His literary taste was good; his musical skill and science very considerable, his taste in architecture and the fine arts generally utterly contemptible. Nothing pleased him but glaring and costly ornaments, multitudinous details and gorgeous novelties. His conversational powers were very great, and often appeared to advantage when such men as Sheridan, Fox, Erskine, and Curran graced his board. His personal appearance was in his earlier years remarkably imposing and graceful; towards the latter part of his life he got heavy and unwieldy, but he always retained the look and port of royalty.

The Princess Charlotte.

BORN A. D. 1796.-died a. D. 1817.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, the Princess Charlotte Caroline Augusta, was born at Carlton-house, on the 7th of January, 1796, and was the only child of the ill-starred marriage of the prince and princess of Wales. Her earliest years were spent under the domestic tuition of her royal mother, who was her principal instructress. It is said that she was very early distinguished for quick parts and an amiable disposition. In the private journal of Dr Beilby Porteous, late bishop of London, is the following entry: "Yesterday (6th August, 1801) I passed a very pleasant day at Shrewsbury-house, Blackheath, the residence of the princess Charlotte of Wales. 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 of her hymns with great correctness and propriety; and being told, when she went to Southend in Essex she would then be in my diocese, she fell down on her knees and begged my blessing." Her health was for some years unconfirmed, and she spent several seasons on the sea-coast.

She was removed from the immediate guardianship of her mother, about the period when the delicate investigation of the charges made by Sir John and Lady Douglas against the princess of Wales took place, and was placed at Warwick-house, by command of George III., who had claimed the privilege of bringing her up under his own protection, as she was a child of the state. Queen Charlotte, whom the young princess appears to have disliked, exercised, it is said, a secret interference as to her studies, and employed Hannah More to write an elementary work for her use. On passing from the superintendence of her mother, she was placed under the care of the dowager Lady De Clifford, who was succeeded by the dowager duchess of Leeds. Her studies were also superintended by Dr Fisher, bishop of Salisbury, Dr Pott, and Dr Short. In 1814 she was placed under the charge of the dowager countess of Rosslyn, and the countess of Ilchester, at Cranbourne lodge; and in order to prevent her having any intercourse with her mother, it was intimated to her that she should receive neither letters nor visits but by permission of her noble attendants. It is generally believed that this restriction was uncalled for; although at an early period of life she had displayed much waywardness and caprice.

The

constraint, however, roused her spirit, and she soon contrived to leave the house unperceived, and made her way to her mother's house at Blackheath, from which she was with difficulty prevailed upon to re

turn.

On the 18th of May, 1815, the princess was presented at court. About the same period, the prince of Orange formally declared his intentions of aspiring to her hand; but the princess appears to have uniformly declined his advances. She had seen the prince Leopold, third brother of the duke of Cobourg, on his visit to this country in 1814, and from that period seems to have honoured him with her especial notice. In 1816, Leopold again visited England, and on the 2d of May in that year, the illustrious lovers were married by the archbishop of Canterbury, at Carlton-house. Parliament shortly after voted £60,000 as an outfit to the royal couple; and £50,000 per annum during the joint lives of the royal pair on the life of the survivor, with £10,000 per annum additional in name of pin-money for the bride. The princess's nuptials afforded general satisfaction to the country, and proved a source of great domestic felicity to herself. But Providence had ordained that the nation's hopes should soon be blasted. On the night of the 5th of November, 1817, her royal highness was delivered of a still-born male child, and at half-past two, on the morning of the 6th, she expired.

Her death, it has been truly said, "diffused throughout Great Britain a more general sorrow than had ever before been known in these kingdoms." All ranks,—all parties,-united in the same expressions of sorrow for the national loss, and of sympathy with her bereaved husband and parents. Her royal highness was of middle stature, inclining rather to en bon point; her complexion was unusually fair; her eyes were blue, large, and animated. Her passions were strong and ardent, but her general disposition was mild and amiable; all authorities concur in estimating her intellectual powers at a high standard.

Frederick, Duke of York.

BORN A. D. 1763.-died a. D. 1827.

FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, the second son and child of George III. and Queen Charlotte, was born on the 16th of August, 1763. He was educated along with his brother, the prince of Wales, but exhibited less talents than the companion of his studies. He entered into scenes of dissipation and intrigue, however, as readily as his elder brother, and promoted the stolen interviews of the prince of Wales and Mrs Robin

son.

