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of nervous excitability, were quoted by ignorance or malevolence as proofs of a trivial mind. No man in his dominions had a mind less trivial: he appreciated the duties of his station with a correctness of judgment, and executed its duties with a diligence and ability, of which thrones afford but few examples; he was, in the highest sense of the word, an honest man,--the noblest work of God;' and if he was not what the world calls a great king, it is only because he lived in times and under a constitution in which the personal action of the sovereign on public councils is concealed under the responsibility of his ministers, and, like the spring of a watch, is to the common eye only visible by the ostensible movement of the hands on the dial but we speak advisedly when we assert, that if ever, and to whatever extent, his daily correspondence with his successive ministers upon the various business of the state shall be published, the world will then, and not fully till then, be able to appreciate his virtues and his talents; his unwearied affection for his people, too often ungrateful; his knowledge of and anxiety for their true interests, by themselves too often mistaken; his conscientious and disinterested love of justice, too often sacrificed to passion and party; and his steady support of the constitutional liberties of England, of which he always considered himself as the first representative and official guardian. Miss Burney has, of course, even less to tell of him than of the Queen; for though she frequently met him, it was at moments and under circumstances in which nothing could be exhibited but his affability and good-nature. She saw him occasionally in the Queen's dressing-room, and more frequently in the evening in the tea-room appropriated to the Queen's attendants and visitors, where he would look in, either to invite some of the party to the drawing or music rooms, or to converse-which he would sometimes do for an hour-with some guest of note, as the Provost of Eton, Mr. Bryant, or Dr. Burney, who he might hear were in the house. On the few occasions in which anything worth telling occurred, Miss Burney's details confirm what was already generally known, that his manners were remarkable for their dignified frankness and ease, and his conversation for its unpretending good sense and unaffected good

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but they afford characteristic and pleasing traits of his Majesty's good nature:

'November 7th-When I rang this morning at the garden-door at Mr. Smelt's I was informretreated, and was walking back through the ed the King was up stairs: of course I instantly garden, hardly able to make my way, through the violence of the wind, blowing hard from the Thames, when I heard a tapping from a window upstairs: I looked up,-and thought I saw the King;-but, too uncertain to trust to eyes so short-sighted as mine, I hastily looked down again, and affecting not to hear the rap-tapping, though it was repeated, and louder, I proceeded

on my way.

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Tis almost inconceivable the inconvenience I suffer, thus placed among the royals of the land, from my utter inability to confide in my own sight. I never know whether they look at me or at some one beyond me, nor whether they notice me, or pass me regardlessly.

In a few instants my footsteps were hastily pursued with a loud call. I then thought I might venture to turn, and beheld Mr. Smelt, quite out of breath with running, but highly delighted to bring me word that the King had ordered me back, and into the room where they all were assembled, that I might not have two such walks in so high a wind, without rest.’—Vol. iii., p. 215.

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lonel Goldsworthy's regiment. Upon their re'The royal family had all been to review Coturn they saw through my windows that Mrs. Delany was with me, and the King and Queen both came in to speak to her. How they love her! and what mutual honour does such love confer on all three! The King counselled me to be as much as possible in the air, for the rethat I should walk in the garden for that purcovery of my strength, graciously naming to me pose-giving me, in those words, the licence with the advice. You may believe I would not let the day pass without accepting both.'-Vol. iii., p. 363.

Our readers may perhaps be amused with two or three scenes, and we think the only ones in which Miss Burney describes His Majesty's deportment in his public character; eveywhere else he is little better than Farmer George, a name which, though given by malice, by no means displeased the King's simple tastes and good old English feeling.

The first is, the King's behaviour on the attempt (2d August, 1786) of Margaret Nicholson to assassinate him, a species of atrocity then unheard of, and which filled the nation with astonishment and indignation, feelings which the repetition of similar crimes has, since that first unhappy example, too frequently revived among us.

"While the guards and his own people now sur

rounded the King, the assassin was seized by the our to the bravest and most experienced of populace, who were tearing her away, no doubt her ancestors, and meeting a fore-known to fall the instant sacrifice of her murtherous danger with no other fear than that of expurpose, when the King, the only calm and posing her attendants to a risk which she moderate person then present, called aloud to the mob, "The poor creature is mad!-Do not felt it her own personal duty to disregard. hurt her! She has not hurt me!" He then History may be suspected of romancing on came forward, and showed himself to all the the theme of Edward and Eleanor; it does people, declaring he was perfectly safe and un-justice to George III., and will do so to hurt; and then gave positive orders that the Louis Philippe, all subjected to somewhat woman should be taken care of, and went into similar trials; but we cannot hesitate to the palace, and had his levee. There is something in the whole of his behaviour upon this say that nothing in ancient or modern story occasion that strikes me as proof indisputable of can exceed the amiable magnanimity, the a true and noble courage; for in a moment so gentle heroism of Queen Victoria, as attestextraordinary-an attack, in this country, un-ed by the indisputable evidence of the recent heard of before-to settle so instantly that it trial for High Treason. was the effect of insanity, to feel no apprehension of private plot or latent conspiracy-to stay out, fearlessly. among his people, and so benevolently to see himself to the safety of one who had raised her arm against his life-these little traits, all impulsive, and therefore to be trusted, have given me an impression of respect and reverence that I can never forget, and never

think of but with fresh admiration.

