coarseness of vice. Kept back from pressing despotically upon the people, they yielded unbridled sway to their own passions, and their infamous example corrupted three-fourths of society. Caroline herself would listen to stories told her by Sir Robert Walpole, upon which the eye of the student of history cannot rest without a blush of indignation mantling in his cheek. If the Stuarts were vicious, they were, in a certain degree, gentlemanlike in their vices. The first two Georges were as vicious, but they had none of the refinement of the Stuarts, and would have been to the full as tyrannical had the men of England left them the power. Their conduct was enough to render monarchy detested, and the name of Brunswick execrable. The domestic virtues of George III. and Queen Charlotte insured respect for the first, and surrounded the latter name with something like a halo of love. If there be any yet among us who sing, "Hail, Star of Brunswick!" with any mental reservation, the reason may probably be traced to impressions received from the records of the first Georges. The tone of society had not yet recovered itself fully, when Queen Charlotte caused "Polly Honeycomb" to be read aloud to herself and daughters. It is true that her Majesty also listened in like company to the teaching of Mrs. Hannah More; but even that high moralist hardly, as yet, understood how the work of morality might best be sped. Even ten years later than the time when Colman's farces were deemed not unfitting to be read to an audience of mother and children, Mrs. More, in "Calebs," was recommending the observance of modesty on the part of ladies, on very selfish grounds. In allusion to the "naked style" of dress which was then the fashion with women, Mrs. More admonitorily and significantly exclaims: "Oh, if women in general knew what was their real interest; if they could guess with what a charm even the appearance of modesty invests its possessor, they would dress decorously from mere self-love, if not from principle. The designing would assume modesty as an artifice; the coquet would adopt it as an allurement; the pure as her appropriate attraction; and the voluptuous as the most infallible art of

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seduction." When the Reverend Sidney Smith read this passage, he remarked that if there were any truth in it, 'nudity becomes a virtue, and no decent woman for the future can be seen in garments." This is, perhaps, more smartly than strictly said. The volume from which the passage is taken upon which the reverend gentleman so commented, was a favourite with Queen Charlotte, who certainly abhorred the style of dress which is censured in "Celebs." When the Lady Charlotte Campbell, famous for her beauty, and for her subsequent connection with Queen Caroline, first went to court, she was attired in the scant costume of the period. She was, in fact, in the very highest of the fashion, and as she was passing before Queen Charlotte, the latter recommended her to "let out a tuck in her petticoat!"

While on the subject of fashion, it may here be noticed that when the marriage of the Princess Royal with the head of the House of Wurtemburg had been determined on, her Majesty made the bridal dress, and helped to deck her daughter with it. As a King's eldest daughter, she had a right to be attired in a dress of white and silver. The Princess, however, was about to marry a widower, and it appears that custom, consequently, required the bride to wear white and gold. And so the robe was fashioned accordingly, and the preference of the Princess was made to yield to etiquette. This marriage, however, did not take place till 1797.

In 1792, the Prince's pecuniary affairs were in a worse condition than ever. Several executions had been in his house, from one of which he had been saved by the benevolence of Lord Rawdon. His debts now amounted to 400,000l. The Queen advised him to press the King, through the lord chancellor, to apply for an increase of income. What the Prince required was 100,000l. yearly, and if that were granted he proposed to set aside 35,000l. per annum, for the liquidation of his debts. He had now abandoned racing, a silly pursuit which had cost him yearly not less than 30,000l.; and having done that, he feigned to be shocked at his equally embarrassed brother, York, remaining on the turf. He added, that if his

request was not acceded to, he should shut up Carlton House, go abroad, and live upon 10,000l. a year. It was very properly suggested to him that he would do much better, if the Queen's wishes and his own could not be carried out, by staying in England, and showing the people that he could adapt his circumstances to his revenue. This was a course, however, which he had never seriously determined to follow. He was made up of contradictions, and although he was at this period more than ever attached to Mrs. Fitzherbert, it did not prevent him from maintaining the well-known actress, Mrs. Crouch, in the post of "favourite." Mrs. Fitzherbert met this course by ridiculing it, and by coquetting on her side. This hurt the Prince's vanity, and brought him again under her influence. What his homage was worth may be judged of by the fact that it was paid to many deities, and while he was maintaining Mrs. Crouch, forgetting poor Perdita Robinson, making love to the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire (who was separated from her husband, but did not on that account in the slightest degree regard the Prince), he had also opened an intercourse with Lady Jersey, who was not half such a prude as the Duchess, and who was the most shameless of those to whom the heartless Prince had pretended to surrender his heart. With many loves, or what were called such, Mrs. Fitzherbert continued the favourite sultana. He built for her a residence at Brighton, where she kept up the establishment of a queen-really looked like one, for she was a superb woman-had as brilliant diamonds as Queen Charlotte herself, and was greeted by all the bathing women, with the respectful appellation of "Mrs. Prince."

But the Queen had soon to deplore another misalliance. Her son, Prince Augustus (Sussex), when travelling in Italy, had become attached to the Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of the Earl of Dunmore; and, after a courtship, during which the Prince wrote love-letters to the lady that, with respect to style, were neither sublime nor beautiful, and, with regard to grammar, were calculated to make Lindley Murray die of despair, the parties were married privately by an English clergyman, and were re-married, at St. George's, Hanover

Square, on their return to England. Of this union two children were born, of whom the daughter (once known as Mademoiselle d'Este) still survives, the wife of Lord Truro, who, when Mr. Sergeant Wylde, endeavoured to establish the validity of her father's marriage, and acquired the lady's hand by way of honorarium. The moment the marriage was first declared invalid by the ecclesiastical court, Lady Augusta separated from her husband. The latter appears to have borne the separation very philosophically, but he did not marry again during Lady Augusta's life. In his later days, when his brother, William IV., was King, he married the lady who now survives him, under the title of Duchess of Inverness. But a marriage of more importance still remains to be noticed.

CHAPTER X.

LENGTHENING SHADOWS.

The Prince of Wales's marriage to the Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Her character-The Prince's behaviour at the marriage ceremony - Lord Holland's two accounts of the Princess irreconcileable-The Prince's hatred of the Princess-Propriety of the Queen's Court-Unpopularity of the King-Pelted by the mob-Birth of the Princess Charlotte— Strict observance of Court etiquette-Marriage of the Princess Royal to the Prince of Wurtemburg-First book stereotyped in England-The volunteer mania —Attempted assassination of the King-Archbishop Cornwallis's drums and Lady Huntingdon's efforts to induce him to discontinue-Her hot reception by Mrs. Cornwallis-Lady Huntingdon induces the King to aid her-The King's letter to the archbishop— Conduct of the clergy-Incident of the drawing-room-The Prince a Radical-The King's illness-His excitement-Feeling exhibited by the Duke of York-The Prince of Wales incredulous of the recovery of the King-Conversation between the King and Dr. Willis-The Queen's anxiety-Particulars of the King's illness-Recovery of the King-Home scene at Windsor Castle.

THE subject of the marriage of the Prince of Wales will come more fully under our notice in the life of Caroline of Brunswick. Here it may be mentioned that the period at which the question of the marriage of the Prince was first moved, is not known with certainty. It was soon, however, publicly ascertained that whenever that much-desired event should take place the Prince's debts were to be paid, on the condition that after such settlement and the fixing of his establishment as a married man, he was never to incur such liabilities again. The agreeing to this condition debarred him from ever again applying to parliament for pecuniary relief.

There is little doubt as to the wish of Queen Charlotte that her son should marry a Princess of Mecklenburgh. It was sufficient for the Prince that his mother had such desire that he