In November, 1784, he was created duke of York and Albany in Great Britain, and earl of Ulster in Ireland. In 1788 he delivered his maiden-speech in the house of peers in the debate on the regency question. In the following year he fought a duel with Colonel Lennox, afterwards duke of Richmond. tion have been thus detailed by the previous dispute, the duke of York, Colonel Lennox, accompanied by the

The particulars of this transacseconds: "In consequence of a attended by Lord Rawdon, and earl of Winchelsea, met at Wim

bledon common.

The ground was measured at twelve paces, and both parties were to fire at a signal agreed upon. The signal being given, Colonel Lennox fired, and the ball grazed his royal highness's curl. The duke of York did not fire. Lord Rawdon then interfered, and said, 'That he thought enough had been done.' Colonel Lennox observed, That the duke had not fired.' Lord Rawdon said, 'It was not the duke's intention to fire: his royal highness had come out upon the colonel's desire to give him satisfaction, and had no animosity against him.' Colonel Lennox pressed that the duke should fire, which was declined, upon a repetition of the reason. Lord Winchelsea then went up to the duke of York, and expressed a hope, 'That his royal highness could have no objection to say, that he considered Colonel Lennox as a man of honour and courage.' His royal highness replied, That he should say nothing: he had come out to give the colonel satisfaction, and did not mean to fire at him: if Colonel Lennox was not satisfied, he might fire again.' Colonel Lennox said, 'He could not possibly fire again at the duke, as his royal highness did not mean to fire at him.' On this, both parties quitted the ground. The seconds think it proper to add, that both parties behaved with the utmost coolness and intrepidity.-RAWDON, WINCHELSEA."

Towards the close of the year 1791, the duke married Charlotte Ulrica Catherine, eldest daughter of Frederick William, king of Prussia, a lady of many virtues and high accomplishments. On this occasion parliament voted the duke a sum of £30,000 per annum, which, with the revenues of the bishopric of Osnaburg-to which see the young prince had been elevated by his father in his third year!-placed the duke in possession of a most princely income; all, however, was insufficient to preserve him from pecuniary embarrassment, and his marriage proved nearly as unfortunate as that of his elder brother. Within six years from their union, the duke and duchess parted.

In 1793 the duke took the command of the British auxiliaries destined to act in concert with the prince of Saxe-Cobourg, against the forces of republican France. In this campaign his royal highness exhibited indubitable proofs of personal gallantry, but his attempt to invest Dunkirk was ill-planned, and ended in a precipitate abandonment of the siege. In the campaign of the next year a proposition was made that General Clairfait, an officer of great ability and experience, should command the auxiliary forces, and that the duke of York should act under his orders: this proposition, however, unfortunately for the interest of the allies, was peremptorily rejected by the duke. At Tournay, the duke defeated a corps of 35,000 men, but he was soon after compelled to retreat in the direction of Antwerp, and afterwards on Bois-leDuc. The French forces, under Pichegru, advancing rapidly upon him, to the number of 80,000 men, about the middle of September, the duke crossed the Maese, and took a fresh position near Grave; at the beginning of October, he encamped under the walls of Nimeguen. The French, crossing the Maese, made an attack on the British posts in front of that town, and having obliged them to change their position, invested the place. Towards the end of the month his royal highness passed the Waal, leaving General Walmoden with a corps to cover the town of Nimeguen, which was evacuated in great confusion and with much loss on the 7th of November. Bois-le-Duc, Breda, and Grave,

were also successively reduced. Whilst Pichegru was in Dutch Flanders, the Austrian General, La Tour, was totally defeated by General Jourdan near Liege, which city, and those of Aix-la-Chapelle and Juliers, were occupied by the French. As soon as the frost had set in, Pichegru crossed the Waal, and the duke of York, chagrined at his disasters, and provoked at the apathy of the Dutch themselves, returned to England, leaving the English troops under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby. Pressed upon by a far superior force they retired towards the German frontiers; and on the 27th and 28th of March the remains of this fine body of troops embarked on board transports lying ready to convey them from the Elbe to England.

In 1795, on Lord Amherst retiring from public life, the duke of York was appointed commander-in-chief and field-marshal-general of the forces in Great Britain.

