Secret History of the Court of England Volume I Part 17

The substance of this detail found its way into the daily journals, and excited, as it was naturally calculated to do, much remark and inquiry.

The generally-received opinion was, that the lamented heiress to the crown had been _wantonly_ suffered to perish, from the folly of etiquette, or some other unnatural and unexplained cause. We, however, are not bound to surrender our judgment to a journalist, or to subscribe to the opinion of any man less acquainted with a particular subject than ourselves; and, upon this melancholy and tragical event, therefore, we shall dare to give utterance to TRUTH. In doing so, we beg to state that we are not influenced by personal resentment, but, in the discharge of our task, are determined only to award "honour where honour is due."

The labour of the princess was commenced under extreme debility; and, at an early period, it appeared very probable that _surgical_ a.s.sistance would be finally requisite; yet no provision was made for such a.s.sistance! The bulletin of Wednesday morning, eight o'clock, signed by the attending pract.i.tioners, was rather doubtfully expressed. The second bulletin, at ten in the evening, was confidently affirmative of the _well-doing_ of the royal patient. Dr. Sims affixed his signature to these bulletins, but he had not seen her royal highness since the first pang she had experienced. How this gentleman could allow his name to be thus affixed to a declaration, of the truth of which he was totally ignorant, we know not; but it was said, by the time-serving press, "that Dr. Sims being unknown to the princess, his appearance in her chamber might have alarmed her." The folly of this excuse is best exposed by supposing that if, at this trying moment, Dr. Croft had been ill, and unfit to attend the princess, would she have been left to perish for lack of a.s.sistance? We think not; for this would have given too plain an idea of the expectations of certain parties. The public papers announced that the letter summoning Dr. Sims to Claremont was written on Tuesday morning, yet he did not arrive until Wednesday morning at three o'clock.

It was further stated, that the nurse discovered the dreadful change in her royal highness by the difficulty manifested in swallowing her gruel, and that she was so alarmed by this appearance of spasm, that she immediately called the faculty out of their beds, as well as Prince Leopold. Another journalist stated a contrary case. But _we know_ that, although some beverage was administered to the princess, it was NOT GRUEL; for her royal highness had a great aversion to gruel, and could never be prevailed on to take it. Soon after her royal highness took the liquid, she was afflicted in a most _unusual way_, though only for a short time. The low state of muscular strength, to which the princess had gradually been reduced, certainly required greater nourishment than was given to her; and in this professional treatment, therefore, the accoucheur acted unwisely as well as unskilfully, to say the least of it. That most eminent pract.i.tioner, Dr. Thynne, made it an invariable rule, after a protracted birth, to revive the mother, by giving a tea-spoonful of egg, beat up with wine, from time to time. The symptoms of not being able to swallow, and the convulsive action of the body, were plainly indicative of a dying patient; but the real cause of the patient's dying was then a mystery, except to two or three individuals.

The public journals of the day called loudly upon the gentlemen who attended the Princess Charlotte, as her accoucheurs, to give all facility for an investigation of their whole mode of treatment, adding, that "if they be conscious that they have acquitted themselves well, they will have no objection to an investigation of their conduct, and cannot consider themselves placed in a worse situation than the captain of a king's s.h.i.+p, who, in the event of the loss of his vessel, is obliged to undergo a trial by court martial." To this and similar appeals, the ministers promptly replied, "that it was _impossible_, after the prince regent had been pleased to express his approbation and award his thanks, as it would seem to _reflect_ upon the prince, who alone was endowed with the sovereign power to act in the case." This royal cant-phraseology, however, failed to lull suspicion; for the attending circ.u.mstances were of a nature too horrible to be buried in oblivion! If all had been correct, why refuse inquiry, particularly when it was solicited by nine-tenths of the nation?

The queen left Bath on Sat.u.r.day, the 8th of November, and arrived at Windsor in the evening. The next day, the prince regent went from Carlton House to Windsor to see the queen; but the privacy of the visit did not permit it to be of long duration. We are able to give the particulars of this interview.

Her majesty's mind had been disturbed by the receipt of a letter, from a medical gentleman, upon the subject of the _untimely_ death of the Princess Charlotte. No time was to be lost. The prince was requested immediately to see his royal mother; and, on his arrival, her majesty presented him with the letter, the contents of which proved, beyond doubt, that the writer had been an _eye-witness_ to some particular events connected with the dissolution of the much-lamented and tenderly-beloved princess.

