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diamond-hilted sword to the admiral, and splendid gold chains to various officers under his command.
Sovereigns may be popular one year and the reverse the next. So it was with George III., though both the idolatry and the hatred of his subjects were undeserved. The attack against his life by the mad lieutenant was followed by others which threatened to be more successful. A crowd of people assembled in the park one day when the king set out in state from St. James's to attend a parliament meeting. At first a sullen silence was observed, and few hats were removed; but presently shouts of "Give us bread!" "No war!" "No king!" and many others arose. His majesty entered his coach and was driven off. No sooner, however, had he reached a certain narrow street than a ball, either of lead or marble, was hurled through the window, but fortunately passed out at the other side without damage, excepting to the glass. George evinced the utmost calmness, and read his speech with even less hesitation than usual. When he was disrobing afterwards the gentlemen in attendance talked about the ball that had been thrown at the royal carriage, whereupon the king, who joined in the conversation, said: "Well, my lords, one person is proposing this, and another is supposing that, forgetting that there is One above us all who disposes of everything, and on whom alone we depend." On his return the mob threw stones at the coach, which was nearly demolished, and several of them hit the king, though without doing him serious injury.
A.D. 1796. Two other attempts were made on the king's life,—one when he was reviewing his troops, and the other just as he entered his box at the theatre. On the latter occasion he behaved with so much courage and presence of mind, that the audience were aroused to the highest pitch of excitement, and shouted "God save the King!" several times, and then the following stanza by Sheridan, the distinguished orator and dramatist, was sung:—
"From every latent foe,
From the assassin's blow,
God save the king!