Engraved by I. Thomson from a Drawing by I. Partridge.

Her late Majestys

CQUEEN

Wales, and did not fail to manifest that dislike whenever an opportunity presented itself. In return, the nation most heartily disliked her, and the people were not backward to express their opinion of her Majesty's conduct towards her daughter-inlaw by every species of opprobrium and disgust that lay in their power safely to display.

The most indecent and disloyal hissings, hootings, and groanings were heard whenever she made her appearance in public, whilst the caricature shops were filled with whatever could express contempt for her person, or disapprobation of her public con. duct. Her Majesty certainly merited a more be coming behaviour; her private virtues were of no mean cast; and her marked displeasure at any female who might venture to approach her court, whose conduct would not bear a rigid examination, reflected the highest honour on her principles and her heart. But nothing could fully compensate for the prejudice she was known to entertain against the Princess of Wales.

HER LATE MAJESTY QUEEN CHARLOTTE was born on the 16th of May, O. S. (May 19) 1744, and died at Kew Palace, at one o'clock, on the 17th of November, 1818, regretted for her virtues, but remembered with pain for the real or supposed neglect she had shown towards her illus trious grand-daughter, and not less for her conduct towards the mother of that amiable Princess. May her errors and mistakes be forgotten, and the example of her conjugal affection and constancy,

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and the general uprightness 'and integrity of her behaviour, both in public and in private, be the model of future Queens!

She was succeeded by a Queen, who, had she been allowed the same scope for the display of her numerous virtues of both head and heart as was permitted to her predecessor, would, I am fully persuaded, have set even a brighter example, because a more patrotic, and certainly a more enlightened Princess than ever sat upon the throne of England since the days of Elizabeth or of Anne.

The late King, however, when convinced of the perfect innocence of his beloved daughter-in-law, failed not again to receive her at court, nor to sup port her by his royal countenance; but he, alas! was long alienated from his faithful subjects, by an affliction worse than death itself: he became dead to the concerns of his people, and the affairs of the state; and with his abstraction from the world, the last hopes of protection from oppression quitted the bosom of the Princess of Wales. The elevation of the Prince, her husband, to the Regency, was the prelude to her further persecution and suffering. Those who had formerly professed friendship för her, and to commiserate her misfortunes-who had defended her with their tongues and their pens, whilst out of power, were now become her most inflexible foes; for they were then to live in the smiles of her husband, or perish beneath his frown. The King, whose favour was best secured by duty and respect shown towards the Princess, had now

lost all his power and he on whom the sovereign authority had devolved would not receive with complacency those who could smile upon one to whom his "inclinations" were so extremely averse : hence these political vicars of Bray instantly began to discover the foulest blots in the Princess's character. The star of Brunswick was to suffer a total eclipse; but, like the transit of Venus over the Sun's disk, the obscuration was perceived only by those who were previously assured that the event would take place, and who watched for its appearance. To ordinary observers, the sun shone with a splendour not less bright than before, nor would one man in ten thousand have known that any eclipse had taken place if the initiated had not given publication to the fact.

Zeal, however, was not wanting, on the part of the enemies of this excellent woman, to cast her for ever into the shade, and to banish her from the observation of the respectable part of mankind. That their wicked efforts did not succeed, was not owing to any deficiency of intention, nor any want of inclination on their part. But when a whole nation wills that a minister shall abandon a wicked project, he must abandon it ;-compelled to submission by no other weapon than that of the public opinon, loudly, plainly, legally, and perseveringly expressed.

We live under the best of all possible constitutions. Here we have nothing truly despotic or The King has really less personal

arbitrary.

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