The letter commenced with the most respectful dedication to royalty, and prayed for an extra extension of candour and patience by her majesty, while the facts of which it was composed were examined and duly considered. The writer then proceeded,--"I am perfectly satisfied your majesty could not be _personally_ aware of the case, because of the distance your majesty then was from Claremont; but I submit it to your majesty's good feeling and judgment, if the particulars attendant upon this most lamentable loss ought not immediately to be most strictly inquired into. Refusal to do this, or to permit it being done, will only aggravate the matter, instead of setting the question at rest for ever.

The public well know that all was not as it ought to have been,--that something had been neglected or imprudently attempted, that ought to have received a widely-different attention. As a proof that I do not intrude my remarks and remonstrances improperly, or without information upon the nicest points of the case, I will give reasons for my dissatisfaction. From the first moment Sir Richard Croft was placed in attendance upon her royal highness, there was no reason to antic.i.p.ate or fear any unhappy results. The natural appearances were unequivocally satisfactory. Previous to the delivery, the infant was not supposed to be dead. It was quite unnecessary and unnatural to inform the princess that the child was still-born; such a communication is very seldom made to any female at such a moment. Camphor julaps are very seldom administered to a healthy patient, or where the stomach is sound, immediately after delivery, as the effect would generally be to produce irritation, sickness, and convulsion. Dr. Croft ought not to have retired to bed, presuming that her royal highness was so indisposed as to cause her incessant moaning, _which was really the case_. More than this, your majesty, about noon of the Wednesday, Dr. Croft said, 'I believe the princess might very quickly be delivered by having recourse to an _operation_; but I dare not perform it without the _presence_ and _sanction_ of her royal father, the prince regent.' I hope (continued the writer) that your majesty will see this plain statement in its own character, and that you will save all future disclosures of an unpleasant nature, by your timely recommendation of the subject to the prince regent, your son. Your majesty may believe I am induced by vindictive motives to offer these remarks; but that would prove an incorrect opinion; and unless your majesty causes a very prompt inquiry to be permitted upon the facts of this case, I fear yourself and family will finally have cause to regret the delay."

The prince was much displeased that any subject should have dared to take such a liberty as to speak or write an unpleasant TRUTH to any of his _n.o.ble_ family,--more especially to the _queen_. It was an unpardonable transgression; yet, as the gentleman had given his name and address, it was a very delicate affair. The queen had so often witnessed the prostration of the mult.i.tudes of fas.h.i.+on's votaries, that she imagined much might be accomplished by commanding an interview, and subduing the voice of inquiry and truth by the splendour of pageantry, and the intoxicating smile of royalty. By her majesty's command, therefore, an interview took place. With her general air of confidence, the queen said, "I presume, Sir, you are the author of this letter?" "I am, please your majesty." "And what," said the queen, "am I to understand from such an unaccountable appeal to me and my family?" "I beg your majesty's pardon personally, as well as previously by letter, but I deemed it my duty to inform your majesty of my information upon the subject in question, and I am very sorry if your majesty does not think it necessary to have the most prudent means used to satisfy the public inquiry." The queen was very gracious, and smiling, said, "I will name your good intentions to the prince regent, and I will not forget them myself; but I can satisfy you, that your opinions upon the subject of your communication to me are incorrect." The gentleman rose, and was about to retire; but the queen had not attained her object. Her majesty, therefore, hastily said, "I trust you are convinced of the impropriety of your former opinions?" "No, please your majesty, I never can change my opinions upon this subject until I lose my principles, and I trust sincerely that I shall never endure such an humiliation while I retain my reason. But," added the gentleman, "your majesty must be well a.s.sured that I am acquainted with the greater portion of your family; yea, very intimately acquainted, not indecorously so, but in the discharge of my professional engagements. Your majesty well knows that I saw the lamented Princess Charlotte just before the unhappy event, and also am not ignorant of the const.i.tution of your majesty's _daughters_. I therefore am bold to a.s.sert, that the death of her royal highness was not, and is not to be, naturally accounted for! It is true, that I am not known to the world in the capacity of accoucheur to your family; but your majesty knows, I have been your trusty and confidential servant upon more occasions than one; and I am now resolved to relinquish the royal favour, if it must be purchased at such an unknown expense."

The queen retired, and so did the heart-stricken gentleman; but their ruminations and consequent determinations were very dissimilar. Her majesty was endeavouring to evade explanation; the gentleman, meditating upon the most prudent plan for adoption to put a period to the agitated feelings of the public.