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The insanity of the woman has now fully been proved; but that noble confidence which gave that instant excuse for her was then all his own. Nor did he rest here; notwithstanding the excess of terror for his safety, and doubt of further mischief, with which all his family and all his household were seized, he still maintained the most cheerful composure, and insisted upon walking on the terrace, with no other attendant than his single equerry. The poor Queen went with him, pale and silent,-the Princesses followed, scarce yet commanding their tears. In the evening, just as usual, the King had his concert: but it was an evening of grief and horror to his family; nothing was listened to, scarce a word was spoken; the Princesses wept continually; the Queen, still more deeply struck, could only, from time to time, hold out her hand to the King, and say, "I have

you yet!"

The affection for the King felt by all his household has been at once pleasant and affecting to me to observe: there has not been a dry eye in either of the Lodges on the recital of his danger, and not a face but his own that has not worn marks of care ever since.'-Vol. iii., PP.

35-48.

Soon after the attack on King George, the royal family paid that visit to Nuneham which was the source of so many tribulations to Miss Burney, and to Oxford, where, to do her justice, she seems to have almost forgotten herself in the enthusiasm which His Majesty's appearance after his recent danger lighted up:

The theatre was filled with company, all well dressed, and arranged in rows around it, The area below them was entirely empty, so that there was not the least confusion. The Chancellor's chair, at the head of about a dozen steps, was prepared for the King; and just below him, to his left, a form for the Queen and the

Princesses.

"The King walked foremost from the area, conducted by the University's Vice-Chancellor. The Queen followed, handed by her own ViceChamberlain. The Princess-Royal followed, led by the King's Aide-de-camp, General Harcourt; and Princess Augusta, leaning on Major Price. Princess Elizabeth walked alone, no

other servant of the King being present, and no rank authorising such a conduct, without office.

"Next followed the Duke and Duchess of

Marlborough; then the Duchess of Ancaster, and Marquis of Blandford; next, Lord and Lady Harcourt, then the two Lady Spencers and Lady Charlotte Bertie, then the Miss Vernons, and then Miss Planta and a certain F. B.

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of the theatre shut, than the King, his head
We were no sooner arranged, and the door
covered, sat down; the Queen did the same,
and then the three Princesses. All the rest
throughout the theatre stood. The Vice-Chan-
cellor then made a low obeisance to the King,
and, producing a written paper, began the Ad-
for this second visit, and to congratulate him
dress of the University, to thank his Majesty
and the nation on his late escape from assassi
nation. He read it in an audible and distinct
voice; and in its conclusion an address was
suddenly made to the Queen, expressive of much
concern for her late distress, and the highest
and exalted character,
and most profound veneration for her amiable

This conduct might have been expected from THE KING, from his innate courage, and from the habitual dignity and self-possession which a reign of already six-andtwenty years would naturally create; but much more noble, or at least more surprising, was the hereditary spirit of his illustrious granddaughter on the late more trying occasion, in which we saw, with equal wonder and admiration, a young woman, a young sovereign, a young wife, a young mother, acting, not on a mere impulse, but 'The Queen could scarcely bear it, though with calm and considerate courage, and she had already, I doubt not, heard it at Nune sense of duty, which would have done hon-ham, as these addresses must be first read in

private, to have the answers prepared. Never- [ formality, which was a third and last time retheless, this public tribute of loyalty to the King, peated as he reached the steps of the altar. and of respect to herself, went gratefully to her Then he made his offering, which, according to heart, and filled her eyes with tears-which she the order of the original institution, was ten would not, however, encourage, but, smiling pounds in gold and silver, and delivered in a through them, dispersed them with her fan, purse: he then knelt down, and made a silent with which she was repeatedly obliged to stop prayer, after which, in the same measured steps, their course down her cheeks. The Princesses, he returned to his stall, when the whole cereless guarded, the moment their father's danger mony concluded by another slow movement on was mentioned, wept with but little control; and the organ. The air of piety, and the unaffected no wonder, for I question if there was one dry eye grace and dignity, with which the King perin the theatre. The tribute, so just, so honour- formed this rite, surprised and moved me; Mr. able, so elegant, paid to the exalted character Smelt, the most affectionate of his many loyal of the Queen, affected everybody, with joy for subjects, even shed tears from emotion, in lookher escape from affliction, and with delight at ing at him in this serious office. The King, the reward and the avowal of her virtues. I am told, always acquits himself with true When the address was ended, the King took a majesty, where he is necessarily to appear in paper from Lord Harcourt, and read his answer. state as a monarch.'-Vol. iii., pp. 269, 270. The King reads admirably; with ease, feeling, and force, and without any hesitation. His voice is particularly full and fine. I was very much surprised by its effect. When he had done, he took off his hat, and bowed to the Chancellor and Professors, and delivered the answer to Lord Harcourt, who, walking backwards, descended the stairs, and presented it to the Vice-Chancellor.

