accompanied by some of the princesses on horseback, or in their sociables. He dines at half-after four, on plain beef or mutton, hot or cold, as the dinner never waits, and at a quarter after six makes his appearance on the Terrace, attended by his amiable, accomplished, and beautiful daughters, and occasionally by one or other of his sons: and here he promenades for an hour, occasionally stopping and chatting with those persons of whom he has any knowledge. Notwithstanding the affectation of numerous guards in London, his Majesty is always unguarded at Windsor; and he appears to give his subjects full and liberal credit for that degree of loyalty which a king, who is governed by the law of the land, is always sure to experience. There is nothing different in his Majesty's public appearance on foot from what it was before the late war, except the ungraceful attendance of two police-officers, who pace at a short distance from his person, one before and the other behind him, and who keep back, at a suitable distance, all persons that appear to entertain an intention of direct intrusion. His Majesty indulges in his well-founded partiality for gothic architecture, and is at this time rendering the style of his magnificent castle more uniform, by altering several of the windows, and rebuilding a new and very tasteful entrance into the state apartments. Under his patronage, St. George's Chapel has been rendered, by various embellishments, one of the most beautiful places for di vine worship in Christendom."

HIS PERSONAL HABITS.

The temperance of his life had become almost proverbial. He rose in summer and winter before six o'clock. He took a slight breakfast at eight, and dined off the plainest joint at one. He retired early to rest, after passing the evening with his family, generally amused with music, of which he was passionately fond, and in which he manifested a correct taste. His agricultural pursuits and horse-exercise contributed to the strength of his constitution.

Fruit was the only luxury in which he indulged, and that was cultivated in the Royal gardens to high perfection, and served at table in great abundance. On levee-days he would be at St. James's from Windsor before noon, and previous to the levee make his dinner on a simple joint, by which he was ready to go through all the business with freshness and spirits.

He was pleased with naval excursions, and enjoyed this recreation fre

quently at Weymouth. When aboard, he examined all parts of the vessel, and while on deck, was constantly engaged either with his glass, to catch distant objects, or making himself, by quick enquiries, conversant with the whole system of the sails and rigging.

Perhaps his worst personal habit was that of travelling at the cruel rate of fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen miles an hour, by which he killed horses, and often endangered the lives of his subjects.

HIS LOVE OF IMPROVEMENTS.

He had always a great passion for mechanical inventions and improvements. This predilection occasioned him at one time to be called the royal button-maker. Hence he liberally patronized Herschel and Bolton: hence his visit to Whitbread's brewhouse, and the annual exhibition of the mail-coaches on his birth-day, opposite the Palace.

HIS SKILL IN AGRICULTURE.

In the 267th Number of the Monthly Magazine appeared the King's own Letters to Mr. Arthur Young, developing Duckett's System of Rotation of Crops. He sent them for publication in the Annals of Agriculture; and, not wishing to figure as an author, he assumed the signature of Ralph Robinson, dating them from Windsor. The letters are written in a clear style, and bespeak great zeal on the subject. Of course, they may be regarded as unequivocal testimonies of the King's ability, being his own spontaneous act, unfettered by any forms of state. Mr. Young has obligingly promised us some other specimens of the same kind.

HIS PARENTAL AFFECTION.

The King's paternal care of his children in their infancy, was excessive and persevering. A lady who nursed some members of the Royal family has declared, that the only hardship she could complain of, was the necessity of having the nursery apartments in order, and of being dressed at six every morning, to receive the King, who came in regularly en robe de chambre, to look at the chil dren, and to ascertain how they had passed the night.

Not many days before the death of the young Princess Amelia, and when she received the communication from her physicians of her danger, she expressed a wish to have a choice stone, on which were the words "Remember me," put to a ring for the King, for him to wear in remembrance of her; and, to complete her wishes, it was executed immediately. On the following day she had the fecility

of

of placing the ring on her father's finger, as he affectionately squeezed her hand at parting. The incident of the ring, for which the King had received no previous preparation, was observed to affect him deeply his mental distress became immediately great; and, in a few days, the Royal family were alarmed by the appearance of the melancholy symptoms of that disorder which afflicted him till death terminated his sufferings.

HIS CHARITIES.

Though Dr. Wolcot has been so severe on the King's habitual parsimony; yet, when a sheriff of London, some years since, announced a fund for the relief of the wives and children of prisoners, his Majesty called him aside at the levee, and, after stating that he felt himself obliged by the sheriff's attention to his duty in instituting such a fund, presented him with a fifty-pound bank-note, desiring that it might be appropriated to the purposes of the fund, but requesting that his name as the donor might not be allowed to transpire.

