the rails and descent, with a spiral obelisk of candles on each hand; and dispersed over the lawn with little bands of kettledrums, clarinets, fifes, &c., and the lovely moon who came without a card." She knew how to perform a graceful action gracefully, as well as any Queen who ever shared the throne. Thus, Lady Bolingbroke having been trusted by the Duchess of Bedford with a superb enamelled watch to exhibit to her Majesty, the latter desired her to put it on, that she might the better judge of its ornamental effect. She was obeyed, and thereupon she made a present of it to the happy lady, remarking, that the watch looked so well upon her " it ought to remain by Lady Bolingbroke's side."

But the great event of the year was the birth of the heirapparent. It occurred at St. James's Palace, on the 12th of August. In previous reigns, such events generally took place in the presence of many witnesses, but on the present occasion the Archbishop of Canterbury alone was present in that capacity.

The royal christening will be, however, of more interest than details of the birth of the Prince. The ceremony was performed in the grand council chamber, the Archbishop of Canterbury, "the Right Rev. midwife, Thomas Secker," as Walpole calls him, officiating. Walpole, describing the scene, on the day after, says:—“ Our next Monarch was christened last night, George Augustus Frederick. The Princess (Dowager of Wales), the Duke of Cumberland, and the Duke of Mecklenburgh, sponsors. The Queen's bed, magnificent, and they say, in taste, was placed in the drawing-room; though she is not to see company in form, yet it looks as if they had intended people should have been there, as all who presented themselves were admitted, which were very few, for it had not been notified; I suppose to prevent too great a crowd. All I have heard named, besides those in waiting, were the Duchess of Queensberry, Lady Dalkeith, Mrs. Grenville, and about four other ladies."

It was precisely at the period of the christening of this royal babe, that the marriage of her who was to be the mother of his future wife, was first publicly spoken of. In September,

VOL. II.

E

Walpole expresses a hope to his friend Conway, that the hereditary Prince of Brunswick is "recovering of the wound in his loins, for they say he is to marry the Princess Augusta." Walpole, however, would have nothing to do with the new Prince of Wales. "With him," he says, "I am positive never

to occupy myself.

I kissed the hand of his great, great, grandfather; would it not be preposterous to tap a volume of future history, of which I can never see but the first pages ?"

CHAPTER III.

ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS.

Scenes, and personal sketches of Queen Charlotte-Her fondness for diamonds -Visit to Mrs. Garrick-Orphan establishment at Bedford founded by the Queen-Her benevolence on the breaking of the Windsor bankMarriage of Princess Caroline Matilda-Unfounded rumours about the Queen-Hannah Lightfoot-The King's illness-A regency recommended by the King-Discussions relative to it-Birth of Prince FrederickFailing health of the Duke of Cumberland.

THE life of Charlotte was of so essentially a domestic character as to afford but few materials for the historian. For the less. dignified sketch of scenes and personal traits, the salient points in the Queen's career furnish more incidents. With these, I have more to do, as being rather a story-teller than a historian, dealing more with anecdotes of persons than with parties and politics; and affording, I humbly hope, not much less amusement to my readers than if I had been twice as ambitious,— and, therewith, perhaps, infinitely more tedious.

It,

In 1761, not a more gorgeously attired queen, in presence of the public, was to be found than ours. But we learn that in 1762, the first thing of which the Queen got positively weary was her jewels. At first seeing herself endowed with them, if such a phrase be admissible, her joy was girlish, natural, and unfeigned. But the gladness was soon over. was the ecstasy of a week, as she herself said, a quarter of a century later; and there was indifference at the end of a fortnight. "I thought at first," she said, "I should always choose to wear them; but the fatigue and trouble of putting them on, and the care they required, and the fear of losing them; why, believe me, madam, in a fortnight's time, I longed for my own earlier dress, and wished never to see them more."

This was said to Miss Burney, subsequently her dresser and reader, who adds that the Queen informed her, that dress and shows had never been things she cared for, even in the bloom of her youth; and that neatness and comfort alone gave her pleasure in herself as in others. If this good taste had been, and indeed if it were now, common in the middle classes of society, how much fewer names would be in the Gazette, and how much fewer claims would be made on the prudent portions of families by the extravagant, who so coolly apply to them! To return to the Queen, however, she herself confessed that "the first week or fortnight of being a Queen, when only in her seventeenth year, she thought splendour sufficiently becoming her station to believe she should choose thenceforth constantly to support it. But it was not her mind," says Miss Burney, "but only her eyes that were dazzled, and therefore her delusion speedily vanished, and her understanding was too strong to give it any chance of returning."

This is pretty, but it has the disadvantage of not being exactly true. The Queen may have been indifferent for a while to the wearing or the value of diamonds, but later in life, if she did nurse a cherished passion, it was for these glittering gewgaws. The popular voice, at least, accused her of this passion, and before many years elapsed, it was commonly said that no money was so sure to buy her favour as a present of diamonds. That she could, however, condescend to very simple tasks, is well known. This is illustrated by her visit to Mrs. Garrick, at Hampton. The Queen found the ex-actress engaged in peeling onions, and Charlotte sat down, and by helping her in her employment, saved her from the annoyance of being ashamed of it.

In 1763, the country hailed the advent of peace, and the retirement of Lord Bute from office. The Queen's popularity was greater than that of the King, and even men of extremely liberal politics greeted her "mild and tender virtues." now encouraged trade by her splendid fêtes, and was one of those persons who, by enjoying festive grandeurs calmly, acquire a reputation for calmly despising them. In August, 1763, she

became the mother of a second prince, Frederick, afterwards Duke of York, of whom, and of the children of Charlotte, generally, I shall speak in another chapter.

One of the first acts of the Queen, this same year, was a graceful act of benevolence. The young mother had thought and a heart for young orphans,-of gentility. For parentless children of gentle blood she established a home in Bedfordshire. At the head of the house was placed a lady who, with many comforts, enjoyed the liberal salary of 500l. per annum. In return for this she superintended the instruction of the young ladies (who were not admitted till they had attained the age of fifteen, age of folly and of fermentation, as some one has called it,) in embroidery. The first produce of their taste and toil was the property of their patroness, the young queen, and was converted into ornaments for window curtains, chairs, sofas, and bed furniture for Windsor Castle and the "Queen's House" in St. James's Park.

This was perhaps rather a calculating benevolence; but the Queen paid 500l. a year for fifty years for it, and her majesty was not wanting in true charity. In a later period of her reign than the foundation of the Bedford refuge for genteel embroideresses, the middle classes of Windsor were. thrown into much misery by the breaking of the bank there. Many individuals of the class alluded to held the 17. notes of this bank; and the paper had now no more value than as paper. The Queen, on hearing the case, ordered her treasurer to give cash for these notes, on their being presented, and this was done to the extent of 4007. Her daughters acted as clerks, and never was there so hilarious a run upon the bank as on this royal house at Windsor.

There was less joyousness in the following year, when the "Lady Augusta," the sister of the King, married the hereditary Prince of Brunswick. The record of marriage, which produced the fourth of the Hanoverian Queens of England,— and of its solemnity and attendant festivities, will be found in a subsequent page.

The year 1765 opened in some sense auspiciously, with a