Towards the close of the year 1799, the duke of York again entered Holland as commander-in-chief of the expedition for reinstating the Stadtholder. General Abercromby conducted the first division of the armament, and made good a landing near the shore of the Helder on the 27th of August. Next day the Dutch fleet in the Nieuve Diep, amounting to seven ships of war and thirteen Indiamen, surrendered to Admiral Mitchell, who, pursuing his course along the Texel, succeeded in securing the remainder of the Batavian naval force. On the 10th of September, a body of 12,000 French and Dutch attacked the British position on the Zuyp, but were repulsed with great loss. On the 13th his royal highness landed at the Helder, and proceeded to Sir Ralph Abercromby's quarters at Schagen. On the 19th the combined English and Russian forces moved, in four columns, upon the enemy's position.

"It is necessary to observe," says the duke in his despatch from Schagen-Burg, under date the 20th of September, "that the country in which we had to act presented in every direction the most formidable obstacles. The enemy upon their left occupied to great advantage the high sand-hills which extend from the sea in front of Petten to the town of Bergen, and were entrenched in three intermediate villages. The country over which the columns under Lieutenant-Generals Dundas and Sir James Pulteney had to move for the attack of the fortified posts of Walmenhuysen, Schoreldam, and the Lange Dyke, is a plain intersected every three or four hundred yards by broad deep wet ditches and canals. The bridges across the only two or three roads which led to these places were destroyed, and abbatis were laid at different distances. Lieutenant-General D'Hermann's column commenced its attack-which was conducted with the greatest spirit and gallantry—at half-past three o'clock in the morning, and by eight had succeeded in so great a degree as to be in possession of Bergen. In the wooded country which surrounds this village, the principal force of the enemy was placed; and the Russian troops, advancing with an intrepidity which overlooked the formidable resistance with which they were to meet, had not retained that order which was necessary to preserve the advantages they had gained; and they were in consequence, after a most vigorous resistance, obliged to retire from Bergen, (where, I am much concerned to state, Lieutenant-Generals D'Hermann and Tchertchekoff were made prisoners, the latter dangerously wounded,)

and fell back upon Schorel, which village they were also forced to abandon, but which was immediately retaken by Major-General Manners' brigade, notwithstanding the very heavy fire of the enemy. Here this brigade was immediately reinforced by two battalions of Russians, which had co-operated with Lieutenant-General Dundas in the attack of Walmenhuysen, by Major-General D'Oyley's brigade of Guards, and by the 35th regiment, under the command of his highness Prince William. The action was renewed by these troops for a considerable time with success; but the entire want of ammunition on the part of the Russians, and the exhausted state of the whole corps engaged in that particular situation, obliged them to retire, which they did in good order, upon Petten and the Zyper Sluys.

"As soon as it was sufficiently light, the attack upon the village of Walmenhuysen, where the enemy was strongly posted with cannon, was made by Lieutenant-General Dundas. Three battalions of Russians-who formed a separate corps, destined to co-operate from Krabbenham in this attack-commanded by Major-General Sedmoratzky, very gallantly stormed the village on its left flank, while at the same time it was entered on the right by the first regiment of Guards. The grenadier battalion of the Guards had been previously detached to march upon Schoreldam, on the left of Lieutenant-General D'Hermann's column, as was the third regiment of Guards, and the second battalion of the fifth regiment, to keep up the communication with that under Lieutenant-General Sir James Pulteney. The remainder of Lieutenant-General Dundas's column, which, after taking possession of Walmenhuysen, had been joined by the first battalion of the fifth regiment, marched against Schoreldam, which place they maintained under a very heavy and galling fire, until the troops engaged on their right had retired at the conclusion of the action.

"The column under Lieutenant-General Sir James Pulteney proceeded to its object of attack at the time appointed, and after overcoming the greatest difficulties, and the most determined opposition, carried by storm the principal post of Ouds Carspel, at the head of the Lange Dyke. This point was defended by the chief force of the Batavian army, under the command of General Daendels. The circumstances, however, which occurred on the right rendered it impossible to profit by this brilliant exploit, which will ever reflect the highest credit on the general officers and troops engaged in it; and made it necessary to withdraw Lieutenant-General Sir James Pulteney's column from the position which he had taken within a short distance of Alkmaar. The same circumstances led to the necessity of recalling the corps under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, who had proceeded without interruption to Hoorne, of which city he had taken possession, together with its garrison. The whole of the army has therefore re-occupied its former position.

"The well-grounded hopes I had entertained of complete success in this operation, and which were fully justified by the result of the three, and by the first successes of the fourth attack upon the right,add to the great disappointment I must naturally feel on this occasion; but the circumstances which have occurred I should have considered of very little general importance, had I not to lament the loss of many brave officers and soldiers, both of his majesty's and the Russian troops, who