(A.D. 1744-1818.)
Long before his death, George II. began to look about for a wife for his grandson, George William Frederick, whose father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, died when the young prince was only thirteen years of age. This event made young George heir to the throne of England; consequently, it was by no means an unimportant matter to decide upon a lady worthy of the honor of marrying him. Before telling how it was settled, let us take a look at the early life and education of the prince.
He was such a feeble infant at the time of his birth that he was baptized privately on the following day; but a month later he had improved so much that this ceremony was repeated in public, when the King-of Prussia and the Duke of Saxe-Gotha were god-fathers by proxy, and the Queen of Prussia god-mother, also by proxy. No doubt the old king would have stood sponsor for his first grandson if he had been friendly with the Prince of Wales; but we know of the enmity that existed between that father and son. It fortunately did not extend to the grandson, who became good friends with George II,. and was admitted on familiar terms to his presence.
A.D. 1748. George was not a bright boy at his studies; for when he was eleven years old he could not read English, though he knew something of Latin. Baron Stein-
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berg was directed by the king to find out what progress the royal children were making in their studies. He examined them, and said to Prince George, "I will report your proficiency in Latin; but I wish you were a little more perfect in your German grammar."
"German grammar!" exclaimed the boy, "oh, any stupid child can learn that."
A.D. 1749. He had for drawing-master Goupy, the artist, who was very fond of him. One day the pupil was standing behind his father's chair, where he had been placed for punishment, when the master entered. "Sit down, Goupy, and go on with your sketch," said the Prince of Wales. But as the artist declared that it was impossible for him to use his pencil with any spirit while his little friend was in disgrace, the prince was released. George never forgot this act of consideration; and many years later, when he was king, he met poor Goupy, then eighty-four years of age, in great distress, tottering along the road from Kensington to London, with bailiffs at his heels. The king stopped his carriage, and called out, "How now, Goupy! how now! What's the matter?" The aged artist replied that he had been arrested for debt, but added: "As I once took your majesty out of confinement, I trust you will not suffer me to be imprisoned."
"O Goupy!" returned the king. "Bailiffs, eh? I can't stop the law, you know; let it take its course. But—d'ye hear, Goupy?—Ramus shall settle this business, and I'll take care to secure you from such dangers in future."
A.D. 1750. It was the fashion among the Georges for each one to hate his heir, and Frederick, Prince of Wales, did not depart from it. He lavished all his affection on Edward, his second son; but a short time before his death, which occurred in 1751, he sent for the prince, and, embracing him tenderly, said: "Come, George, let us be good friends while we are suffered to be so." It was not to be for a very long time, as he knew; but the interview made a favorable impression on the boy, who was very much grieved when his father died. Soon after an act of parliament made the Princess-Dowager of Wales guardian and regent of the heir-apparent during his minority; and then the boy, who had already been made a Knight of the Garter, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
A.D. 1752. When, at the age of twenty-three, George III. ascended the throne, his knowledge of books and men was very limited, though the latter he learned to know by experience. He was about fourteen years of age when Lord Bute began to take a share in his education, and laid the foundation of his future influence over the mind of the prince.
A.D. 1756. George William Frederick was not more than seventeen years old when, as we have said, his grandfather began to think of a wife for him.
While the king was thus interesting himself for his grandson, that young prince fell in love with Lady Sarah Lennox, a virtuous, beautiful young English girl, whom Walpole thus describes: "There was a play at Holland House, acted by Children: not all children, for Lady Sarah Lennox and Lady Susan Strangways played the women. They were delightful, and acted with so much nature that they appeared the very people they represented. Lady Sarah was more beautiful than you can conceive; and her very awkwardness gave an air of' truth to the sham of the part. When Lady Sarah was in white, with her hair about her ears and on the ground, no Magdalen of Correggio was half so lovely and expressive."
A.D. 1760. Although George admired Lady Sarah, he could not marry her, because she was English, therefore his subject; but he was wise enough to choose a bride for himself at last. A princess of Saxe-Gotha had been selected by the royal mother and Lord Bute; but the king said he had already had enough of that family. Then a Colonel Graeme was sent to visit all the German courts in search of a princess, good, beautiful, and accomplished. At Pyrmont he happened to fall in with the Princess-Dowager of Strelitz, with her two daughters. There was very little etiquette observed at this watering-place. The young princesses went about with a good deal of freedom, which was the more agreeable to them, because it formed such a contrast to the stiffness and formality of the life at their little court. Colonel Graeme was thus afforded an opportunity of approaching them; and it was not long before he decided that the Princess Charlotte was in every way a desirable person to become the wife of the future King of England.
