our intercourse with the powers bordering on that sea would be much interrupted, if not altogether destroyed. Such, too, has been the growth of a spirit of piracy, in the other quarters mentioned, by adventurers from every country, in abuse of the friendly flags which they have assumed, that not to protect our commerce there, would be to abandon it as a prey to their rapacity. Due attention has likewise been paid to the suppression of the Slave Trade, in compliance with a law of the last session. Orders have been given to the commanders of all our public ships, to seize all vessels navigated under our flag, engaged in that trade, and to bring them in, to be proceeded against in the manner prescribed by that law. It is hoped that these vigorous measures, supported by like acts by other nations, will soon terminate a commerce so disgraceful to the civilized world.

"In the execution of the duty imposed by these acts, and of a high trust connected with it, it is with deep regret I have to state the loss which has been sustained by the death of commodore Perry. His gallantry in a brilliant exploit, in the late war, added to the renown of his country. His death is deplored as a national misfortune.

of November, 1767, and was consequently in the 53rd year of his age at the time of his death. He was educated in part under the present bishop of Salisbury; but in the 18th year of his age went to Germany for the completion of his studies, and resided successively at Lunenburgh and Hanover, until October, 1787, when he removed, by his Majesty's command, to Geneva, and there remained until he completed his 22nd year. In January, 1790, his royal highness re-visited England, but for a few days only, proceeding immediately, in a military character, to Gibraltar. With the rank of colonel, he commanded the 7th Fuzileers, which formed part of the garrison of Gibraltar, under general O'Hara, in 1790 and 1791. In that subordinate military station, his royal highness soon became remarkable for the exact discharge of his own duties, and for demanding a similar punctuality from every man and officer under him. His attention to the appearance and discipline of his regiment was altogether exemplary and unremitting; but as he could not inspire all the military with an equal sense of the solid value of the uninteresting duties which employ so large a portion of military life, the colonel of the 7th Fuzileers was for some time an unpopular commander. He frequently issued orders on points which were of inferior moment, and enforced issued them. By this system, by them rigorously, because he had a scrupulous discharge of his own duties, an inexorable enforcement of similar strictness upon others, and an anxious interposition on behalf of every individual

who had wrongs to be redressed or claims to be recommended, he at length carried the discipline of his regiment to the highest pitch, and established for himself the most respectable military reputation. From Gibraltar his royal highness was removed to Canada in 1791. From this station he proceeded, in December 1793, through the United States to the West Indies, to join the army under the late lord Grey, and was present at the reduction of St. Lucie on the 4th of April following. On the expedition the impetuous bravery of his royal highness was manifested at St. Lucie, with too little consideration for his own safety, and too much disregard for the enemy's position. The troops were repulsed; but the Duke of Kent's high personal courage obtained him the applauses of the soldiers, and a flattering rebuke from the commander-in-chief.

At the close of the campaign of 1794, the Duke of Kent, pursuant to his majesty's commands, returned to British North America, and served at Halifax as major-general till 1796, and as lieutenant-general till 1798, when, in consequence of a severe fall from his horse, he was obliged to return to England.

In April 1799, his royal highness was created a peer by the title of duke of Kent and Strathern, and earl of Dublin, and obtained a parliamentary establishment adequate to the support of his new dignities. The following month he was promoted to the rank of general in the army, and appointed commander-in-chief in North America, to which desti nation he proceeded in July; but ill-health again obliged him to

return, and he arrived in England in the autumn of 1800. In March 1802, his royal highness was appointed governor-in-chief of the important fortress of Gibraltar, which office he held till the time of his decease. In May, 1802, he went to preside there in person, and exerted himself very laudably to suppress the licentiousness and dissipation of the wine-houses. The honourable attempt was made; but with doubtful success. The wine licences were withdrawn; and for a time the peaceable inhabitants of Gibraltar could carry on their business, and walk the streets, and repose within their dwellings, at less risk of insult, or outrage, than before; drunkenness disappeared from among the soldiers; cleanliness and discipline were restored, while military punishments were reduced in frequency, the hospitals emptied of their numerous inmates, and the sexton disappointed of his daily work. But the liquor merchants were driven from the enjoyment of their enormous profit, and instigated the unreflecting soldiery to vengeance for the loss of those indulgences which devoured their pay and destroyed their health. Insubordination broke out on all sides; the governor was not supported by the local authorities; and after receiving the grateful and unanimous acknowledgments of the civil population of Gibraltar, he returned from a post in which his efforts for public good were more zealous than fortunate. His royal highness thought it advisable to return to England in May, 1803, where he continued to reside till August, 1816, when economical views led him to the continent. Here he continued, residing prin