The reader may imagine that this professional person had been previously selected to render his services to some members of this ill.u.s.trious family, which was actually the case. He had travelled more than twenty miles in the royal carriage, and had performed the most delicate offices. He knew royalty was not exempt from frailty, and that rank did not preserve its possessors from the commission of crime. Denial of this would prove abortive, for the gentleman LIVES, and would, if called upon, a.s.sert the same even at the expense of life. He does not fear the interdiction of a crowned head! neither would he shrink under "a special commission." He wields the two-edged sword of _truth_, and therefore defies the strong arm of power. He has seen enough of the wily snares of courtiers, and has retired from the unhallowed a.s.sociation with feelings of disgust, contempt, and detestation. The adulation of the parasites of royalty is odious to his ear; and, to save the increasing stings of an offended conscience, he is now publicly explicit upon this hateful subject. Despising secrecy and infamy, he openly avows enmity to such characters as are leagued against the peace and happiness of society; and their intentions to perpetuate their unjust, partial, and devastating system, must be checked by the information of those persons who are privy to the cause, as well as to the effects, of their overgrown power.

The day after this unpleasant interview, the queen paid a visit to the king; and, as nearly two months had elapsed since her majesty visited her husband, it was productive of great anxiety on the part of the royal sufferer. The daily papers stated that "his majesty was much improved, and very tranquil, in consequence of the queen having paid him a visit."

Does not this neglect of the poor afflicted king reflect disgrace upon her majesty? The wife who forgets her duty to the man she has espoused is undeserving the respect of society. _Who_ was Queen Charlotte, that the eyes of the public should be blinded, or their tongues mute, upon this apathy and unfeeling demeanour to the king, her husband, who had raised her from comparative poverty to affluence and greatness? Had similar inattention been manifested by the wife of a peasant, her neighbour's reproach would not have been wanting; but every one seemed afraid of impugning the character of a _queen_, so celebrated for _amiability_ and _virtue_! A few days after the interment of the Princess Charlotte and her infant, the queen again went off for the city of Bath! and we a.s.sert, without fear of contradiction, that her majesty's eye was never observed to be dim upon this most melancholy occasion. Let the world judge if such unfeeling deportment agreed with her majesty's reported sorrow.

On the 19th of November, the Princess Charlotte and her infant were consigned to the tomb. The Dukes of York and Clarence were supporters to the chief mourner, Prince Leopold; and, after the ostentatious parade of funeral pomp, they retired without much appearance of sorrow. It was said that a king, or prince invested with royal power, could not attend the ceremony, or join in the cavalcade of a funeral. The regent, therefore, was not present at the closing scene of his child's hard destiny. But royalty has many privileges; distinct from the common herd of mankind. It must not, for instance, reside in the same habitation with a corpse, lest its delicately-refined nerves should sustain injury, or be excited to an extreme point of agony!

The body of the unfortunate Charlotte was reported to have been embalmed, but the heart only was extracted; THE INTESTINES WERE NOT REMOVED! This was an unprecedented circ.u.mstance, as upon all former occasions this barbarous custom had been permitted. The surgeon who accompanied Prince Leopold from Germany was solicited to say _why_ this form had been omitted; and his suspicious reply was, "Neither now, nor at any future time, shall any power on earth induce me to speak one word upon the subject." He was then requested to give into the hand of Prince Leopold a sealed letter upon the subject; this he also positively refused to do, adding, at the same time, "the prince would not receive it." Very shortly afterwards, a letter _was_ conveyed into the prince's hand, offering "to communicate certain facts relative to the demise of the late princess, his consort, if he pleased to express his willingness to receive the same." His serene highness never paid attention to that letter.

It was said, at the time of her royal highness' death, that Prince Leopold was so angry with the nurse (Mrs. Griffiths) that he turned her out of the house, without permitting her to stay to attend the funeral.

One thing, however, is certain, that she has several sons in different public offices. To one of these, her favourite, she said, (when labouring under the effects of a dreadful illness she had shortly after the princess' death) "I have never kept but one HORRID SECRET from you, which has always weighed upon my mind; but I cannot communicate it, unless I am sure of death the next minute!"