This princess was born at the palace of Mirow, May 16, 1744; and her early education was conducted by her mother, with the assistance of an accomplished, noble lady. She was not more than seven years of age when Madame de Grabow began to instruct her. This lady was possessed of such poetical talent as to be called "the German Sappho," and proved of great service to her pupil, who became, under her tuition, a good German, French, and Italian scholar. The princess was well instructed besides in history, geography, and mineralogy; danced with grace, sketched well, and showed a great deal of talent for music. Above all, she was good and religious.
So Colonel Graeme's report was favorable; but George would not have consented to wed the princess if he had not known something more about her, and this was through a letter, said to have been written by her to the King of Prussia, which by some means fell into George's hands. It was during the Continental war, when the towns and villages of the duchy of Mecklenburgh were occupied by the Prussian troops, that this letter was written. Her native land was subjected to such misery that many families were obliged to seek homes elsewhere; and it was under the impulse of strong excitement that the princess addressed the King of Prussia, thus:—
"May it please your Majesty,—
"I am at loss whether I should congratulate or condole with you on your late victory over Marshal Daun, since the same success which has covered you with laurels has overspread the country of Mecklenburgh with desolation. I know, sire, that it seems unbecoming my sex in this age of vicious refinement to feel for one's country, to lament the horrors of war, or to wish for the return of peace. I know you may think it more properly my province to study the arts of pleasing, or to inspect subjects of a more domestic nature; but, however unbecoming it may be in me, I cannot resist the desire of interceding for this unhappy people.
"It was but a very few years ago that this territory wore a most pleasing appearance; the country was cultivated, the peasants looked cheerful, and the towns abounded with riches and festivity. What an alteration at present from such a charming scene! I am not expert at description, nor can my fancy add any horrors to the picture; but surely even conquerors themselves would weep at the hideous prospects now before me. The whole country—my dear country!—lies one frightful waste; presenting only objects to excite terror, pity, and despair. The employments of the husbandman and the shepherd are quite suspended; for the husbandman and the shepherd are become soldiers themselves, and help to ravage the soil which they formerly cultivated. The towns are inhabited only by old men, women, and children; while, perhaps, here and there a warrior, by wounds or loss of limbs rendered unfit for service, is left at his door, where his little children hang round him, ask the history of every wound, and grow themselves soldiers before they find strength for the field. But this were nothing, did we not feel the alternate insolence of either army as it happens to advance or retreat in pursuing the operations of the campaign. It is impossible, indeed, to express the confusion which they who call themselves our friends create; for even those from whom we might expect relief only oppress us with new calamities. From your justice, therefore, it is, sire, that we hope redress; to you even children and women may complain, whose humanity stoops to the meanest petitions, and whose power is capable of repressing the greatest wrong!"
We have given the whole of this letter, because it is a remarkable production from the pen of so young a girl. So thought the king to whom it was addressed, for he instructed his soldiers to be more humane; and so thought George III., who was charmed with the eloquence and kind heart of the writer. We say George III., because by this time the young prince had ascended the throne.
On the morning after the death of his grandfather, who had said of him, "The boy is good for nothing but to read the Bible to his mother," George proceeded from Kew to St. James's Palace, accompanied by Lord Bute. On his arrival there, he was presented by Mr. Pitt, the secretary of state, with a paper, on which were written a few sentences that the minister had prepared as a basis of the new king's speech to the privy council. George thanked Mr. Pitt, but said that he had already prepared himself; and he soon proved that he had done so, for the councillors were astonished at the grace and dignity of his address.
Although in ordinary conversation George III. spoke so rapidly that it was almost impossible to comprehend him, in public he was perfectly intelligible, and moderated his voice as well as any man in his dominions. He was exceedingly popular on his accession. In his opening speech before parliament, he—who, it must be remembered, was the first English George,—said: "Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton; and the peculiar happiness of my life will ever consist in promoting the welfare of a people whose loyalty and warm affection for me I consider as the greatest and most permanent security of my throne; and I doubt not but their steadiness in those principles will equal the firmness of my invariable resolution to adhere to and strengthen this excellent constitution in church and state, and to maintain toleration inviolable." Mr. Pitt could have prepared no speech for the king that would have been more satisfactory than this, and he made several others that were equally so.
