr. Sheridan," said Moses, " you, I know, are a most conscientious man, and I daresay you speak as you feel. 77 "Well hit, Moses," said Sheridan ; "but, hark ye, did you get that little bill done for me V 7 "It was not to be done, indeed, Mr. Sheridan," said Moses. "No!" exclaimed Sheridan 5 " why, I thought that when my friend Pox had indorsed it that it was as good as cash." "No, Mr. Sheridan," said Moses, "it would not do." "Money must be devilish scarce, then V 7 said Sheridan. " Or," said Moses, " there must be something the matter with the credit of the parties." "The times — the times," said Sheridan, "are very sus- picious; but you can perhaps effect it for me by way of annuity V 7 " But then your life, Mr. Sheridan, must be insured," said Moses, " and how should I stand then, if you were to have your due, according to your own statement ; and then the interest, what security have you to offer V 7 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 117 " My honor, Moses," answered Sheridan. " That won't do, either," said Moses ; u it is quite thread- bare — it won't pay for turning." "But if the Prince joins in the security," said Sheridan, " how then F " That will alter the case," said Moses. "Then," said Sheridan, "let us go into the Prince." Prom the introduction of this Jew to the Prince may be dated a great portion of the serious embarrassments in which in a short time he was involved. A source was opened to him in which an immediate supply could at any time be obtained ; although, if he had not been hurried away by the impetuosity of his passions, Avhich left him not a moment for serious reflection, and by the pernicious counsels of his needy associates, he must have seen that every step which he took involved him deeper in ruin and disgrace. In one instance this Jew raised him £10,000 on a post-obit bond, to be paid qn the decease of his father. For this bond he received in reality but £7,500, the re- maining sum being made up in various articles, the most useful of which were, perhaps, two hogsheads of French playing cards, and three puncheons of excellent French cognac brandy, manufactured at a distillery in White- chapel ; a diamond cross and rosary — the said diamonds also manufactured in Houndsditch; and two hundred tea urns, some of which partook of the porosity of the filtering stone, and which were immediately disposed of to another Jew at a quarter of the price which the conscientious Israelite had charged the Prince. In about three months after the above transaction the Prince required a further supply of money, and these same tea urns found their way back again into his possession, and were disposed of at the same cost and sacrifice. The above is but one of the many ruinous transactions with which we are acquainted, which at this time marked 118 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. the thoughtless career of the Prince. If some hoary, ven- erable friend of his parents expostulated with him on the inevitable consequences of such conduct, the effect was transitory — amendment was promised, but the promise was never kept. The following is the copy of a letter which was written about this time by the Prince to the Duchess of Devonshire ; and although it does not contain any of the high flown rhapsodies of an enamored youth, it tells enough to show what were the real sentiments of his heart towards her : " How little you know me, ever dearest Duchess, and how much you have misconceived the object of this day's dinner, which has succeeded beyond my most sanguine expectations ! It has almost, if not entirely, annihilated every coolness that has, for a short time past, appeared to exist between the Duke of Norfolk and his old friends, and brought ErsRine back also. m Ask only the Duke of Lein- ster and Guildford what passed. I believe you never heard such an eulogium from the lips of man pronounced as I this day have pronounced upon Fox ; and so complete a refutation of all the absurd doctrines and foolish distinc- tions which they have grounded their late conduct upon. He was most honorably, distinctly, and zealously sup- ported by Sheridan, by which they were most completely driven to the wall, and positively pledged themselves here- after to follow no other line of politics than what Fox and myself would hold out to them, and with a certain degree of contrition expressed by them at their ever having ven- tured to express a doubt, either respecting Charles or my- self. Harry Howard, who has never varied in his senti- ments, was overjoyed, and said he never knew anything so well done or so well timed, and that he should to-night retire to his bed the happiest of men, as his mind was now at ease, which it had not been for some time past. In THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 119 short, what fell from Sheridan as well as myself was re- ceived with rapture by the company, and I consider this as one of the luckiest and most useful days I have spent for ages. As to particulars, I must ask your patience till to- morrow, when I will relate every incident, with which, I am confident, you will be most completely satisfied. Pray, my ever dearest Duchess, whenever you bestow a thought upon me, have rather a better opinion of my steadiness and firmness. I really think, without being very romantic, I may claim this of you'; at the same time I am most grate- ful to you for your candor and the affectionate warmth, if I may be allowed so to call it, which dictates the contents of your letter ; you may depend upon its being seen by no one else but myself. Depend upon my coming to you to- morrow. I am delighted with your goodness to me, and ever Most devotedly yours, G. P. " Carlton House, Friday night." The general obscurity which pervades this letter renders it very difficult to determine the particular circumstances to which the Prince alludes; but it may be conjectured that it had some reference to the celebrated contested election for Westminster, in 1784, in which Mr. Fox was a candidate, and who was chiefly indebted for his success to the extra- ordinary influence and exertions which were made by the Duchess of Devonshire in his behalf. That the Prince, however, should have so far lost sight of all respect for him- self, or that he could have so far compromised his love of truth, as to utter such an eulogium on Mr. Fox, as he himself expresses it, as never was before pronounced, is one of those traits of his character which it is very difficult to explain. As a politician, the Prince may have had good grounds to approve of the conduct of Mr. Fox ; but as a private man, fulfilling the common relations of life, there was, perhaps, no one in the whole circle of his associates 120 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. less deserving of any eulogitim that could be passed upon him. In one instance, however, the Prince did resent the brutal conduct of Fox, and perhaps there was not any cir- cumstance that could give greater offence to the feelings of His Royal Highness than a studied rudeness to a female. During the celebrated election just mentioned, a few nights after Mr. Fox was returned, a grand supper was given, at which the Prince, the Duchess of Devonshire, and the most eminent of the Whig leaders were present, for the express purpose of celebrating the auspicious event. Mr. Fox was seated by the side of the Duchess of Devonshire ; and not- withstanding the utmost efforts of Hare, who was one of his most favored associates, he could not induce him even to say a few words of civility to Her Grace, biit he actually turned his back upon her, and would not utter a syllable. Piqued at Fox's conduct, Hare, who sat nearly opposite to him, and who was accustomed to treat him with the utmost freedom, took out a pencil, wrote three lines, and pushed the paper across the table to his friend. We shall not transcribe the lines, as they were too energetic, or rather too coarse, to allow of their insertion 5 but they adjured Fox, in language as strong as Maecenas used to Augustus when *ne wrote to the Emperor — " Siste tandem carnifex l n — to turn himself round to the lady in question. Fox calmly perused the bil- let, and then having torn it into small pieces, which he placed on the table, without appearing to pay any attention to Hare, he turned his back, if possible, still more de- cidedly on the person on whose behalf the expostulation was written. This conduct could not fail to attract the attention of the Prince ; and, addressing himself to Fox, he said, " Suppose you were to consult Buffon on the character of the indige- nous animals of this country, which do you suppose you would find to be the most finished brute T "I consider each," said Fox, "to be a finished brute in its individual character." THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 121 "But," said the Prince, "the habits and manners of one brute are more coarse and savage than those of another." " That is a i)oint," said Fox, "which I cannot determine." " But it is one," said the Prince, " which every one in this company can determine ; for they have just had a specimen given them that no animal in brutish manners can exceed a Fox." To this celebrated man may be attributed the greater part of the profligacies of the Prince. Fox loved only three things — women, play, and politics ; yet at no period of his life did he ever form a creditable connection with a woman. He spoke of marriage as a chain which ought to be borne only in the decline of life, but that in youth it was an actual loss of personal liberty and freedom of mind. Sentiments of a similar nature arose in the mind of the Prince ; and although state policy might have required him to enter the married state, at no period of his life was he fit for it. It is, however, not a little remarkable that he was one of the most strenuous advisers of Fox to look out for some wealthy heiress as the only means of repairing his shattered fortunes. At this time he had completely dissi- pated every shilling that he could either command, or that could be raised by the most ruinous expedients. He had even undergone at times many of the severest privations annexed to the vicissitudes that mark the gamester's prog- ress, frequently wanting money to defray his common diurnal wants of the most pressing nature. Topham Beau- clerc, himself a man of pleasure and of letters, who lived much in the society of Fox at that period of his life, used to affirm that no man could form an idea of the extremities to which he had been driven, in order to raise money, after losing his last guinea at the faro table. He has been re- duced for successive days to such distress as to be under the necessity of having recourse to the waiters of Brookes' Club to lend him assistance. The very chairmen, whom he 122 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. was unable to pay, used to dun him for their arrears. All dignity of character and independence of mind must have been lost amid these scenes of ruinous dissipation. He might be considered as an extinct volcano, for the pecuni- ary aliment that had fed the flame was long consumed. Among the heiresses who at this time evinced their anxiety to engraft their plebeian stock on some sprig of nobility was the celebrated Miss Johnstone, not less re- nowned for her wit than for the extent of her fortune. To this lady the Prince recommended Fox to offer his hand j but the latter was as ignorant of the road to gain a woman's love as a hermit of the desert. There was an uncouthness in his general demeanor which acted as repellents to the establishment of any permanent affection. In the Prince, however, Fox had a most powerful and an almost irresisti- ble advocate ; and on one occasion when he was pleading the cause of his friend, with the knowledge, at the same time, that Pitt had also shown some predilection for the lady, Miss Johnstone said, u I am afraid, your Royal High- ness, I should get into a pitfall if I were to marry Mr. Fox." "Perhaps that would be better," said the Prince, "than falling into the arms of a Pitt." " Better, perhaps," said Miss Johnstone, " in the arms of a Pitt than in the claws of a Fox." The profligate character of Mr. Fox put an end to this treaty of marriage ; and in a short time afterwards, during the celebrated trial of Hastings, Fox raised his eyes and his hopes to the Duke of Newcastle's box, in Westminster Hall, where usually sat Miss Pulteney, afterwards created by Mr. Pitt Countess of Bath in her own right, then justly esteemed one of the richest heiressess in the kingdom. After exhibiting his powers of oratory as a public man in the manager's box below he sometimes ascended in his private capacity to try the effect of his eloquence under the char- THE PBIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 123 acter of a lover. The Prince and all his friends aided a cause which, by rendering Fox independent in his fortune, would have healed the wounds inflicted by his early indis- cretions. General Fitzpatrick usually kept a place for him near the lady, and for some time the courtship assumed so --auspicious an appearance that Hare one day, speculating on the probable issue of the marriage, said with admirable humor, "that they would be inevitably duns, with black manes and tails," alluding to the lady's fair complexion and red hair, contrasted with the dark hue of Mr. Fox. The affair, however, ultimately went off like the former, and Mr. Fox at length entered the married state with the Mrs. Armstead of ci-devant notoriety. It would be useless to pretend that the associates of the Prince of Wales were selected by him from a manly confi- dence in his own capacity for repelling vice and resisting the temptations of the profligate. We do not wish to press too hard upon the weakness of human nature, nor insist upon it as an argument of anger as of sorrow that the Prince before his twentieth year was supposed to have been initiated in all the vices by which an affluent and corrupt society is infested. The gaming table, which ex- hausts the most immeasurable resources, creating and feed- ing the vilest passions, was familiar to the Prince, even before his majority. The immense losses which he sus- tained at the gaming table were not always the conse- quences of ill luck. Schemes were devised by which a heavy drain was made upon his finances, and he became eventually the dupe of a set of titled sharpers, who, by acts of the most deliberate villany, reduced him to a state of compar- ative pauperism. The celebrated wager of the turkey and goose race well illustrates the inventive genius of these associates, who never missed an opportunity of swindling the Prince. During one of the convivial parties at Carlton House, 124 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. George Hanger designedly introduced the subject of the travelling qualifications of the turkey and the goose ; and he pronounced it as his opinion (although directly contrary to his real one) that the turkey would outstrip the goose. The Prince, who placed great reliance on the judgment of George Hanger on subjects of that nature, backed the opin- ion of Hanger ; and, as it may be supposed, there were some of the party who were willing to espouse the part of the goose. The dispute ended in the Prince making a match of twenty turkeys against twenty geese for a dis- tance of ten miles — the competitors to start at four o'clock in the afternoon. The race was to be run for £500 $ and as George Hanger and the turkey party hesitated not to lay two to one in favor of their bird, the Prince did the same to a considerable amount, not in the least suspecting that the whole was a deep laid plan to extract a sum of money from his pockets, for his chance of winning from the natural propensity of the turkey, was wholly out of the question. The Prince took great interest in this extraordi- nary wager, and deputed George Hanger to select twenty of the most wholesome and high feathered birds which could.be procured $ and, on the day appointed, the Prince and his party of turkeys, and Mr. Berkeley and his party of geese, set off to decide the match. For the first three hours everything seemed to indicate that the turkeys would be the winners, as they were then two miles in advance of the geese ; but as night came on the turkeys began to stretch out their necks towards the branches of the trees which lined the sides of the road ; in vain the Prince attempted to urge them on with his pole, to which a bit of red cloth was attached $ in vain George Hanger dis- lodged one from its roosting place, before he saw three or four others comfortably perching among the branches — in vain was the barley strewn upon the road, no art, no stratagem, no compulsion could prevent them taking to THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 125 their roosting place ; whilst, in the meantime, the geese came waddling on, and in a short time passed the turkey party, who were all busy in the trees dislodging their obsti- nate birds ; but as to any farther progress it was found impossible, and the geese were declared the winners. Trifling as this circumstance may appear, it will have the tendency of exposing the characters of the intimates of the Prince, and the singular expedients to which they had recourse to restore their shattered fortunes at the expense of his character and his fortune. Connected with this period many stories have been told of sallies of conduct, of various features of character — some distinguished by their extreme eccentricity, and others by those wanton deviations from the strict line of morality — which, however, may be said less or more of every youth of high expectations or great possessions. The Prince was fond of seeing society in its various grades, and, like his prototype of old, Henry Y, sometimes went incog, to places where his presence was least expected. A public house in Gray's Inn Lane had become, in some degree, celebrated for its Burton ale ; and the Prince, wishing to taste it, took with him the Groom of the Stole, the first Lord Southamp- ton, and, walking into the house, they called for some Bur- ton ale. After they had sat, however, for a short time, some one recognized the Prince. The Prince, finding he was discovered, abruptly departed with Lord Southamp- ton, and, taking a hackney coach, they returned to Carlton House. The neighbors were, a few days afterwards, sur- prised by the Prince's crest being splendidly put up at the public house alluded to, with the inscription of " Purveyor Burton Ale to His Boyal Highness the Prince of Wales ;" the landlord of the house so describing himself in conse- quence of the royal visit. This "most noble Prince" also patronized the very lowest dens of infamy in London, and visited, not always incog. 126 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. either, some of the most noted houses of ill fame, in which large cities like London abound. There is a narrow court lead- ing out of King street, St. James', and quite contiguous to the Palace, which contains a house still occupied at the pres- ent day by the vilest of public women, over whose portal is the royal coat of arms, as much as to say, u Under the patronage of the royal family." The proprietor, or pro- prietress, claims the right to use this powerful emblem from the fact that the establishment was once " patronized " by George, Prince of Wales. The writer saw this house and sign while residing in London in 1850. He was told by the person who showed him the locality that there were similar signs over like establishments in other parts of London. "Under the Patronage or the Royal Family." MAKY ANNE, WIPE OF GEORGE IV BY THE LAWS OF GOD AND THE CHURCH. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 127 (RUyta Jmtrtft. One night at the opera the Prince beheld in Lady Sef- ton's box a lady of most exquisite beauty, and at once became ardently enamored. This lady was Mrs. Fitzherbert, whose connection afterwards with the heir apparent created such a controversy in Parliament and throughout the realm — of which hereafter. In treating of this lady we will follow the memoirs given of her by her relative, Lord Stourton, who obtained all the facts from the lady herself, and which fully establish the disputed point — her lawful marriage to George, Prince of Wales, consequently the rightful and legitimate Queen to the throne of England.* We know the latter observation will create comment with monarchists and sticklers of the "divine right of kings f still the fact remains. Lord Stourton labored long with a commendable devotion to rescue the fair fame of his relative after her death, when he felt her character as a virtuous woman was assailed, and to have the documentary proofs made public to establish this all important fact. He brought to light valuable doc- uments which forever set at rest this disputed question.! When the Prince first became acquainted with Mrs. Fitzherbert she was residing at that beautiful and pictur- esque locality, Eichmond Hill. She was the original of the * Memoirs of Mrs. Fitzherbert, by Hon. Charles Langdale. Published by Richard Bentley. London, 1856. f See the Hon. Charles Langdale's Memoirs of Mrs. Fitzherbert. Published by Richard Bentley. London, 1856. 128 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINGc. popular ballad, which was sung throughout the country and also became very popular in America, " Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill.' 7 She was a widow with an independent income of £2,000 a year, surrounded with powerful, wealthy, and influential friends, by whom she was beloved and caressed.* It is, therefore, not surprising that she firmly resisted the assiduities and flattering protestations of a royal lover, who soon discovered he had not an inexperi- enced girl whose head could be readily turned by the allure- ment of a princely suitor. She had been through hymeneal halls and the nuptial chamber on two occasions, being twice a widow, so matrimony had no especial novelties for her, and he had to resort to other means than those usually- resorted to in his ordinary seductions; but all in vain — the beautiful and discreet widow repulsed him at every point. She was somewhat the senior of the Prince, being born July, 1756, and married in 1775, during the troubled times that led to the American Revolution, to Edward Weld, Esq., of Lulworth Castle, county of Dorset, who lived hardly a year after. Thomas Fitzherbert, Esq., then wooed and won the hand of the young and fascinating widow, and married her in 1778 ; after a happy married life of three years she found herself again a widow at the age of twenty-four. It was about four years after the death of her second husband that she became acquainted with George Guelph, our present subject, her third husband, who afterwards became, as we all know, the King of England. At first the lady would not listen to his declaration of " eternal love," but repulsed him coldly. He then became desperate and told her he would commit suicide. She would not yield. He then systematically bled himself, or had it done for him, that he might look pale, as if actually dying of a broken heart. Still she would give him no en- * Langdale's Memoirs. THE PRIVATE LIFE OE A KING-. 129 couragement. Moore records that lie next pretended to shoot himself, but managed to put the ball of the pistol through the head of the bed instead of his own head. Still the lady would not come to terms. His next move was to procure a dagger with which he essayed a stab upon his royal person, and they do say he actually drew some of " the royal blood of a Briton." He rolled upon the floor and tore his hair, striking his head with his clenched fists. He said he was going mad, and raged frantically ; swore he would certainly kill himself, if Mrs. Fitzherbert refused him. A commission was at once despatched to Mrs. Fitzherbert to inform her of the critical. (?) condition of the Prince, that her presence alone would save the valuable life of the heir apparent. Lord Stourton thus graphically describes the succeeding events as he gathered them from the lady herself : "Keit, the surgeon, Lord Onslow, Lord Southampton, and Mr. Edward Bouverie arrived at her house in the ut- most consternation, informing her that the life of the Prince was in imminent danger — that he had stabbed himself — and that only her immediate presence wonld save him. She resisted, in the most peremptory manner, all their im- portunities, saying that nothing should induce her to enter Carlton House. She was afterwards brought to share in the alarm 5 but, still fearful of some stratagem derogatory to her reputation, insisted upon some lady of high charac- ter accompanying her as an indispensable condition — the Duchess of Devonshire was selected. They four drove from Park street to Devonshire House, and took her along with them. She found the Prince pale and covered with blood. The sight so overpowered her faculties that she was deprived almost of all consciousness. The Prince told her that nothing would induce him to live unless she prom- ised to become his wife, and permitted him to put a ring round her finger. A ring from the hand of the Duchess of 6* 130 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Devonshire was used upon the occasion, and not one of his own. Mrs. Fitzherbert, being asked by Lord Stourton whether she did not believe that some trick had been prac- tised and that it was not really the blood of the Prince, answered in the negative, and said she had frequently seen the scar, and that some brandy and water was near his bedside when she was called to him on the day he wounded himself. "They returned to Devonshire House. A deposition was drawn up of what had occurred, and signed and sealed by each one of the party, and, for all she knew to the contrary, might still be there. On the next day she left the country, sending a letter to Lord Southampton protesting against what had taken place, as not being then a free agent. She retired to Aix-la-Chapelle, and after- wards to Holland.