This Mrs. Griffiths certainly knows more about the death of her late royal mistress than she has yet thought proper to communicate; though, in one of her moments of compunction, she confessed to a friend of our's, that the Princess Charlotte had actually been POISONED, and related the way in which she found it out. Mrs. Griffiths stated, that, "after giving her royal highness some BROTH (not gruel) she became dreadfully convulsed; and, being struck with the peculiarity of the circ.u.mstance, she examined the cup from which her royal highness had drank. To her astonishment, she there perceived a _dark red sediment_, upon _tasting which_, HER TONGUE BECAME BLISTERED!!!" Mrs. Griffiths immediately asked Dr. Croft what he had administered to the princess; but she received no satisfactory answer. A few hours after this, however, the doctor said sufficient to prove that the princess had been MURDERED! As Mrs. Griffiths is now alive, we challenge her to deny this statement, if incorrect.

The lamented princess was treated most cruelly by all around her, and one of the higher household a.s.serted, that he believed her royal highness was left "two hours in the agonies of death, without any person going near her!" Mrs. Lewis, her waiting woman, has denied this statement; but it is well known, that Mrs. Lewis was placed as a _spy_ about her royal highness even from her infancy.

The last time the prince regent was at Claremont, not long before the princess' confinement, a most respectable gentleman heard him say, "A child of the Princess Charlotte shall never sit upon the throne." Did not this speak volumes as to her intended destruction? Surely no one can doubt, after these disclosures, that the Princess Charlotte fell a victim to a vile conspiracy.

The murder of the Princess Charlotte proved the signal for letting loose the hounds of destruction upon her heart-broken mother. On the morning of the second day after her majesty's return to Bath, a lady had a private audience with her. The object of the interview was, to offer the services of her husband (an officer in the navy) in the impeachment and intended destruction of the honour of the Princess of Wales. "What situation does the person occupy?" said the queen. "He is a lieutenant, please your majesty." "What would be deemed a sufficient recompense for his attentions?" said her majesty. "Your majesty's good opinion is all my husband aspires to," said the lady; and, after a few unmeaning expressions of civility, she retired. Lord Liverpool was consulted, and gave his opinion that the person in question could not be implicitly relied on; and a messenger was therefore sent to the gentleman, according to the address left by his wife, declining the offered service; and stating that "her majesty had no unkind or ungenerous feelings towards the Princess of Wales, and had quite misunderstood the offer, having supposed it to be made under very opposite circ.u.mstances."

The lady was recommended to the queen's notice by Lord Castlereagh, though doubts were entertained whether the lieutenant might be trusted, as he was believed to be anti-ministerial.

We here relate another fact, relative to the Princess of Wales'

persecutors:--A certain personage sought for an interview with an individual whom we will disguise under the name of Captain Rock. "Well,"

said his royal highness to the captain, "I wish to engage your services; you are well acquainted with Italy; we expect the Princess of Wales will be at Pisa in about three months, and as you have served us before, we suppose you will have no objection to do so again; you shall not want for cash." The offer was accepted, and his royal highness _wrote_ this offer upon paper, and a sum was advanced on the evening of the same day. This mean slave of power departed; but, before following the instructions of his royal employer, went off to London, and communicated to Lord Castlereagh his mission, requiring five hundred pounds more, declaring the _written_ promise should strictly be enforced, as he had been a loser by his former services. The amount demanded was given. "I a.s.sure you, my lord," said the captain, "I will execute my commission well; but I must also be paid well." Lord Castlereagh a.s.sented, and this unmanly spy took his leave of England to wait the expected arrival of the princess at Pisa.

These proceedings against her royal highness soon manifested themselves in a commission being appointed at Milan; and rumours were circulated in this country that her conduct was at variance with propriety.

Mr. LEECH, a Chancery barrister of some eminence, and who was subsequently elevated to the situation of Vice-Chancellor, and is now Master of the Rolls; Mr. COOK, also a barrister, and a writer of great eminence on the subject of bankruptcy; Mr. POWELL, a gentleman of private fortune and connected with the court; a Colonel BROWN, the impropriety of whose conduct met with general disapprobation; and Lord STEWART, the cowardly lordling who had repeatedly vilified the character of the princess, and had even personally insulted her, were selected as the individuals proper to conduct an inquiry into the character and conduct of her royal highness, during her residence on the Continent. To Milan they repaired. A person by the name of Vimercati was selected as the Italian agent. Colonel Brown was stationed to a.s.sist him. Salaries were of course attached to their respective offices, and each individual had his post a.s.signed him. Vimercati was invested with the greater part of the management of this affair, and the nature of his conduct and proceedings cannot but excite mingled feelings of surprise and horror.