On July 8, 1761, the king announced to his council that he had, after mature reflection, come to the resolution to demand in marriage Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, a lady distinguished by every virtue and amiable quality. On the fifteenth of the next month the treaty was concluded, and preparations were immediately made to conduct the bride to England. The Earl of Harcourt and the Duchesses of Ancaster and Hamilton, the two finest women of the British court, were selected to escort her; and the royal yacht in which she and her suite were to embark was ordered to be convoyed by a fleet under the command of Lord Anson.
A.D. 1761. Lord Harcourt wrote to a friend that the bride was "the most amiable young princess he ever saw;" and was very enthusiastic over the reception he had met with at the little German court, saying, "The great honor the king has done this family is seen in its proper light."
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His task was an easy and pleasant one, and his testimony regarding the bride runs thus: "Our queen that is to be has seen very little of the world; but her good sense, vivacity, and cheerfulness, I dare say, will recommend her to the king, and make her the darling of the British nation. She is no regular beauty; but she is of a very pretty size, has a charming complexion, very pretty eyes, and is, in short, a very fine girl." The two duchesses who were sent to conduct the bride to England were such splendid-looking women that they excited the greatest amount of admiration in Germany, and Charlotte began to have some misgivings as to her own personal appearance when compared with them. "Are all the women in England as beautiful as you are?" she asked when first she saw them.
The treaty of marriage was concluded on the 15th of August, the Earl of Hardwicke acting as the king's ambassador; and then there were two days of state-banquets, balls, fireworks, and illuminations in the city of Strelitz, and everybody seemed wild with joy. On the seventeenth, the princess took leave of her family and began her journey towards the sea-coast, being received with demonstrations of delight from the populace wherever she stopped. When she embarked at Cuxhaven all the ships fired a salute of twenty-one guns each, and the young bride was so overcome that she exclaimed, "Is it possible that I can be worthy of these honors?" The weather was so unfavorable that the squadron did not proceed to sea until the twenty-eighth. At length, on Sunday, September 6, the royal yacht entered Harwich Roads; but, as it was not possible to guess at the length of the voyage, no preparations had been made for the reception of the princess, and she could not land until the next day.
Even then the king was not present, and she was received by no higher dignitary than the mayor. In the afternoon she proceeded to Colchester, where she was entertained at the house of a private gentleman.
On the eighth the princess arrived at Romford, where she alighted at the house of Mr. Dalton, a wine-merchant, and waited an hour for the royal carriages and servants, sent from London to meet her. She then took her seat in one of the carriages with the two Duchesses of Ancaster and Hamilton. "She wore a fly-cap," say the chroniclers, "with rich lace lappets, a stomacher ornamented with diamonds, and a gold brocade suit, with a white ground." Three carriages containing ladies from Mecklenburgh and lords from St. James's preceded that of the princess, and they all passed in procession through lines of people, militia, and horse and foot-guards to London.
The young bride had been very gay and self-possessed throughout the journey, but as soon as she came in sight of St. James's Palace her courage failed; she trembled and turned pale. The Duchess of Hamilton smiled; whereupon the princess said: "My dear duchess, you may laugh,—you have been married twice,—but it's no joke to me."
When the royal carriage stopped at the palace gate the bride stepped out, assisted by the lord-chamberlain, Duke of Devonshire, and advanced into the garden as the king came forward to meet her. She sank down upon her knees; but he quickly raised her, kissed her on the cheek, and led her into the palace. At first sight of the German princess, George III. was certainly disappointed; but it was only a momentary cloud that passed over his countenance, for he treated his bride with a great deal of tenderness and consideration always. Soon after her arrival a dinner was served, and then the bridesmaids and the court were all presented to the princess, who said: "Mon Dieu, il y en a tant, il y en a tant!" No wonder she was appalled at the sight of so many strange faces and the sound of so many strange names. She kissed the princesses with evident pleasure; but, when it came to offering her hand to be kissed by those of lower rank, she had to be instructed by the king's sister, the Princess Augusta, how to do it.