The King, when on a hunting party, was separated from his attendants, and obliged to take shelter in a cottage, to avoid a sudden fall of rain. The inmates of the cottage were preparing their dinner, by roasting a joint of meat hung by a string from the roof, as a substitute for a jack. Being unknown, he asked them what had become of their jack.-"We have not money to buy one," was the reply. The King said nothing; but, on his departure, two guineas were found on the chimney-piece, wrapt up in a paper, on which was written with a pencil, To buy a jack.'

When the King went to look at Salisbury Cathedral, the tower of which was at that time under repair, he was without attendants, and his person at first not recognized. Looking over the book of subscribers, he desired to be put down for 1,000l. 'What name shall I write, sir?' said the person present. "Oh! a gentleman of Berkshire," replied the King; and a draft was given for the money.

PETER PINDAR.

The hostility of Dr. Wolcot to the King arose from his Majesty having taken a fancy to a picture at the Exhibition, for which the painter could have had a hundred guineas from a private person, and then sending him but fifty pounds for it. His chief anecdotes he derived from Weltjie, cook to the Prince of Wales; and Weltjie, being in habits of intercourse with the cooks at St.

James's, readily furnished the materials for the Lousiad. It is said, the King himself magnanimously forbade the prosecution of Wolcot, laughing heartily at his jokes; while her Majesty, though less magnanimous, was unwilling to provoke the doctor to a justification. Most of the stories had some foundation, but underwent embellishments from the author's fertile genius.

HIS CONDUCT AT A LEVEE.

Nothing could be more courteous, pleasant, and familiar, than the King's address at a levee. He often repeated the same things, and used the same words, to successions of state-officers; but he pleased all, by his apparent personal devotion to each while addressing him. With those whom he had seen often he entered into long stories, and always had some appropriate joke.

HIS MANNERS.

The King's address and conversation were always extremely grave and measured, except when he unbent, and then his mirth was apt to be boisterous, and his laugh loud and coarse. His habit from his childhood of doing and saying everything before the public, diminished the reserve which is usual in other persons before strangers; hence his broad laugh at his own light observations frequently conveyed impressions unfavourable to his understanding.

HIS MENTAL DERANGEMENT. It is to be feared that the healthful exercise of his faculties was more frequently interrupted than was known to the world. Smollet recorded one instance in 1765, in a passage which was expunged from his History, but reprinted in this Miscellany, vol. xlvii. p. 133.

Again, in 1785, a similar insinuation was published in Almon's paper, the General Advertizer, for which the proprictor was prosecuted with such seve rity, as obliged him to fly the country, and submit to an outlawry, which ruined him.

In 1788, the disease became permanent, and occasioned the first publiclyrécognized indisposition.

Some relapse is said to have taken place in 1802, at the time of the second rupture with France; at which time some singular anecdotes were in circulation about a peacock in the speech to Parlia ment, and about "the House of Peacocks."

At length, the natural strong understanding of the King yielded to the insidious influence of counteracting diseases; and, on or about the very day of

the Jubilee, when he entered on the fiftieth year of his reign, he succumbed,to be himself no more.

HIS PERSONAL COURAGE.

This quality was put to the test in 1800, when a maniac, at Drury-lane Theatre, fired at him as he entered his box. The following account of the event is extracted from Wraxall's Memoirs: "Few of his subjects would have shewn the presence of mind and attention to every thing except himself, which pervaded his whole conduct on the evening of the 15th of May, 1800, at the time that Hatfield discharged a pistol over his head in the Theatre, loaded with two slugs. His whole anxiety was directed towards the Queen, who not having entered the box, might, he apprehended, on hearing of the event, be overcome by her surprise or emotions. The dramatic piece which was about to be represented commenced in a short space of time, precisely as if no accident had interrupted its performance; and so little were his nerves shaken, or his internal tranquillity disturbed by it, that he took his accustomed doze of three or four minutes between the conclusion of the play and the commencement of the farce, as he would have done on any other night."

The King manifested a like extraordinary composure after the attempt to assassinate him by Margaret Nicholson; but he evinced an unworthy regard to the affections of his subjects, by forbid ding all future approach to his person by petitions, thereby placing them in the

hands of merciless Ministers.

On the subject of the popular attack of the King, on his way to the Parliament-house, on the 29th of Oct. 1795, the following minute was made by that inveterate courtier, the late Lord Onslow: Soon after two o'clock, his Majesty, attended by the Earl of Westmoreland and myself, set ont from St. James's, in his state-coach, to open the session of Parliament. The multitude of people in the Park was prodigious. A sullen silence, I observed to myself, prevailed through the. whole, very few individuals excepted. No hats, or at least very few, pulled off; little or no huzzaing, and frequently a cry of "Give us bread!" "No war!" and once or twice "No King!" with hissing and groaning. My grandson Cranley, who was upon the King's guard, had told me, just before we set out from St. James's, that the Park was full of people, who seemed discontented and tumultuous, and that he