By this commission, witnesses were first obtained, then examined, and re-examined; exorbitant prices were offered to them for their testimony, and threats were made to those who shewed, or pretended to shew, any dislike subsequently to appear to verify their statements. Rastelli, afterwards a witness, was employed as _courier_, and to him was delegated the all-powerful argument of a _long purse_. Dumont, while in the hands of this commission, carried on a correspondence with her sister, (who was still in the queen's service) through the medium of Baron D'Ompteda, (the villain we mentioned a few pages back) for the purpose of obtaining information from her majesty's servants. And Omati was paid by D'Ompteda for stealing papers, for the use of the commission, from his master, who was her majesty's professional agent at Milan. These are facts proved by witnesses whose characters are irreproachable, and whose evidence is as well written as parole.

The year

1818

was a dark and troubled period,--a period of great private distress,--so that the minds of men were bent with more acerbity than usual upon the redress of public grievances. The country, borne down by debt, hara.s.sed by taxation, which had no longer for its excuse a monopoly of commerce, looked naturally enough to the source from which these calamities had flowed. They found the theory and the practice of the const.i.tution at variance, and hearing they had a right to be taxed by their representatives, they thought it hard and unjust that over the great majority of those who taxed them they had no controul. Retrenchment and economy were what they required. They considered parliamentary reform would be the means of producing economy and retrenchment. Public meetings in favour of parliamentary reform were, therefore, held, resolutions in favour of it pa.s.sed, and pet.i.tions in favour of it presented to the two houses of parliament; the energies of a free people were roused, and great excitement prevailed. When a country is thus agitated, a minister must resist with vigour, or yield with grace.

Unjust and violent demands should be met with resistance; but sober and legitimate requests, with concession. When weakly opposed, they are obtained by immediate violence; successfully refused, they are put off for a day, or postponed for a week or a year; but they are not got rid of. Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, however, were vain enough to think otherwise.

Parliament was opened by commission in January. The speech referred to the continued indisposition of his majesty, and the death of the Princess Charlotte; but without promising an inquiry into the _cause_ of her untimely end! An address was voted in the Commons' House, according to custom, though Sir Samuel Romilly was not wanting in his expressions of severe opposition to the course ministers were pursuing. He stated, "that the despotic conduct of the ministry had produced in the minds of the people a determination to withstand any further infringement upon their rights and privileges."

Totally regardless of the sufferings of an over-burdened people, however, and during the very heavy and calamitous sorrows of the middle and lower cla.s.ses, the chancellor of the Exchequer had the effrontery to move "that one million of money be raised for the purpose of supplying the deficiency of places of wors.h.i.+p belonging to the establishment, by building new churches and chapels of ease, where the increase of population rendered it needful." How applicable are the words of Tartuffe to the advocates of this measure! "With one hand, I have encouraged spies, suborned perjury, and committed murders; and with the other, built churches,--_but not with my own money_!" The bill pa.s.sed, and an extra "plume of worldly-mindedness" was consequently placed in the cap of hypocrisy! Oh! that the pure religion of our Saviour should be thus perverted! His kingdom was not of this world, neither did he luxuriate in the "good things" of the earth. Did he wear lawn sleeves and a mitre? Did he loll in gaudy carriages, and look down with supercilious contempt on his poorer brethren? Did he require _theatres_ for his churches, or _perfumed_ divines to preach his gospel? Did he interfere with political matters, and exert his energies to enslave the people? We leave these questions to be answered by those locusts of the land, commonly called _bishops_ of the _established_ church; at the same time we call upon them to reflect, whether, if hereafter they should feel inclined to recall the opportunity of conciliating the respect of the country, they will not have the misfortune of finding it much too late!

If our readers were to look over the singular parliamentary proceedings at this gloomy period of our history, they would be forcibly struck with the littleness, servility, and the utter want of intellectual calibre, so fully set forth in the characters of those who conducted the solemn mockery of legislation. The most unjust and arbitrary laws were put in force, and the public money allowed to be squandered, without the least inquiry. As a proof of this last remark, we need only mention the fact of _ninety thousand pounds_ being voted for the department of the "Master of the Horse," who kept thirty saddle and twenty-eight carriage horses for the use of his majesty, yet the king had never been out of the castle for more than seven years! This disgraceful squandering of money was carried on, too, when honest citizens and affectionate fathers were incapable of providing bread for themselves and families! Indeed, Lord Liverpool seemed resolved to push the country to its utmost verge, by proposing and sanctioning every expensive outlay. He was, with Lords Castlereagh and Sidmouth, the author of many plans to perplex, impoverish, and subdue the people, in which plans the _bishops_ most zealously a.s.sisted. Every contrivance that had the sanction of the queen was sure to be _well-managed_, till Justice herself was set at open defiance.

