The King's folly was most clearly seen in his pronouncements upon scientific questions. He had some liking for mechanics, and, it is said, directed the construction of some interesting clocks; but certainly, apart from mechanics, he was wofully ignorant, and as obstinate as he was ignorant. "Well, I suppose all your chickens are dead," he said to Beckford, alluding to the fact that his house was roofed with copper, an experiment which the King had declared must infallibly kill everything under the roof with verdigris.[204] George took an active part in the question which arose about 1778, whether lightning conductors, which at this time were ordered to be placed near all the powder magazines, should have blunted or pointed ends. A great dispute was raging: Sir John Pringle, President of the Royal Society, Dr. Franklin, and many men of light and leading advocating points, a view controverted by Sir Joseph Banks and some others. It was obviously a question for scientific experts, but the King, as a wit put it, "being rather partial to blunt conductors," thought to put an end to the matter by giving his peremptory decision, and announcing to the world the superiority of nobs. Not content with carrying out his theory in the lightning conductors at Buckingham House, he desired Sir John Pringle to publish his belief as the opinion of the Royal Society! Of course to this amazing demand, there could be but one answer, and Sir John regretted "it was not in his power to reverse the order of nature."
Caricature by R. Newton
LEARNING TO MAKE APPLE DUMPLINGS
For art George had some liking, thus forming an agreeable contrast to his two predecessors who detested "bainting and boetry," but unfortunately his taste was quite uninformed and his critical faculties negligible: he preferred Benjamin West to Reynolds, and Peter Pindar "wept over the hard fate of Prince Octavius and Prince Augustus, children of our Most Glorious Sovereign," whose portraits had, by royal command, been painted by West.
"Ghost of Octavius! tell the bard,
And thou, Augustus, us'd so hard,
Why West hath murdered you, my tender lambs?
You bring to mind vile Richard's deed,
Who bid your royal cousins bleed,
For which the world the tyrant's mem'ry damns.
"West, I must own thou dost inherit
Some portion of the painting spirit;
But trust me—not extraordinary things—
Some merit thou must surely own
By getting up so near the throne,
And gaining whispers from the best of Kings."[205]
The King also delighted in Beattie, who was his and his consort's favourite poet.
"... Sweet Poesy exalts her voice,
MacOssian sings, and Homer's halls rejoice,
One lazy tenor Beattie's bag-pipe keeps,
And tragic Home most lamentably weeps.
The Monarch's favourites, and the Muses' too!
'Whawr, Bratons, whawr's yore Woolly Shockspare noo!'"[206]