* "In Holland she met with the greatest civilities from the Stadtholder and his family, lived upon terms of inti- macy with them, and was received into the friendship of the Princess of Orange, who, at that very time, was the object of negotiation with the royal family of England for the heir apparent. Frequent inquiries were made about the Prince and the English Court in confidential commu- nications between heF-and-^tEe Princess, it being wholly unknown to the Princess that she was her most dangerous rival. She said she was often placed in circumstances of considerable embarrassment ; but her object being to break through her own engagements, she was not the hypocrite she might have appeared afterwards, as she would have been very happy to have furthered this alli- ance. She afterwards saw this Princess in England, and continued to enjoy her friendship, but there was always a great coolness on the part of the Stadtholder towards her. *See an article in Harper's Magazine for July, 1856, vol. 13, page 201, " The Lost Queen." THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 131 " She left Holland in the royal barge, and spent above another year abroad, endeavoring to i fight off ? (to use her own phrase) a nnion fraught with such dangerous conse- quences to her peace and happiness. Couriers after cou- riers passed through France, carrying the letters and propositions of the Prince to her in France and Switzer- land. The Duke of Orleans was the medium of this cor- respondence. The speed of the couriers exciting the suspicion of the French Government, three of them were at different times put into prison. Wrought upon, and fearful, from the past, of the desperation of the Prince, she consented, formally and deliberately, to promise she would never marry any other person 5 and lastly she was induced to return to England, and to agree to become his wife on those conditions which satisfied her own conscience, though she could have no legal claim to be the wife of the Prince." Lord Stourton says : " I have seen a letter of thirty-seven pages written, as she informed me, not long before this step was taken, entirely in the handwriting of the Prince, in which it is stated by him that his father would connive at the union." She was then hurried to England, anticipating too clearly and justly that she was about to plunge into inextricable diffi- culties ; but, having insisted upon conditions such as would satisfy her conscience and justify her in the eyes of her own Church, she abandoned herself to her fate. Imme- diately after her return she was married to the Prince according to the rites of the Catholic Church in this coun- try, her uncle Harry Erring ton and her brother being^wit- nesses to the contract along with the Protestant clergyman who officiated at the ceremony. A certificate of this mar- riage is extant in the handwriting of the Prince, and wifL his signature and that of Mary Fitzherbert. The witnesses' names were added. A letter of the Prince on her return to him has been pre- 132 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. served, to supply any deficiency in the evidence of this marriage ceremony that the witnesses to the union were known ; and, moreover, the letter of the officiating clergy- man is still preserved, together with another document with the signature and seal of the Prince, in which he re. peatedly terms her his wife. Mr. Fox tried all his powers of persuasion to deter the Prince from marrying Mrs. Fitzherbert; he did not succeed, for the Prince had determined to possess the lady, and he knew, after every artifice had failed, he could only do this by a legal marriage, for the object of his passion on this occasion was a religious and conscientious woman, who could not he brought, by any human sophistry, to violate God's holy ordinance, " Thou shalt not commit adultery." Fox, in his argumentative letter, says : " I have stated this danger on the supposition the -marriage would be a real one, but you know as well as I that, according to the present laws of the country, it cannot.' 7 To Americans this argument is simply ridiculous, looking at the question from the only standpoint of which the holy institution of marriage is capable, namely, a religious or Christian point of view. We, with every intelligent person, be he English or American, hold that no ordinances of man, no enactments of Parliament, can abrogate the laws of God. And when the Prince of Wales, in the presence of Almighty God and the priests and witnesses assembled, said, as he did say, "I take thee to be my wedded, lawful wife," Mrs. Fitzherbert became, in our humble, democratic form, Mrs. George Guelph, or, in monarchical titular parlance, Her Eoyal Highness, Mart Anne, Princess of Wales, his true and lawful wife. In this light — in this, her true position — ■ throughout this work we consider her. Mr. Fox, his confidant and friend, endeavored to dissuade Prince George from marrying, and wrote to him as follows:* * Langdale's Memoirs, page 1 5. London, 1856. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 133 " December 10, 1785. "Sir: "I hope your Royal Highness does me the justice to believe that it is with the utmost reluctance I trouble you with my opinion unasked at any time, much more so upon a subject where it may not be agreeable to your wishes. I am sure that nothing could ever make me take this liberty but the condescension which you have honored me with upon so many occasions, and the zealous and grateful attachment that I feel for your Royal Highness, and which makes me run the risk even of displeasing you for the purpose of doing you a real service. "I was told, just before I left town yesterday, that Mrs. Fitzherbert had arrived $ and if I had heard only this I 'should have felt the most unfeigned joy at an event which I knew would contribute so much to your Royal Highness' satisfaction ; but I was told at the same time that, from a variety of circumstances which had been observed and put together, there was reason to suppose that you were going to take the very desperate step (pardon the expression) of marrying her at this moment. If such an idea be really in your mind, and it be not now too late, for God's sake let me call your attention to some considerations, which my attachment to your Royal Highness and the real concern which I take in whatever relates to your interest, have sug- gested to me, and which may possibly have the more weight with you when you perceive that Mrs. Fitzherbert is equally interested in most of them with yourself. In the first place, you are aware that a marriage with a Catholic throws the Prince contracting such marriage out of the succession of the crown. Now, what change may have happened in Mrs. Fitzherbert' s sentiments upon religious matters I know not; but I do not understand that any public profession of change has been made. Surely, sir, this is not a matter to be trifled with ; and your Royal Highness must excuse the 134 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. extreme freedom with which I write. If there should be a doubt about her previous conversion, consider the circum- stances in which you stand. The King not feeling for you as a father ought ; the Duke of York professedly his favor- ite, and likely to be married agreeably to the King's wishes; the nation fall of its old prejudices against Catholics, and justly dreading all disputes about succession. In all these circumstances your enemies might take such advantage as I shudder to think of 5 and though your generosity might think no sacrifice too great to be made to a person whom you love so entirely, consider what her reflections must be in such an event, and how impossible it would be for her ever to forgive herself. " I have stated this danger upon the supposition that the marriage would be a real one ; but your Royal Highness knows as well as I that, according to the present laws of the country, it cannot; and I need not point out to your good sense what a source of uneasiness it must be to you, to her, and, above all, to the nation, to have it a matter of dispute and discussion whether the Prince of Wales is or is not married. All speculations on the feelings of the pub- lic are uncertain ; but I doubt much whether an uncertainty of this kind, by keeping men's minds in perpetual agitation upon a matter of this moment, might not cause a greater ferment than any other possible situation. " If there should be children from the marriage, I need not say how much the uneasiness as well of yourself as of the nation must be aggravated. If anything could add to the weight of these considerations, it is the impossibility of remedying the mischiefs I have alluded to ; for if your Royal Highness should think proper, when you are twenty- five years old, to notify to Parliament your intention to marry (by which means alone a legal marriage can be con- tracted,) in what manner can it be notified ? If the pre- vious marriage is mentioned or owned, will it not be said THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KTNG-. 135 that you have set at defiance the laws of your country ; and that you now come to Parliament for a sanction for what you have already done in contempt of it % If there are children, will it not be said that we must look for future applications to legitimate them, and consequently be liable to disputes for the succession between the eldest son, and the eldest son after the legal marriage ? And will not the entire annulling the whole marriage be suggested as the most secure way of preventing all such disputes % u If the marriage is not mentioned to Parliament, but yet is known to have been solemnized, as it certainly will be known if it takes place, these are the consequences : First, that, at all events, any child born in the interim is imme- diately illegitimated 5 and next, that arguments will be drawn from the circumstances of the concealed marriage against the public one. It will be said that a woman who has lived with you as your wife without being so is not fit to be Queen of England 5 and thus the very thing that is done for the sake of her reputation will be used against itj and if I were Mrs. Fitzherbert's father or brother I would advise her not by any means to agree to it, and prefer any other species of connection with you to one leading to so much misery and mischief! * # # # Fox." In reflecting upon the character of the men who sur- rounded and advised the Prince on this occasion, we fully agree with Gait, the biographer of George, when he says : "We can only say that surely the kennels must have been raked for offal to enable some demon who hated the mag- nanimity of the British people to construct likenesses of the men then in power, and in their names sanctioned proceed- ings which the English language affords no epithets black enough to designate as they deserve."* * Gait's Diary of the Times of George IV, vol 4, page 133. 136 THE PR T VATE LIFE OF A KING. This language is none too strong when we consider a man could put his pen deliberately to paper and advise a father or brother to recommend prostitution to a daughter or sister ! ' u I would prefer any other species of connection" to marriage ! Horrible ! No wonder the Prince went head- long to ruin surrounded by such — what? as Gait says, u the English language affords no epithet black enough to designate. 77 The King of England is the head of his Church, the u de- fender of the faith" — that faith believes in the divine deca- logue as read in the forms of worship of the Church and for the use of his subjects, who in their responses are taught to say, " Incline our hearts to keep this law.' 7 £Fo King and Parliament can altar God's holy law by any enactment, and make commission of sin an exception to royalty ; with all their powers they cannot give force to " Thou shalt not commit adultery — except your princes ;" but this is what they have attempted to do by the Eoyal Marriage Act. Lord Holland, in his Memoirs,* also gives an account of the marriage ceremony of the Prince to Mrs. Fitzherbert, as furnished by the lady herself 5 " it was performed by an English clergyman. A certificate was signed by him, and attested by two witnesses — one a near relation of Mrs. Fitzherbert — Mr. Errington." The ceremony was performed in her own house in London, and it is known that other witnesses were present besides those whose names appear upon the certificate of marriage. "If any corroboration were necessary to substantiate facts, of which such proofs are extant, and to which there are so many unexceptionable testimonies, it would be found in the behavior of Mrs. Fitzherberb on many subsequent occasions, and in the uniform respect and attention which she has received from nearly all the branches of the royal family. 77 * Vol. 2, page 140. THE PRIVATE LTPE OF A KINO. 137 Lord Holland, elsewhere in his Memoirs, had already referred to the proofs that the marriage ceremony had taken place between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert, and even that the former had, at his subsequent marriage with the Princess of Brunswick, quailed under its recollection. The Memoirs* say : " This manifest repugnance to the marriage was attributed by many at the time to remorse at the recollection of a similar ceremony which had passed between him and Mrs. Fitzherbert. The subsequent conduct of all the parties, and the treatment of Mrs. Fitzherbert by all branches of the royal family, even when separated from the Prince, have long since confirmed the suspicion. In truth, that there was such a ceremony is noiv not matter of con- jecture or inference, but of history. Documents proving it, long in the possession of Mrs. Fitzherbert's family, have been since June, 1833, actually deposited by agreement between the executors of George the Fourth (the Duke of Wellington and Sir William Khighton,) and the nominees of Mrs. Fitzherbert (Lord Albemarle and Lord Stourton,) at Coutt's Bank, in a sealed box, bearing this superscription : L The property of the Earl of Albemarle ; but not to be opened by him without apprising the Duke of Wellington,' or words to that purporfc."f But this was by no means the only circumstance in this delicate affair which made the greatest impression on the public mind, for the most serious sensation was excited when it was known that Mrs. Eitzherbert had been edu- cated in the principles of the Eoman Catholic religion. It was said, indeed, that she might have retracted those principles 5 but was that retraction, it was rejoined, even supposing it had been made, worthy to be believed ? A close and secret investigation took place as to the charac- ter and principles of those who were her immediate asso- *Vol. 2, page 153. f Langdale's Memoirs of Mrs. Fitzherbert, page 14. 138 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. ciates, and they were all found to be members of the Eoman Catholic community, and some of them actually belonging to that most dangerous and intriguing set of men, the Jesuits. Was this person, then, a proper associate for the heir apparent to a Protestant throne ? Was it not a society fraught with the utmost danger to the religious faith of the future ruler of the nation ? and, therefore, it cannot be urged as a fault on the part of the people of this country that the impression which this supposed marriage made upon their minds was deep and alarming. They saw, in their glances into futurity, every reason to expect the horrors of another civil war; and in their zeal for civil and religious liberties some of them were ready, in case of the demise of the crown, to have taken up arms against its natural successor by way of antidote and precaution. Amongst this number was Lord George Gordon, then under prosecution in the Court of King's Bench for a libel on the Queen of France, and Count d'Adhemar, ambassa- dor from the Court of Versailles, and who, on his trial, commented with great freedom on the connection supposed to have taken place between Mrs. Fitzherbert and the Prince. On his being interrogated what particular motive he had for wishing to have the benefit of that lady's testi- mony, he replied, "that he had a conversation with Mrs. Fitzherbert in Paris relative to some intrigues of the French and British Courts, which he wished that lady to substantiate." Previously to his trial, his lordship called at Mrs. Fitzherbert's house, in order to serve a subpoena upon her, but he was turned out of doors by her servants. The newspapers of the day, adverting to this circumstance, observed that Lord George Gordon caused a letter to be delivered to Mr. Pitt, before he went to the House, acquaint- ing him that he had received a visit from Mr. Walter Smythe, brother to Mrs. Fitzherbert, accompanied by Mr. Orton. threatening to call him to account if he went to Mrs. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 139 Ifttzherbert's again, or took any liberties with her name. To this his lordship made answer that he must still apply to Mrs. Fitzherbert, to himself, or to Sir Carnaby Hagger- ston, until a written answer was sent concerning the just title of their sister. His lordship thus concluded: "I think it my duty to inform you, as Prime Minister, with this circumstance, that you may be apprized of, and com- municate to the House of Commons, the overbearing dis- position of the Papists." The uncompromising hatred, which in the year 1780 had burst with such memorable and destructive zeal against the Catholics, now took fresh alarm ; and, on the rumor of a marriage between the heir apparent and a Catholic lady, probably would have flamed out into fresh excesses, equally pernicious and dangerous, had the spirit of the times been the same. But the dreadful riots of 1780, in which Lord George Gordon bore so conspicuous a part, were too recent for the populace to be propelled by a like cause to simi- lar acts of violence. His lordship had also lost much of his popularity by certain eccentricities in his behavior, though he had not then embraced the Mosaic ritual, which nearly altogether alienated the attachment of his former adherents. But, notwithstanding the disadvantages under which this once popular and formidable leader labored, it is certain that the notice which he took of the connection between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert caused that affair to be more particularly discussed than it would otherwise have been. In the meantime there were not wanting many who be- lieved, or who were willing to believe, that the marriage ceremony had been actually solemnized ; and in the midst of this painful vacillation of the public opinion appeared the celebrated pamphlet of Home Tooke, in which he not only declared that the marriage did actually take place, but that he was acquainted with the name of the priest 140 THE PRIVATE LIFE OE A KING. who performed the ceremony. He also attempted to prove that the marriage itself was a nullity, and consequently that, if Mrs. Fitzherbert were absolutely married to the Prince, she became ipso facto Princess of Wales, by which style Home Tooke addresses her throughout the whole of the pamphlet. This work caused a sensation in the country which can- not be described, and every expedient was resorted to which could check the circulation of such alarming intelli- gence. In regard to the marriage of the Prince with Mrs. Fitzherbert, on the ground of her being a subject, it was contended that it was not fraught with any danger to the country, from the well known facts of the different mar- riages which had taken place between the sovereign of the realm and a subject, and that such marriages had never been interrupted down to the very accession of the present family on the throne. Thus the two immediate predeces- sors of George I, as well as Elizabeth, were the issue of such a match ; and not only they, but the house of Stuart itself, which immediately preceded the house of Hanover, and the very sovereign under whom the house of Hanover claims, are the issue of the sovereign with the subject. The race of Tudor, also, which immediately preceded that of Stuart, and the very sovereign under whom the house of Stuart claims, are also the issue of such a match. Three out of six sovereigns of the house of Stuart, and three out of five sovereigns of the house of Tudor, were the issue of such matches, by which it appears that the majority, for the course of two hundred and thirty years, namely — six out of the eleven sovereigns immediately preceding the house of Hanover — were the issue of the sovereign with the subject. It was not, however, to the marriage of the Prince with a subject that the people of England appeared particularly to bend their attention, but it was to the religion of one of the parties that they looked ; and in this point of view it was THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 141 considered an event of the greatest importance beyond any- •thing of the kind since the Revolution. It was the subject of discussion in all the Courts of Europe, and in England excited a sensation unparalleled in the extreme. Every possible attempt was now made to call into dis- credit the statement of Home Tooke. His " Letter to a Friend/' in which the marriage of Mrs. Fitzherbert with the Prince was asserted, was very difficult to be procured 5 and his subsequent and very extraordinary silence, when he was publicly challenged to disclose the name of the priest and the place where the ceremony was performed, all tended, in a great degree, to calm the perturbed mind of the people 5 as they argued that his silence betrayed that he had no real and substantial grounds for the strong assertions he had made. It belongs not to us to investigate the reasons of Home Tooke for maintaining such a studied silence on a subject of such vital importance, and concerning which, if he had any proofs wherewith to confirm his statement, he could not have any good and valid grounds for concealment. On the contrary, from the well known political sentiments of the man, he was con- sidered as the very last who would screen the offending parties from the consequences of their illegal proceedings ,* or that, from any servile subserviency to the ministers of the day, or even to the sovereign himself, he could have been induced to withhold auy information which might tend to the ultimate benefit of the country. It was, there- fore, rather a triumph for the Prince's party that no ex- plicit declaration was made corroborative of the statement of Home Tooke in his pamphlet, although, from the high and overbearing disposition, and the sudden change which took place in the manners and conduct of the immediate relations of Mrs. Fitzherbert, it was evident that they con- sidered themselves as exalted in the scale of rank and im- portance, and, certainly it was argued, that such a sudden 142 THE PKIVATE LIFE OF A KING. accession of pride could not arise from the prostitution but the elevation of their relative. Among the immediate friends of the Prince, however, there were many who regarded his marriage with Mrs. Fitzherbert as an event rather to be rejoiced at than re- gretted, for, however irregular it might have been in its nature, it had still a tendency to withdraw him from the disgraces and preserve him from the consequences of vul- gar debauchery. Previous to the attachment of the Prince to Mrs. Fitz- herbert, the passions, it was well known, treated him with as little reserve as the meanest of their votaries ; and, under their influence, he was continually seen in those pavilions of pleasure where honor is not known and female virtue forever banished. It was, therefore, very fortunate for himself, and of course beneficial to the nation, if he could become stationary somewhere, and in particular with a per- son whose situation in life entitled her to every attention which the laws of his country would allow him to bestow. His exalted rank, as heir apparent to the crown, prevented him from entering into those tender relations which are open to the meanest; of his subjects ; and, although some fearful forebodings of the future might have afflicted cer- tain melancholy and scrupulous spirits in the contemplation of this singular transaction, yet, as a mere abstract gratifi- cation of youthful passion, and divesting it of all influence on or interference with the affairs of Government, it perhaps ought not to have been considered such a matter of great national concern as it was represented ; nor perhaps would it have been but for the indiscreet conduct of the Prince's party ; for when it was seized upon by them as the circum- stance to bind the Prince more firmly to their views and interests, it then became a subject of more serious consider- ation. That this was the case is very evident from the peculiar attentions which were paid to the lady by all the THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 143 first families connected with the party ; nor should it be for- gotten that many of those women of distinguished rank and character, such as the Duchess of Devonshire, the Duchess of Bedford, and others of equal dignity, refused even to visit the Duchess of Cumberland till the Prince favored her with his countenance ; wliilst they received Mrs. Fitz- herbert not only with cordial kindness, but with formal honors. This arrangement, so generally known and ob- served, aided by a variety of artful insinuations, framed on purpose to steal on the public ear, gave a sanction to the opinion that the Prince had bound himself in as irrevocable a manner to the lady as the operation of forms and cere- monies of marriage could effect. But when, in a parlia- mentary debate relative to the payment of the Prince's debts, the nature of this connection was demanded, Mr. Fox repeated his declaration that no marriage had taken place, and everyone was satisfied with that declaration until Mr. Sheridan rose to reprobate the inquiry, and to give an eulogium of the lady, which by no means harmonized with the information that had preceded it. The contradictions of these two political friends and con- fidential adherents of the Prince were not easy to be recon- ciled. Mr. Fox had declared that a lady living with the Prince, to all exterior appearance, in the habits of matri- monial connection, had not the sanction of any canonical forms to support her ; whilst, on the other hand, Mr. Sheri- dan reversed the picture by representing her as a paragon of chastity, the possessor of every virtue, and the ornament of her sex, who was injured by the suspicions introduced into Parliament, and which had no foundation whatever but in the subservient fancies of ministerial adherents. Here, then, new difficulties arose respecting this once memorable but unfortunate woman, for she was now involved in the political arrangements and the views of the party, and was therefore to be supported by it ; but, on the other hand, she 144 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. was the object at which the ministerial party directed their most envenomed shafts. In a letter addressed to Mrs. Fitzherbert at this time, as the Princess of Wales, of which Dr. Withers was the author, appeared the following energetic passage : " When the once celebrated leader of the opposition pre- sumed to sacrifice your Eoyal Highness to the interested views of the party, I was transported with indignation, because, from a situation the most honorable in the king- dom, it reduced you to a state of infamy and contempt. It proclaimed, in the face of day, and to the astonishment of the world, that a woman of birth, beauty, and independence was the strumpet of the Prince of Wales, and under this head I have no scale to measure your demerits. A poor disconsolate female whom a villain has seduced, or the want of bread has driven to prostitution, is an angel of innocence in contrast with Mrs. Fitzherbert." Mr. Fox, however, would not retract his assertion, nor would he give back the paper on which it was founded, to any solicitation. It does not speak much for the acuteness nor the penetration of the ministerial party that they did not see through the nice distinction on which the disavowal was made. Sophistry was, therefore, now the only resource which could preserve Mrs. Fitzherbert from that situation which is attended with irrevocable disgrace to the female character ; and, in consequence of this perplexing dilemma, the retain- ers of the party took no small pains to propagate an opin- ion that the wisest and best of men are governed by cir- cumstances, and that those of the Prince were peculiarly oppressive. His Eoyal Highness, they contended, who was excluded from the comforts of connubial life, by being pro- hibited from choosing a wife for himself by act of Parlia- ment, acted perfectly right in fixing on some one to supply her place; and if she were a woman of a previous irre- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 145 proachable character, good family, elegant manners, and maintaining her fidelity to him inviolate, the most exalted and respectable female characters in the kingdom were not only justified in receiving her, but would merit censure if they should hesitate to treat her with the same respect as is due to married ladies of their own condition. The flimsy texture of this argument was at once appar- ent to the meanest capacity ; and it tended in a very great degree to the injury of Mrs. Fitzherbert's character, and to render the Prince unpopular. Nor did this obloquy attach to thdse individuals only, but it was bestowed on every lady of rank who either visited Mrs. Fitzherbert or was visited by her. That the Prince was highly unpopular at this time may, in a great measure, be attributed to this mysterious connec- tion with Mrs. Fitzherbert, and to his avowed opposition to the measures of his father's ministers. The speculative mind, habituated to range with freedom and to meditate without restraint on all the events of life, will find, perhaps, as ample subject for grief and astonishment in the existing unpopularity of the Prince as he may find for admiration in the popularity of the King Ms father. A prince is placed by nature and by fortune in so high and favored an eminence above mankind — all his actions, and his very excesses, are beheld through so deceptive, or so favorable a medium — he is environed by such a splendor, resulting from youth and royal dignity, and expectation of future virtues — that it requires no small deviation from all that can excite attachment, or lay claim to esteem, in order to divest him- self, if not of the approbation, at least of the personal adherence, of the far greater part of those over whom he is one day probably destined to reign. We would treat the errors and excesses of the Prince as resulting more from the example of his profligate compan- ions than from any innately existing moral turpitude. 