Our readers will recollect our former statements respecting the Princess Charlotte, and we think the circ.u.mstance we are now about to relate will not operate against the proofs we have adduced concerning her untimely end.

Dr. Sir Richard Croft, the accoucheur of that lamented princess, had been engaged to attend the lady of the Rev. Dr. Thackeray, at her house, 86, Wimpole-street, Cavendish-square. Sir Richard went there on Monday, the 9th of February, and remained in attendance until Thursday morning, at eleven o'clock, when, finding his continued presence unnecessary, he went out for a short time to fulfil his other engagements. An apartment on the floor above that occupied by Mrs. Thackeray was appointed for the residence of Sir Richard. In this chamber, there were two pistols belonging to Dr. Thackeray, hanging within the reach of Dr. Croft. Sir Richard retired to bed at half-past twelve, and about one, Dr. Thackeray heard a noise, apparently proceeding from the room occupied by Dr.

Croft, and sent a female servant to ascertain the cause; she returned, saying, "the doctor is in bed, and I conceive him to be asleep." A short time after, a similar noise was heard, and the servant was sent again.

She rapped at the door, but received no answer. This circ.u.mstance created alarm; in consequence of which, the door of his apartment was broken open. Here an awful spectacle presented itself. The body of Sir Richard was lying on the bed, shockingly mangled, his hands extended over his breast, and a pistol in each hand. One of the pistols had been loaded with slugs, the other with ball. Both were discharged, and the head of the unfortunate gentleman was literally blown to pieces.

On the inquest, Doctors Latham and Baillie, and Mr. Finch, proved that the deceased had, since the death of the Princess Charlotte, laboured under mental distress. He had frequently been heard to say, that "this lamentable occurrence weighs heavily on my mind, and I shall never get over it." Mr. Finch said, he was well aware that the deceased had been labouring under derangement of intellect for a considerable time past; and he should not have reposed confidence or trust in him on any occasion since the lamented catastrophe alluded to. The jury returned a verdict, "that the deceased destroyed himself while in a fit of temporary derangement."

During the inquest, the newspaper reporters were denied admission, which circ.u.mstance gave rise to various rumours of a suspicious tendency. This was certainly an unconst.i.tutional act; but we will, as honest historians, speak candidly upon the subject. Delicacy to surviving friends must not prevent our detail of facts.

It will appear evident, then, that Sir Richard had not been perfectly sane since the ever-to-be-regretted fatal event at Claremont. Was it not therefore astonis.h.i.+ng, that his professional as well as other friends, who were _suspicious_, if not _fully aware_, of the doctor's derangement, should have been silent upon this important point, and have allowed Sir Richard to continue in the exercise of his professional practice? Did they not, by such silence, contribute to the peril of females in the most trying moment of nature's sorrow? The _disinterested_ reader will, doubtless, join us in our expressions of indignation at such wanton and cruel conduct.

The letter written to Sir Richard, by order of the prince, proves nothing but the folly of those who advised it. That letter was not calculated to remove any of those suspicions respecting the untimely death of the Princess Charlotte, which rolled like heavy clouds over the intelligent minds of the greater portion of the nation; neither was it likely to hush the spirit of _inquiry_, because its details were evidently meant to prevent any special explanation. The Marquis of Hertford, chamberlain to the regent, well knew, at this period, how to estimate _medicinal cause and effect_!

Presuming my Lord Bloomfield to have been an actor in "the tragedy," we cannot help thinking that his reward was more than adequate to the _services_ performed. His pension of twelve hundred pounds per annum was dated December, 1817. What extraordinary benefits had he rendered to this oppressed nation to merit such an income? We ought also to mention, that, after this period, we find his lords.h.i.+p named as "envoy and minister-plenipotentiary in Sweden," for which he received the annual sum of four thousand, nine hundred pounds, and, as colonel of artillery, one thousand and three pounds, making in all the enormous annual sum of seven thousand, one hundred, and three pounds!