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We wish Miss Burney could have given us more of such scenes as these, instead of her squabbles with the Crutchleys, the Turbulents, and the Schwellenbergs. We have already intimated that, though living in the same house and in daily intercourse with their Majesties, her station did not enable her to form any part of their society; but still a woman of observation and sagacity might, if not wholly absorbed in selfadmiration, have given us, without due betrayal of private confidence, or any deficiency in duty to her royal patrons, many more valuable anecdotes than the few which these pages afford. We fully admit that in all she says of the royal family her narration is in better taste than any other portion of her Diary. We only lament that, talking so much, she says so little; and finding all the pages of the third volume so The following is interesting in a different studded with the names of the King and style :

After this, the Vice-Chancellor and Professors begged for the honour of kissing the King's hand. Lord Harcourt was again the backward messenger, and here followed a great mark of goodness in the King; he saw that nothing less than a thorough-bred old courtier, such as Lord Harcourt, could walk backwards down these steps, before himself, and in sight of so full a hall of spectators; and he therefore dispensed with being approached to his seat, and walked down himself into the area, where the ViceChancellor kissed his hand, and was imitated by every Professor and Doctor in the room. Vol. iii., pp. 95-97.

Monday, January 1st.-The king was to make an offering as Sovereign of the Garter. He was seated in the Dean of Windsor's stall, and the Queen sat by his side. The Princesses were in the opposite seats, and all of them at the end of the church. When the service was over, the offering ceremony began. The Dean and the Senior Canon went first to the communion-table: the Dean then read aloud, "Let your light so shine before men," &c. The organ began a slow and solemn movement, and the King came down from his stall, and proceeded, with a grave and majestic walk, towards the communion-table. When he had proceeded about a third of the way, he stopped, and bowed low to the altar: then he moved on, and again, at an equal distance, stopped for the same

Queen, we really have not been able to extract anything more interesting than we have presented to our readers.

The result of all is that we are conscien

tiously obliged to pronounce these three volumes to be considering their bulk and pretensions-nearly the most worthless we have ever waded through, and that we do not remember in all our experience to have laid down an unfinished work with less desire for its continuation. That it may not mend as it proceeds, we cannot-where there is such room for improvement-venture to pronounce; and there is thus much to be said for it, that it can hardly grow

worse.

THE

LONDON QUARTERLY REVIEW.

No. CXL.

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1842.

ART. I.-Correspondence between Mr. Pitt
and the Duke of Rutland, Lord-Lieute-
nant of Ireland, 1781-1787. (Privately
printed.) London. 1842. pp. 174.
It has been laid down as a rule by a great
orator of ancient times, that writing well is
the best and surest preparation for speaking
well. Stilus optimus et præstantissimus di-
cendi effector et magister are the words of
Cicero. On the other hand it seems na-
tural to suppose that a man able and ready
with his tongue should be still more able
and ready with his pen. If he can without
premeditation pour forth acute arguments
in eloquent language, surely the advantages
of leisure will supply the same acuteness
and the same eloquence in at least equal
perfection.

to discover-with the 'Times' or the 'Chronicle' in his hand-any good points in the speech which the night before has made the whole House ring with enthusiastic cheers; or, on the contrary, has wondered at the slight effect produced at the time, by what he afterwards reads with so much pleasure. We have heard a most eminent living statesman observe how very erroneous an idea, as to the comparative estima tion of our public characters, would be formed by a foreigner who was unacquainted with our history, and who judged only from Hansard's Debates." Who, for instance, now remembers the name of Mr. Charles Marsh? Yet one of the most pointed and vigorous philippics which we have read in any language stands in the name of Mr. Marsh, under the date of the 1st of July, 1813.

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Neither of these conclusions, however, It has, therefore, always been a subject of is entirely borne out by experience. Burke, doubt and discussion, notwithstanding the whose writings will delight and instruct oratorical eminence of Mr. Pitt, whether the latest posterity, often delivered his he likewise excelled in written composition. harangues to empty benches or a yawning Up to this time the general impression, we audience, and was known to his contempo- believe, is, that he did not. This impresraries by the nickname of 'the Dinner-Bell.' | sion has, in part perhaps, proceeded from Too deep for his hearers, he went on refining; Chatham, whose style in his correspondence the example of his father, the great Lord And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining!'

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appears by no means worthy of such a mind -swelling, empty, cumbrous-and, even

* We cannot mention Hansard's' Debates' without noticing the valuable addition to them now in course of publication-Sir Henry Cavendish's Reports. These Reports (1768-1774) contain much curious matter-inter alia, upwards of one hundred new speeches of Burke;-they, in fact, go very far to fill up a hitherto hopeless gap in our Parliamentary history-and the publication, with its important appendices, does great honour to the skill and industry of the discoverer and editor, Mr. Wright.

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