At seven o'clock in the evening the nobility congregated in the royal chapel to witness the marriage ceremony, which was performed by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. All the royal family were present, and the king's brother, Edward, Duke of York, gave away the bride. Four daughters of earls acted as train-bearers, or bridesmaids. Among these was the beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox, with whom the king had once been in love. The queen was dressed in silver brocade, with a long train of violet-colored velvet, lined with crimson, and fastened at the shoulders with a bunch of large pearls.
After the ceremony the king and queen occupied two state-chairs under a canopy on one side of the altar, and the mother of the monarch sat in a similar chair of state on the opposite side. The other members of the royal family were seated on stools, while benches were provided for the foreign ministers and others. At half-past ten the marriage procession returned from the chapel, when a salute was fired from the artillery of the park and the Tower.
While the company waited for supper the bride sang and played, and conversed in French and German with the king, the Duke of Cumberland, and the Duke of York. Indeed, she behaved so prettily that all were charmed with her graceful, easy, sensible manners. At the wedding reception everybody was presented to the young queen; but, as she was acquainted with neither the history nor the names of the guests, she spoke to no one. The king looked very handsome, in a rich brocaded satin and velvet costume, and spoke good-naturedly to his bride and many of the court ladies and gentlemen. On the Sunday after their marriage the royal couple attended divine service at the chapel, and both seemed very happy. The next evening they went in chairs to Drury-lane Theatre, attended by the horse-guards. The king was preceded by the Duke of Devonshire, his lord-chamberlain, and the Honorable Mr. Finch, his vice-chamberlain; the queen by the Duke of Manchester, her lord-chamberlain, Lord Cantalupe, her vice-chamberlain, the Earl of Harcourt, her master of horse, and the Duchess of Ancaster and the Countess of Effingham. These went in carriages, and took their places in the box of the theatre, before the royal couple appeared. Never had such a crowd of people been seen in the streets as gathered between St. James's Palace and the theatre, to get a glimpse of the new queen, and never had the play-house presented so brilliant a spectacle; for all the ladies and gentlemen wore the same rich jewelry and dresses that had been made for the wedding drawing-room, and the house was packed from pit to dome. The queen had never seen a dramatic entertainment-before in her life, nor had she ever beheld such a brilliant concourse of people, and her childish wonder and delight lit up her pleasant countenance, and added much to her attractive appearance. There probably never was great enjoyment without something to mar it, and this case formed no exception; but it did not affect the royal couple personally. It was the crowd in the streets that had their small share in the fun spoiled by attempting to enter the theatre. Many women had their clothing torn off; one poor girl was killed outright; a man was so trampled upon that his recovery seemed doubtful, and many were scratched and bruised quite seriously.
This did not deter the populace from gathering again in much larger numbers to witness the coronation. Grand preparations had been made for this imposing ceremony, which was to be as fine as any that had ever taken place in England. Thousands sat in the streets all night in order to secure good places, and long before daylight the scaffoldings which had been erected on all the street-corners were crowded. A row of foot-soldiers was placed on either side of the street, and parties of horse-guards at proper intervals. The coaches and chairs of the nobility began to hurry about to their various destinations soon after daylight; but even then the roads were so blocked up that ladies in full-dress were in some instances forced to walk, escorted by soldiers to their places. When it is considered that the Countess of Northampton wore three hundred thousand pounds' worth of diamonds, and all the noble ladies wore rich gems of great value, the military protection will not seem superfluous, particularly in such a crowd.
Their majesties were carried in chairs from St. James's to Westminster Hall at nine o'clock in the morning; but they had to wait until chairs of state with the canopy were put in place, for they had been forgotten amidst all the preparations. The whole scene was so splendid that it is impossible to do it justice in words, and Queen Charlotte looked back before entering the Abbey at the sea of heads and faces with perfect amazement.
A very imposing and pretty part of the show was the procession of the Princess-Dowager of Wales from the House of Lords to the Abbey. The royal mother was led by the hand of her young son, William Henry, and followed by the other members of her household, all attired in white and silver. The princess wore a silk train short enough to require no bearers; her long hair fell over her shoulders in ringlets, and her head was encircled by a band of diamonds.
The Westminster boys sang Vivat Regina as the queen entered the Abbey, and Vivat Rex when the king appeared, then followed the usual ceremonies, and a sermon by the Bishop of Salisbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crowns on the heads of the sovereigns, and then proceeded to administer the sacrament. Contrary to any precedent, the king desired his crown to be removed, that he might appear humbly at this ceremony; but, as the queen's crown had been fastened on with pins to keep it secure, it was not an easy matter for her to follow the king's example, therefore he consented that she might retain hers; but it was to be considered simply as part of her dress, and not as indicating any power or greatness in a person kneeling before God.
