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an expression of defiance and boldness took possession of it that was very unpleasant. Nevertheless, when she chose to assume it, she had a very noble air.'

"She had, however, friends that were really respectable, such as Lady Anne Hamilton and Mrs. Damer. But these were gradually supplanted by a set' of persons whose characters were marked by instability and lightness, even eccentricity. Among these were the gay and airy Lady Charlotte Campbell, a passée beauty, whose head was turned by vanity and admiration; Lady Caroline Lamb; Lord Abercorn, the odd nobleman who slept in black satin sheets; the volatile Monk' Lewis; the singular Ward; Lady Oxford, whose name was in the papers'; and the lively Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, with many more.

Her conversation,' says Miss Berry, is certainly uncommonly lively, odd, and clever. What a pity that she has not a grain of common sense, not an ounce of ballast to prevent high spirits and a coarse mind running away with her, and allowing her to act indecorously and ridiculously whenever an occasion offers.' These words describe her accurately. On these occasions she had with her the boy Billy Austin,' who had been the cause of such troubles, and whom she ought to have sent to school. But there was a merit in the constancy with which she clung to those whom she had once taken up. She was fond of wild and indiscreet pranks, such as going to masquerades incognita. She was at this time completely under the influence of some Italian singers named Sapio; the result of which was that no really steady persons could continue long in her establishment. The Princess,' says her friend, is always seeking amusement, and unfortunately, often at the ex

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pense of prudence and propriety. She cannot endure a dull person; she has often said to me: "I can forgive any fault but that." And the anathema she frequently pronounces upon such persons "Mine God! dat is the dullest person God Almighty ever did born!"" But all this was really a foolishly assumed exultation to cover her woes, and the unhappy lady was seeking such excitement to forget her trials. By 1813 she had ruefully owned to a friend that her situation was hopeless, and that there was no issue save the death of one of the two. This issue she used openly to discuss and long for, and anticipate. 'After dinner,' says her attendant, 'Her Royal Highness made a wax figure as usual, and gave it an amiable addition of large horns; then took three pins out of her garment and stuck them through and through, and put the figure to roast and melt at the fire. What a silly piece of spite! Yet it is impossible not to laugh when one sees it done.' One of her ladies reported her eagerly coming in with one of Mr. Burke's works in her hand. Read it,' she said, he has drawn the Prince's character exactly.' The passage ran: 'A man without any sense as a Prince, without any regard to the dignity of his crown, and without any love to his people; dissolute, false, venal, destitute of any positive good qualities whatever, except a pleasant temper and the manners of a gentleman.' This was told everywhere-a lamentable indiscretion, to say the least. Passages in her letters show a lively wit and observation. Thus Lord Deerhurst is quite a joke to the secret marriage of the ci-devant Mrs. Panton with a Mr. Geldi, and why it is kept a secret, and why it is made public, nobody can guess, as she was her own mistress-or that she thought that she

was public property, and that it would be essential to have an Act of Parliament to make an enclosure to become private property at a moment's warning.

"It is remarkable and perplexing too, that she should have attached to her interests two men of remarkable ability and character, whose support through the troubles that followed were of incalculable advantage Mr. Canning and Mr. Brougham. The former has been believed to enjoy a particular partiality, and his extraordinary devotion to her at a later crisis, almost to the imperilling of his interests, was remarkable, so that, as Lord Campbell tells us, in one of his piquant narratives, the Regent condescended to be jealous of him.' That she should have carried on the struggle for the next eight years that followed, without Mr. Brougham's aid, seems unlikely, for though she had many champions as ardent, she had none so powerful and sagacious."

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VOL. III.

L

CHAPTER III.

Caroline's pecuniary difficulties-Insanity of the King-Letter of the Princess-Her amusements-Her dress-Her letter to Lady Charlotte Lindsay- Her indiscreet confidences-Her reception of Campbell and Rogers-Her affection for her child-Description of Princess Charlotte-Caroline's letter to Lady Charlotte-Her remonstrance to her husbandDeath of the Duchess of Brunswick-Caroline's farewell to her brother-Her letters to Miss Hayman-Her removal to Connaught House-Her foolish proceedings-Betrothal of the Princess Charlotte-Misgivings of the bride-electArrival of the Emperor of Russia-Correspondence of the Queen and the Princess of Wales-Caroline's letter to the Prince Regent-Her unselfishness.

IN 1809 the Princess of Wales was found to be in pecuniary difficulties. She possessed no treasurer, and had herself the vaguest ideas of money; consequently she had, as she discovered, run into debt to the extent of £50,000. She was obliged to apply to the Ministers for aid. “A final arrangement was then come to. The Prince and Princess signed a deed of separation. The former consented to pay the debts to the amount of £49,000, on condition of being held non-responsible for any future liabilities incurred by his consort. Her fixed income was settled at £22,000 per annum, under the control of a treasurer, who was to discharge the remaining liabilities out of the present year's income, and to guard against any others ocurring in years to come, if he could." *

The following year a serious misfortune befell Caroline in the hopeless insanity of the King, who had always been her true friend. The chief cause of this permanent return of his mental malady

* Dr. Doran.

was the lingering illness and subsequent death of his youngest and best-loved daughter, the Princess Amelia. It was believed by many that she had contracted a secret marriage with a Captain Fitzroy, into whose society she had been much thrown during the frequent visits of the Court to Weymouth. It is to this—in all probability wellfounded-report, that the Princess of Wales refers in a letter to a friend, describing her reception by the Queen when she went to pay a visit of sympathy and inquiry.

"DEAR

“I am in a state of rage, being just returned from a visit to the Queen, who received me in a most cavalier manner. Luckily, I restrained myself whilst in her august presence; but I could have abused her gloriously, so angry did I feel at the old Begum. I will not submit again in a hurry to such a reception. She never asked me to sit down. Imagine such a piece of ridiculous pride! And when I asked after my poor, dear uncle, and said I should like to see him, she made me for answer, The King is quite well, but he will not see you.' I replied, Madame, I shall ask his Majesty himself.' She said noting, but smiled her abominable smile of derision.

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Talking of kings and queens, I heard the other day, from a lady who lives a good deal at Court and with courtiers, that a most erroneous opinion is formed in general of the Princess E—. The good-humour for which she has credit is only an outward show, and this is exemplified in her conduct to the poor Princess A—, who is dying— quite given over, though her decay may be slow and tedious. The Princess and S are

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