The calamitous situation of the nation at this time became truly appalling. Subscriptions were entered into for the purpose of relieving the distresses of the poor, and her majesty's name was put down for the insignificant sum of three hundred pounds! If we were to be prolix in our account of this German lady's discretionary liberality, the details, we fear,

[[272]]would not interest our readers. She was only liberal when her own interest was at stake!

Early in

1817,

the queen became indisposed, so much so as to cause alarm amongst her partisans for the issue. It was deemed expedient that the prince regent, who was then at Brighton, should be informed of the circumstance, and the Duke of York set off in the night to convey the intelligence to him. Why a courier could not have been forwarded, we do not pretend to say; but deception and mystery always attended the royal movements. Shortly afterwards, however, her majesty was declared convalescent, and the family were gratified by her recovery, being well assured that her assistance would be of the most essential consequence to the completion of the regent's wishes in the intended divorce.

In February, the "Habeas Corpus Act" was suspended, and, upon suspicion only, were Mr. Evans and his son seized and committed to prison on a charge of treason. They observed at the time, with great truth, "Poor devoted England! she cannot be called our country, but our grave!" This was confirmed by Lord Sidmouth, who rendered his every service in this disgraceful business, and was at all imaginable pains to prove, that his master, the regent, was the "Vicegerent of heaven, and had all power upon earth."

[[273]]The country was now elated by the information that the Princess Charlotte was likely to give an heir to the throne; because the people hoped that her progeny would prove more worthy of a crown than some of the sons of her austere grandmother. Upon this amiable princess, indeed, the English people had long placed their hopes, and they lived in anxious expectation to see the then existing tyranny superseded by a better form of government, under her auspices. In the mean time, every member of the royal family appeared more interested for the health of the queen than for the Princess Charlotte. Her majesty had experienced several relapses; but, after each attack, when she appeared in public, no symptoms of previous indisposition were visible.

Lords Liverpool, Castlereagh, and Sidmouth, and the accommodating George Canning, were now the arbiters of the fates of nations; their will was no sooner expressed than it passed into a law; and, while revelling at the festive board with their puissant prince, the country was writhing in the most pitiable condition. Even bread and water were not always within the poor man's grasp, and the starved peasantry of Ireland, in open defiance of military power, were living by stealing and eating raw potatoes, to enable them to eke out their most miserable existence! Under this humiliating condition, their rights and liberties were suspended, and it was made "treason and sedition" to murmur or complain.

When the tyrannical King John oppressed his subjects, and endeavoured to usurp despotic power,

[[274]]the barons assembled around him, and, unsheathing their swords, swore, "The laws of England shall not be changed!" But the days of chivalry were past! Lord Castlereagh was now our dictator, and a standing army of one hundred and forty thousand men, to enforce his vile and unconstitutional measures, destroyed even the chance of emancipation. We may add, in the words of our immortal bard, that his lordship was a man,