least room to suspect her high destination: the former was so simple, and the latter so natural and unaffected, that a stranger would scarcely take her for the heiress of a throne. In every dress, and in every place, however, the attentive observer would easily discover her to be an extraordinary child. The royal artist, her mother, has made a model of her, and of several other persons who are dear to her, in clay, and afterwards taken from them plaster casts which are most perfect resemblances. In acquiring that art, this accomplished princess preserved a manner of her own. Instead of working, as usual, a long time from models, she merely procured instruction in the use of the tools; her fancy then formed from the detached traits of a poem, the representation of an imaginary person, and she began to compose the figure without any copy. The subject of her first essay was the Leonora of Burges's celebrated ballad; her second was the head of an old lord, whose name I have forgotten; and the third was her daughter the princess Charlotte.

"This reminds me of another piece of work by the hand of this royal artist, which I had likewise an opportunity of inspecting, and which appeared to me equally beautiful and ingenious. In passing through her work-room (where, besides a choice collection of books and all kinds of implements of the arts, there was a large table covered with papers, writings, drawings, and books) she took the K

trouble to direct my attention to a very handsome table, and asked me what I conceived it to be. Without a moment's hesitation I declared it was inlaid, or, as it is called, Mosaic work; and that it was an excellent specimen of the art. She smiled, and said that could not be, as she, who knew nothing of Mosafe work, had made it herself, and in a few hours. It is nothing more, added her royal highness, than a square of ground glass on which I have fastened with gum different kinds of natural flowers, which were first carefully dried and pressed, and then turned the glass with the smooth side uppermost to produce the delusion by which you were just now deceived. The whole art, or rather the trifling degree of trouble which this easy operation requires, consists merely in the choice of the situation which must be given to each flower, so that one may be properly connected with the other, and that as small a vacancy as possible may remain between them. As the glass, would not, however, be completely covered, I suppose (for unluckily I forgot to inquire) that the intervals are stained with colours so as to give them the appearance of stone.

By means of this pleasing artifice she had made a Chinese lamp for one of her other apartments, which, like those of coloured glass or thin alabaster, diffused a very mild light.

166

A second táble in her work-room, which ap

peared to be composed of every possible species of marble, was, what I should never have guessednothing more than a square of ground glass, which, on the other side, was painted in such a manner that the spectator could not help taking the whole for specimens of all the species of marble joined together and inlaid. In each corner a small copperplate of some antique figures was stuck; of course, on the reverse of the square, which completed the deception."

Her royal highness had, with the knowledge of the prince of Wales, various masters for her amusement and improvement, particularly Mr. Atwood for music, Mr. Giffadiere for English, Mr. Tourfionilli for painting, Mr. Tutoye for imitating marble, and Mrs. Elwes for the harp.

CHAPTER VII.

Her royal Highness surrounded by Enemies and Spies.-Still visited by the King-Apprized by an anonymous Letter of the Character of Lady Douglas.-Prohibits her Visits.-Her Adoption of a Child of obscure Parents.-Consequent Reports.-Interview between the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Kent.-Of Lady Douglas's Statement.

UNFORTUNATELY for the princess of Wales, her lately acquired friends became her most bitter enemies; and her innocent attachment to children, as explained in the preceding chapter, was audaciously rendered an act of infamous accusation. His late majesty would not listen to the voice of scandal, when first the vile inuendoes, whispered by a satanic spirit, reached his royal ears. He still continued his visits to Blackheath, and often spent the whole day with her royal highness, his daughter-in-law, and the young princess, his grand-child. We are told by Mr. Huish, in the early editions of his, "Memoirs of H. R. H. the princess Charlotte," (but which, together with other passages, on this subject, are unaccountably CANCELLED in late editions, and the vacuum filled up with extraneous matter,) that "some severe mis

understandings had occurred between his majesty and the prince, on account of these visits; but as no circumstance had taken place, to warrant his majesty in withdrawing his countenance from the princess, the prince yielded in filial obedience to the wishes of his parent, and forbore to express his chagrin upon the occasion." The separation of the royal pair, which originated from personal dislike, and not from any criminal act, became the foundation of the most virulent defamation, and every little courtsey was construed into guilt. In short, she was surrounded by domestic spies: yet her royal highness, though thus calumniated and abused, was not only visited by his late majesty, but by his majesty's late brother the duke of Gloucester, and others of the royal family. Unaccustomed to English formalities, her royal highness had frequently accompanied lord Hood in his one horse chaise, sometimes without any of her attendants. An anonymous letter, however, apprized her of the character of lady Douglas, and of the liberties which she allowed herself to take with the name of her royal highness. The princess of Wales was accordingly denied to lady Douglas, but as she still repeated her visits her royal highness directed Mrs. Vernon to write to lady Douglas, and inform her that her visits to Montague-house were no longer agreeable. Sir John and lady Douglas, highly incensed at this intended affront, persuaded