1 146 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. Decorated as lie was with all the grace of personal elegance, improved by education, cultivated by letters, enlarged by an acquaintance with men, not often attained by persons so far removed from the walks of private and common life ; endowed with the powers of pleasing, and capacities of a convivial and social kind, not inferior to those so much admired in Charles II ; affable even to familiarity, addicted to the enjoyment of the table, and keenly susceptible of the charms of female beauty, and the seductions which accom- pany it — how, will the future historian ask, could a youth to whom nature had been thus liberal, and on whom every eye was naturally turned with predilection and partiality, have contrived, before he had almost fully attained to manhood, to shake the affections, and to diminish, if not forfeit, the respect almost inseparable from his person and his dignity ? It is an invidious, but it may be to future times a useful, task to explain how a Prince may degrade himself in the eyes of a deserving, a loyal, and an impartial people. If the following portraiture of the son of George III be true in its prominent features, the manner in which he degraded himself is at once explained. He may lay the foundation of this melancholy proof of his power by a departure from that sacred and primeval law, written by the finger of nature deeply in the human heart, of filial piety and obedience — a duty as inviolable, and as much exacted from the prince to the sovereign, as from the least and lowest subject to his parent; — a virtue ever found to exist with the greatest force and energy in those bosoms where nature has implanted all the most benign and kindly affections. He may accomplish that degradation by forming his nearest connections of familiarity and intimacy not from among the youth who naturally surround the suc- cessor to the throne, but from the most obscure and unprin- cipled individuals with whom a capital such as London must of necessity teem. He may give the final wound to his popu- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 147 larity, and to the fond partiality of a great people, by form- ing a connection of so ambiguous, so enigmatical, and so undefined a nature, that mankind, with anxious but fearful eyes, shall tremble to explore what yet they desire to ascer- tain 5 and if this extraordinary union should be formed with a person of a religious persuasion different from that of the country in which so strange a scene is acted, it is then only to contempt and ridicule that he can fly to avoid general disapprobation and resentment. These, and simi- lar acts, are the means by which a prince can descend from the proud eminence on which he is placed, by which he can compel a reluctant people to deprecate his reign, and to anticipate with terror that event to which they are usually prone to look with warm and pleasing expectation. We have been told that Henry V emerged from a simi- lar cloud which shaded and obscured him before he ascended the throne of England ; but where is the pre- tended similarity between the conqueror of Agincourt and the son of George III 1 Can the excesses of intemperance or levity, probably exaggerated to us by that magic pen which Shakspeare held, or however accurately true they may even be supposed, form any real resemblance between the two Princes? It is like the similarity which Burnet has ingeniously discovered between Charles II and Tibe- rius, only consisting in their common attachment to the pleasures of women. In one other particular the similarity will not stand good ; Henry V was a hero, but not a gen- tleman, associating with the greatest blackguards of the day 5 George, Prince of Wales, was a gentleman of the most finished stamp, and might, perhaps, have been a hero if the opportunity had been allowed him j but the similar- ity will again hold good in the latter instance, for he, also, associated with some as consummate blackguards as his dissolute age could produce. ^^ We have been led into these reflections by the true spirit 148 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. of impartiality, which, although it may oblige us to repre- sent the character of this royal scion in all its darker shades, yet, that whenever it can "be done consistently with that indulgence which is due to the imperfection of human nature, we may be allowed to throw over it that palliating hue which may deprive some of his actions of the black- ness of their atrocity. In the delineation of the character of every man, whatever his rank or station in life may be, a just and becoming regard should be paid to the peculi- arity of the circumstances under which he may be placed, for it is a too common error to judge of another by the stand- ard which we may have formed in our own minds of the right principles of action, at the same time that we are ignorant of the motives which may have impelled the indi- vidual to the particular hue of conduct which he may have adopted. In the majority, however, of the actions of the Prince, particularly in his intercourse with the female sex, no difficulty exists in the delineation of his character. The facts speak for themselves. He had but one general aim, and, if that aim were attained, he did not seem to trouble himself about the propriety or the morality of the means which were employed for the purpose. To fix him to any object, however lovely and beautiful, appeared impracticable ; it was a monotony of life insup- portable to him, and he seemed to court variety with all the eagerness of a confirmed epicure at the luscious banquet. Not even the personal charms, nor the finished elegance of the manners of Mrs. Fitzherbert, could hold him within her chains, for their intercourse had scarcely commenced when the Prince received an invitation to dine with one of the Sheriffs of London, a celebrated distiller in White- chapel. The company was composed entirely of noblemen and gentlemen, the majority of whom were the intimate friends of the Prince. The Sheriff's lady was one of the celebrated beauties of the east, being in her person of that THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 149 embonpoint which was so peculiarly the taste of this royal libertine, and the features of her face were of that digni fied and impressive cast for which the Grecian beauties are so justly celebrated. . Her eye beamed with desire and pas- sion, and her lip was not the first trap which, by its lovely pouting, had ensnared the affection of the enamored Prince. The lady left the table soon after dinner, and the Prince felt a vacuum which could not be filled up by the coarser society of his companions. Feigning some excuse, he retired from the table, and the worthy Sheriff, fearing that his return might be delayed by indisposition, considered he should be wanting in respect if he did not hasten to make his personal inquiries respecting him. There were several places in the house to which it was possible that the Prince had retired $ but there was one, in particular, in which it was highly improbable that he should be found, and that was the bedchamber of his lady. It was, therefore, the last which the worthy Sheriff visited j but, had he visited it at first, it would have saved him a great deal of trouble, and calmed at once his anxiety for the safety of his royal guest. There, however, in reality, was the Prince found $ and the Sheriff resolved on the most instantaneous punishment ; he drew his sword, and Eng- land would, perhaps, have had to mourn the loss of the heir apparent to her throne, had not prudence whispered to him to save him self by the m ost precipitate flight. The darkness of the night favored him, and he gained the garden 5 he heard his pursuers behind him, but no friendly door pre- sented itself by which he could make his escape 5 in an instant he scaled the wall, and he now found the adage to be true, that a man should always look before he leaps. The Prince did not look, and therefore he leapt into as vile a compound of dirt and filth as ever received the body of a human being, much more that of a Prince, within its odor- iferous bosom. In what manner the Prince regained his 150 THE PRIVATE LITE OF A KINO. home, or into what hospitable dwelling he took refuge, to undergo the process of ablution, has not been communicated to us.* Associations are sometimes most rude and unpleas- ant monitors, and, in after years, his Eoyal Highness never heard the name of Liptrap mentioned, but he exclaimed, in the words of Shakspeare : " Oh ! but it has a rank, unearthly smell." It has been very inconsiderately and most erroneously stated by the panegyrists of the Prince that in none of his amours he ever wounded the feelings of a father and a hus- band, but that he always selected those objects whose virtue already stood on very suspicious grounds, and who, in the world of gallantry, were ready to yield themselves up to the highest bidder. It certainly would redound consid- erably to the character of this royal profligate, and divest it of a great portion of that black atrocity with which it is at present accompanied, if these panegyrists had drawn their information from the fountain of truth, and not, by a wilful perversion of acknowledged facts, laid themselves under the imputation of being the disseminators of a statement of which falsehood is its chief constituent feature. To those, to whom it has been permitted even partially to lift the veil which has been industriously thrown over the early excesses of the Prince, numerous are the instances which present themselves of the most heartless attempts at the seduction of female innocence, some of which were too successful, and others were only frustrated by the removal of the intended victims from the influence of his contaminating society. In defiance, however, of these panegyrists, who, by their indiscreet eulogiums, have only thrown an additional odium on the character of him whose virtues they profess to admire, * "We are indebted for this anecdote to Mr. R. 3 who was actually in the ser- vice of the Sheriff when the catastrophe took place, and who was one of the pursuers of the Prince when he fled into the garden. — Huish's Memoirs. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 151 by challenging a scrutiny which it is very unable to bear, we could lead them to a very beautiful mansion, still stand- ing on the northern side of Kew Green, which, before the rude and heartless spoiler broke into its sanctuary, was the abode of as perfect happiness as this sublunary scene can afford. We could show them two doting and affectionate parents, watching over the rising beauty of their only child, and revelling in the prospect of her future establishment in life. We could show them how they trembled if even a breath of air passed over her which might sully the purity of her maiden innocence, or inflict a spot on the angel white- ness of her bosom. We could show them how that same lovely object, before the treacherous serpent polluted the chalice of her innocence, looked upon the world and found the world — a world of bliss to her — her wishes never stray- ing beyond the precincts of her paternal mansiou j beloved by and loving only those who gave her birth — her sleep the sleep of innocence — her gaiety, the happiness of conscious virtue. We could show them all this — and we could after- wards lead them to where those same parents are sitting in their now childless mansion, disconsolate and broken- hearted, the world a sickening desert to them; we could lead them to the tomb of their once idolized, now moulder- ing child, whose spirit was too pure to endure its weight of shame, or to support the scorn and contumely of the world. Her parents saw the roses gradually fading on her cheeks — the lustre of her eye getting dim and wan — the cherry freshness of her lips becoming pale and shrivelled — they saw the approach of death — their hearts sickened at the view, and in their morning and evening prayers they implored the vengeance of Heaven on the ruthless de- stroyer of their child.* To the indelible reproach of the female character, be it said, that, in the ruin of this lovely girl, a woman was the * Huish's Memoirs, Geo. IV. 152 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. principal agent ; and when we mention the name of Lady- Lade, we have given the synonyma for all that was vile and despicable in woman. This notorious female first beheld the light in Lukner's lane, St. Giles', from which she emerged, on account of the fineness of her person, to become the mistress of John Eann, who forfeited his life on the scaffold at Tyburn, and, after passing through several gradations, she was taken under the protection of the Duke of York. Wc, therefore, now behold her in her own box at the opera, splendidly arrayed, her whole ambition gratified in viewing lords, dukes, and the princes of the blood at her side, paying that homage which only superior virtue and attractive manners ought to exact. But it was in the Windsor hunt that this lady first attracted the notice of the Prince. She was then the wife of Sir John Lade, and to be well up with the hounds — to be in at the death — to drive a phaeton four in hand, and to evince a perfect knowl- edge of all the technical phrases of coachmanship, not an individual in the whole hunt could compete with Lady Lade 5 nor was she excelled by even Sir John himself, who was the tutor of the Prince in the art of driving, and from whom he received a pension, for his services, of £400 per annum. Born in a lowly and obscure station, and too long kept back in a state of plebeian insignificance, she at once shone like the sun piercing through a cloud, so that the strongest eye was dazzled by the blaze. Her former haunts were totally forsaken — her former companions no longer remem- bered, and she shone a comet in the bright regions of taste and fashion. There were, however, some fastidious females who, still adhering to the musty prejudices of their fore- fathers, refused to acknowledge the resplendent attractions of this fair paragon, and who even persisted, notwithstand- ing the royal favor and protection of the Prince, to exclude her from their circles. In these moments of her indigna- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 153 tion, at her prudish, rejection by the stiff starched nobility, she was apt to remember some of the phrases that she had learned in St. Giles', and whenever the Prince wanted an object of comparison in the vulgar practice of swearing, he was always wont to say, u He swears like Letitia Lade." It was in the company of this woman that the Prince, one day returning from the chase, met the beautiful Eliza- beth Harrington walking on the Richmond road, in the company of her parents. She was immediately marked out as a new victim, to his libidinous desires, and Lady Lade undertook to effect the introduction. It was under the pretence of sudden indisposition that this female panderer broke into the sanctuary of domestic happiness, and with so much difficulty was the task accompanied which she had to accomplish that she at one time relinquished it, despairing of success. But the Prince had seen the luscious fruit, and to retire without the enjoyment of it was at variance with his usual mode of action. He goaded on his emissary — he threw to the winds his vows of constancy and u unalterable love" which he had sworn at the altar to his wife, and, like Caesar of old, though on a far different occasion, he determined to realize the words veni, vidi, mci. And here the dark traits of this heartrending transaction begin to develop themselves. In all his preceding intrigues we behold him acting under his genuine and royal character as the Prince of Wales. There had been hitherto no con- cealment — no disguise, no fallacious hope of a permanent settlement in life, sanctioned by the laws, had been fraudu- lently held out. Hitherto he said, with the great poet; " In my bright radiance and collateral light Must you be comforted — not in my sphere. " On all former occasions he wooed as the Prince of Wales, and as such he conquered. The girl, whose every heart string quivered with passion for him, saw in him only the 154 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. idol of her affection, the beloved, the irresistible, conqueror of her virtue. It was to her the landmark, the ultima thule, of her wishes, to be the acknowledged object of his love; but, in the present case, the announcement of a suitor in the person of the Prince of Wales would have been received with every mark of indignation and alarm. Every protest- ation of his unalterable love which he might have made in that quarter would have betrayed the lurking motive; and to some desert of the universe, untrodden by mortal foot, would the fond parents have removed their yet unsullied child, rather than have exposed her to the unequal contest which she would have to wage. Weakness, however, is insepar- able from human nature, and one of the prevailing foibles of Mrs. Harrington was an attachment to aristocratic society. The possession of a title was a passport to her good favor, nor did she stoop to discover how it was acquired, whether by hereditary descent, although originating, per- haps, in infamy, or whether it was the immediate grant of the monarch for services rendered to the country. The honor of a visit from a lady of title, although purely acci- dental, was an event not to be superficially passed over in the calendar of her life, and this lady of title lauded her daughter to the skies as a paragon of beauty ; and where is the fond, doting mother's heart that will not prompt her to throw her arms round the neck of the individual who lavishes her praises on an only, idolized child ? If there be a way to win a mother's heart, it is that; not that we give the female panderer sufficient credit for the possession of so much tact, or of such a consummate knowledge of the human character, as thus so skilfully to have seized upon the prevailing foible of the affectionate mother to effect her unhallowed purpose. It must also be allowed that, since the time when Lady Lade emerged as Letitia Darby from the purlieus of St. Giles', she had acquired what the French for- merly called the Menseances of society, although she could THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 15.5 at any time shake them off, according to the grade of com- pany into which she might be thrown. To the vain fancy of Mrs. Harrington, Lady Lade appeared as one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of fashion 5 and as she seldom opened her month without alluding to the terms of intimacy on which she stood with this or that duke, or this or that lord, it was a decided point with the infatuated mother that it was a very fortunate hour of her life when the sud- den indisposition of her ladyship impelled her to seek for relief under her hospitable roof. The carriage of Lady Lade, drawn by four beautiful bay horses, and driven by herself, was now frequently to be seen standing at the door of Mrs. Harrington's house, for — " More than one steed Letitia's empire feels, Who sits triumphant o'er the flying wheels ; And as she guides them through th' admiring throng, With what an air she smacks the silken thong ! G-racef ul as John, she moderates the reins, And whistles sweet her softest strains ; Sesostris-like, such charioteers as these May drive six harness' d monarchs, if they please." Step by step did this titled demirep worm herself into the good opinion of this once happy family j but the event- ful hour came at last, and the fragile vessel, freighted with all their earthly hopes, was wrecked forever. The Har- ringtons were invited to partake of a friendly dinner, and to accompany her afterwards to the opera. The invitation was accepted 5 the dinner party was very select, there being only one gentleman visitor, but a more finished gentleman — one of more captivating manners and address — never graced a table. His attentions to Mrs. Harrington were of the most marked and affable nature 5 his attentions to her beau tiful daughter, distant and reserved. The vanity of the mother was flattered — suspicion was laid asleep j and whilst she was sipping \he palatable poison of adulation, Lady 156 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. Lade was insidiously instilling into the ears of her unsus- pecting victim the most exuberant praises of the personal graces and manly virtues with which the Honorable Mr. Elliott, her visitor, was endowed. The female heart, un- hackneyed in the ways and stratagems of the world, is too prone to receive a favorable impression, which, although scarcely felt at first, increases in force imperceptibly, until it becomes at last the very life blood of its being, absorb- ing all other feelings into one — and that one is love, in all its full, its blissful, heavenly power. To the intriguing sjurit of Lady Lade, who, it is well known, declared it to be her pride and glory to make any other female as infamous as herself, it must be attributed that the Prince, in this instance, assumed a fictitious name, for she soon perceived that, as the Prince, Mr. Harrington would not admit him as the companion of his daughter; as, independently of his exalted rank, which precluded all idea of a matrimonial connection, his libertine excesses and his debaucheries were now the theme of general conversa- tion in the fashionable coteries, and excited the deep regret of the more moral and virtuous part of the community. There was scarcely a newspaper published at this period which did not contain an account of some libertine act of cm illustrious individual, or of losses sustained by him at the gaming table ; and it is a fact, for which there is the most undisputed authority, that in one week his name appears for three consecutive nights in the book of the night charges of St. Martin's watch house for riotous and disorderly conduct. His appearance in that character was always a source of great emolument to the guardians of the night, as they always made him pay a high price, not only for his own liberation but also for that of his associates, who, on these occasions, were generally not only sans soucie but also sans sous. In this machination against the happiness of a worthy THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 157 family the intriguing party had nothing to fear but the recognition of the Prince $ and for that reason he regretted that, on account of a prior engagement, he could not accom- pany the party to the opera, but that he would join them after it at the supper table. It was here that the Prince was known to exhibit himself in all his irresistible power. The elegance of his manners, his sportive wit, his unbounded spirit of conviviality, the liveliness of his con- versation, and the extraordinary facility with which he knew how to accommodate himself to the tastes and pur- suits of those by whom he was immediately surrounded, all conspired to render him an object dangerous in the extreme to a female heart, and especially to one, who, having lived a life of comparative seclusion, sees itself at once thrown into a situation where all that is fascinating and alluring operates upon the senses, and leads, as it were, all the affections captive. To follow this amour through all its details would be to describe, on the one hand, all the arts and blandishments which the most confirmed libertine could employ to effect the conquest of female virtue $ and, on the other, the help- less contest, the unavailing efforts, the last expiring strug- gle of the writhing victim 5 it would be to depicture, on the one hand, the heartrending scene of the afflicted parents as they followed their beloved but dishonored child to the grave $ and, on the other, the heartless gaiety, and the reck- less indifference with which the seducer looked upon the wreck he had made. And, whilst these scenes were passing, the country was agitated to its remotest corner by the firm belief that the marriage between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert had actually been consummated ; and, if one circumstance more than another tended to confirm that belief, it was the unreserved manner in which Mrs. Fitzherbert was received into the highest circles, and the blaze of splendor which 158 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. surrounded her, not only when she appeared in public, but in the extravagant style in which she received her visitors at home. The veracity of Mr. Fox in regard to the dis- avowal of the marriage was exposed to the severest scru- tiny, and the following passage in Home Tooke's pamphlet only tended to excite still greater alarm in the minds of the English people : In his u Letter to a Friend,' 7 he says: a You agree with me that it is not irom the debates in either House of Parliament that the public will receive any solid or useful information on a point of so much importance to the nation — to the sovereign on the throne — to his royal successor, and to the most amiable and justly valued female character, whom I conclude to be in all respects both legally — really, ivortJiityj and happily for this country, Her Royal High- ness the Princess of Wales. " After the conversation that has been held in the House of Commons, and published in the newspapers, together with the discourse which has circulated universally through the nation, it would be a most ridiculous affectation to hes- itate, in so many words, to declare that it is reported, and by me on solid grounds believed, that His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales is married to the late Mrs. Fitzherbert, now his lawful wife."