The banquet which followed cost ten thousand pounds. Earl Talbot carried the second course to the king's table. He had taken great pains to train his horse to back the whole length of the hall, so that on retiring the animal would not turn his rump towards the king. So much training must have bewildered the horse, for he backed into the hall, much to the disgust of the earl, and was heartily applauded by the spectators at his retreat. The champion appeared on the identical charger that George II. had ridden at the battle of Dettingen, and acted his part admirably. Many persons of quality in the galleries let down handkerchiefs tied together, and strings with baskets attached, for some of the good things from the tables; for they had eaten nothing since morning, and were almost famished.
It was the universal opinion that no public festival had ever passed off with more eclat than the coronation of George III. and Queen Charlotte. They were both young and popular, and the nation was enjoying a season of prosperity with political leaders who were in favor. The removal of Pitt, the prime minister, who had been replaced by Lord Bute, was not considered a wise move on the part of George; but he had stood in awe of that powerful statesman, and had declared, "that he would not be the only slave in a country where it was his wish to see all the people free."
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London became very gay under the new reign. The queen announced her intention to attend the opera once a week, and that seemed a great deal of dissipation to a woman who had been strictly educated in the smallest and quietest of German courts. She was soon coaxed into attending the theatre oftener, particularly as the great actor, David Garrick, was then at his best. He had excited universal praise as Richard III., in which he made his first appearance twenty years before. But this was all new to the young queen, who, after witnessing one play, thirsted for another. One night she went with the king to see "King John"; but that play was not repeated, because George III. grievously offended Garrick by preferring another actor who took the part of Falconbridge. As soon as the great tragedian heard of this proof of what he considered bad taste on the part of his majesty, he would not allow "King John" to have its run, and substituted something in which he was certain he could have no rival.
The last splendid scene of this year was when the queen was introduced to the citizens of London, on Lord Mayor's Day. All the royal family left St. James's Palace at noon in great state, escorted by guards, and cheered by crowds of people. They proceeded to the house of David Barclay, a silk mercer, and a member of the Society of Friends. Barclay was eighty-one years of age, and boasted of having entertained the two other Georges on occasions similar to the one on which he welcomed George III. and his Queen Charlotte. About a hundred Quakers had assembled at the old man's house, which was decorated with brilliant crimson damask, to do honor to their majesties, and each was presented in turn. The king kissed all the women, young and old, ugly and pretty, without distinction, and after he passed into the next room, his young brother followed his example. A little grand-daughter of Mr. Barclay kissed the queen's hand with so much grace that the Princess-Dowager took her up in her arms and embraced her a dozen times. The Duke of York was so charmed with the child that he wanted to present her to the king; but she refused until assured that he was a prince, whereupon she confidently put her hand in his, and permitted herself to be led. His majesty was greatly amused when the little five-year old Quakeress told him, "that she loved the king, though she must not love fine things, and that her grandpapa would not allow her to kneel."
Mr. Barclay's daughters served the queen with tea; but they merely handed it to the ladies-in-waiting, who presented it on their knees. After witnessing the procession, the royal family attended a banquet at Guildhall, which cost eight thousand pounds. It was so magnificent that, on retiring, the king said to the Lord Mayor, "To be elegantly entertained I must come to this end of the city." One of the foreign ministers described it as a feast fit only for one king to give to another.
The year closed with an act of parliament settling forty thousand pounds per annum on Queen Charlotte, with a dowry of a hundred thousand pounds and two palaces, in case she should outlive the king. His majesty went in state to the House to give the royal assent to the bill; and the queen, who accompanied him, rose from her seat and made him a profound curtsey in acknowledgment of the favor.
Somerset House was not considered fine enough for her majesty's town residence, so George bought another for twenty-one thousand pounds, and settled it on his consort. It was known as Buckingham House, and afterwards as Queen's House, and was intended as a sort of retreat when its owner felt disposed to retire from the ceremony and state of St. James's Palace. It was in this house that George III. began the formation of a library, that in the following reign was presented to the nation, and is now in the British Museum.