cipally at Brussels, until May, 1818, on the 29th of which month he was married at Coburg, according to the Lutheran rites, to her serene highness Victoria Maria Louisa, youngest daughter of the late reigning duke of Saxe Coburg; widow of his late serene highness the prince of Leiningen; and sister of his royal highness the prince of Saxe Coburg, the chosen husband of our much-lamented princess Charlotte. The royal pair shortly after the solemnity, arrived in England, and were re-married, according to the rites of the English church, at Kew palace, on the 11th of July, 1818. Persevering in the economical plan which he had laid down before his marriage, the duke, a few weeks after this secondceremony, returned with his royal bride to Amorbach, the residence of the duke of Leiningen, which the duchess, who was left by the will of her late husband guardian of her son, a minor, and regent of the principality, during his minority, had occupied as her residence from the prince's death. It was during their royal highnesses' retirement at this place, that the duchess proved to be pregnant; and as her royal highness fully concurred in the sentiments entertained by her illustrious consort, as an Englishman, that her child ought to draw its first breath on English ground, they both revisited this country where the duchess gave birth to a daughter named Alexandrina Victoria, who was born at Kensington Palace on the 24th of May, 1819. His royal highness, a very few weeks before his death, took his duchess and their lovely offspring into Devonshire, to give them the benefit of its purer air and milder

climate; but unhappily fell himself a victim to a sudden attack of pulmonary inflammation, so violent as to baffle the utmost efforts of medical skill. His royal highness, in a long walk on Thursday the 13th of January, with captain Conroy, in the beautiful environs of Sidmouth, had his boots soaked through with the wet. On their return to Woodbrook cottage, captain Conroy, finding himself wet in the feet, advised his royal highness to change his boots and stockings; but this he neglected till he dressed for dinner, being attracted by the smiles of his infant princess, with whom he sat for a considerable time in fond parental play. Before night, however, he felt a sensation of cold and hoarseness, when Dr. Wilson prescribed for him a draught composed of calomel and Dr. James's powders. This his royal highness, in his usual confidence in his strength, and dislike of medicine, did not take, saying that he had no doubt but a night's rest would carry_off every uneasy symptom. The event proved the contrary. In the morning the symptoms of fever were increased; and though his royal highness lost 120 ounces of blood from the arms and by cupping, he departed this life at ten o'clock, A. M. the 23rd. His royal highness was sensible of his approaching death, and met it with pious resignation. He generously said, that he blamed himself for not yielding to the seasonable advice of Dr. Wilson in the first instance, by which the access of the fever might have been checked. Every attention that skill and affection could supply was rendered to him. Prince Leopold, accompanied by

Dr. Stockmar, arrived at Woodbrook Cottage on Saturday, at two o'clock, and never left his royal brother to the last.

His amiable and afflicted duchess was most indefatigable in her attentions, and performed all the offices of his sick bed with the most tender and affectionate anxiety. She did not even take off her clothes for five successive nights, and all the medicines were administered by her own hands. She yet struggled to prevent his seeing the agony of her apprehensions, and never left his bedside but to give vent to her bursting sorrow. The later years of the duke of Kent were distinguished by the exercise of talents and virtues in the highest degree worthy of a beneficent prince and of an enlightened English gentleman. There was no want nor misery which he did not endeavour to relieve to the extreme limits of his embarrassed fortune. There was no public charity to which his purse, his time, his presence, his eloquence, were not willingly devoted, nor to the ends of which they did not powerfully conduce. At the time of his death, besides the offices and dig. nities which we have already enumerated, his royal highness was invested with those of a knight of the Garter, Thistle, and St. Patrick, a knight grand cross of the Bath, keeper and paler of Hampton Court Park, colonel of the Royal Scots regiment of foot, and since the year 1805, a field marshal in the army.