* And in another passage he says : " I consider the dis- avowal of this marriage to be itself an additional slander on a much misunderstood and misrepresented young man. I have no doubt, for he is young and a Prince, that some things might possibly be changed for the better in his conduct, but I will not believe at any time, and least of all in the moment and manner as reported, such a disavowal, be the marriage true or false, or anything tending to lessen the character of the lady, could possibly be authorized by * Unfortunately she was as much his wife as a Romish priest could make her. Memoirs of George III. Rev. George Croly, LL.D. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 159 him. And although extremely disgusted with his politics, yet I have too much personal respect for Mr. Fox to be- lieve, upon the authority of a newspaper, that he was either the adviser, or silently seeming approver, much less the medium of such a disavowal. If such a measure had been thought advisable, or even necessary, upon any important score, yet Mr. Fox knows better how to time even his necessary measures. What ! at the moment when the payment of debt and revenue were the questions, then to get up and make this disavowal, and then to give it the appearance of sacrificing, on compulsion, a defenceless woman's character for so mean a consideration as a paltry sum of money — I will not believe it P The result of a strict analysis of the foregoing passage will be to show that there exists a very striking inconsist- ency in the arguments of the writer, compared with the boasted authenticity of his information, and it further shows that he really was not so thoroughly acquainted with the secret machinery of the transaction as he pro- fesses to be. Home Tooke, in his pamphlet, unequivocally states that he knows the priest who officiated at the mar- riage ; it is, therefore, not a little strange that he should be ignorant of the presence of some other individuals who graced the nuptial day with their presence, and still fur- ther, that he should take upon himself the defence of one of them, who, with the exception of the bride and the illustrious bridegroom, was the most conspicuous character of the party. Could he have been ignorant that Mr. Fox was himself present at the marriage, and that it actually took place in the very house occupied by that person in Grafton street ? If he knew that the Abbe Sechamp was the priest who performed the ceremony, why not openly avow it % Why pretend a knowledge of the fact, and yet, from some unaccountable reasons, refuse to make it public, and, what was still worse, so to throw over it the cloak of 160 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. mystery, as if lie himself were the only depositary of the secret ? Was Tooke ignorant that Sheridan and Burke were both present at the marriage, and also Mr. Errington and Mr. Throginorton, the immediate relations of the bride, and that Mr. Fox — the same individual who in his place in the House of Commons disavowed the marriage — was the very person who handed the bride into the carriage when the happy pair set out for Richmond to spend the honey- moon ? It is not the least surprising feature of this trans- action, that Home Tooke must have known that the dis- avowal of Fox was actually true and false at the same time, and that the most consummate Jesuit, who ever in his monastic cell concocted a diabolical scheme to promote the interests of his party, could not have evinced more skill and ciinning than Fox evinced in this memorable disavowal of a marriage at which he himself was present. In order to prove the latter position, we will give an abstract from a celebrated pamphlet that appeared at this time, in which a committee are supposed to sit on the investigation of the marriage of the Prince, and the parties are regularly called in to give their evidence. It begins with the evidence of Mr. Fox: " Mr. Fox. " It is requested of Mr. Fox that he would inform the committee on what authority he asserted in his place that Mrs. Fitzherbert is now a widow ? " Mr. F. — I beg leave to decline an answer. u Does Mr. Fox consider that this committee is entitled to a clear, full, and satisfactory reply % u Mr. F. — I have every respect imaginable for the com- mittee, but I will not abuse confidence placed in me. u Mr. Fox may withdraw. " Mr. St. Omers. " Does Mr. St. Omers know the minister who officiated THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 161 at the marriage of Mrs. Fitzherbert with her present illus- trious husband ? u St. O.— Yes. " In the opinion of Mr. St. Omers, were the rites duly performed and the union fully and effectually consum- mated ? " St. O.— Yes. " On inspecting the table of disabilities as set forth by the Church, is it the opinion of Mr. St. Omers that either of the parties labored under ecclesiastical disqualification ? « St. O— m. "Will Mr. St. Omers be pleased to state to the committee his reasons for asserting in his place that Mrs. Fitzherbert is a widow f " St. O. — The marriage is good according to the decrees of the Church, but of no force according to act of Parliament. " For what purpose then was the ceremony read? "St. O. — To QUIET THE LADY'S CONSCIENCE. HER favors were not to be obtained on any other terms. " In the opinion of Mr. St. Omers, was it manly, was it honorable, thus to impose on a woman of virtue ? " St. O. — I have nothing to do with other people's opin- ions. I certainly knew it was all a farce ; but her lover was impatient, and I approved of the scheme. "Is not the lady attached to some of Mr. St. Omers' party, and was it not expected that all her influence would be exerted to promote their cause % " St. O. — The question is improper. " Was there not a promise that the lover, on his acces- sion to the regency or the throne, would confirm the mar- riage ? " St. O. — Fox, I believe, told the lady something of the kind, but it was a mere expedient. " In the opinion of Mr. St. Omers, have not such dishon- orable transactions a tendency to lessen the power and 162 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KTNO. destroy the popularity of princes — when the people of Eng- land are informed from such respectable authority that a person of the first distinction is capable of such deliberate baseness to a defenceless female, will they not be fired with indignation ? Will they not hold the ministers and advis- ers of such treachery in the deepest detestation ? Will it be in the power of venal panegyrists to do away the in- famy ? In one of the answers of Mr. St. Omers is contained the whole germ of this memorable affair. He answers that the marriage is valid by the rites of the Church, but not by the law of man, and it is behind this shield that Fox so art- fully defended himself, as we shall have occasion hereafter to show, when the question of the Prince's debts was agitated in the House of Commons, and whether the Prince was not actually disqualified from assuming the reins of Government, in the character of Eegent, on account of his marriage with a papist. Mr. Fox had the truth on his side, when he declared that the Prince was not married to Mrs. Fitzherbert, for in the eye of the law, and in the teeth of two existing acts of Parliament, his marriage with a papist was in reality a nullity ; but if Mr. Fox had been asked in his place whether the marriage was valid in the eye of the Church, and whether it had not been consummated in every respect according to the requisitions and the ordinances of the Eoman Catholic Church, he must either have commit- ted himself by the grossest falsehood, or he must have declared himself, and all those who were the abettors or the accessaries to the act of marriage, liable to the pains and penalties of a praemunire. But the denial of the marriage, in a political sense, was absolutely necessary, or the whole of the Government would have been thrown into confusion ; it was necessary, in a private point of view, as far as re- garded the Prince, for the Commons demanded a decided disavowal of the marriage before they would enter upon the THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 163 question of the payments of his debts, which had now risen to an alarming amount, and the legal proceedings attendant upon them threatened to divest him of every portion of his personal property. In the acquiescence of the Prince, how- ever, to give up Mrs. Fitzherbert, at the suggestion of his advisers, for a stipulated sum of money, the public read a trait in his character which, considering the high sense of honor and the exalted sentiments which he had displayed on some occasions, they were not prepared to behold. He was reminded of the reply of the half civilized barbarian, Peter the Great, of Russia, to his uncivilized counsellors, to give up a man, not a woman, to the extreme necessity of his situation. "No," replied the Prince, U I can resign my dominions even up to the walls of the metropolis, for in happier circumstances they may hereafter be recovered, but the forfeiture of honor in a sovereign can never be retrieved." In the meantime, the manner in which Mrs. Fitzherbert was received in public was an enigma which appeared to baffle every attempt at solution. Her marriage had been publicly disavowed ; the House of Commons had expressed their satisfaction with such disavowal, and yet the public beheld in the train of this memorable woman females of the highest character, and belonging to the most noble families of the kingdom. She had an establishment secondary only to royalty itself, and in some instances surpassing it. She had her maids of honor selected from the junior branches of the nobility — she had her ladies of the bedchamber from some of the most exalted families of the country; the whole of the Prince's party knelt at her shrine, as if she were the fountain of all honor and emolument — she was the presiding deity of the sphere in which she moved — and the thousands of satellites by whom she was surrounded appeared to imbibe all their splendor and importance according as she condescended to let her light fall upon them. On the other hand, it was pertinently asked, " If Mrs. Fitzherbert is not 164 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. the wife of the Prince — what is she, then V and, in regard to her reception in public, the following passage, which appeared in the Courier de V } Europe, excited considera- ble sensation, as it pronounced the opinion which was enter- tained in the foreign Courts of Europe on the existing relations between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert : " La fable du pretendu manage de S. A. Mgr. le Prince de Galles a ennn ete expliquee en plein Parlement de maniere a ne plus laisser de doute. O'est une explication, qui est d'autant plus facheuse pour Mad. Fitzherbert que Ton a suppose des liens entre S. A. E. et cette dame, sur lesquels on n'avoit pas encore prononce. Jusqu'ici Mad. Fitzherbert a ete recue dans toutes les socie'tes, ou etoit invite le Prince, mais il ne sera guere possible aujourdhui qu'elle jouisse des memes avantages, a moins que cette premiere explication n'en entraine une autre, et que la pretendue intimite de S. A. R. ne soit presentee sous des couleurs admissibles en bonne compagnieP * We are aware that we are rather anticipating the thread of our narrative in the introduction of the following circum- stance, but the links of the chain which compose this extra- ordinary transaction are, in some parts, so complicated and entangled that we are obliged, in order to unravel them and to account for their apparent confusion, to call in the aid of some future events, from which only a proper explana- tion can be obtained. * The story of the supposed marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of "Wales has at last been fully explained in the House of Commons, and in such a manner as to leave no further doubt on the subject. It is an explanation so much the more vexatious for Mrs. Fitzherbert, as a certain connection has been supposed to exist between His Royal Highness and that lady, of the exact nature of which no decisive information has transpired. Until now, Mrs. Fitzherbert has been received into every society to which the Prince has been invited, but now it will be scarcely possible for her to enjoy those same advantages, unless the explanation given in Parliament is not retracted by another, and which will exhibit the supposed connection of His Royal High- ness in those colors vrhich will render it sanctionable in the higher circles. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 165 In the passage above quoted Mrs. Fitzherbert read very distinctly the opinion which was held on the continent of her connection with the Prince ; and that, consequently , under existing circumstances, she would not be received in the higher circles abroad with that respect and esteem which had hitherto been shown to her. And herein we read the reasons of her refusal of the splendid offer which was made to her, by the supposed authority of the King himself, of settling £20,000 per annum on her during life, on condition that she retired to the continent, and broke off all connection with the Prince. It was the wish of the nation that the Prince should marry, in order that the suc- cession of the crown might be insured 5 but his infatuated connection with Mrs. Fitzherbert appeared to stand as an insuperable obstacle in the way of his marriage, and, there- fore, her removal out of the country was considered as the only means which could lead His Eoyal Highness to comply with the wishes of the nation, and particularly with those of the sovereign, his father, who viewed the relation in which the heir apparent to his crown stood, in regard to a Catholic lady, with feelings of the deepest anger and resent- ment. The offer, however, of such a princely income was refused by Mrs. Fitzherbert on the ground that she was indepen- dent before her union with the Prince, and that a mere addition to her fortune should never induce her to break off a connection on which the chief happiness of her life was founded. Another attempt was, therefore, made to shake the reso- lution of the lady ; and this was the offer of the rank of an English Duchess 5 but to this Mrs. Fitzherbert replied, that a rank of that kind, however exalted it might appear, would, were she to retire to the continent, operate rather to her disadvantage than to her favor. The mere possession of it, considering that she had not been nor ever would be 166 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. received as a duchess at the Court of St. James', would not procure her admission into any of the continental Courts, at which she would be regarded as rather the repudi- ated mistress of the Prince than a lady of exalted rank, worthy to be received within the circles of the foreign nobility. Still, there was one condition on which she might be induced to accept of the offers proposed to her ; but she knew well that it was a condition to which it was impos- sible to accede $ and that condition was that her marriage with the Prince should be acknowledged, but that it was set aside on the grounds of its illegality. She should then be able to appear at the foreign courts with an unblem- ished character, which were the only amends that could be made for her forced expatriation, and the relinquishment of that society which was her only solace in the painful trials which she had undergone from the calumniating disposi- tion of the world. That the Prince's party were at the bottom of this imprac- ticable condition may be perceived $ the marriage of the Prince, according to the constitutional laws of the country, was not an event at all favorable to their views, although they were, at the same time, aware that it was an event in the serious contemplation of the sovereign, and that indi- viduals were then actually employed at the Courts of the Protestant princes of Germany to point out an individual worthy to receive the hand of the heir apparent to the crown of England. The manner in which these offers to Mrs. Fitzherbert were received by the Prince may be gathered from the following discourse : In regard to the following scene, the authenticity of it may perhaps be questioned by those who are ignorant of the manner in which the secret transactions of a royal pal- ace, notwithstanding the vigilance that is used to prevent THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 167 it, sometimes obtain publicity.* That it will be perused with intense interest cannot for a moment be doubted $ nor will the impression that it will leave on every mind, in regard to the honor and veracity of certain individuals who are impli- cated in the business, be easily effaced. The Prince was one morning seated in his cabinet, when Mrs. Fitzherbert was announced. She entered, holding in her hand a newspaper, which proved to be the Morning Post of December 15, 1788. The Prince rose, advanced to meet her, and offered her his hand to conduct her to a seat, but she rejected it with disdain, and, throwing herself on the sofa, burst into a flood of tears. Nothing could exceed the astonishment of His Royal Highness. He intreated her, in the most tender and engaging accents, to disclose the cause of her uneasiness that he might at least be allowed to share her distress if it were beyond his power to remove it. Though relieved by tears, the conflict was too severe to be sustained by her tender frame ; the contending passions triumphed, and she * Huish says : During the time that the Memoirs of the Princess Char- lotte, and the Life of George III, were passing through the press, I had sev- eral interviews with Sir Benjamin, now Lord Bloomfield, and the present Sir Frederick Watson, at Carlton House; and on niy mentioning certain circumstances that had come to my knowledge respecting the former illus- trious individual, Lord Bloomfield significantly asked me by what m«ans I had arrived at the knowledge of those facts ; and, after expressing his sur- prise at the extraordinary manner in which the subjects of his private con- ferences with the Prince Regent had sometimes transpired, his Lordship informed me that he was one day closeted with His Royal Highness on business of great private importance, and that he was certain there was no one who could possibly overhear their conversation, as there were two rooms with double closed doors intervening between that in which they were sitting and that in which the pages and other officers were in close attend- ance, "and yet," said he, "to my utter astonishment, the subject of our con- ference was publicly known two days afterwards." He finished by saying, "that he never did believe in invisible agency, but if anything could prompt him to believe in it, it was that circumstance." 168 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. sank into the Prince's arms. Eestoratives were immedi- ately called for by the Prince, which were brought by one of the pages,* who was commanded immediately to retire. On recovery, Mrs. Fitzherbert appeared languid and unable to speak, and for what length of time she might have remained in that condition it were impossible to say, had not the Prince pressed her lips with fervor and effect. It was not the cold embrace of compliment — the kiss of wed- ded indifference — but the seal of attachment, the impression of a youth who had kept a Lent of love. " And now, my dearest Fitzherbert," said the Prince, u whence arose this mighty commotion ? my heart informs me that I merit not cold reserve. If love and constancy be virtues of estimation, I am entitled to a candid avowal, for, indeed, I love you with increasing ardor, and the power which terminates my attachment will stop my breath." The Prince enfolded her in his arms and harmony was restored. Mrs. Fitzherbert placed in his hands the news- paper, andj smiling, asked him whether the provocation was not sufficient. The Prince took the paper and read aloud : " A very extraordinary circumstance has recently occur- red, which will probably be the means of delaying, for some time, the final and complete arrangement of the intended blue and buff Administration (the colors of Mr. Fox). This impediment originates with Mr. Fox $ and, were there not more of popular artifice than principle in it, it would be more honorable to his character than perhaps any part of his conduct that had before attracted public notice. " The memorable declaration of Mr. Fox, in the House of * We do not exactly point to this page as having been the instrument of this important conversation being made public, although it has been published that he concealed himself behind a screen for the purpose of overhearing it- A celebrated bookseller, living in St. James' street, could have thrown som© light upon this business. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KENG. 169 Commons, on the subject of a marriage between a certain great character and a lady well known in the higher cir- cles, cannot but be fresh in the memory of almost every individual in the kingdom. "That connection, on account of the difference in relig- ious principles, appears to Mr. Fox fraught with probable mischief to his measures ; he has, therefore, declared his positive resolution not to take any part in the intended new ministry until the exact limits of that connection are satisfactorily denned, as he has now reason to believe that it is of a more coercive and permanent nature than he was once induced to imagine and announce. " To annul the grounds of Mr. Fox's objection, no less a sum than the annual allowance of £20,000 has been offered to the lady on condition of her retiring to the continent. This the lady has positively refused, expressing her firm determination to abide by an authority that she is said to hold forth as unanswerable and inalienable. "A character,* who has lately started forth into oratori- cal consequence, is the negotiator in this important busi- ness, who, finding the lady obstinate, has offered, in addi- tion to the enormous income above mentioned, the rank of an English duchess ! "The lady, however, firmly resists all these alluring temptations, urging that she was in circumstances entirely independent previously to her being induced to coincide with that condition from which she is resolute not to recede as character is of much greater importance to her than affluence, however abundant, if attended with the depriva- tion of that rank to which slie holds herself entitled. 71 The Prince, having finished the perusal of the passage, threw down the paper with indignation, exclaiming, " And do you suppose that I am within the possibility of counte- * We suppose that Mr. Rolle is here alluded to, who was afterwards ele- vated to a peerage in consequence of his conduct in this important affair. 