of heart is not always accompanied by great discernment of understanding; hence it is that many a good man has fallen into snares which the artful, the suspicious, and the designing, almost uniformly Under the cloak of superior prudence and caution the vilest passions may be indulged, whilst under the influence of candour and benevolence the most fatal errors may be committed.

escape.

It is highly probable, that had her Royal High ness, the Princess of Wales, not adopted the infant child of Sophia Austin, nor that of any other person, her enemies would never have dared to bring charges of any criminal nature against her; and that she might to this day have been residing at Blackheath, or at one of the royal palaces, with as much tranquillity as was at all compatible with the secluded condition to which, on other accounts, she was unfortunately reduced. By this one unwise step, she afforded her enemies an opportunity to slander her beyond measure, in as much as it furnished them with a sort of plot for that infamous drama they afterwards got up to destroy the Princess-to please, as they wickedly imagined, her husband, and to gratify their own vicious propensity to scandal, as well as that most hateful of all human passions, an envious jealousy.

The reader will easily perceive, that in these details and reflections respecting William Austin, I have anticipated some facts of this history; but he will find, that, in so doing, the future narrative will be less broken in upon; and that we may

proceed, without interruption, to the most important portion of the Life of her Majesty, as far, at least, as that eventful Life has hitherto advanced, it may not be improper, first, briefly to go over some of the leading events and traits in the short life of her beloved and most amiable daughter, the late PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES AND SAXE-COBURG, confining myself, as much as possible, to those facts which refer principally to the conduct and character of the illustrious individual whose memoirs, in this volume, I am chiefly concerned to detail.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales, as I have already stated, was born on the 17th of January, 1796. Whilst the parents of this lovely infant were living apart in a state of mutual dissatisfaction with each other's conduct, she was gradually unfolding those amiable traits of character which, in her more advanced life, rendered her the object of universal esteem and admiration. The rudiments of her education she received from her mother, assisted by an excellent and truly pious clergyman resident in the neighbourhood, the Rev. Dr. Watson.

She is said to have made very rapid progress in the acquirement of a knowledge of the alphabet, and in the art of reading; but what was of infinitely greater moment to the formation of her character, and to her happiness, her mother very early inspired her with a just sense of religion, and the duties and doctrines of the Christian faith. The

late Dr. Porteus, the pious and excellent Bishop of London, in his journal, left by him, gives the following account of this charming young Princess, when she was but just turned her fifth year:

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Yesterday, the 6th of August, 1801, I passed a very pleasant day at Shrewsbury House, near Shooter's Hill, the residence of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. The day was fine, the prospect extensive and beautiful, taking in a large reach of the Thames, which was covered with vessels of various sizes and descriptions. We saw a good deal of the young Princess: she is a most captivating and engaging child, and, considering the high station she may hereafter fill, a most interesting and important one. She repeated to me several hymns with great correctness and propriety, and on being told when she went to Southend in Essex, (as she afterwards did for the benefit of sea-bathing) she would then be in my diocese, she fell down on her knees, and begged my blessing. I gave it her with all my heart, and with my earnest secret prayers to God, that she might adorn her illustrious station with every Christian grace; and that if ever she became queen of this truly great and glorious country, she might be the means of diffusing virtue, piety, and happiness, through every part of her dominions."

Such was the early bent of her Royal Highness's mind, on that most important of all subjects, religion. The following ancedote will show what impressions her mind had received on that next