These remarks are not intended to wound the feelings of private families; but are made with a view to urge a strict investigation into the cause of the Princess Charlotte's death. We are well aware that many _great_ persons have reason to fear the result of such an inquiry, yet the injured ought to have justice administered, even at the "eleventh hour," if it cannot sooner be obtained. Many a murderer has been executed twenty, or even thirty, years after the commission of his crime!

Though at this time ministers had a parliament almost entirely devoted to their wishes, there were a few members of it who vigorously opposed unjust measures, and they could not always carry their plans into execution. The amount solicited for the Duke of Clarence upon his intended marriage with the Princess of Saxe Meiningen is a proof of this; for, although the regent sent a message to the House to accomplish this object, it was at _first_ refused, and the duke did not gain his point till a considerable time afterwards.

In this year, the Duke of Kent was united to a sister of Prince Leopold.

In September, while most requisite to her party, the queen was taken ill. Bulletin followed upon bulletin, and the disorder was reported to increase. Some of the public papers announced, that her majesty had expressed an ardent desire to witness a _reconciliation_ between the Prince and Princess of Wales, as she imagined her dissolution was now near at hand. The report, however, was as false as it was unlikely; for, only a month before this period, _spies_ had been despatched to obtain witnesses, _of any description_, against the honour of the princess, by which means her enemies hoped to accomplish their most ardent desires.

Queen Charlotte's _conscience_ was not of a penetrable nature as her bitter enmity to the Princess of Wales continued even to her death!

With her majesty, it had ever been an invariable maxim, that "might const.i.tutes right;" but the reflections of her mind, while surveying the probability of a speedy dissolution, must have been of a complexion too dreary to be faithfully pictured. She,--who had been the arbitress of the fates of nations, whose commands none dared dispute or disobey, and at whose frown numberless sycophants and dependents trembled,--was now about to face the dread enemy of mankind! The proud heart of Queen Charlotte must have been humbled at the thought of meeting HER Judge, who is said to be "no distinguisher of persons."

During her indisposition, the queen seemed much impressed with the idea that she should recover, and it was not till the 2nd of November that the physicians deemed it requisite to acquaint the queen of her danger.

The intelligence was given in the most delicate manner possible; yet her majesty exhibited considerable alarm at the information. It was pressingly hinted by the princesses to their mother, that the sacrament ought to be administered; but the queen positively refused the "holy rite," saying, "It is of no use, as I am unable to take it." One of the princesses immediately said, "You do not mean to say that you MURDERED THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE?" "No," faintly answered the queen, "BUT I CONNIVED AT IT!" We pledge ourselves to the truth of this statement, however incredible it may appear to those who have considered Queen Charlotte as "a pattern to her s.e.x." When the general servility of the press to royalty is taken into consideration, it is hardly to be wondered at that people are misinformed as to the real characters of kings and queens. Take the following false and most inconsistent eulogium, copied from the "Atlas" newspaper, as an example of this time-serving violation of truth:

"Queen Charlotte's _constant attendance on the king_, and her GRIEF FOR THE LOSS OF HER GRAND-DAUGHTER, gained ground on her const.i.tution; and her majesty expired at Kew, on the 17th of November, 1818. _In all the relations of a wife and mother_, the conduct of the queen had been EXEMPLARY. Pious, without bigotry; virtuous, but not austere; serious, yet capable of the most perfect enjoyment of innocent pleasure; unostentatious, economical, adorned with all domestic virtues, and not without the charities of human nature, the queen had lived respected, and she died full of years and honour, regretted by her subjects, and most by those who knew her best. If her talents were not s.h.i.+ning, nor her virtues extraordinary, she never employed the first in faction, nor bartered the second for power. She was occasionally accused of political interference, by contemporary jealousy; but history will acquit her of the charge. She was a strict moralist, though her conduct to one part of her family (the heroic Caroline, we suppose) was perhaps more RIGOROUS than JUST. Her proudest drawing-room was the hearth of her home. HER BRIGHTEST GEMS WERE HER CHILDREN, (heaven save the mark!) _and her greatest ambition to set an example of_ MATRONLY VIRTUE _and feminine dignity to the ladies of her adopted country_!"

We should absolutely blush for the writer of this paragraph, did we think that he really _meant_ his panegyric to be taken _literally_. For the sake of _common honesty_, however, we will not suppose he so intended it; he must be some severe critic who adopted this style as the _keenest kind of wit_, for

"Praise undeserved is satire in disguise!"