8 170 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. nancing an action so infamous in its principle, and disgrace- ful in its consequences 1 Do you believe me to be so super- latively wicked as to drive that woman, to whom I have been so solemnly pledged at the altar, to a miserable exile ; — so barbarous, so abandoned, as to sacrifice her to the wretched pageantry of a Court ? What have you ever wit- nessed in my conduct to justify the bare suggestion ? I hope my heart is animated by nobler views — by more exalted sentiments 5 it is J, madam, who have reason to complain !" His Royal Highness pronounced the last period with an emphasis that alarmed Mrs. Fitzherbert, and she instantly replied: "Forgive the weakness of my sex 5 I dreaded lest approaching greatness should make my George un- mindful of his vows — I did not attribute the brutal outrage to your direction. There is no suffering that I would not encounter with fortitude to serve you, and of that, I think, I have given sufficient proof already." The Prince, in a tone of dignity and tenderness, requested to be informed to what instance of experienced suffering she alluded. " To my silent acquiescence in Mr. Foots denial of our union." u My dear Fitzherbert," said the Prince, seizing her hand, " must I reiterate my solemn asseveration 1 Am I un- worthy of credit ? Once more, then, I protest, by all that is dear and sacred, that Fox's denial of our union was without my concurrence — without even my knowledge." (A down- right lie.) " And did Sheridan and Burke act without your autho- rity?" " On my honor they did," answered the Prince 5 "do you conceive that I would sacrifice a defenceless female, and that female the partner of my bed and the sovereign of my affections, for money ?■ Perdition seize the idea ! I informed THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 171 you long ago of the true motives of Fox's conduct. I stood engaged for numerous sums ; £10,000 to , £36,000 to , £9,000 to , beside £70,000 on bond, and innumer- able lesser sums, with weighty arrears to my tradesmen and household. Now, Fox was apprised of the scrupulous economy of the county members ; he was also alarmed at an opinion in circulation that the Protestant cause was in danger from my marriage with a Papist j and, for sundry other reasons, which he stated in his apology at Carlton House, he deemed it conclusive to my interest to declare that the report of our marriage originated in treason and falsehood." " And the denial of that marriage," said Mrs. Fitzherbert, " indisputably originated in the personal interests of Fox and his associates?' I am confounded at his assurance. May Heaven, in its mercy, protect the kingdom from his intrigues. Illustrious depravity ! It is impossible to pay a tribute to his abilities without doing violence to his honor. Every compliment to his head is a tacit accumulation of infamy on his heart. 77 "Give- me leave," said the Prince, "to extenuate the criminality of my denial as far as it respects any intention of ultimate injustice to you. Fox knew that the union had been properly solemnized. He was present, and so was Burke. He knew, also, that? it was my determination, on acceding to the throne, to repeat the ceremony necessary to your coronation 5 hence he fancied it would be better on the whole to take refuge in the expedient which has so justly offended you, for admitting in candor that he was influenced by the best intentions in the world ; he ought certauily to have consulted me on the occasion, and I trust you will do me the justice to believe that I should not have forgotten your happiness and my own honor if I had been doomed, in consequence, to the income of a private gentleman for life." 172 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. " I have never ," said Mrs. Fitzherbert, " given attention to a single thought unfavorable to your disinterested mag- nanimity ; but, I confess, I have my fears of becoming an object of popular abhorrence on the ground of religion." " It is impossible, my dear Fitzherbert," said the Prince, " to control the multitude by argument — I mean in matters of devotion ; but it will be laughable enough if either you or I incur censure for a predilection to any particular system of faith. We might reasonably have expected long ago to be traduced for impiety, for I believe, Fitzherbert, you have not been at mass since our union." <\Nb," replied Mrs. Fitzherbert, "nor do I purpose to attend the celebration any more. The Catholic faith was the religion of my ancestors, and of those men to whom I gave my hand ; and I conceive it to be cruel in the extreme to reproach me for conforming to practices in which I was educated, and which coincided with the devotional senti- ments of my dearest friendships. I am now in a new relation of life, and disposed to consult the honor and hap- piness of my present connections ; and, on this occasion, I conceive that my duty and my interest flow in the same channel. Not that religion is a matter of indifference — far from it. It is the heart which constitutes the essence of true religion; without it ceremonies are absurd, and with it they are unnecessary ; at least they form so unimportant a part of public and private devotion, that I can conscien- tiously conform, and I will conform, to the established modes of the realm. Besides, I have no present objection to share my George's fate in future life ; the idea of a separation, even there, is painful." The Prince smiled, and returned the compliment with a kiss $ and then said, " I entreat you, my love, make yourself perfectly easy as to anything else. I am at liberty to marry whom I please, when regent or sovereign 5 and, if I offer my hand to any other woman on earth, may the THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 173 resentment of mankind record my infamy, and make it immortal ! " A very erroneous idea has gone abroad respecting the privity of Mr. Fox to the marriage of the Prince, and it has been stated by a contemporary that Mr. Fox was actually duped into a denial of the marriage by a letter from the Prince himself, and that Mr. Fox never forgave the false- hood which had been practised on him j and, further, that the Prince never could prevail upon himself to forgive Mr. Fox for having so much to pardon. Now, the real state of the case is that the only and greatest dupe in the whole affair was John Bull himself. In every word that Fox ut- tered, tending to deny the marriage, he was making a dupe of the English nation. And, although he was bold enough to declare that he had a letter from the Prince himself dis- avowing the marriage, no one ever saw nor read it but Fox himself. The fact was that no such letter was ever written. And when Fox was pressed by the opposite party to pro- duce so jmportant a document, he sheltered himself behind the plea of breach of confidence — that it would be a stain upon his honor to deliver it up, and that it was an insult tacitly offered to him even to suspect him of so reprehensi- ble an act. The supposed existence, however, of such a letter tended, in a great degree, to allay the ferment, and to confirm the belief that the marriage of the parties was a story vamped up for some political purpose, and had been circulated by the enemies of the Prince to injure him in the estimation of the country. It is, however, certain that the conduct of Fox was regarded by Mrs. Fitzherbert with the highest marks of her displeasure. And it may also be stated that it operated in some degree to establish a coolness between bim and her- self on the grounds of some lurking suspicion that the dis- avowal of the marriage by Fox was sanctioned by the 174 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Prince, and therefore she conld not look npon herself in any other light than as a victim to the views of an inter- ested and deeply designing party. Mrs. Fitzherbert was at this time living in a mansion in Park Lane, which was furnished by the Prince in a style exceeding oriental magnificence. The Prince's presents to her of jewellery, of which we shall have to speak hereafter, were said even to exceed the stores of diamonds possessed by Caroline herself, avowedly the greatest collection of diamonds in Europe, and to whom the King had given, on one occasion alone, a case of those precious stones which cost £50,000. The Queen, however, had received sets of diamonds as presents from Warren Hastings, from the Nabob of Arcot, and from the Mzam, and it is certain that Mrs. Fitzherbert's diamonds could not have equalled these. It is, however, unquestionably true that these extravagant presents to Mrs. Fitzherbert, and to some other ladies for whose favor the Prince was a candidate, tended to involve him in those pecuniary embarrassments which ultimately brought npon him disgrace and ruin. The extreme partiality which the Queen always mani- fested for the Prince, in preference to any other of her children, was a subject of general notoriety. It was not the profligate course of life which he pursued — it was not his wanderings into every path which could lead to scenes of dissipation and libertinism — it was not his open and avowed opposition to the counsels of his royal father, which could effect any diminution in her affection for him 5 but what the combined force of all these circumstances could not achieve was nearly brought to pass by a sup- posed insult offered to her dignity by the public appear- ance of Mrs. Fitzherbert in those quarters where royalty sometimes condescended to appear. The countenance which was openly given to that celebrated lady by families of the highest distinction, and who were the regular at- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 175 tendants at Court, had been long a subject of secret annoy- ance to some of the female branches of the royal family, but more particularly so to the Queen herself, who saw, or thought she saw, in the open and public acknowledgment of Mrs. Fitzherbert, the groundwork of the contamination of her Court, by her being obliged to receive at it those individuals who were known to be the constant associates of the mistress of the Prince, and of some other ladies whose virtue stood on very questionable grounds. To shut the doors of the drawing rooms against such females as the Duchesses of Devonshire and Gordon would have been an act which could not have failed to have involved her in the most serious differences with those noble families ; and yet, according to the principle of noscitur a sociis, those ladies were the constant companions of Mrs. Fitzherbert, and to whom she appeared almost as a divinity, at whose shrine they bent their knee, as the chosen object of their adora- tion. On viewing the matter, therefore, in this light, nei- ther the Duchess of Gordon nor of Devonshire, nor any other of those noble ladies who were the associates of Mrs. Fitzherbert, were proper persons to be received at the pure and immaculate Court of St. James'. To enter into a full detail of the various intrigues, which were now set on foot to break off all connection between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert, would be to exhibit a sys- tem of the most unwearied machination unparalleled in the j)rivate history of the individuals. Offers of the most princely kind were made to her to leave the country, but, finding all these rejected, recourse was had to threats, which involved her personal existence. She was menaced with the whole power of the Government to prove her guilty of high treason $ she was threatened with prosecu- tions on account of her pecuniary difficulties, and these threats were actually put in force, the effects of which, however, ultimately recoiled on the promoters of them 5 for 176 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. to whom else could Mrs. Fitzherbert apply in her pecuniary difficulties than to the Prince ? And whatever the sacrifice might be which he was called upon to make on these occa- sions, the money was always procured, and thereby helped to swell the amount of his debts, which the nation was called upon in a short time afterwards to pay. Connected with these heavy drains on his finances, we are enabled to state the following fact, on the authority of the individual who was the principal agent in the business : The person of Mrs. Fitzherbert was one morning taken in execution for a debt of £1,825, the Prince being in the house at the time. The writ being returnable on the morrow, and no bail being available, the money must be paid, or the lady convej^ed to prison. The Prince lost not a moment in making the application to his customary resources, but they appeared to be, most unaccountably, hermetically closed against him. In some instances the most shallow excuses were returned ; in others, the impossibility of supplying so large a sum on so short a notice, all of which the Prince knew to be false, and, therefore, he began justly to suspect that there was some secret machinery at work fco prevent the necessary supplies from being advanced. In this emer- gency Mr. Celi was despatched to an eminent pawnbroker in Fleet street,* who at that time was in the habit of lend- * We are indebted to the same authority for the following humorous anec- dote of this pawnbroker, in some of his pecuniary transactions with Sheridan. That celebrated man had, at one time, disposed of all his personal property, with the exception of a horse, which had been presented to him by the Prince of Wales, and in the exigency of the moment he applied to the pawnbroker to advance him £50 on the horse, he agreeing to pay for the keep until the animal was redeemed. It was a species of pledge that had never been offered to the pawnbroker before, and he at first refused to receive it; but, on Sheridan undertaking to redeem it within a month, the £50 was advanced. Month after month, however, elapsed, and the horse was not redeemed, the pawnbroker receiving, as usual, from Sheridan his promises that in a few days the horse should be taben off his hands. Sheridan, however, had made THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. 177 ing large sums of money to the nobility on their plate and jewels, and who was the actual holder of the celebrated jewels of the Duchess of Devonshire, the publicity of which hurried her prematurely to her grave. On the present occasion Mr. Parker, the pawnbroker, lost no time in repair- ing to Park Lane, where the unfortunate lady was in the custody of the sheriff's officers, and here a new difficulty presented herself in the way of her emancipation. The harpies of the law objected to any part of the plate or jewels being deposited in the hands of Mr. Parker until their demand was satisfied. On the other hand, the wily pawn- broker refused to advance the money until the property was placed in his hands, as he did not know but there might be other actions in reserve, for the liquidation of which the property in the house might turn out to be inadequate. Under these circumstances a person was secretly despatched to Carlton House, with instructions to bring away with him a particular casket, which contained the Prince's state jewels, which, although exceeding in value ten times the amount of the sum which he had to pay, was borne away by the pawnbroker to his depository in Fleet street, but which, however, was redeemed on the following day by an advance which the Prince obtained from the wealthy Jew in St. Mary Axe. no stipulation that the pawnbroker should make any use of his horse, but lie was frequently seen riding it about town, and especially to and from his country house at Chapham. This intelligence was conveyed to Sheridan, and oa the following week, when he went to redeem his horse, the charges for principal, keep, interest, etc., am<5unted to £80. "Aye, but," said Sheridan, " I have got a set-off against you ; you were to keep my horse, not ride it ; but I'll let you off cheaply, there is your £50, the sum advanced, and I will only charge you £30 for your pleasant rides, and now we are quits, Parker." The pawnbroker looked confounded ; he knew the law was on the side of Sheri- dan, and, seeing himself completely outwitted, he quietly gave up possession of the animal, determining never to take any horse again as a pledge — at least, not from Sheridan. 8* 178 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. To return to the original subject. The object which chiefly engrossed the attention of the public at this time was the trial of Warren Hastings, and on one occasion the Queen, with the Princess Elizabeth, Augusta, and Mary, made their appearance in the Duke of Newcastle's box. The Queen was attended by the Duchess of Ancaster, Lady Holdernesse, and Lord Aylesbury ; and, as she came with- out state, the usual etiquette was dispensed with, allowing those ladies, and the young daughters of Lady Lincoln, to sit on the same seat with her. The royal box in Westmin- ster Hall was on the right hand of the Chancellor 5 on the left was the box for the Princes, and the one contiguous to it was appropriated to the nobility. On the entrance of the Queen into the royal box, that which was set apart for the nobility was nearly empty ; but on a sudden a personage appeared in it, towards whom every eye was soon directed, and this personage was no other than Mrs. Fitzherbert. The look of indignation which the Queen cast upon her is represented to have been as deep and severe as it was pos- sible for the human countenance to assume, and, after addressing a few words to Lady Holdernesse, she rose with all the pride of offended majesty, and retired from the box. This extraordinary conduct on the part of the Queen excited the utmost astonishment, for the proceedings of the day had not yet commenced, and, therefore, some very powerfnl cause must have operated upon her to induce her to take so sudden a departure from a scene which she was come expressly to witness, without even waiting for the com- mencement of it. The most contradictory rumors were immediately afloat, but, strange to say, not one of them ever approached the truth 5 and the prevalent one was that the King had been suddenly taken ill, and required the attendance of the Queen. In a short time, however, the Prince entered the box appropriated for the princes of the blood, and immediately entered into conversation with Mrs. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 179 Fitzherbert. By the apparently forcible manner in which that lady expressed herself, it was evident that something had incurred her high displeasure ; and her frequent allu- sion by signs to the royal box betrayed that the cause of her displeasure arose from that quarter. The Prince in a short time retired, but Mrs. Fitzherbert remained until the close of the ceremony. The Prince immediately returned to Carlton House, where he had scarcely arrived before the following note was delivered to him. It was dated Buckingham House, Feb- ruary 13, 1790 : " The Queen takes the earliest opportunity of expressing to the Prince of Wales her high sense of displeasure at the very marked affront which has been offered to her by the very unseasonable intrusion of a certain lady at the trial of Warren Hastings. It is the opinion of the Queen that that lady should have been prevented from exhibiting herself in the royal presence, under the peculiar circumstances in which she is placed in regard to His Koyal Highness. The sentiments which the Queen is so well known to entertain on that subject should have had their proper influence on the mind of the Prince of Wales, not still further to wound the feelings of his royal mother by exposing her to the personal society of an individual for whom she cannot-entertain the slightest respect or esteem. "The very ambiguous and mysterious relation in which the Prince of Wales stands in regard to the lady in question will always have its becom- ing weight in the mind of the Queen, to prevent her acknowledging her, ar any of her associates, at the Court over which she presides." The Prince no sooner read this extraordinary epistle than, in a sudden ebullition of passion, he tore it into pieces and threw them on the ground. He then immediately despatched a messenger for Sheridan, who was found at Brookes' slowly recovering from the debauchery q£ the preceding night, and in no very fit state to appear before his royal patron. He, however, immediately obeyed the summons, and, on his en- tering the private apartment of the Prince, he found him pacing the room to and fro in the highest state of exas- peration. The Prince had succeeded in collecting the 180 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. fragments of the letter, and it lay in a legible form on the table. "There, Sheridan," said the Prince, as the former entered the room, "read that letter, and tell me what answer I am to send." Sheridan pernsed the letter. "There's the devil's cloven foot in this," said he, "but we'll pose Her Majesty. She speaks of a certain lady, but whom are we to understand that she means by such an ambiguous phrase ? It may be Moll Flanders or Bet Bounce. Call upon Her Majesty first to explain herself as to the identical lady whom she means, and, I think, it may be the means of stifling the business altogether, for Her Majesty will pause before she commits the name to writing. Besides, it would be a very impolitic act in your. Eoyal Highness to pretend to know to whom Her Majesty alludes, as it would be a tacit acknowledgment that you do actually stand in a particular relation with the lady in question." The Prince saw something very plausible and dexterous in this advice of Sheridan, and the latter indited the follow- ing answer, which was transmitted forthwith to Bucking- ham House : " The Prince of Wales loses not a moment in acknowledging the receipt of a letter from the Queen, in which she expresses herself in very strong terms on a supposed affront offered to Her Majesty by the appearance of a certain lady at the trial of Warren Hastings. As the Prince is not acquainted with any lady over whom he possesses such an undisputed right of control as to fix a personal restraint upon her actions, much less to be made accountable for them, His Royal Highness respectfully submits to the Queen the neces- sity of Her Majesty being more explicit in regard to the individual who has given the offence, in order that the Prince may have some decided grounds to determine how far he ought to be called upon to enter into any further explanation on the subject of Her Majesty's letter. "Carlton House, Feb. 13, 1791." In the course of the evening of the same day the follow- ing note was left at Carlton House: THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 181 " I am commanded by Her Majesty the Queen to acknowledge the receipt of a note from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in answer to a note written by Her Majesty, complaining of the insult which was this morning offered to her in Westminster Hall. As the answer of His Royal Highness is considered by the Queen as whoUy evasive, Her Majesty, con- sistently with her dignity, is under the painful necessity of declining to see the Prince of "Wales until an assurance has been given that the insult shall not be repeated. " (Signed) Aylesbury. " To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, etc., " Carlton House." This note was conveyed to the Prince at Brookes'. The following may be considered as the root of the quar- rel which subsequently occurred between the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert : Amongst the most intimate friends of Mrs. Fitzherbert was the truly amiable and virtuous Miss Paget j the most interesting and sympathetic connection had long subsisted between them — the foul breath of calumny had never tainted her character — her virtue could only be equalled by her beauty, and her talents and perfections were the theme of universal panegyric. Bruyere, in his immortal work, where he paints the manners and characters of the age in which he lived, acknowledges the power of the female sex over the heart of man. Our habits and manners are greatly influenced by our connection with them, and they assume a higher degree of polish in proportion as the sphere of our intercourse with them is enlarged. It is, how- ever, not only within the circle of a Court that this influence is predominant, it pervades all the different gradations of society. Its empire is universally triumphant, and perhaps in the annals of human history there never was a more 'abject slave to it than the Prince. The languishing look of a woman's eye, dissolving in love and desire, was to him what the moonbeam is to the mariner on a stormy night $ it was a picture, he was wont to say, that he could gaze on with 182 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. delight for ever; and although, in some respects, he could not but consider woman as nature's most beautiful error, yet ifc was his pride to confess that he loved that error more than truth itself. It is a dangerous thing for a woman, let her stand either in the relation of a wife or a concubine, to have a beautiful girl as her companion. The eye of the husband or the friend will, at times, wanton over that beauty; the lynx- eyed keenness of a woman's passion will soon detect the roving glance, and jealousy, with its attendant brood of evils, springs up to annihilate every vestige of earthly hap- piness. That the beauty of Miss Paget should fail to make an impression on the Prince could never be expected by any one in the least conversant with the susceptibility of the heart of the Prince ; but, in his endeavors to obtain a con- quest over her virtue, his failure was complete. Neverthe- less, it was evident to Mrs. Fitzherbert that some negotia- tions were pending between Miss Paget and the Prince ; and, as she could not discover their exact tendency, their probability was taken into the account, and, consistently with the opinion which is generally formed on such occa- sions, they could only refer to one point, and that point was one of all others most likely to excite her indignation. " Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of Holy Writ ;", and it must be allowed that the following discovery was sufficient to arouse the jealousy even of the most placid female. It was well known to Mrs. Fitzherbert that an epistolary correspondence had been for a short time carried on between Miss Paget and the Prince ; but of the import of it Mrs. Fitzherbert was wholly ignorant. Nevertheless, it THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. £83 was the cause of great uneasiness to her, for to what other subject could it refer than to the expression of a mutual attachment ; indeed, not the most distant idea entered the head of Mrs. Fitzherbert that it could have the least refer- ence to a transaction of a private