and their suites forming a circle round the colours, surrounded by a most brilliant display of British beauty; in the midst of which were seen the venerated sovereign and his amiable consort, in all the splendour of regal costume, and with all the affability for which both of them were always so much distinguished.

The service now commenced; and when the sea officers advanced past the King's chair, to deposit the trophies of national success upon the altar, His Majesty seemed to view the scene with very great attention, and with evident high feelings, in which he was manifestly joined by the whole of the assembled throng.

The royal return was conducted with all the previous splendour and decorum: every thing went off quietly; the military behaved with exemplary forbearance, even during the hottest crush; and not a single accident happened to cloud the festivity of the day.*

This year died at Buckingham House, aged sixty-six, Madame Schwellenbergen, Keeper of the Robes to Her Majesty since her arrival in England. She never suspected her dissolution to be so near, although she had long laboured under the infirmities of age. On the evening of her death, in attempting to divert herself at cards, and drawing near the table for that purpose, she fell into a fit, and expired, without uttering a sentence. It has been commonly believed, that this lady, from her opportunities of acquiring wealth, &c. was immensely rich; it is probable, however, that her property had been greatly ex

1798.

The year 1798 was a most important one in the annals of Britain; and its occurrences must have pressed heavily upon the mind of His Majesty; for in this year were the unhappy Irish rebellion, and also the treasonable attempt and machinations of O'Coighley, and other traitors, respecting whom some of our leading political characters played a curious and memorable part.

The friends of public order, undismayed by the signs of the times, determined on a subscription for the exigencies of the state. His Majesty instantly set an honourable example, by subscribing twenty thousand pounds out of the privy purse. This was hailed with enthusiastic loyalty, and so rapidly followed up, that, on the thirtieth of January, the subscription at the Bank amounted near to two hundred thousand pounds.

The spirit of party, however, in unison with French politics, had now led some of the members of opposition so far astray from their duty to their king and country, that His Majesty deemed it pru

aggerated. She was ever humane and liberal to the unfortunate and wretched. To the junior branches of the royal family, during their tender years, she acted with the tender solicitude and warm affection of a mother. The Queen lost in her an accom、 plished woman, and a very faithful servant.

dent and proper to mark his displeasure at the tumultuous, not to say disloyal, proceedings now going on; and accordingly, on the twenty-fifth of May, a board of privy-council was held at St. James's, when the clerk of the council having produced the book containing the list of privy counsellors before the King, he instantly took his pen, and drew it across the name of the "Man of the People," and returned the book to the clerk, without any further observation.

This measure was evidently in consequence of a toast given by that individual at the Whig Club, a few days previous, when he said, "I'll give you a toast, than which I think there cannot be a better, according to the principles of this club: I mean the sovereignty of the people of Great Britain."

Now it must not be forgotten, that a nobleman high in rank, a very short time before, had been dismissed from all offices for giving as a toast→ "Our sovereign, the people!" And though this second version was a paraphrase, its object could not be mistaken.

1799.

The peculiar friendliness and domestic kindness of the King were especially manifested at this time, on the occasion of the death of Prince Frederick, second son of the Stadtholder, who expired at

Vienna about the middle of January, 1790, from a malignant fever caught in his visits to the military hospitals, a point of duty never neglected by him, notwithstanding his high, civil, and military rank, he having entered into the Austrian service when his family were forced to fly from Holland. He was the favourite son of the Princess of Orange; and our venerable monarch was aware of the fact, and consequently much shocked when he read an account of his untimely demise in a French paper. The royal family were then in town at Buckingham House; and the King, with much feeling, communicated it privately to the Queen, who instantly approved of his suggestion of inviting the Orange family to a hasty visit, in order that he might communicate the fatal intelligence with more delicacy to the parents, than could be done through the columns of an English paper, in which they were likely first to see it on the ensuing day. The invitation was instantly sent, and accepted; and the affair most feelingly imparted by the King to the unhappy parents, who were detained as guests at the Queen's House for several weeks, and comforted by the most marked attentions of the whole royal family, until the first emotions of parental grief had abated.

The volunteering spirit was now at its height; and the King, being anxious to examine their state of discipline, arrangements were made for a grand

review on his birth-day; for which purpose the several associations of the metropolis, consisting of sixty-five well equipped corps, and amounting to upwards of eight thousand effective men, assembled in Hyde Park at half-past eight o'clock.

The day was very unfavourable, the rain falling in torrents; but the necessary dispositions were made with loyal and patriotic alacrity; and a little after nine, His Majesty, agreeable to his usual punctuality, attended by the Prince and royal dukes, a number of general officers, and a detachment of the Life Guards, appeared in the field.

His Majesty, after the royal salutes, passed along the line, and returned to a central post in front, when vollies were fired in succession; after which three loud cheers were given, all the bands of music joining in "God save the King."

The corps then passed His Majesty in succession, saluting as they passed, in grand divisions; and the review now closing with a royal salute, the King, after expressing the highest satisfaction at the marappearance and excellent conduct of those loyal and patriotic troops, departed from the ground at one o'clock, amidst the joyous shouts and affectionate greetings of a most numerous assembly.

tial

Some other volunteer reviews took place in this month, upon a more extended scale than in preceding years; and the King having intimated his intention of inspecting all the corps in and about