1814;

but the public voice cheered her to the ultimate defeat of her base enemies.

The transactions of this year do not reflect much credit upon certain mis-named illustrious individuals,

[[240]]and can never fail to excite contempt in the minds of the British people. The Douglas party were promised rewards, which they could not obtain, except in a less degree, as it was alleged they had failed in a principal part of their unworthy undertaking; namely, the degradation of the princess, by a full and unlimited verdict against her royal highness, agreeable to the charges they had preferred.

The disappointed queen was indignant, beyond bounds, at the honourable acquittal of the Princess of Wales. "What!" said her majesty, "am I for ever to be disappointed by the adroit talents of the princess, whose very name I hate! It must not be. If she be recognised as an unblemished character, I am well satisfied the odium of the whole proceeding will fall upon me; and rather would I prefer death than suffer her royal highness to triumph over me!"

Lord Castlereagh was then consulted by the queen, and he engaged to do his utmost against the princess; and the regent again suggested the idea of her going abroad, when steps, more effectual, might be taken to ruin her character. Lord Castlereagh, therefore, the next day informed the princess, by a note, "that for the present time all interviews with the Princess Charlotte must cease."

On the 7th of January, the Princess of Wales gave an entertainment at Montague House, where a select party was invited, in honour of the Princess Charlotte's birth-day, who had now attained her eighteenth year.

An unexpected event, about this period, gave the

[[241]]Princess Charlotte an interview with her mother for nearly two hours, in which these affectionate relatives enjoyed an undisturbed conversation. The Princess Charlotte was very explicit in her communications to her dear mother on the severity of the queen, during the time she had lately spent with her majesty at Windsor; and, among other observations, remarked, "Her majesty is a tyrant to all around her. If you walk out with the queen," continued the charming and noble princess, "you are sure to be told your pace is disagreeable,—either too quick or too slow. If you feel pleasure in seeing any sweet pretty plant, and express admiration of its several beautiful colours, and its various delicate appearances, you are sure to be told, such observations prove your want of taste and judgment. Indeed, my dear mother, I like anybody better than my disagreeable grandmother, and I can never permit myself to remain with her so long again. When I am at the castle, I am seldom allowed to see my grandfather, the king; and, when I do, he scarcely looks at me, and seems extremely unhappy. When my royal father goes to the castle, he is always with the queen alone, and very rarely pays a visit to the king." Such was the ingenuousness of the Princess Charlotte. She would immediately speak the truth, and defy all results, rather than act with dissimulation to please or conciliate any one. This was the longest interview which was to fall to the lot of these high-spirited and generous-minded personages. Alas! their destiny might have been pourtrayed by the pen

[[242]]of cruelty, and traced in characters of blood! At parting, the princess most tenderly embraced her mother, and that parent for the moment forgot all her sorrows. But what was her agitation, when her ONLY HOPE was saying, "Farewell!" Agonizing—beyond all expression—agonizing! We must sympathize with such sorrows, and admit the propriety of the remark of the Princess of Wales at this separation, "My life has already been too long, since it has been one continued scene of misfortune!"

The prince regent now paid a visit to the Duke of Rutland, for the avowed purpose of standing sponsor to the young marquis, the duke's son and heir. The preparations for the reception and accommodation of his royal highness were upon the most magnificent scale, which, we are sorry to relate, were little else than thrown away. In the evening, the sparkling goblet was so freely emptied by the royal guest, that he was obliged to be carried to the chamber prepared for him. Do not imagine, gentle reader, that we are disposed to dwell ill-naturedly on the mischances of this luckless night; but the prince was unfortunate, and committed such sins and transgressions in this ducal apartment, and IN the bed prepared for him, that, at a very early hour, his carriage was ordered, and his royal highness was on the road to London! The domestics at Belvoir Castle were left to relate this very disagreeable incident, and testify that the means required for the purification of their master's premises were of no common quality!

However facetiously we may have spoken of this

[[243]]"untoward occurrence," yet we recoil with disgust and indignation from such scenes. How revolting is the reflection that this was the prince invested with kingly authority, and to whom so many millions of intelligent beings were looking for the redress of their grievances, and the amelioration of their many miseries!

The king's indisposition increased in the early part of this year, and the over-bearing tyranny of the queen consequently knew no bounds. In May, she addressed several notes to the Princess of Wales to forbid her appearance at the drawing-room, to which her royal highness replied very spiritedly. Some of these letters were afterwards published, but several were suppressed. It was at this time that the prince expressed his unalterable determination "never again to meet the princess, either in public or private," and the queen was the person who communicated his royal highness' unmanly vow to the princess.