and confidential nature, in which Miss Paget was acting a part in perfect accord- ance with the well known generosity of her disposition. Jealousy is generally allied with meanness; for there is scarcely any action so low or so base to which that passion will not stoop to obtain its end. To arrive at the precise knowledge of the subject of the correspondence of Miss Paget and the Prince, one method presented itself by which it might be accomplished, and that was the inter- ception of one of the letters from either of the parties. In a very short time the following letter from Miss Paget fell into the hands of Mrs. Fitzherbert : " Park Street, Sept, 11, 1192. " Miss Paget regrets that it is not in her power to comply with the wishes of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to their full extent ; but in a matter of sojnuch delicacy, and in which the character of His Royal High- ness is at stake, there is not anything which Miss Paget would not under- take to accomplish the purpose which he has in view, and thereby contrib- ute to his personal happiness. As secrecy in matters of this kind is of the greatest moment, if His Royal Highness will confer the honor on Miss Paget of meeting her at the faro table of the Duchess of Cumberland, on Tuesday night, the business may be arranged, perhaps, to the entire satisfaction of His Royal Highness. " To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Carlton House." The jaundiced eye invests every object with one color j and the construction which Mrs. Fitzherbert put upon this letter was, perhaps, only such as every other jealous woman would have put. In the compliance of Miss Paget to " the wishes of His Royal Highness ," Mrs. Fitzher- bert read nothing less than the surrender of her person; 184 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. and the secrecy which was enjoined confirmed her in that opinion. The assignation at the faro table of the Duchess of Cumberland was the climax; it was the copestone of the intrigue 5 and with the art and cunning natural to woman in cases of this kind, Mrs. Fitzherbert placed so much violence upon her feelings as not to exhibit any signs of her displeasure, nor to betray, by any innuendo or remark, that she was in any degree privy to the intrigue which was going on between her dear friend Paget and her still dearer friend the Prince ; but, in order to entrap them in their iniquity, she determined to repair to the faro table of the duchess on the night appointed in the letter; and she then doubted not that she should arrive at the full knowl- edge of the design which they had in view. The mansion of the Duchess of Cumberland in Pall Mall was at this time the resort of all the elegance and fashion in town. Her faro table was most numerously attended ; consequently, the profits arising from it were very consid- erable. The Duchess, with the assistance of her lovely and amiabte sister, Lady Emily Luttrell, conducted it with all imaginable decorum, never losing sight, however, of the main chance ; and a noble harvest they made of the opu- lent pigeons that frequented it. Mrs. Fitzherbert and the Duchess were at this time almost inseparable ; and to sup- pose that the former — thus honored, thus beloved — was living in a state of fornication would have been a most atrocious libel, not only on herself but on all the most ami- able and august personages who frequented the same society. The expected evening came, and Mrs. Fitzherbert and Miss Paget drove to the house of the Duchess of Cumber- land. The company was uncommonly numerous; pleasure and gaiety seemed to sit on every countenance, though, now and then, the sullen frown and the deep gloom of the luckless gambler intruded themselves as a striking con' THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 185 trast to the open, merry countenances of the youthful visit- ors who had not yet bent their knee at the shrine of the Paphian godess. It was nearly ten o'clock before the Prince arrived— the magnet of attraction — the Adonis of the scene. His conduct towards Mrs. Fitzherbert in public was always distinguished by the most respectful attention, approaching very nearly to the most studied formality. To view them in company the casual observer would have considered them as individuals remotely acquainted, and between whom no intimate connection could ever have possibly existed. A formal acknowledgment was sometimes all that passed between them, and each of them frequently took their departure without bestowing on one another the slightest mark of their respect. This formality, apparently agreed upon between them, enabled the Prince to be more profuse in his attentions in other quarters ; nor did the prima donna of his affections appear to resent the profuse manner in which he lavished his incense at the shrine of some glowing beauty, and where she well knew the conquest of her virtue was the sole aim of his adoration. On this evening, however, a positive assignation had been made, and there is scarcely anything in which a woman triumphs with more malicious joy than in the detection of a rival, and especially if that rival should be in any degree within the influence of her power. The house of the Duchess of Cumberland, although not so extensive nor magnificent as some others of the noble faro table keepers, yet it was universally acknowledged that it was not surpassed by any in convenience. Where all under- stood the specific purpose of each apartment, interruption was never feared, and the prima donna with trembling anxiety looked forward to the moment when her bosom friend, whose virtue had hitherto stood as firm as the rock in the ocean, though assailed by the most tempestuous bil- 186 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. lows, was to be led away u to satisfy the wishes of Sis Royal Highness , although not to their full extent." Every motion of the falling culprit was watched with the same keenness with which the basilisk watches its prey. At last the Prince was observed to accompany Miss Paget from the principal rooin, and so thoroughly was the conviction now impressed upon the mind of the infuriated lady that she had detected the virtuous Paget, her dearest and most confidential friend, in an amorous intrigue with her own property, that she immediately ordered her carriage and drove home, leaving the supposed culprit to find her way after her in the best possible manner she could. On the following morning Miss Paget was given to understand that the intimacy which had hitherto subsisted between Mrs. Fitzherbert and herself was at an end, and that it would be highly agreeable to the former lady if she would select for herself another place of residence. Con- founded with this most unexpected dismissal, Miss Paget requested a personal interview, as she was not conscious to herself that she had in any manner acted injuriously to the interests of the offended lady, nor in opposition to the prin- ciples of virtue or of rectitude. The interview was refused, nor did the offended lady condescend to assign any reason for her apparently harsh and unjustifiable conduct. In this dilemma Miss Paget applied to the Prince to intercede in her behalf, and at least to obtain from Mrs. Fitzherbert a distinct avowal of the causes which had conspired to estrange them from each other. It is, however, certain that Miss Paget could not have selected an individual more improper to espouse her cause than the Prince himself ; but he immediately undertook the office, and, on his entrance into the apartment of Mrs. Fitzherbert, he evidently saw, by the sullen frown that sat upon the beautiful countenance of the lady, that a storm was raging within, which was soon to burst upon him with all the fury of the woman who has THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 187 detected her lover in an act of infidelity. The Prince heard the charge against him with the utmost indignation ; but it is reported that the lady so far transgressed the rules of decorum and good breeding as to throw a cup of coffee into his face, and then, by way of climax, to declare that she would accept of the offers which had been made to her, and leave the country forever. There is a secret pride in conscious innocence which enables it to rise superior to every aspersion which can be thrown upon it, and to bring discomfiture and disgrace on all those who, by the restlessness of some predominant passion, have attempted to throw over it the darkest shades of guilt and criminality. The Prince, as it may be easily imagined, was no stranger to the female character, and he well knew that to restrain the volubility of a woman's tongue, at a moment when she is smarting with the pangs of jealousy, were a task as hopeless of success as to check a rocket in its ascending flight. He, therefore, very wisely suffered the storm to exhaust itself before he entered upon his justification. But when he was shown the copy of the intercepted letter as confirmatory proof of his infidelity and of his secret amour with Miss Paget, his indignation then could be no longer controlled, and he gloried in the oppor- tunity which was given him of humbling the infuriated dame and of exposing the folly and injustice of her conduct in their most glaring colors. " It is true," said the Prince, " that Miss Paget declares in her note her regret that she cannot satisfy my wishes to their full extent. The construction which the jealousy of your disposition has put upon that passage may be easily imagined, but it is in direct variance with truth. You know my embarrassments — you also know that I am in danger of having even my horses and carriage taken in ex- ecution in the open streets if I do not come to some imme- diate settlement of Gray's account. I have completely 188 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. exhausted my own resources ; the sale of my racing stud has produced me comparatively a mere trifle. In fact, -when the necessary expenses are defrayed of my establish- ment at Newmarket, there will not be the surplus of a pound. The connections of Paget I know to be opulent^ and I know also that she possesses resources from which a temporary assistance can be obtained. In my present embarrassment, I applied to her to obtain for me the loan of £10,000, and in her answer she tells me that she regrets that she cannot satisfy my wishes to the full extent. The secrecy she enjoins is no more than that general line of prudence which usually distinguishes pecuniary transac. tions, and the assignation at the Duchess of Cumberland's was nothing more than to inform me of the success of her application. On that night she delivered to me £7,000 in cash, and a negotiable security for the remaining £3,000. And now," concluded the Prince, " I leave you to the en- joyment of your feelings at the undeserved obloquy which you have thrown on the character of a virtuous and gener- ous girl, and I trust this circumstance will operate as a caution to you never to throw a stain upon the character of an individual before you are fully acquainted with all the secret springs of action, and have arrived at a genuine and undisguised exposition of the ruling motives." There is perhaps nothing more painful to a candid and generous mind than to find that, misled by false appear- ances, we have been heaping odium and censure on the actions of our friend, and then ultimately to discover that those very actions were richly deserving of our highest ap- probation and gratitude. In this situation Mrs. Fitzher- bert found herself in regard to Miss Paget $ she felt that she had wronged her — cruelly wronged her — and consist- ently with that most singular trait in the human character, Mrs. Fitzherbert, as the injurer, could not be easily brought to forgive Miss Paget, whereas the forgiveness lay entirely THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 189 on the part of the latter. By degrees, however, the offended pride of the haughty dame was gradually softened down, a reconciliation took place, and to the honor of the Prince it must be recorded that in a very short time the pecuniary obligation was satisfied. And when she after- wards became the wife of a general, who signalized himself in the Peninsular war, the Prince gave her away at the altar and made her a present of a diamond necklace (of the value of £2,000, of the people's money). The following letter of the Duke of Wellington contains his protest to breaking the seals of the packet deposited at Coutts' bank, to which reference has been made : " Walmer Castle, August 10, 1841. "My Lord: " When the late Mrs. Fitzherbert desired to receive from those who had possession of the papers of the late King George the Fourth, under authority of His Majesty's last will, all papers written by herself, or relating to herself, I considered that I performed a duty towards his then late Majesty G-eorge the Fourth, towards the sovereign on the throne, and the royal family, as well as to Mrs. Fitzherbert, and the public at large, by sub- mitting to that lady the proposition that all papers in the possession of those who had charge of the King's papers under authority of his last will, which related to Mrs. Fitzherbert, or were written or signed by herself, on the one hand, and all those in possession of Mrs. Fitzherbert which related to the late King George the Fourth, or were written or signed by himself, on the other, should be delivered up and destroyed in presence of the parties having possession of the same ; which was carried into execution accord- ingly at Mrs. Fitzherbert's house in Tilney street, in presence of Mrs. Fitz- herbert, myself and others, with the exception as follows : "Mrs. Fitzherbert expressed a strong desire to retain undestroyed par- ticular papers in which she felt a strong interest. I considered it my duty to consent to these papers remaining undestroyed, if means could be devised of keeping them as secret and confidential papers, as they had been up to that moment. " Mrs. Fitzherbert expressed an anxiety at least equal to that which I felt that those papers, although preserved, should not be made public. " It was agreed, therefore, that they should be deposited in a packet, and be sealed up under the seals of the Earl of Albemarle, your lordship, and myself, and lodged at Messrs. Coutts, the bankers. 190 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING!-. " Circumstances have, in some degree, changed since the death of Mrs. Fitzherbert ; but it is still very desirable to avoid drawing public attention to, and re-awakening the subject by, public discussion of the narrations to which the papers relate, which are deposited in the packet sealed up, to which I have above referred. And I am convinced that neither I nor any of the survivors of the royal family, of those who lived in the days in which these transactions occurred, could view with more pain any publication or discussion of them than would the late Mrs. Fitzherbert when alive. " Under these circumstances, and having acted conscientiously and upon honor throughout the affairs detailed in this letter, I cannot but consider it my duty to protest, and I do protest most solemnly, against the measure proposed by your lordship, that of breaking the seals affixed to the packet of papers belonging to the late Mrs. Fitzherbert, deposited at Messrs. Coutfcs, the bankers, under the several seals of the Earl of Albemarle, your lordship, and myself. " I have the honor to be, _, " My Lord, " Your Lordship's most faithful " and obedient humble servant, "The Lord Stourton, " Wellington." * u Allerton Park." Before the death of Mrs. Fitzherbert the most audacious attempt was made to obtain and destroy these papers in the interests of the King, and several frustrated attempts were publicly known. The most remarkable was that of Sir William "Knighton, as narrated in Greville's Memoirs, who forced his way into her bedroom when she was ill in bed, and it was this visit that led her to make a final disposition of the valuable documents. The united testimonies of the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Albemarle, and Lord Stourton establish the existence of the reserved papers at Coutts 7 bank. It is not probable that, in this investigating age, they can much longer be withheld from an inquisitive public. Mrs. Fitzherbert died at Brighton, March 29, 1837, and a handsome monument was erected to her memory by the Honorable Mrs. Darner. * Langdale's Memoir*. THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. 191 GtojrtM Jiftit- The Prince was subject to impulsive fits of generosity, in which his character would seem at variance with the mean and despicable acts which are inseparably connected with his name. He was one day so exceedingly urgent to have £800 in an hour on such a day, and in so unusual a manner, that the gentleman who furnished the supply had some curiosity to know for what purpose it was obtained. On inquiry he was informed that the moment the money arrived, the Prince drew on a pair of boots, pulled off his coat and waist- coat, slipped on a plain morning frock, without a star, and, turning his hair to the crown of his head, put on a slouched hat, and thus walked out. This intelligence raised still greater curiosity, and with some trouble the gentleman dis- covered the object of the mysterious visit. An officer of the army had just arrived from America with a wife and six children, in such low circumstances, that, to satisfy some clamorous creditor, he was on the point of selling his commission, to the utter ruin of his family. The Prince, by accident, overheard an account of the case. To prevent a worthy soldier suffering, he procured the money, and, that no mistake might happen, carried it himself. On asking at an obscure lodging house, in a court near Covent Garden, for one of the inmates, he was shown up to his room, and there found the family in the utmost distress. Shocked at the sight, he not only presented the money, but told the officer to apply to Colonel Lake, living in street, and 192 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A ETNG. give some account of himself in future ; saying which he departed, without the family knowing to whom they were obliged.* The pecuniary embarrassments of the Prince now pressed heavily upon him. The rebuilding of Carlton House, and the sumptuous decoration of the Pavilion, with a crowd of gay and profligate associates, could not fail to involve the Prince in debts, to the discharge of which his slender in- come was far from adequate. It was, to use Shenstone's simile, a large retinue upon a small income, which, like a cascade upon a small stream, tended to discover its tenuity. The Prince's style of living was splendid beyond a prece- dent ; his stud was the finest in Europe, but the exact reverse of profitable $ and his losses at the gaming table were reported to be immense. His debts amounted to nearly £300,000, and, as his creditors became very importu- nate, he laid his case before the King and solicited relief. A schedule of the Prince's debt was, by the King's command, soon laid before him $ but whatever might have been the nature of that document, some of the items were so incon- sistent with the strictly moral principles of George III ? that the negotiation ended in his positive refusal to assist the Prince, and the heir apparent gained nothing by his application but the unequivocal displeasure of the King. One of the items of this schedule was a debt due to Mr. Jefferys, the jeweller, for jewels and plate furnished to Mrs. Fitzherbert, to the amount of £54,000. The haughty indifference of the monarch and the minis- ter to the pressing claims of the Prince threw him entirely on the sympathy of the opposition. Mr. Pitt identified himself with the obstinacy of the father, while Mr. Fox * This incident may have furnished Sheridan the suggestion to make Charles Surface, in his " School for Scandal," send a portion of the money he raised, by selling the portraits of his ancestors, to a suppositious object of charity, when his anteroom was crowded with clamorous creditors.— Editob THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 193 and the opposition connected themselves with the irregu- larities of the son. One evil consequence that was on the point of resulting from the embarrassments of the Prince was his acceptance of a loan which the Duke of Orleans proffered him, and which would have the perilous tendency of placing the future sovereign of England in a state of dependence as a creditor on a Prince of France. The secret of the loan may be estimated by the fact, that the Duke agreed with the Prince that he was to receive a certain sum on his (the Prince) coming to the throne. The nominees of the Duke were two profligate females. This transaction, unequalled since the days of Charles II, put every party to great difficulties; and the friends of the King and the Prince were equally anxious to prevent the loan taking place, or being known to the public. The Prince was deeply in debt to many English noblemen, but they concealed the fact with great delicacy, whilst the Duke of Orleans, prompted by the vanity so natural to his nation, had industriously circulated the report about the English Prince being about to borrow money of him. The two women who were to receive the Prince's bond of pay- ment at his father's death gloried in circulating amongst the ijronigate coteries of the French Court the degrading obligations which their paramour had imposed on the Eng- lish crown. The Duke of Portland, as the friend of the "King, was zealous in stopping the transaction. On the 13th of De- cember, 1786, he writes to Mr. Sheridan : u I have received a confirmation of the intelligence. The particulars varied in no respect from those I related to you, except in the addition of a pension, which is to take place immediately on the event which entitles the creditors to payment, and is to be granted for life to a nominee of the Duke of Or- leans. The loan was mentioned in a mixed company, by two of the Frenchwomen and a Frenchman, in Calonne's 9 194 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. presence (then Minister of Finance,) who begged them, for God's sake, not to talk of it. I am going to Bulstrode, but will return at a moment's notice, if I can be of the least use in getting rid of this odious engagement," etc. Mr. Pitt was as pertinacious as the King in refusing any aid to the Prince, who was driven to more mortifying ex- pedients for money than had ever befallen a royal person- age. The following account, given in Jefferys' own words r will exhibit the degraded state to which he at this time was reduced for money : " The Prince sent for me to Carlton House, at a much earlier hour in the morning than he was accustomed to do, and, taking me into an inner apartment, with very visible marks of agitation in his countenance and manner, said he had a great favor to ask of me, which, if I could accom- plish, would be doing him the greatest service, and he should ever consider it accordingly. I replied that I feared what His Eoyal Highness might consider a great favor done towards him would be more than my limited means could accomplish ; but that in all I could do I was entirely at his service, and requested His Eoyal Highness to name his commands. "His Eoyal Highness then proceeded to state that a creditor of Mrs. Fitzherbert had made a very peremptory demand for the payment of about £1,600; that Mr. Welt' jee had been sent by His Eoyal Highness to the creditor making such demand, to desire it might be placed to the Prince's account. This, however, the creditor refused to do, on the ground that Mrs. Fitzherbert, being a woman of no rank nor consideration in the eye of the law, as to per- sonal privilege, was amenable to an immediate process r which was not the case with His Eoyal Highness. Tbio the Prince stated to have caused in his mind the greatest uneasiness, for fear of the consequences that might ensue, as it was not in the power of His Eoyal Highness to paj> THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 195 the money then, or to name an earlier period for so doing than three or four months. The request, therefore, which His Eoyal Highness had to make to me was, that I would interfere on the occasion, and prevent, if possible, any per- sonal inconvenience to Mrs. Fitzherbert, which would be attended with extreme mortification to His Eoyal High- ness. u I assured His Eoyal Highness that I would do all I could in the business, and I was appointed to attend with the result of my endeavors, at Carlton House, the next morning. I did attend as appointed, and presented the Prince of Wales with a receipt for the whole sum, £1,585 lis. 7d.j which I had that morning paid, being the only effectual means of pacifying the creditor, and removing from the mind of His Eoyal Highness the anxiety he ap- peared so strongly to labor under. " His Eoyal Highness was unbounded in his expressions of satisfaction at what I had so promptly accomplished ; and in the afternoon on the same day he came to my house in Piccadilly, and brought with him Mrs. Fitzherbert, for the express purpose, as His Eoyal Highness condescend- ingly said, that she might herself thank me for the great and essential service I had that morning rendered to her by the relief my exertions had produced in the minds of His Eoyal Highness and Mrs. Fitzherbert." The second instance, as related by Jefferys, does not place the character of His Eoyal Highness in the most favorable light. u Being once alone with His Eoyal Highness, he asked me if I had any money to spare for a few days. I replied that I had in my pocket £630, but that it was destined for a particular purpose, or I should not have had it about me ; however, as the request of His Eoyal Highness was only for a few days, any part of it was at his service. His Royal Highness took £420, and, thanking me in very warm 196 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. terms, assured me that I might rely on its return in ten days. I refused to take any memorandum for the supposed short loan of this money ; but for the return, which I ex- pected in ten days, I patiently waited considerably more than a year." Jefferys says that he frequently threw himself in the way of the Prince, hoping that his presence would remind him of the debt, but no notice was ever taken of it. We leave these facts to speak for themselves. It is true that an attempt