phlet it was asserted, that part of his demand was cash lent for the use of Mrs. Fitzherbert, after the royal nuptials had taken place. It was not till the year 1808 that this offensive publication actually made its appearance. The author, however, in

the mean time, did not fail to make it known, as soon as he found that his accounts were disputed, that, to use a familiar phrase, the Prince of Wales was no better than he should be. Rumours and reports of the most offensive kind were whispered in the ears of her Royal Highness; and when her natural vivacity of temper and candour of disposition led her to join in the gossip of the day, and to appear to acquiesce in what was told her, some of the good ladies who prompted and heard her, soon contrived means to let the Prince know, that his wife had spoken very freely concerning him. Thus it was, that, by degrees, these insidious wretches contrived very greatly to prejudice the Prince against his amiable and unsuspecting consort; a prejudice which very shortly grew into a rooted dislike.

I pretend not to know every particular of what led to the unfortunate quarrel between their Royal Highnesses; but I am persuaded, that had there not been some person or persons of an envious and malignant character about the court at Carlton House, or at Brighton, no such differences as those which the country has had so much cause to lament, would have taken place between two such characters as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Shortly after the marriage of the Prince and Princess, the prayer for the royal family was al

tered by authority. Before that event, the passage in the liturgy stood as follows: "That it may please Thee to bless and preserve our gracious Queen Charlotte, his Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, and all the royal family." It was then altered by the following additions:"That it may please Thee, to bless, &c. their Royal Highnesses George Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the royal family." Some persons have affected to discover an inaccuracy in this reading; asserting, that after the first insertion of the word Wales, there ought to have been the conjunction and; but this criticism seems to me perfectly needless: the conjunction is evidently understood, and to have inserted it would, I conceive, have rendered the reading harsh, inelegant, and tautologous.

CHAPTER IV.

NINE calendar months, wanting only a single day, had elapsed, since her marriage with the Prince, when her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales was safely delivered of a Princess at Carlton House. The intelligence of this event, which took place between nine and ten o'clock in the morning of the 7th of January, 1796, spread universal joy through the nation. The Duke of Gloucester, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of his Majesty's Council, the Duke of Leeds, the Duke of Devonshire, the

Earl of Cholmondeley, the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Jersey, Lord Thurlow, and the ladies of her Royal Highness's bed-chamber, were present. The firing of the Park and Tower guns, and other demonstrations of joy in the cities of London and Westminster, manifested the pleasure with which this royal birth was received by all ranks of people. Addresses from various quarters were prepared, and presented, though, for reasons shortly to be stated, his Royal Highness found it necessary to receive those presented to himself and his Princess in private.

Henry James Pye, Esq. the late poet laureat, in his New Year's Ode for that year, has the following stanza, the last of the poem, alluding to this auspicious circumstance:

"Now strike a livelier chord-the happy day,
Selected from the circling year

To celebrate a name to Britain dear,
From Britain's sons demands a festive lay.
Mild sov'reign of our monarch's soul,
Whose eye's meek radiance can control
The powers of care, and grace a throne,
Each calm to life domestic known;
Propitious Heaven has o'er thy head,
Blossoms of richer fragrance shed;
Than all the assiduous muse can bring,
Cull'd from the honey'd stores of Spring:
For see, amid wild Winter's hours,

A bud its silken folds display,
Sweeter than all the chalic'd flowers,

That crown thine own ambrosial May.
O may thy smiles, blest infant, prove
Omens of concord, and of love!

Bid the loud strains of martial triumph cease,
And tune to softer mood the warbling reed of peace."

Alas! who cannot but deeply regret that this wish of the bard should have been frustrated ; and that the "smiles" of this lovely infant should not have been the means of producing that domestic "concord and love," of which it was fondly hoped they would have been the "omen.”

The addresses of congratulation, both to the Prince of Wales and to their Majesties, were warm and numerous.

The address of the city of London to his Majesty was as follows:

To the King's most excellent Majesty,

The humble address of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled.

Most Gracious Sovereign,

We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London in common council assembled, humbly approach the throne with our sincerest congratulations on the safe delivery of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and the birth of a Princess.

Deeply sensible of the true and substantial blessings which we experience under your Majesty's mild and paternal government as essential to the preservation of the religion, laws, and liberties of all your Majesty's subjects.

Your faithful citizens of London must feel themselves highly interested in an event which directly tends to secure to Britain the succession of your illustrious race on the throne of their ancestors.

Impressed as we are with such sentiments of loyalty and attachment to your royal house, it will be equally our duty and delight to promote within our several spheres a grateful veneration for your Majesty's sacred person and government,-a due submission and respect for the laws of our country, and a stedfast zeal to preserve the tranquillity of the empire, as the fundamental protection of the invaluable privileges we enjoy.

To this his Majesty answered:

thank you for this dutiful and loyal address, and for your eongratulations on the birth of a Princess.

The repeated instances which I have received of your attachment to my person, family, and government, are highly satisfactory to ine.

The following was the address of the city of London to her Majesty on the same occasion:

To the Queen's most excellent Majesty,

The humble address of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled.

May it please your Majesty,

We his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common council assembled, beg leave to congratulate your Majesty upon the safe delivery of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and the birth of a Princess.

The citizens of London feel the most lively sentiments of joy on every occasion which contributes to your Majesty's domestic felicity; and the sacred sine of succession to the throne of these kingdoms, thus preserved, forms a very material portion of their happiness-conscious as they are, that no advantage will be want. ing to form her infant mind after the virtuous example of the illustrious females of your Majesty's royal house.

That your Majesty may be long spared to witness the growth of those transcendent virtues, of which your Majesty forms so eminent a pattern, is the sincere prayer of the loyal citizens of London.

To this her Majesty answered:

I return you my sincere thanks for your congratulations on the birth of a Princess; and I cannot but be very sensible of those cordial expressions of attention to me with which they are accompanied.

The following transaction, applauded by some, and censured by others, merits notice in this place: The city of London having resolved to present a congratulatory address to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, it was intimated, by Lord Cholmondeley, to the lord mayor, that "the Prince of Wales, being under the necessity of reducing