About three weeks after this announcement, some illustrious foreigners, who were formerly intimate with the family of the princess, paid her royal highness a visit; and, on the ensuing day, they received her royal highness' invitation to dine with her on that day se'nnight. It was accepted with pleasure; but, only about an hour previous to the appointed time for dinner, an apology was sent, asking pardon for the delay, which was said to be unavoidable, as the impediments arose from the COMMANDS OF THE REGENT, which had only been communicated to them

[[244]]a few hours before! Upon Mr. Canning's next visit to the princess, he explained the reason of this shameful conduct, by saying, "that Colonel M'Mahon desired, as a compliment, they would dine at Carlton House that day, and expressed an apology for the shortness of the invitation, as the regent had some days before given him his instructions to invite them, but that he (the colonel) had FORGOTTEN IT IN THE HURRY OF BUSINESS. Now," added Mr. Canning, "I know this story to be an invention; for it was only on the very morning of the day appointed by your royal highness that a brother of the regent heard of their intended visit, and informed him of it; and the prince then commanded M'Mahon to invite the party to dine at Carlton House, which they could not refuse, as etiquette would forbid their accepting any engagement in preference to that of the regent." Was there ever a more artful and vindictive piece of business concocted? How worthy was the master of such a scheming servant as M'Mahon!

In June, the allied sovereigns arrived in London, and fêtes and festivals followed in close succession. New honours were conferred upon several persons, who had been leaders in the late war. Lord Wellington was created Marquis of Douro and Duke of Wellington. To support this new dignity, four hundred thousand pounds were granted to him by the boroughmongering majority!

In consequence of the queen's edict, the Princess of Wales was excluded from the drawing rooms, held

[[245]]in honour of the illustrious guests; and this extra piece of persecuting malice sufficiently attested the littleness of the minds of her too powerful enemies.

Under these trying circumstances, Mr. Canning and Mr. Whitbread again urged their advice, that it would be better for all parties if the princess absented herself for a period, as the queen was so severe to the Princess Charlotte, in consequence of her regard for her mother. This consideration was enough for the fond parent. "Yes," said her royal highness, "for the sake of my child, I will leave England; I feel assured that my afflicted father-in-law, the king, cannot long survive; he is falling very gradually. But the crisis may be sudden; in that case, you know my situation; and what has been refused to the Princess of Wales cannot, I presume, be refused to the Queen of England! In making this reference, I merely and only mean, that I have hitherto been treated with the most unmerited severity, and the greatest injustice; this, I hope, will not be permitted in the event of my being queen. I name this to satisfy you, as my friends, that whenever I can return to this country with safety to my child, and honour to my few zealous friends, I shall not lose one moment in answering the summons."

On the 4th of June, Lord Castlereagh moved in the committee of the House, that fifty thousand pounds be annually paid to her royal highness the Princess of Wales. Mr. Whitbread offered some very correct and spirited remarks upon the subject,

[[246]]and the motion was agreed to. The princess, in the most generous manner, wrote to the Speaker on the 5th, declining to receive more than thirty-five thousand, adding, as a reason for this, her dislike to increase the already heavy burdens imposed upon the nation.

The ill-natured manner in which this most honourable act was received is best explained in the words of Lord Castlereagh, who, on the 8th, called the attention of the House to the letter of the princess, and concluded by saying, "It is not my duty to vote the public money to a subject who is not inclined to receive it." Her royal highness certainly was not much indebted to Lord Castlereagh for his very elegant and noble mention of her name, thus made; and the most dim-sighted person might have easily seen that "if the vessel came safe to shore," a marquisate would be the reward of the pilot.

The Princess of Wales at length requested leave of the ministers to go abroad. This was very readily granted; and, after some arrangements for correspondence, her royal highness prepared to depart. A very short interview was permitted with the child of her hopes and affections, while even that was attended by the ladies in waiting. They separated then—TO MEET NO MORE IN THIS WORLD!

It was during this affecting interview that her royal highness committed some letters of importance to the care of her noble-minded daughter; and, as it appeared impossible for any private conversation to pass between them, a letter accompanied

[[247]]the others, addressed to the Princess Charlotte by her afflicted mother, of which the following is a transcript:

"Copy of a letter to my dear Charlotte, Princess of Wales.

"1814, June 7th.

"My dearest Child,

"I deposit to your keeping a small parcel, of letters for my much-esteemed friend, Lady *******. I well know her generous disposition will cause her to endure a vast load of sorrow on my account, and, from these documents, the nation may one day be bold. I must tell you, my dearest child, that in conformity to my father and mother's opinion, I became the wife (so called) of your father. Well do I remember the time when my dear father, the Duke of Brunswick, entered my library, (holding in his hand a letter) saying, 'Caroline, my love, I desire you will give your attention to the request of your most excellent uncle, the King of England, and, without any demur, engage to marry your cousin George. He is undoubtedly the most elegant man and the most ACCOMPLISHED GENTLEMAN in Europe. Very unfortunately, this prince has been captivated by the many beautiful ladies surrounding the court; but although he may have committed himself in formal engagements, yet the prince is the most ready, desirous, and expectant supplicant for your hand!' I started, and exclaimed, 'What, my dear sire?' The sequel, however, is sufficient. I came to England.