was made to justify the conduct of the Prince, and as a sequitur to defame the character of Jefferys, by an anonymous pamphleteer, under the signature of Philo Yeritas 5 but, like many other zealous advocates, who, by attempting to prove too much, prove nothing at all, the cause and character of the Prince were rather injured than promoted. Now, finding that all his usual resources were exhausted, and that he was totally unable to meet the heavy and incessant demands which were made upon him from the establishment in Park Lane, and others of a more private and secret nature, he formed a resolution which was more loudly applauded and more strongly condemned than any action of his eventful life. Surrounded with pecuniary difficulties, and exasperated by the King's refusal to relieve them, he resolved to pursue a course which would have been wise in a private individual, but which in him, who was the depositary of the national honor, must be considered, at the best, as a very dubious virtue. It was an act similar to that of the pettish child who destroys all its playthings because it cannot exactly obtain a particular one on which it has set its heart. This resolution of the Prince was to live on an income of £10,000 a year, appropriating £40,000 annu- ally to the liquidation of his debts till all should be dis- charged. The answer of the King, declining, in the most peremptory THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 197 manner, to come forward with any relief of the Prince from his pecuniary embarrassments, was delivered to the Prince on the 4th of May, 1786, through the hands of Lord South- hampton, and the comments which a very able eulogist of the Prince makes upon this eventful period of his life are as follows : u The Prince no sooner received the King's answer than, with a promptitude that did honor to his spirit as a man, he took only one day to deliberate upon the conduct he should hold in this emergency. He then resolved, in jus- tice to his creditors, to curtail the establishment of his household, to abridge himself of every superfluous expense, and to set apart a large annual sum, to the amount of £40,000, for the liquidation of his debts. Nothing could be more generous, noble, and high spirited than the whole of this proceeding to honestly pay his debts. " But the Prince's notions of equity were far from stop- ping here. He had hitherto indulged in a passion frequent among persons of high rank — that of training running horses for Newmarket, and other places of public conten- tion of the same kind ; but in this emergency he scrupled not a moment to give up a favorite and an innocent (?) relaxation, the more speedily to satisfy the claims of his creditors. Accordingly, his racing stud, which had been formed with great judgment and expense, and which was looked upon as one of the most complete in the kingdom — his hunters, and even his coach horses, were sold by public auction, and produced the amount of seven thousand guineas l" It was a base and shallow artifice, on the part of the friends of the Prince, to restore him to that popularity which events had destroyed, and which, acting upon the humane and sympathetic feelings of the English people, they considered themselves certain of obtaining. The idea of a sale of horses and carriages to the amount of £7,350, to 198 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. be the means of stifling the claims of creditors of nearly £300,000, was too preposterous to be entertained for a moment, excepting by those who thought, if they could adduce one example of economy, they should obtain credit for all the others which were promised, but which were never acted upon 5 but, in furtherance of this spirit of retrenchment and economy, the eulogist of the Prince tells us, " that at the same time the buildings and interior dec- orations of Carlton House were stopped (we should wish to know when they were ever finished,) and some of the most considerable rooms shut up from use. The number of his attendants was also diminished ; but, with that thoughtful- ness and kind consideration which always distinguish a truly generous mind, care was taken to settle pensions on those who would otherwise have been reduced to distress on quitting the Prince's service. This trait in his character it would have been unpardonable not to have noticed, and, we add to it, that as he is a kind, provident, and indulgent master, so no Prince was ever more cordially and zealously beloved by his servants. In the shipwreck (if we may be allowed the term) of his fortunes, many of them made him a voluntary offer of their services free from every expense, and it was not without tears of reluctance, soothed with the promise of being taken again into his service whenever circumstances would admit of the reestablishment of his household, that these humble but faithful servants were prevailed on to quit the palace of this much loved Prince." a With this magnanimity of feeling did he think proper to retire from the splendor which belonged to his high sta- tion, rather than forfeit that character of honor and integ- rity which undoubtedly every man ought to consider him- self in pledging to his creditors, and which, above all others, should be sacred in the eyes of a prince." u But his conduct on this interesting occasion, far from receiving that just tribute of public approbation to which it THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 199 was so well entitled, from the noble-mindedness of its mo- tives, became a subject of various animadversion. In itself, undoubtedly, and taken abstractedly from any circumstance that had previously agitated the public mind relative to this illustrious personage, like that to which we have before alluded, it was entitled to the highest commendation." The first illness of the King in 1765, and the testimony of his medical attendants during its continuance, had prepared the nation for a return of the malady, which reappeared in 1789. No provision, however, had been made for such a contingency by the ministry, and the discussions which fol- lowed threatened to unsettle the Constitution itself. The friends of the Prince in the House of Commons insisted upon the right of the Prince to assume the reins of Govern- ment, regarding his father as politically dead. It is unne- cessary to repeat here with what splendid abilities his claims were explained and enforced. Fox, recalled from the continent, thundered his eloquent indignation against the opposers of the Prince. The versatility of Sheridan and the dazzling coruscations of his effulgent wit were taxed to the utmost of his commanding reason in his behalf, and Burke lavished the rich treasures of his oratory in keen and polished ridicule of the opposition. Pitt's views of the case were that no inherent right ex- isted in the Prince; but, as a matter of expediency, he thought the legislatve power might place the executive in the hands of the Prince, to be limited to the period of the King's recovery. The Prince, through the Lord Chancellor, expressed his trust to the wisdom and justice of Parliament when the subject, and the circumstances connected with it, should come under their deliberation. After several ineffectual attempts on the part of the friends of the Prince to modify the restrictions of the Eegency Bill, and to invest him with superior power, the two Houses agreed to resolutions invest- 200 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. ing him with, the Regency, withholding from him the right to grant any rank or dignity of the peerage, or of any office, pension, or salary, for any other term than during the King's pleasure. The care of the King's person, as in his previous illness, was committed to the Queen. The oratorical displays of Burke, Fox, and Pitt before Parliament during the discussion of the Regency Bill were brilliant and exhaustive, and constitute an important page in the political history of England, but are too voluminous for further reference in our work. The recovery of the King was announced to Mr. Pitt in the following manner: On the 23d of February, 1789, Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville were dining with Lord Chesterfield, when a letter was brought to the former, which he read, and, sitting next to Lord Melville, gave it him under the table, and whispered, that when he had looked at it, it would be better for them to talk it over in Lord Chesterfield's dressing room. This proved to be a letter in the King's own hand, announcing his recovery to Mr. Pitt, in terms some- what as follows : "The King renews, with great satisfaction, his communi- cation with Mr. Pitt, after the long suspension of their intercourse, owing to his very tedious and painful illness. He is fearful that, during this interval, the public interests have suffered great inconvenience and difficulty. u It is most desirable that immediate measures should be taken for restoring the functions of his Government. Mr. Pitt will consult with the Lord Chancellor to-morrow morn- ing upon the most expedient means for that purpose. The King will receive Mr. Pitt at Kew about one o'clock." There could be no hesitation on the part of Mr. Pitt ; and, having held the necessary conference with the Chancellor, he waited upon the King at the appointed time. He found him perfectly of sound mind, and in every respect, as before his illness, competent to all the affairs of his public station. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 201 This was the first notice, in any way, which Mr. Pitt received of this most important event ; the reports of the physicians had indeed been of late more favorable; bnt Lord Melville verily believed there was not a man, except I)r. Willis, who entertained the smallest hope of the resto- ration of the King's mind. Mr. Pitt continually declared this opinion to Lord Melville, and they had both determined to return to the bar, as the dissolution of the ministry was then on the point of taking place. The letter in question Lord Melville took from Mr. Pitt, saying he had a trick of losing papers, and furnished him only with a copy, the original remaining in his lordship's possession. The King wrote the letter at a little table of the Queen's which stood in his apartment, without the knowledge of any person ; and, having finished, rang his bell, and gave it to his valet de chambre, directing it to be carried immediately to Mr. Pitt. In a conversation which the King afterwards had with Justice Hardinge, he greatly commended the conduct of the House of Commons in regard to the Regency question, and said his illness had in the end been a perfect bliss to him, as proving how nobly the people would support him when he was in trouble. The King's malady had, however, been very distressing; for, in a letter addressed from Windsor by Admiral Payne to Mr. Sheridan on the Regency negotiation, we find, u the King has been worse these last two days than ever ; this morning he made an effort to jump out of the window^ and he is now very turbulent and incoherent." The following anecdotes will show the state of the King's mind at this time, and they have been now made public on the authority of one of the pages who was then in attend- ance on His Majesty : " The King was driving the Queen in the Great Park at Windsor, when, on a sudden, he exclaimed, u There he is P 202 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. and, giving the reins to his illustrious consort, descended from the phaeton. I was then on duty, and the horse on which I was mounted was young and restive ; and, not- withstanding my utmost exertions, turned and ran towards the carriage. I was covered with confusion, but Her Majesty, who saw my distress, most graciously conde- scended to relieve me by a well timed remark on the restive- ness of my horse. " His Majesty now approached a venerable oak that had enlivened the solitude of that quarter of the park upwards of a century and a half. At the distance of a few yards he uncovered, and advanced, bowing with the utmost respect 5 and then, seizing one of the lower branches, he shook it with the most apparent cordiality and regard — just as a man shakes his friend by the hand. " The Queen turned pale with astonishment — the reins dropped from her hands. I felt the most painful appre- hension lest the horses in the carriage, finding themselves under no control, should run headlong to destruction ; nor did I dare to call for assistance, lest the attendants should witness a scene that I desired to keep from their view. At last, Her Majesty became attentive to her situation ; -and, as the reins were happily within reach, they were recov- ered, and the Queen commanded me to dismount, and to go and intimate, in a soothing voice and suppliant terms, that Her Majesty wished for his company. " On my approach, I perceived the King was engaged in earnest conversation. It was the King of Prussia with whom His Majesty enjoyed this rural interview. Conti- nental politics were the subject. u I approached with reverence — ; May it please your Majesty ' " * Don't you see I am engaged V said the King. " I bowed and withdrew. i His Majesty is engaged, and J THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 203 " * Go again/ said the Queen, interrupting me. I went. May I presume to inform your Majesty that ' " i What is the matter V said the King, in great surprise. " i Her Majesty is in the carriage, and I am commanded to intimate her desire of your Majesty's company.' " i Good lackaday V said the King, i that is true ; run on and inform Her Majesty that I am hastening to her.' ###### "It was Sunday, and His Grace of Canterbury com- manded prayers to be read in the royal apartment. " ' Dearly beloved brethren ' said the chaplain. " < Tally ho ! Tally ho P said the King. " c The Scripture moveth us in sundry places ' " ' Go forward, Miranda ! go forward ! Tally ho I Ac- tion ! Tally ho ! ' li i To the end that we may obtain ' " i Halloo I Hanger and Swift ; Tally ho I Tally ho I ' Ware Fox, Miranda ! ' Ware Fox P "The chaplain looked at Sir George Baker, and Sir George Baker looked at the chaplain ; and then, risum ten- eatis amid — they laughed. " And the King laughed — and we all laughed — and Sir George Baker said that the prayers had done His Majesty a vast deal of good — and Dr. Willis said the same — and the King dined very comfortably, and was cheerful — and he told Dr. Willis and Sir George that he wished to see them dance a hornpipe. " ' We beg leave to decline the honor of dancing in your Majesty's presence.' " c Sic volo, sic jubeOj stet pro rations voluntas] said the sovereign. i Here is my sceptre,' said he, holding the knife in a threatening posture, J and the man who pre- sumes to oppose my will shall be instantly — instantly im- paled alive.' "And the King called for his flute, and Sir George 204 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Baker and Dr. Willis danced till it was dark ; and thus ended the Sabbath day. " It was my fate to be on duty this morning in the King's apartments. u The attendants had been enjoined to keep the profound- est silence. No answer was to be given to any question pro- posed by His Majesty. I was unable to see the wisdom of this injunction. A discreet answer might have frequently soothed the patient, and conciliated attachment. " I am confident the prohibition was productive of great mischief, and, in evidence of this proposition, I beg leave to relate a memorable occurrence. " Several symptoms of convalescence had made their appearance the preceding day; and with the benevolent view of refreshing the domestics, after long and severe attendance, they had leave of absence for three or four hours. Meanwhile, I was commanded to remain in the royal presence, and to act according to exigencies. a t ##**y sa j c i £ oe King, calling me by name, l it is a fine morning. Has there been a hunt V u I bowed. a i ###*y sa j£ ^he King again, l has there been a hunt this morning V " I bowed. "His Majesty was obviously displeased; but I did not dare to transgress orders. " ' Give me the lemonade/ said the King. " I gave it, and bowed. u i Take the glass, 7 he said. " I approached to take it. In a moment he seized me by the collar, threw down the glass, and then attacked me with so much vigor and alacrity that I was constrained to call for assistance. "A physician was happily in the antechamber, and heard 205 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. me. On seeing him enter the room the King desisted, ask- ing me, ' Whether I had found my tongue V " A national thanksgiving for the recovery of the King was solemnized on April 23, at St. Paul's Cathedral, at which their Majesties and the royal family attended. At the conclusion of the service, the Prince hastened from the cathedral to Carlton House, where he changed his dress for the uniform of his regiment, and, taking the command of it, proceeded to meet the King on his return, thus be- coming himself his guard and conductor to the Queen's palace. Alighting there, the Prince presented himself at the door, in a manner that required to be seen in order to be appreciated. "It was to the revered monarch — to the beloved parent — that His Eoyal Highness offered assist- ance. The tender attachment of the most affectionate of sons — the zealous devotion of the first of subjects — were manifested with an energy and a grace that no language can adequately describe." The event was otherwise com- memorated by grand fetes, illuminations, etc., and the King's birthday was celebrated with unusual splendor, terminating with a ball, at which an incident occurred which Was strongly characteristic of the Prince's regard for "the small, sweet courtesies of life." The King, however, was not present during any part of the day, owing to the shock occasioned by the duel so re- cently fought between the Duke of York and Colonel Len- nox. In the evening a most splendid ball was given, and notwithstanding what had so recently happened, and the established etiquette that no person should stand up at country dances who had not danced a minuet, Colonel Lennox appeared in the circle with Lady Catherine Barnard. This the Prince did not perceive until he and his partner, the Princess Eoyal, came to the Colonel's place in the dance, when, struck with the impropriety, he took the 206 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. hand of the Princess, just as she "was about to be turned by the Colonel, and led her to the bottom of the dance. The Duke of York and the Princess Augusta came next, and they turned the Colonel without notice or exception. The Duke of Clarence with the Princess Elizabeth came next, and he followed the example of the Prince. The dance proceeded, however, and Colonel Lennox and his partner danced down, but when they came to the Prince and Princess, His Royal Highness led his sister to the chair by the side of the Queen. The Queen, then, address- ing herself to the Prince, said: " You seem heated, sir, and tired." U I am heated and tired, madam," said the Prince, "not with the dance, but with dancing in such company." " Then, sir," said the Queen, " it will be better for me to withdraw, and put an end to the ball." "It certainly will be so," said the Prince, "for I never will countenance insults given to my family, however they may be treated by others." At the end of the dance the Queen and the Princesses withdrew, and thus the ball concluded. The Prince, with his usual gallantry, afterwards explained to Lady Catherine Barnard the reason of his conduct, assur- ing her ladyship that it gave him much pain to be under the necessity of subjecting a lady to a moment's embarrass- ment. • On the 6th of February, 1788, His Royal Highness was initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry, at the Star and Garter, Pall Mall. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, as Grand Master ; the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke of Manchester, and several other noblemen of that re- spectable order, attended at the ceremony. About this time the first dividend of the Prince's debts was declared to be nine per cent., which was very gladly received by the creditors, and tended to raise the Prince in the estimation of the people. He now for a short time took up his residence at Rich- THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 207 mond House, the cause for which will be subsequently ex- plained. On the 20th of April, 1778, the comedy of " The Way to Keep Him" was privately performed before the Prince ; the characters being cast as follows : Lovemore Lord Derby. Sir Brilliant Fashion Hon. Mr. Edgecumbe. Sir Bashful Constant Major Arabin. William Sir Harry Englefield. Sideboard Mr. Campbell. "Widow Belmour Hon. Mrs. Hobart. Mrs. Lovemore Hon. Mrs. Damer. Lady Constant Miss Campbell. Muslin Mrs. Bruce. The prologue was written by the Eight Honorable George Conway, and spoken by the Honorable Mrs. Hobart. Of this lady, who afterwards became the Countess of Berk- shire, we shall have to speak hereafter, when, accord- ing to the fashion of the times, she presided at a faro table which was frequented by the Prince ; and where on some evenings she gave her dramatic readings, in which sherwas assisted by that sprightly and witty bar- rister, Mr. Jekyll. The following additional lines were made to the prologue, in compliment to the Prince and the Duke of Cumberland, Who very condescendingly noticed this mark of the atten- tion of their visitors : "And should those favor'd feats, this happy night, Shine with a lustre eminently bright; Should royal greatness humbly condescend To lay the prince aside, and act the friend, Indulgent to the liberal arts they love, They'll strive to pardon faults they can't approve, And could their flattering smiles with equal ease As the ambition give the power to please, "We'd fill the mimic as the real part, • And pay in- duty what we want in art." 208 THE PKIVATE LIFE OF A KING. Among the audience present were the Prince, the Duke of Cumberland, Lord and Lady Stormont, Mrs. Fitzherbert, the Duchess of Devonshire, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Sheridan, and, what was considered very wonderful, Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt came in together. The Duke of Richmond was sole attendant and master of the ceremonies on this occasion. Since the time of Charles I private theatricals have always been a popular amusement at the English Court, continuing to the present reign, the daughters of Yictoria having participated in these amusements in the season of 1873. The Prince was exceedingly fond of amateur con- certs and theatricals. He visited the famous bon vivant, the Earl of Sandwich, satirized by Churchill under the name of Jemmy Twitcher, at Christmas, 1789, at the EarPs seat, at Hinchinbroke ; a splendid theatre was arranged; " Love a-la-Mode" and "High Life Below Stairs" were acted by noble amateurs, with a prologue spoken by L. Brown Esq., M. P. for Huntingdonshire. The mornings were de- voted to concerts, the Prince performing on the violoncello ; Madam Mara, then in the height of popularity, came from Burleigh with the Earl of Exeter; an excellent band, led by Ashley, was engaged, and his lordship assisted as usual on the kettledrums. Peter Pindar, speaking of the Earl's performance on that instrument, says : ; ' He beats old Ashbridge on the kettledrums." The Prince remained here a week, and on departing ex- pressed the liveliest appreciation of the pleasure he had experienced from his visit. Soon after he attended the races at York. From York the Prince proceeded to Wentworth House, the seat of Earl Fitzwilliarn, the heir of the estate and vir- tues of the illustrious Marquis of Rockingham. At this hospitable mansion a magnificent fete was prepared in his honor. Nothing could be more superb and sumptuous THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 209 than the whole of the arrangements. In the true style of old English hospitality, which is nowhere to be found in greater perfection than in the county of York, nor exer- cised with more generous splendor by any nobleman than the worthy representative of the house of Wentworth, the gates of Wentworth Park, on being honored with the pres- ence of the heir apparent, were thrown open to the love and loyalty of the surrounding country, and no fewer than twenty thousand persons partook of the liberality of the noble owner. The diversions (consisting of all the rural sports in use in that part of the country) lasted the whole day, and his lordship's park was the grand stage on which the numerous personages played their parts. The specta- tors were the Prince, with his attendants, and the nobility and gentry from every part of the country, without distinc- tion. The dinner was an assemblage of every delicacy that the world could produce 5 and the ball at night, consisting of more than two hundred ladies, the flower of Yorkshire, with their partners, was the most brilliant ever seen beyond the Humber. In coming to town from Wentworth House, the Prince encountered an alarming accident, but which was attended by no ill consequences. At about two miles north of New- ark, a cart, crossing the road, struck the axle of the Prince's coach and overturned it. It was on the verge of a slope, and the carriage fell a considerable way, turned over twice, and was shivered to pieces. There were in the coach with the Prince, Lord Clermont, Colonel St. Ledger, and Colonel (Lord Yiscount) Lake, recently deceased. Two of the Prince's servants were on the box. The Prince suffered a slight contusion in the shoulder, and his wrist was sprained. The Prince was undermost in the first fall, and by the next roll of the carriage was brought uppermost, when, with great presence of mind, he disengaged himself, and was the first to rescue and disengage his fellow travellers. 