apprehended insult to the King. Nothing material however happened, till we got down to the narrowest part of the street called St. Margaret's, between the two Palace-yards, when, the moment we had passed the office of Ordnance, and were just opposite the parlour-window of the

house adjoining it, a small ball, either of lead or marble, passed through the window-glass on the King's right-hand, and perforated it, leaving a small hole, the big.. ness of the top of my little finger, (which I instantly put through it, to mark the size,) and passed through the coach out of the other door, the glass of which was down. We all instantly exclaimed, "This is a shot!" The King shewed, and I am persuaded felt, no alarm; much less did he fear, to which indeed he is insensible. We proceeded to the House of Lords, when, on getting out of the coach, I first, and the King immediately after, said to the Lord Chancellor, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to receive the King, "My lord, we have been shot at. The King ascended the stairs, robed; and then, perfectly free from the least agitation, read his speech with peculiar cor rectness, and even less hesitation than' usual. At his unrobing afterwards, when the event got more known, (I having told› it to the Duke of York's ear as I passed him under the throne, and to others who stood near us,) it was, as might be supposed, the only topic of conversation, in which the King joined with much less agitation than any body else. And afterwards, in getting into the coach, the first, words he said were, "Well, my lords, one person is proposing this, and another is supposing that, forgetting that there is One above us all who disposes of every thing, and on whom alone we depend." The magnanimity, piety, and good sense of this, struck me most forcibly, and I shall home to St. James's, the mob was innever forget the words. On our return

creased in Parliament-street and White

hall; and, when we came into the Park, it was still greater. It was said, that not less than 100,000 people were there, all of the worst and lowest sort. The scene opened; and the insulting abuse offered to his Majesty was what I can never think of but with horror, or ever forget what I' felt, when they proceeded to throw stones into the coach, several of which hit the King, which he bore with signal patience, but not without sensible marks of indignation and resentment at the indignities offered to his person and office. glasses were all broken to pieces; and in this situation we were during our passage through the Park. The King took one of the stones out of the cuff of his coat, where it had lodged, and gave it to me, saying, "I make you á present of this, as a mark of the civilities we have met with on our journey to-day."

The

Some years since, Mr. Slack, an em nent sugar-baker in London, purchased an estate near Maidenhead. Hearing that the King was out with his barriers, Mr. Slack mastened to order that his gates might be thrown open, for his Majesty and suite to have free access over the grounds. Placing himself at one of the principal openings, the King soon passed through; and, drawing up his horse, addressed himself, with his wonted familiarity on such occasions, to the proprietor of the field: "Slack," said his Majesty, "I am glad to see you; and thank you for your attention. You are making great improvements here, which I am always pleased to see; but you will never make your estate perfect, unless you take in those fields, (pointing them out); and I am told that they must inevitably come to the hammer." Mr. S. thanked his Majesty for the kind suggestion; but there would still be one obstacle to its completion,-as a ring fence, which, perhaps, he was not aware of: "There are fields between my property and those of Mr. P., which belong to the Corporation of Reading; and bo dies corporate have not the power to sell or alienate any part of their estates.' "Don't tell me of that," replied the King, hastily; look into the late Act of Parliament for the Redemption of the Land Tax; there you will find a clause, enacting corporate bodies to sell or exchange for that express purpose. Get some friend belonging to the Hall who can talk a little, and the business will be easily brought about. Good morning to you; look at the Act, and you'll find I am right."

It was ever his custom to pay an early visit to his Mews, to look at and pat his favourite horses. One morning, on entering, the grooms were disputing one with the other very loudly, so that the King for a short time was unnoticed. 'I don't care what you say, Robert,' said one, 'but every one else agrees that the man at the Three Tuns makes the best purl in Windsor.' “Puri! puri!" said the King, quickly; "Robert, what's purl?" This was explained to be warm

beer with a glass of gin, &c.: his Majesty listened attentively ; and then turning round, said, loud enough to be heard by all, “I dare say, very good drink, but too strong for the morning; never drink in a morning." Eight or nine years after this, his Majesty happened to enter the stables much earlier than usual, and found only a young lad, who had recently been engaged, to whom he was unknown. "Boy," said he, “where are the grooms, where are the grooms?" "I' don't know, Sir; but they will soon be back, because they expect the King. Ah, ah," said he, "then run, boy, and say the King expects them: run to the Three Tuns, they are sure to be there, for the landlord makes the best purl in Windsor."

66

66

Thus minute and tenacious was the

King's memory. He knew every body again whom he had once seen, and more or less about them; and his memory, unfortunately, went to offences and of fenders as well as pleasantries. He never forgot, even if he forgave.

THE TREATY OF AMIENS.

