age

on him considered themselves bound to prepare the public mind, by alluding to the infirmity of his in the monthly bulletin. A slight bowel attack soon after gave his medical attendants some alarm, and although it lasted but two days, debilitated His Majesty. No actual bodily malady, however, existed from that time until the latter end of January, 1820, when the renewal of the bowel complaint, which shewed that the bodily functions had lost their power, announced a probability that the King's dissolution could not be very far distant. Every thing that he took passed through him as he received it, so that nature had become entirely exhausted, and refused her office. In this state it is not surprising that the decay should be rapid; that the retentive powers only a short time before his dissolution lost their command; and that the royal patient sunk without a struggle.

We have seen it indeed asserted, that his emaciation had then produced a most extraordinary change, not only in the loss of flesh, and reduction of his once vigorous frame; but had brought on a perfect attenuation of the whole system, with such an absolute change of countenance, that scarcely a single feature could be recognized by the most familiar observers.

The first official bulletin of 1820 was to the following effect:

"Windsor Castle, Jan. 1st.-His Majesty's dis

His

order has undergone no sensible alteration. Majesty's bodily health has partaken of some of the infirmities of age, but has been generally good during the last month."

This official notice, however, was very far from producing the impression of immediate danger; and indeed, compared with the reports that had previously obtained circulation, tended rather to induce the belief of a reinstatement. All the intelligence we have been able to collect, from oral information and other sources, leads us to the conviction that it was not till several days had elapsed, from the publication of the bulletin, that his late Majesty's symptoms became a source of peculiar anxiety and solicitude to his medical attendants. At that period his disorder returned with greater violence; and, in despite of the utmost skill of his physicians, several of whom remained in constant attendance, continued from day to day to make visible inroads on the health and strength of the royal patient. Still, however, His Majesty was not considered in danger till Thursday, the twentyseventh of January, preceding his death. His present Majesty, was then indisposed, and was confined to his room; he was therefore prevented from attending to pay those attentions to his expiring parent, which he anxiously desired, and which he had manifested upon numerous occasions, in spite of all the

trammels and toils of faction.

In the meantime public anxiety was considerably excited by verbal reports from the vicinity of the royal residence; for to the inhabitants of Windsor, who had opportunities of observing the increased vigilance that pervaded all the movements about the castle, the suspicion soon infused itself that an unfavourable change had taken place in the health of His Majesty. The lords in waiting, who were Lord St. Helens and Lord Henley, were noticed to remain longer at their post, and to quit their charge for shorter periods than usual. His Majesty, in the early access of his second attack, rejected animal food. The most nourishing diet, in every form that could be devised to tempt his appetite, was prepared for him, but seemed to fail in its purpose of sustaining or recruiting exhausted nature. A few days before his death he became almost reduced to a skeleton. The general decay to which his constitution was now subjected showed itself in the usual symptoms. It was evident that his blood was becoming torpid and chilly; for though artificial means were used to raise the temperature of his apartments, yet he continued to manifest increasing suffering from cold. Among other distressing proofs of his debility and approaching dissolution, he lost his remaining teeth: he also lost his appetite, which had been previously so hearty that it had been usual to medicate his food, in order to procure digestion, and prevent any injury from the tendency to excessive indulgence.

It was not, however, till within two days of his decease that he kept his bed entirely, though for several days previous he had not risen at his accustomed early hour.

On the night of Friday, the symptoms became so alarming, that Sir H. Halford came express to town very early on Saturday morning, and had an immediate audience of the Duke of York. The consequence was, that his royal highness's carriage was immediately ordered, and without a moment's delay he set forward with post horses for Windsor Castle. His royal highness appeared agitated as he got into the coach; and there was an air of mystery and hurry in the whole affair, which gave but too much reason to anticipate the distressing nature of Sir H. Halford's communication.

The rapid movements of official personages throughout Saturday and the preceding day strengthened the belief of the alarming crisis which His Majesty's indisposition had attained. At a late hour on Friday evening, the Earl of Liverpool set off to Windsor, where he remained the whole of the night. All the messengers of the House of Lords had been in hourly attendance upon Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the Usher of the Black Rod, during Thursday and Friday. The fires in the House of Lords were kept regularly lighted as if the peers were sitting; and Mr. Cooper, the deputy clerk of Parliament, through whom the summonses for the immediate convocation of parliament should issue

on the demise of His Majesty, arrived in PalaceYard at three o'clock on Saturday, rather unexpectedly. Soon after his arrival he communicated with Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, and Mr. Quarme, the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod. The Archbishop of Canterbury was at Lambeth Palace on Saturday, having specially arrived from the country. These preparations were in consequence of the necessity that parliament must, if possible, meet on the day after the demise of the sovereign.

At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, the medical attendants, and the lords in waiting, felt assured that the last hour of the venerable sufferer was approaching, and that the day must terminate his mortal career. The last words His Majesty was heard to utter, was an application for some jelly. This was between three and four o'clock in the afternoon.

As the evening advanced, His Majesty became gradually weaker and weaker; but apparently without the slightest pain, till nature was quite exhausted; and, at thirty-five minutes past eight o'clock, he breathed his last, without suffering even a struggle.

The decay, though rapid, was unaccompanied with any violent and sudden changes; so that none of that physical excitement had occurred which sometimes, in cases of mental derangement, restores to sufferers in their last moments a transient use of their understanding, and imbitters the parting hour