210 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING-. Lord Clermont was the most hurt. He was much wounded in the face, and was otherwise so severely bruised that he was obliged to remain at Newark. The other gentlemen were, like the Prince, fortunate enough to escape with little injury. The accident happened at ten o'clock at night, and it was a clear moonlight. The carriage was the Prince's own travelling coach, with hired horses and postilions ; and the mischance was occasioned by the wilfulness of the pos- tilions, who drove to clear the cart with their common pre- cipitation. There was one peculiarity in the style of living which distinguished the Prince at this time, which gave great offence to the King, although it was by no means regarded as so venial by some of the other branches of the royal fam- ily, and particularly so by his mother, who, having been brought up in Germany, assimilated her habits in a great degree with those of that country, although at the same time she identified herself as much as possible with the more staid and formal ones of the English people. The Duke of York had also just arrived from the native country of his mother, completely Germanized, and immediately despised, as he was wont to call it, the monastic gloom of an English Sunday evening, by frequenting the evening con- certs and conversaziones , which it was at this time the fashion to hold on a Sunday evening, the Sabbath. These meetings at Carlton House were rich and inspiring to the devotees of mirth and harmony j but, in justice we must add, that had they been confined to music only, or to a dis- play of harmless jollity, even perhaps the most rigid Cal- vinist would not have raised his voice against them, much less have visited them the whole weight of his zealous fury $ but they were the resort of the titled profligates of both sexes, and some of the meetings were distinguished by bacchanalian and Circean scenes, which would have merited castigation on any night, much more so on the Sabbath. It THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 211 must, however, be mentioned that the King himself fre- quently indulged in music on a Sunday evening, until the bishops interfered in the same laudable manner as they did with the short petticoats of the figurantes of the Opera House, although it were a curious question to decide whether they were the eye witnesses of the abomination, or took their measures from the opinion of others; yet the King, actuated by the genuine spirit of piety, was no sooner informed that the practice of holding Sunday evening con- certs was contrary to the due observance of the Sabbath, and having, at the same time, received some information of the scenes that were pasing on a Sunday evening in the house of the heir apparent, than he immediately caused it to be known to the nobility and gentry of all the royal house, that it would be expected they should dispense with all Sunday evening concerts and entertainments of the kind, as everything of that nature would be discountenanced by the King. As it may be supposed, the command was laughed at by all those who were not of the royal house- hold, or who were not dependent on royalty for a pension ; but at Carlton House and other places it became a standing joke, and with some of the party it was their regular custom to send to the bishops who might be resident in London a polite invitation to a Sunday evening conversazione, as the most rational method of recreating themselves from the fatigues of the day. The Prince was considered at the head of this party, and, consequently, the whole weight of the indignation of his royal father fell upon him ; but parental authority was rejected, clerical interference was laughed at, and although at Court the evening concerts were suspended, yet, in some of the most exalted coteries of the fashionable world, they were followed with an enthusiasm which appeared to exhibit the Sabbath as a day of jollity and mirth, not of devotion and pious exercises. The following anecdote will show the promptitude with 212 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. which the Prince would sometimes embrace an idea that could promote the interest ^of the kingdom, and is thus recorded by a writer of that period : Lord Rodney, dining some months ago at Carlton House, congratulated the Prince on seeing a plate of British cared herrings at table. "Tour Eoyal Highness," said the noble veteran, "does infinite good to the British navy in encouraging this exam- ple of English luxury ; every table will follow the fashion, and, if the number of fashionable tables in the nation be considered, the result may be in time an addition of twenty thousand of the hardiest seamen to our navy — of seamen raised and employed in that branch of fishery that has raised Holland to her maritime force.' 7 " My lord," replied the Prince, " you do me more justice than I deserve ; these herrings, I am sorry to say, were not cured by British hands. I understand your reasoning, it is just ; it is that of Lord Rodney upon his own element. Henceforward I shall order a plate of British cured herrings to be purchased at any expense, and appear a standing dish at this table — we shall call it a Rodney. Under that designation, what true patriot will not follow my example?' 7 Por a long time afterwards a red herring was called a " Rodney, 77 but the origin of the name was not generally known. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 213 ®tatrt*r fixtft. If we were to draw a comparison of the close of the last century and the present period, we must confess that, in regard to the morality and purity of the female character, the preference is decidedly to be given to the latter. About the year 1790, the principal gambling tables, or faro banks, were kept by titled ladies, who hesitated not to repair their shattered fortunes frdm the accruing profits. And it may easily be conjectured that these nocturnal meetings, although avowedly held for the purpose of gambling, were often scenes of a far different description, frequented as they were by all the younger branches of nobility and men of fortune, who were certain of meeting there with the most dashing Cyprians of the age, and also with some who were training up to that character under the auspices of the patroness of the night. The lady who was most con- spicuous at this time at the head of her faro table was the celebrated Lady Archer, a woman steeped to the crown of her head in infamy and vice, and who, when she left this mortal stage, was unable to say, " I have performed one good or generous action." We would rather avert our view from the scenes which took place in the harem of this woman, but the illustrious subject of the present Memoir is deeply concerned in them 3 and the writer of it has, in the entire ruin of a very near relative, reason to deprecate the hour when this woman's eyes first opened on the world, and to regret that she was not swept from it as a pestilence in which no human hap- 214 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. piness could live ; and yet, to the close of her life, this Hecate of iniquity shone conspicuously for piety and relig- ion.* She was seen on the Sabbath bending her way to the conventicle — a living painted sepulchre, so bedaubed with cosmetics, and the wrinkled deformities of her nature so filled up with the impotent remedies of art, that the eye shrunk from the view, as if it had presented it to one of nature's vilest abortions ; but " Not Archer's Bible can secure her age, Her threescore years are shuffling with her page ; While Death stands by, but, till the game is done, To sweep that stake in justice long his own." In all the arts and mysteries of love she was acknowledged to be the paragon of the day 5 and one of the first who fell into the snares of this accomplished Circe was the Duke of York. Reascending in the scale of the alphabet, in regard to the names of her admirers, we find her at last under the protection of Mr. Errington, the cousin of Mrs. Fitzherbert; and it was by this gentleman that the Prince was intro- duced to the faro table of Lady Archer. At this period her ladyship was the mother of three lovely daughters, whom, from the laudable plea of not exposing them to the snares and temptations of the world, she kept in a state of almost monkish seclusion. But the real grounds for that mode of treatment was the loss of the income derivable from their fortunes, which was to be at the disposal of their mother until their marriage. Yigilant, however, as the mother was, and strictly as she supposed that she was guarding the Hesperian fruit, two of her daughters, whilst her ladyship was presiding at her faro table, let young Love in at the window, and the mischievous urchin one night opening the door, they rushed into the arms of their lovers, and, by their subsequent marriage, Lady Archer lost the usufruct of theft * Huish. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 215 fortune. One, however, still remained — the loveliest of the three ) and Lady Archer, fearing that she might follow the example of her sisters, determined that she should be her companion during her nocturnal revels ; and thus was she introduced into a society in which female virtue was of no estimation, and in which it might with truth be said to have no existence at all. The Prince saw the beautiful daughter of Lady Archer, and for a time the charms of Mrs. Fitzher- bert were neglected by him. But in this instance he had a very difficult and delicate part to act. Mr. Errington was generally the attendant of the Prince to the Pandemonium of Lady Archer, and any attentions or assiduities which he might show to her lovely daughter might be taken notice of by that gentleman, and conveyed to a quarter where least of all he wished it to be known. Some little bicker- ings had already taken place there, in regard to a connection which at this time was supposed to exist between the Prince and the famous, and we may also add the infamous, Lady Jersey 5 but it was then only floating on the surface of popu- lar report, although credited by those who moved in the particular sphere of the Prince. The Prince now looked round him for an auxiliary to assist him in the conquest of the youthful Archer, and he very judiciously selected an individual who was in every respect calculated for the purpose, and this was no other than the Honorable Mrs. Hobart, to whom we have briefly alluded in a former page. The first step which this lady took was to give a grand masked fete at her superb villa in thfc vicinity of Fulham, to which Lady Archer and her daughter were to be invited, and where the Prince, assisted by the disguise of a masquerade, would be enabled to whis- per the effusions of his unalterable love into the ears of the new conqueror of his affections, without the Argus eyes of jealousy being constantly upon him. On referring to the "European Magazine" for July, 1791, we find the following 216 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. description of this memorable fete, which was attended with some very extraordinary circumstances to the Prince of Wales : " Mrs. Hbbarfs Rural Breakfast and Promenade, " June 28. " This long looked for and long prevented dejeune was given yesterday, in spite of the weather. It is almost needless to remark, that all the first nobil- ity and fashion about town graced this most delightful fete. The Prince came first, and precisely at one o'clock. About four or five hundred per- sons were present ; among them the Duke of Gloucester, Duchesses of Rutland and Gordon, Margrave of Anspach, Mrs. Fitzherbert, the Duke of Queensberry, several of the corps diplomatique, and many other foreigners of the very first distinction. The Duke of Clarence was expected, but did not attend. The breakfast lasted from two till past seven o'clock. " The leading personage in this entertainment (which was obliged to be confined to the house on account of the weather) was Mrs. Bristow, a near relation of Mrs. Hobart. This lady, who had long resided at the Indian Court of Lucknow, was every inch a queen. Dressed in all the magnificence of Eastern grandeur, Mrs. Bristow represented the Queen of Nourjahad, as the Light of the World, in the Garden of Roses. She was seated in the large drawing room, which was very beautifully fitted up with cushions in the Indian style, smoking her hookah, amidst all sorts of the choicest perfumes. Mrs. Bristow was very profuse with her otto of roses, drops of which were thrown about the ladies' dresses. The whole house was scented with the most delicious fragrance. " The company, on entering, were all presented to Mrs. Bristow by Mrs. Hobart. Young Keppel, .son of the Margravine of Anspach, was dressed in girl's clothes. He was in the character of a Calabrian, and sang some charming French songs with the divine Le Texier, who was in woman's clothes, as a ballad singer, and played on the fiddle. " A lady was dressed as a Savoyard ; she also sang, but could not be distinctly heard, on account of an intolerably large mask over her face. This lady was afterwards discovered to be Miss Archer, daughter of Lady Archer, and to whom the Prince, as a Bohemian nobleman, appeared to pay particular attention. " Each lady had a lottery ticket given her by Mrs. Hobart on entering and each drew a prize. The Duchess of Rutland drew the second highest; but the gross lot, or first prize, never went out of the wheel until the last lady that drew, and that lady was Miss Archer. It was remarked that, on her opening the prize, a deep blush came over her countenance, and she THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 217 became so confused that Mrs. Hobart led her into an adjoining room, where they were soon afterwards joined by the Prince. The party did not break up until nearly nine o'clock." As it may be supposed, the cause of Miss Archer's con- fusion excited considerable surprise, and all were anxious to discover it; but it did not transpire until some time afterwards, when Mrs. Hobart mentioned it in confidence to a friend on whom she could rely — who mentioned it to another — and thus it soon became the theme of conversa- tion in the immediate coteries where the parties were known. The plan was entirely devised by Mrs Hobart, with the knowledge and privity of the Prince, to declare the ardent affection which he entertained for Miss Archer, and the prize contained a beautiful locket set round with diamonds, in the centre of which was G. P., encircled with the motto, u I? amour est Vange du mondeP The present was accom- panied by some amorous lines, taken from one of the ancient poets, which have been beautifully versified as follows : " I wish I were the bowl. The bowl that she kisses ; I would breathe away my soul In the goblet of kisses. I wish I were a flower, Or the dove which sings In the evening bower, "With sunset on her wings. For, if I were a flower, I should sleep upon her breast ; And, if I were a dove, I would sing her to her rest ; And lovely her slumbers, And sweet her dreams should be, And beautiful her waking, If watched by me." 10 218 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KINO. This meeting may be considered as the declaratory one of the Prince's passion for Miss Archer ; and, perhaps, no female virtue ever withstood so nobly the incessant attacks of an assailant, hitherto deemed irresistible. There was, however, a power watching over the virtue of this intended victim, which ultimately saved her from the ruin that awaited her, and that power was a deep and rooted attach- ment for another, but whose circumstances in life were con- sidered by her mother as not sufficiently affluent, nor could his connections boast of any titled descent or aristocratical honors. Flattered, however, as she might have been by the marked attention which the most accomplished Prince in Europe had paid her, still, with the holy lire of a secret love burning within her, she considered every return that she might make to his protestations as a direct profanation of the vows of fidelity and constancy which she had sworn to another, and consequently she met all his assiduities with the most marked coolness and indifference. To ex- perience a repulse of this kind was a very uncommon cir- cumstance in his career of gallantry; but, rather than operating as a check, it appeared to act as a stimulus, and to goad him on to the final consummation of his wishes. If, however, this amiable girl was able to withstand the blandishments by which she was surrounded, and to rise superior to all the stratagems which were employed to effect her downfall, there was one individual at the fete who was determined, coute qui coute, to chain the Prince to her car, and to be the temporary ascendant in his affections, to the complete discomfiture and mortification of her aspiring rivals. This lady was the Queen of Nourjahad, the Light of the World — the beautiful Mrs. Bristow. To account for the determined spirit with which this elegant female prose- cuted her amour with the Prince, it may be said to have arisen, in a great degree, from a revengeful disposition, for some supposed or real affront which Mrs. Fitzherbert had THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 219 offered to her, in refusing to acknowledge her in public, on account of the questionable purity of her character. To humble a rival of this kind was the pride and glory of Mrs. Bristow ; and being in the possession of personal charms very little inferior, if any, to Mrs. Fitzherbert her- self, it was a struggle of ascendancy between these cele- brated beauties, in which each claimed the conquest, and each believed herself to have achieved it. It was also cur- rently reported at this time that Mrs. Fitzherbert had been heard to say, " that it was the rank of His Eoyal Highness that she loved more than his j)erson j* and, as this report was found to be actually true, it was greedily taken advan- tage of by her artful rival to exalt herself and to debase Mrs. Fitzherbert in the good opinion of the Prince. It was aptly and jocosely said by Sheridan, u that the Prince was too much every lady's man to be the man of any lady f and this was a trait in his character of which Mrs. Fitzherbert was by no means ignorant. The disparity of their ages stood in the way of any permanent attachment $ personal esteem and regard for each other's virtues formed no part of their connection $ it was, on one hand, the enjoyment of the sensualist ; and, on the other, the gratification of female vanity and the love of personal aggrandizement. The monopoly of his affections was a task which no woman who had the slightest insight into his character would ever attempt to accomplish; and, therefore, Mrs. Fitzherbert looked upon the temporary ascendancy of Mrs. Bristow with the eye of comparative indifference, being conscious to herself that any attempt at restraint on her part would only lead to a greater estrangement ; and, as the world believed her to possess the ascendancy in his affections, she was satisfied with the shadow, although she could not always command the substance. On the morning subsequent to the fete given by Mrs. Bristow, as the Prince was sitting at breakfast in company 220 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. with Sheridan and Hanger, a small package was delivered to him, which, on opening, he fonnd to contain the locket which, on the previous night, he had presented to Miss Archer, but with no other notification than a few words written in the envelope : " La vertu est lafelicite de la vie." In regard to the following conversation, which took place on this occasion, we must be excused for giving it verbatim, as it appears in the manuscript before us, which was found amongst the papers of the late Lord Coleraine, headed, A Prince's Opinions of Female Virtue. If opinions were always the criterion of, or a clue to, the development of human character, we should consider ourselves liable to censure if we suppressed a tittle of any conversation in which a man exhibits himself in his real, unsophisticated colors, by an unreserved disclosure of his sentiments ; but, with the knowledge which Ave possess of the real opinions which the Prince entertained of the existence and the strength of female virtue, we are certain that any estimate which an individual might be tempted to draw of the Prince's real character, from the sentiments expressed on this occasion, would be one of error and misconception. u Sheridan," said the Prince, laying the package on the table, "what is your opinion of the strength of female virtue ?" " It is the brightest pearl in the diadem of a woman, " an- swered Sheridan $ u and when supported by modesty, truth, and religion, it is a rock in the ocean, against which all the waves may dash in vain $ but, on the other hand, when once an impression has been made upon it, under the influence of passion, it is like the frostwork of an autumnal morning, which is dissolved by the first ardent beam that falls upon it." "Do you think," asked the Prince, "that there is any female virtue that cannot be overcome V u Sheridan," said Hanger, " let His Eoyal Highness THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 221 answer his own question. I know no one more able. An individual who has travelled a road five hundred times, and stopped at every house that presented itself, must be able to give a correct account of them." "But suppose," said the Prince, "that that individual was refused admittance to some of them ; would it be fair to pass an opinion of the character of their inmates, accord- ing to that which you may have formed of those into whose houses you may have been admitted 'V " It would be illiberal in the extreme," said Hanger. "Then, by the same parity of reasoning," said the Prince, "it would be illiberal in me to pass a general opinion of the strength of female virtue from my own single experience." " There is a great deal of sophistry in that remark," said Sheridan ; " for is not the most valuable part of our knowl- edge founded on experience ? And therefore, let the subject be what it may, that man must be the wisest who has had the greatest experience in it $ and who will dispute the ex- perience of your Royal Highness in everything relative to the character of woman ?" " But in which I am still a fool," said the Prince 5 " and of that fact Archer's daughter has just now convinced me. She has given me a lesson to read which I never studied before. But, to repeat my question — do you believe that there is any female virtue existing which cannot be over- come — I mean, supposing that it has been subjected to every temptation and every ordeal which the most fertile ingenuity can devise T "Most undoubtedly," replied Sheridan; " and I should be very sorry to hold a contrary opinion. I believe in the existence of a pure, unsullied female virtue, with the same religious certainty as I do, according to the dictates of my moral sense, in the existence of right and wrong." " I dispute not the existence of it, nor ever did," said the 222 THE PRIVATE LIFE OP A KING. Prince j u its very destruction presupposes that it did once exist ; for that can never be destroyed which had no pre- vious reality— but it is the fact of its invincibility that I wish to have established." " Then look to Lucretia, your Royal Highness," said Sheridan. " A solitary instance," said the Prince, " which history has treasured up to show as a phenomenon; but let me state a case to you : u Supposing a woman were to present herself before you, gifted with all the beauty which invests the female with such irresistible power, and you found that the possession of that beauty was not to be obtained by the ordinary means of seduction, what would then be your opinion, and how would you act ?" " I would let her alone," said Sheridan, u and hold her as a sacred thing." "And declare it to the world," said the Prince, "that her virtue was invincible." " Certainly," said Sheridan, " as far as the means that' have been employed to overcome it." " That virtue is still but negative in my opinion," said the Prince, " for a fortunate expedient might still effect its conquest." "Before, however," said Sheridan, "I pronounce a virtue as incorruptible, invincible, I am supposed to believe that every expedient has been tried, even the scarcely resistible expedient of a deeply rooted, passionate attachment; for, if a girl falls not to that, I would fearlessly expose her to every other temptation which the utmost ingenuity of man could devise. I consider the contemplation of a woman, strong, firm, unconquerable in her virtue, to be one of this World's finest spectacles." " What is the mere contemplation V said the Prince ; " I can look at the stars and admire them in their glory, but THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. 223 how am I benefited by that contemplation? there is no sensual gratification in it." " Certainly not/' said Sheridan, " but there is a pleasing sensation conveyed to the mind by the contemplation of any beautiful or sublime object." " Apropos," said the Prince, " speaking of the contem- plation of a beautiful object, I have been very much struck with a singular remark of Dr. Darwin's, wherein he says that the delight which the eye of man experiences in the contemplation of a female bosom arises from the associa- tion that it is the source from which we drew our first sus- tenance." u Indeed," said Sheridan, with a smile, " then why do we not feel the same delight at the contemplation of a wooden spoon V * " Excellent !" exclaLned the Prince, " excellent — in future I shall never see a beautiful bosom but I shall think of Sheridan's wooden spoon — nevertheless, you must allow that contemplation is one thing, enjoyment another, and to which would you give the preference ?" "To each," said Sheridan, a in their own individuality; but they are as distinct in their natures as they are differ- ent in the effects that are produced. The contemplation of a beautiful woman, abstractedly speaking, depends entirely in its degree of delight upon the innate power which we possess of actually determining what beauty is — the mere question of enjoyment may be decided by a Caliban, to whom sense is everything — mind nothing. There is, how- ever, another point to be taken into consideration, which is, that there is one sense which nature has implanted in the heart of every female, and on the facility or difficulty of the * This inimitable reply of Sheridan's has been erroneously claimed by another individual, who, it is well known, strutted about, decked with plumes borrowed from others , but it is only in the master mind of a Sheridan that such a happy idea could have been engendered. 224 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A KING. suppression or suspension of that sense, the great question may be determined of the strength or weakness of her virtue." "And what is that sense?" asked the Prince. "Now," said this royal libertine, "yesterday I was at Hobart's/