The king continued for a time to be popular. In a letter written by Horace Walpole, about this period, he says: "I saw his majesty yesterday, and was surprised to find the levee-room had lost so entirely the air of a lion's den. The sovereign does not stand in one spot, with his eyes royally fixed on the ground, and dropping bits of German news; he walks about and speaks to everybody." It was this affable manner of George III. that pleased people, yet he could make himself disagreeable when he chose; for one historian tells us that "when anything displeased his majesty he became sullen, silent, and cross, and would go off to enjoy the melancholy of his own ill-humor."
A.D. 1762. Well, the royal couple established their household in a style that would have done credit to a private family, but was not becoming in them, because every detail was planned with an eye to economy. Considering that the nation had made such a liberal allowance to both the sovereigns, it was expected that they would support the royal dignity in a manner more in accordance with the generally accepted ideas. But they were absurdly economical, and their life was excessively prosaic and dreary, though they were a model couple. The first entertainment at their new house was given to about half a dozen strangers, the whole company consisting of not more than thirty people in all. Everybody danced excepting the king's mother, the Duchess of Bedford, and Lady Bute. Even the king and queen, the Princess Augusta, and her four younger brothers all danced from half after six until one o'clock in the morning, scarcely stopping for a moment to rest, and then the guests went home without refreshment of any kind. It was certainly carrying economy to excess when people left a ball after several hours of dancing, and had no supper. The famished guests must have retired in ill-humor, and with little desire to pay so dearly in future for their amusement. It need scarcely be said that the courtiers made fun of such a tame entertainment, or that they were greatly disappointed because the young couple did not establish their household on a more luxurious scale. They had expected pleasure to reign supreme; but, instead of that, they found an abode of gloom and meanness.
The queen's drawing-room was usually crowded; but as there were seventeen English and Scotch unmarried
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dukes always present, it is no wonder that ladies attended regularly. A visit from Queen Charlotte's brother, Prince Charles of Strelitz, was an event that disturbed the court monotony somewhat, and so royally was that handsome young man entertained that his younger brother afterwards spent a month in England. On that occasion, several splendid fêtes were given in his honor by various members of the nobility.
The most important event to the royal family of the year was the birth of the heir-apparent, on the twelfth of August. He was christened George Augustus Frederick the following month,—the Princess Dowager of Wales, the Duke of Cumberland, and the Duke of Mecklenburgh acting as sponsors. This prince reigned as George IV., and we shall tell more about him hereafter.
A.D. 1763. Queen Charlotte was so happy in the possession of a child of her own that she decided to do something for those who were so unfortunate as to have lost their parents early in life; so she established a home in Bedforshire for orphan children. A lady was placed at the head of this establishment who received a salary of five hundred pounds per annum, in consideration of which she was expected to instruct the orphan girls of the Home in embroidery. Even in this act of benevolence Queen Charlotte was somewhat calculating, for the first piece of work produced by each girl went to her, and it always consisted of something that could be used for window curtains, chair or sofa-covers, or bed-quilts for one of the palaces. To be sure, her majesty paid well for this handiwork, and performed many really charitable acts which made her exceedingly popular.
A.D. 1765. She interfered very little with politics, but devoted much of her time to the care of her sons, of whom she had at this time, besides the Prince of Wales, Frederick, afterwards Duke of York, and William Henry, afterwards Duke of Clarence.
In a letter to his son, written at this period, Lord Chesterfield says of the queen: "She is a good woman, a good wife, a tender mother, and an unmeddling queen. The king loves her, but I verily believe has never yet spoken to her one word about business." This is probably true, yet it is strange; for there was much anxiety and distress in England, and politics were in a most troubled condition.
A.D. 1766. There had been many important changes in the ministry, and war with the colonies had increased the national debt heavily. Lord Bute, the king's favorite, had been turned out of office, and succeeded by George Grenville, at whose suggestion exorbitant taxes were imposed on the American colonies. In spite of violent opposition, the stamp act was passed by parliament, and caused great indignation among those whom it affected. Everybody knows the important consequences of this act, and the excitement it occasioned in the house of representatives in Virginia, when that eloquent and popular orator, Patrick Henry, exclaimed, "Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third—————".
Cries of "Treason!" here interrupted the speaker; but, after a moment's pause, he continued, "And George the Third may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it." We are not writing an American history, and need not again refer to the Revolution that led to our Independence; it has merely been referred to because of the excitement it caused in England.