[[248]]I was received heroically by the people, flatteringly by the persons deputed to attend me, and sarcastically by the queen, my aunt; but most pleasantly by the king, my uncle, and the prince, my destined husband. After my marriage with the prince, your father, I soon had occasion to regret my change of situation. However, I strove to conceal my disappointment and chagrin, and appeared as lively as if I had no cause for regret. Speedily after my marriage, I was informed that the prince was not my legal husband; that, some time previous to our marriage, he had been united to Mrs. Fitzherbert, and therefore our engagement was null and void! I opened the sorrows of my heart to the good king. 'Ah! Ah!' said his majesty, 'I will befriend you, but my family will prove my ruin. They care not for any thing beside their own ease, and they, sooner or later, will lose the crown by such improper conduct. The disposition of my son George is unrelenting; but I will tell you, my dear niece, that you may subdue his public injurious mention of your character, if you make use of proper means. My son is so lascivious, that if you would attempt to hide his defects, they would speedily become more apparent.' In the course of conversation, his majesty informed me of the untimely end of his brother Edward, and also of the MARRIAGE and ISSUE of that brother, who, he stated, had been educated for the church; and also, that he had frequently seen him during his residence at Eton with no small degree of affection and regret, and had even appointed

[[249]]interviews with the individual under whose care he was placed, to adopt plans for his welfare. I confess, my dear Charlotte, I was quite unprepared for this exposition, and I answered with much warmth, 'Does your majesty mean to say, that his royal highness left issue which has never been acknowledged?' 'I do, indeed,' replied the king, 'and though the affair has been hitherto kept from the public, yet I fancy it will, one day or another, be made known.' My dear Charlotte will conceive how much I felt upon these singular explanations. I long to tell you more upon the subject, but as our confidential messenger is waiting, I must conclude by subscribing myself

Your very affectionate mother,

Caroline."

The persecuted wife of the heir-apparent now prepared to leave England. Her royal highness went to Worthing on the 2nd of August, and on the 9th embarked for the Continent, with a heart heavily charged with the most poignant feelings.

The evening of her departure was spent in rioting and drunkenness by the inhabitants of Carlton House, as they had now attained a portion of their dishonourable object, and, in a great measure, relied upon final success. The entertainments given at this period by the "unparalleled prince" were of the most dazzling and costly description. The massive services of richly-chased gold, and the viands served upon them, in addition to every luxurious appendage,

[[250]]were daily superseded by others, still more rare and expensive than the preceding ones. Hundreds of thousands were thus lavished on useless pomp, while, perhaps, a poor tradesman, who had received the honour of an order by command of the prince, and had borrowed the larger portion of the means to enable him to execute it, solicited, in the most humble manner, a portion of his debt; but, alas! solicited in vain; and, after daring to press his destitute and ruined condition several times, is probably forbidden ever to ask for the settlement again, but to wait the royal pleasure. His impatient creditors, in the interim, arrest him; he is carried to a prison, and, in the agony of his soul, commits suicide. Many a wife and family of children have thus been reduced to a workhouse, and the greater number of them afterwards thrown upon the town! But—these are some of the privileges of royalty!

The reminiscences of the queen were sometimes rather painful; and, shortly after she had driven her daughter-in-law from the country, symptoms of melancholy were observed. Her physicians, therefore, recommended a change of air; and, in order to amuse her majesty, it was proposed that she should repair to Brighton for a short time, accompanied by the princesses.

The Princess Charlotte, after the departure of her much-beloved mother, appeared very unhappy, and, from that time, saw her father and grandmother as seldom as possible. They well knew she was favourable to her mother's cause, in opposition to their's,

[[251]]not only from the very great affection which she naturally felt for her mother, but also from the numberless proofs she had observed of the honourable motives by which the conduct of the Princess of Wales had been influenced. To these might be added the opinion of the virtuous part of the nation upon the subject, and the very great respect at all times paid to her royal highness by those persons who were independent of the royal family and the government.

Upon her majesty's return to Windsor, she found the king something improved in natural spirits, but desirous not to be troubled with unnecessary visiters. This slight improvement was, however, but of short duration; for, in a few days afterwards, this distressingly-afflicted sovereign relapsed into insensibility, and frequently became very boisterous in his conduct.

The amount required for this year's service was upwards of one hundred and sixteen millions, twenty-seven of which were raised by loans.

The year