His royal highness was tall in stature, of a manly and noble presence. His manners were affable, condescending, dignified and engaging; his conversation animated; his information varied

and copious; his memory exact and retentive; his intellectual power, quick, strong, and masculine; he resembled the late king in many of his tastes and propensities; he was an early riser, a close economist of his time; temperate in eating; indifferent to wine, although a lover of society; and heedless of slight indisposition, from confidence in the ge. neral strength of his constitution; a kind master, a punctual and courteous correspondent, a steady friend, and an affectionate brother.

As soon as it was made known to Prince Leopold that the illness of the duke was dangerous, his royal highness hastened to Sidmouth with the greatest speed possible, where he found the report he had received but too true. After the dissolution of the duke, prince Leopold supported and upheld his afflicted sister with a manly Christian consolation, and relieved her from all responsibility in every respect, and managed every thing for her departure from this scene of woe to Kensington-palace, the duchess travelling with him in his carriage. His royal highness also took every possible care of the infant princess Alexandrina. After their return prince Leopold was unremitting in his attentions to his royal sister and niece: the former his royal highness took out daily for an airing in his carriage. Throughout the whole of this distressing event his royal highness's conduct was indeed most exemplary.

The following interesting sketch of the domestic manners of his royal highness, written by the late George Hardinge, esq. a Welsh judge, is acknowledged by

all who were honored with his familiar acquaintance, as extremely characteristic of the illustrious prince.

"The duke, amongst other peculiarities of habit, bordering upon whim, always recommends the very chair on which you are to sit; I suppose it is a regal usage. He opened a most agreeable and friendly chat, which continued for half an hour tête-à-tête. So far it was like the manner of the king (when he was himself), that it embraced a variety of topics, and was unremitted. He improved at close quarters, even upon his pen; and you know what a pen it is. The manly character of his good sense, and the eloquence of his expression, were striking. But even they were not so enchanting as that grace of manner which distinguishes him. Compared with it, in my honest opinion, lord Chesterfield, whom I am old enough to have heard and seen, was a dancing master. I found the next morning at our table tête-à-tête that he has infinite humour, and even that of making his countenance suit the character he is to personate. One of his Joe Miller's I annex to my narrative; though without his face (which I cannot enclose) it loses more than two-thirds of its effect.

"In about an hour dinner was announced. The duke led the way. I was placed at the head of the table. The duke was on my right; Madame L on my left. The honours were chiefly done by him. The dinner was exquisite. The soup was of a kind that an epicure would have travelled barefoot 300 miles in a deep snow to have been in time for it.

"In my efforts to be irresistible, between my two admirers, I dropped my napkin three or four times in rapid succession. It was recovered each time by the wellbred sentinel whose province it was to be careful of me; but I hated him, for I thought he almost betrayed that he was ashamed of the duty and of me.

"The natural civility of an amiable habit in both of them appeared in two little traits of it, and which I may as well delineate here, because they occurred at the table, and we are there at present, my reader and I.

"Louis XVIII. was upon the tapis, and Madame, unsolicited by me, desired one of her attendants to ask her maid for his ma

jesty's portrait in miniature. The duke, instead of discouraging this alert galanterie, in good humour improved upon it, by saying, Let her give him poor Louis Seize, and his Queen at the same time.' It was accomplished.

"They accidentally mentioned the famous Dumourier; I said that I loved seeing those whom I admired unseen, upon report alone, and in the mind's view.

But I shall never see Dumourier,' said I, for he is the Lord knows where (and I cannot run after him) upon the Continent.'

Not he,' said the duke, he is in this very island, and he often dines with us here.' I looked, but said nothing; my look was heard. Madame asked the duke (for it is a word and a blow with her) if it could not be managed.

Nothing more practicable,' said he. If the judge will but throw down his glove in the fair spirit of chivalry, Dumourier shall pick it up.'