The preliminaries of the peace of Amiens were concluded without his knowledge or concurrence. On reading the letter communicating this important intelligence, he said to those about him, "I have received surprising news; but it is no secret. Preliminaries of peace are signed with France. I knew nothing of it whatever; but, since it is made, I sincerely wish it may prove a lasting peace."

On this subject there is an account directly in contradiction, which states, that, on the messenger entering the room at Salisbury, where he then was, on bis road from Weymouth to London, and mentioning the subject of his dispatches, the King exclaimed, "So inuch the worse it shan't last long." It did not last: but we trust the royal humour was' not the sole cause of the subsequent rupture.

HIS WIT AND HUMOUR.

At the conclusion of a review of the 2d regiment of the Life Guards, in June 1798, two privates went through the sword-exercise before the King; after which Lord Catchcart enquired if his Majesty would be pleased to see two of the youngest officers display their science in the use of the sword? He assented, and was much gratified with their execution. His Majesty then turned to the general, and inquired who were the oldest officers present: and on being answered that Lord Cathcart and Major Barton were, he desired to see

them

them perform, laughing heartily, and telling his lordship that he had brought the exhibition on himself. They accordingly turned out, to the great amusement of those present.

When the King was walking out early one morning at Windsor, he thus addressed a boy at the stable-door: "Well, boy, what do you do: what do they pay you?" I help in the stable; but I have nothing but victuals and clothes.' "Be content," said the monarch; "I have no more."

Having purchased a horse, the dealer put into his hands a large sheet of paper completely written over. "What's this?" said the King. The pedigree of the horse which your Majesty has just bought;' was the answer. "Take it back, take it back," said the King, laughing; "it will do just as well for the next horse you sell."

In one of the King's excursions during the hay-harvest, in the neighbourhood of Weymouth, he passed a field where only one woman was at work. He asked her where the rest of her companions were. The woman answered, they were gone to see the King. "And why did not you go with them?" rejoined the King. The fools,' replied the woman, who are gone to town will lose a day's work by it, and that is more than I can afford to do. I have five children to work for.' "Well, then," said his Majesty, putting some money into her hands, you may tell your companions who are gone to see the King, that the King came to see you!"

The King, in his walks at Cheltenham, July, 1788, accompanied by the Queen and the Princesses, was constantly attended by crowds of people. His Majesty pleasantly observed to the Queen, "We must walk about for two or three days to please these good people, and then we may walk about to please ourselves."

His Majesty was accustomed, after hearing a sermon, to walk and discourse with the preacher. On such an occasion, speaking to a fashionable preacher, he asked him whether he had read Bishops Andrews, Sanderson, Sherlock, &c. The pigmy divine replied, No, please your Majesty, my reading is all modern. The writers of whom your Majesty speaks are now obsolete, though I doubt not they might have been very well for those days. The King, turning upon his heel, rejoined, with pointed emphasis, "There were giants on the earth in those days." Genesis vi. 4.

5

"It would be well," said his Ma jesty, in a clerical conversation, "if the clergy would put Christianity into their sermons, and keep morality for their lives."

HIS PERSON.

George the Third was of a good height, about five feet 10 inches, and of a robust person. In his youth, he was accounted handsome, being of a fair and blooming complexion; but his face and his eyes were too prominent. His hair was light-flaxen, bis eyes were grey, his eye-brows white, his lips thick, his teeth white and regular, and mouth large and wide. Latterly, his face was red, and often of a deep copper-colour. His countenance, when grave, had an air of deep melancholy; but, when cheerful, it indicated a degree of frivolity approaching to weakness.

HIS LAST ILLNESS.

Few of the details are known to the world; but it is understood he often conversed with himself with great vivacity, and referred chiefly to events and persons in whom he felt interested in the early part of his life. Thus he was constantly discoursing with John Duke of Marlborough, commenting on his battles and campaigns, and treating of all the incidents of that time as passing. He also affected to hold conversations with Handel, discussed with him the merits of his several pieces; and, in confirmation of his opinions, played them on the piano with great effect and accuracy. He suffered his beard to grow; but, in all his actions and conversations, never forgot the tone, style, and language of a King.

HIS POLITICAL CHARACTER.

As a man, he was a Tory in principle; and, as a prince, an Ultra-tory in practice. He therefore gave countenance only to friends of the royal prerogatives, and systematically kept at a distance all persons who asserted the pre-eminence of the rights of the people. Hence be opposed himself to all those popular doctrines which result from the progress of free enquiry and the spread of knowledge, and placed himself at the head of that confederation of courts, which shed such torrents of blood in opposing the philosophical principles of the French revolution.

His own ministers were always Tories; and if the Whigs, by votes of Parliament, ever obtained a footing in his cabinet, they soon found themselves undermined; while the first favourable opportunity was seized to eject them. Nevertheless, the forms of the constitu

tion,