ticulars to your lordship, I must beg to remind you how much afraid the Queen is lest she should be committed to him; for the King has sworn he will never forgive her if she relates anything that passes in the night."

The Princess Elizabeth subsequently addressed a letter to Dr. Thomas Willis, in which she states that she has the Queen's commands to inform him that "the subject of the Princess of Wales is still in the King's mind, to a degree that is distressing, from the unfortunate situation of the family." The writer adds: "The Queen commands me to say, that if you could see her heart, you would see that she is guided by every principle of justice, and with a most fervent wish that the dear King may do nothing to form a breach between him and the Prince. For she really lives in dread of it; for, from the moment my brother comes into the room till the instant he quits it, there is nothing that is not kind that the King does not do by him. This is so different to his manner when well, and his ideas concerning the child (the Princess Charlotte) so extraordinary, that I am not astonished at mamma's uneasiness. She took courage, and told the King that now my brother was quiet, he had better leave him as he (the Prince) had never forbid the Princess seeing the child when she pleased. To which he answered, 'That doesn't signify. The Princess shall have her child; and I will speak to Mr. Wyatt about the building of the wing to her present house.' You know full well how speedily every thing is now ordered and done."

"The Princess spoke to me on the conversation the King had had with her-expressed her distress; and I told her how right she was in not answering, as I feared the King's intentions, though most rightly meant, might serve to hurt and injure her in the world." For a few days the symptoms ameliorated; then, on the 12th of June, Dr. Thomas Willis wrote to Lord Chancellor Eldon: "His Majesty still talks much of his prudence, but shows none. His body, mind, and tongue are all upon the stretch every minute; and the manner in which he is now expending money in various ways, which is so unlike him when well, all evince that he

is not so right as he should be." The Queen, to use her own words, built her faith upon the Chancellor, and doubted not of his succeeding in everything with his Majesty. "He failed in some nevertheless. He urgently requested the King to allow Dr. Robert Willis to remain in attendance on him. The King hated all the Willises, and Dr. Robert not less than any of them. He concludes a note to Lord Eldon on the 21st of June by saying: 'No person that has ever had a nervous disease can bear to continue the physician employed on the occasion.' This holds much more so in the calamitous one which has so long confined the King, but of which he is now completely recovered."

The health of the Sovereign prevented him from attending the concerts and other entertainments which he was accustomed to honour with his patronage. He was, however, sufficiently recovered to enjoy a sojourn at Weymouth, and, on his return to Kew, to ride over occasionally to visit the Princess of Wales at Blackheath. The daughter of the latter, the Princess Charlotte, was now four years of age, and the question of her separation from her mother was a frequent subject of discussion. In the meantime, the little Princess was very often a visitor at St. James's or Windsor, by command of the Queen, and, of course, unaccompanied by her mother.

On the 29th of October, the King opened parliament in person. The pleasant announcement was made in the royal speech that the eight years' war had come to a conclusion. The gratification of the public was, however, somewhat marred by finding that the cost of carrying it on had doubled the national debt, and that the supplies required for the year amounted to forty millions.

The royal family now repaired to Windsor; and for the description of a home scene there we will again have recourse to one who describes what he saw, and of which he was a part. Lord Malmesbury was a guest at the castle during the 26th, 27th, and 28th of November. "I went there," he says, "to present to the King and Queen copies of the new edition of my father's works. I saw them both alone on the evening of the

26th, and was with them that and the next evening at their card party at the lodge. Each evening the Queen named me of her party, and played at cribbage with me. I was with the King alone near two hours. I had not seen him since the end of October, 1800-of course, not since his last illness. He appeared rather more of an old man, but not older than men of his age commonly appear. He stoops rather more, and was apparently less firm on his legs; but he did not look thinner, nor were there any marks of sickness or decline in his countenance or manner. These last were much as usualsomewhat less hurried and more conversable; that is to say, allowing the person to whom he addressed himself more time to answer and talk than he used to do when discussing on common subjects, on public and grave ones. I at all times, for thirty years, have found him very attentive, and full as ready to hear as to give an opinion, though perhaps not always disposed to adopt it and forsake his own. He was gracious even to kindness. He asked how I continued to keep well; and on my saying, amongst other reasons, that I endeavoured to keep my mind quiet, and dismiss all unpleasant subjects from intruding themselves upon it, the King said, 'Tis a very wise maxim, and one I am determined to follow; but how, at this particular moment, can you avoid it ?' And without waiting he went on saying, 'Do you know what I call the peace? An experimental peace, for it is nothing else. I am sure you think so, and perhaps do not give it so gentle a name but it was unavoidable. I was abandoned by everybody-allies and all. I have done, I conscientiously believe, for the best, because I could not do otherwise: but had I found more opinions like mine, better might have been done.""

His Majesty continued, at greater length than it is necessary to follow, to give his opinions upon the men and questions of the day; and this he did with great calmness, discrimination, and foresight. He was not one that believed Jacobinism was dead merely because it was quiet; and he spoke of the policy of Prussia of that day, and of the King who adopted it, as men speak of both in the present day—a mixture of atrocity,

treachery, and meanness. Lord Malmesbury says little of the Queen, but enough to give an idea of her manner. "The Queen," he says, "kept me only a quarter of an hour. She said she should see me again in the evening, as I must be tired of standing so long with the King. Spoke kindly of my father and my dear children. Princess Mary was all good humour and pleasantness: 'her manners are perfect, and I never saw or conversed with any princess so exactly what she ought to be."

CHAPTER XI.

THE END OF GREATNESS.

Domestic life of the royal family-Return of the King's illness-His continual agitation-Dr. Symonds not the medical officer for the King-Capricious changes made by the King in his household-His humorous eccentricities— Contest between the King and the Prince-The Queen's conduct-Scant courtesy to the royal invalid-Errors committed by the King-Wellesley and Nelson-Gradual decay of the King-His eccentricity at the installation of Knights of the Garter-Picture of the daily life of the royal familyPosition of the Queen-The King's resignation on his blindness-Distress of his mind-Renewal of the regency question-Extraordinary assertion by Lord Eldon-The King's person confided to the Queen-The Queen's letters to Lord Eldon-Her merry letter to him-A touching incidentThe Queen's unpopularity-Marriage of the Princess Charlotte-Decline of the Queen's health-Disgraceful reception of her by the City-Her death-Considered as a parent-Her political influence-The debts of Prince of Strelitz-The court on George the Third's ceasing to exercise authority-Regal retinue about the old King dismissed-The Queen's funeral-Her will-Her diamonds-Death of the Duke of Kent-Death of the King-Visit of the Emperor of the French to the Duchess of Gloucester.

THE utmost regularity marked the course of the King's life during the short time which elapsed between his last illness and that of 1804. It was the period when anecdotes were being constantly told, and perhaps sometimes made, of his simplicity and gentle nature. The Queen, with a great love for display, could readily adapt herself to the circumstances required by the exigencies of the time; and she as much enjoyed the quietness of their domestic life as she had done the most brilliant days and episodes of her reign. Her eldest son, who, in spite of his conduct, loved his mother as well as he could love anybody, caused her continual anxiety; but this was little compared with the trials which awaited her from another source. The best insight within the precincts of the court is afforded us by Lord Malmesbury, by whose authority we will once more be guided.

VOL. II.