she considered her son too young; and she had a still more rooted dislike to it, on account of the libertine principles which prevailed in the court and family of the Prussian monarch. From the timid disposition of the young prince, and the known dread he had of his grandfather, the princess became apprehensive lest his resolution should yield to authority or persuasion. Happily for the prince, and for the nation, these maternal fears were soon removed; for the young prince expressed himself with such modest firmness on the subject, that the old king, after trying every art, even to the offer of a splendid establishment, in order to induce compliance, gave up the point, with the remark, "that the boy was good for nothing, and only fit to read the Bible to his mother." ACCESSION. The accession to the throne opened to George III. at a moment of great public prosperity, when the honour and credit of the nation stood singularly high; and when there were, happily, no divisions at home to obstruct those measures which had carried terror to our enemies abroad. The British army had been successful every where; and, in the buoyant spirits in which the nation were, it was looked upon as a singularly happy omen of the future, that the day of his majesty's accession happened to be the same with the anniversary of the battle of Agincourt. The circumstance of his majesty being British born, was another glorious felicity, on which both the king himself, and the people at large, dwelt with exulting satisfaction. "Born and educated," said his majesty, in his first speech from the throne, "in this country, I glory in the name of Briton." "It is our peculiar happiness," said the City of London, in their address of congratulation, "that your majesty's heart is truly English; and that you have discovered, in your earliest years, the warmest attention to the laws and constitution of these kingdoms; laws so excellently framed, that as they give liberty to the people, they give power to the prince; and are a mutual support of the prerogatives of the crown and the rights of the subject." The promptness of the City of London, in the presentation of their congratulatory address, is not undeserving of notice. George II. died on the morning of the 25th, and they presented their address on the 28th. The king, in his answer, did not omit to advert to the circumstance. "I have great satisfaction," said his majesty, "in the early marks you have given me, of your zeal and affection for me and for my government; and I return you my hearty thanks." Two of the aldermen who attended with the address, were the first persons on whom his majesty conferred the honour of knighthood; these were Thomas Rawlinson, Esq., and Francis Gosling, Esq. Although the death of George II. had taken place very unexpectedly, and the young sovereign could not avoid feeling somewhat embarrassed by the novelty of his situation, he soon became pre-eminent in the public estimation, for the manly ease with which he deported himself in the exercise of his high functions. "The young king," says Horace Walpole, among his letters to Mr. Montague, has all the appearance of being amiable. There is great " grace to temper much dignity, and extreme good nature, which breaks out upon all occasions." ***« For the king himself, he seems all good nature, and wishing to satisfy every body; all his speeches are obliging. I saw him again yesterday, and was surprised to find the levee-room had lost so entirely the air of the lion's den. This sovereign don't stand in one spot, with his eyes fixed royally on the ground, and dropping bits of German news; he walks about, and speaks to every body. I saw him afterwards on the throne, where he is gracefully and genteel, sits with dignity, and reads his answers well." The ease and confidence with which the young prince entered on his regal duties seems to have been, in no small degree, induced by the perfect conviction which he felt of the goodness of his intentions. "He depended," as he said emphatically to the privy council, "on the support and assistance of every honest man ;" a noble declaration, with more of true English feeling in it, than any other expression he could possibly have used. PULPIT FLATTERY. One of the first acts performed by the young monarch after his accession to the throne, was to issue an order, prohibiting any of the clergy who should be called to preach before him from paying him any compliment in their discourses. His majesty was led to this from the fulsome adulation which Dr. Thomas Wilson, Prebendary of Westminster, thought proper to deliver in the chapel royal; and for which, instead of thanks, he received from his royal audito a pointed reprimand, his majesty observing, "that he came to chaple to hear the praises of God, and not his own." This circumstance operated wonderfully on the reverend orator, as from that moment he became a flaming patriot. The doctor took part with Wilkes; was made liveryman of the Joiners' Company; and lavished large sums upon Mrs. Macaulay, the republican historian, in whose honour he caused a marble statue to be erected in his church at Walbrook; though before he died he caused it to be removed, not indeed so much from a sense of the impropriety of the thing, as out of resentment to the lady, who had displeased him by her marriage. 66 'I INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDGES. On the 3rd of March, 1761 his majesty in person proposed to both houses of parliament to secure the independence of the judicial authority, by rendering the judges immoveable, except for misconduct. look upon the independence and uprightness of the judges of the land," said his majesty, as essential to the impartial administration of justice; as one of the best securities to the rights and liberties of my loving subjects; and as most conducive to the honour of the crown." His majesty's early attention to an object so interesting to his people, as the impartial administration of justice, was gratefully acknowledged by the two houses of parliament: a bill was accordingly brought in to that effect, and passed. Of the importance of this measure, that great lawyer, Sir William Blackstone, bears the following testimony; "By the noble improvements of the law, in the statute of 1st Geo. III. c. 23, enacting at the earnest recommendation of the king himself from the throne, the judges are continued in their offices during their good behaviour, notwithstanding any demise of the crown (which was formerly held immediately to vacate their seats,) and their full salaries are absolutely secured to them during the continuance of their commissions; his majesty having been pleased to declare, that he looked upon the independence and uprightness of the judges as essential to the impartial administration of justice; as one of the best securities of the rights and liberties of his subjects; and as most conducive to the honour of the crown.' PURITY OF ELECTION. The last parliament of the reign of George II. was not dissolved until six months after the accession of his late majesty; on which he immediately gave notice to his ministers, that no money should be spent to procure the election of members favourable to the government, which he understood had formerly been the case, saying at the same time, that "he would be tried by his country." This declaration gave rise to the following lines. "Tried by your country! to your people's love, Amiable prince, so soon appeal! Stay till the tender sentiments improve, Ripening to gratitude from zeal ! Years hence (yet, ah! too soon) shall Britain see, The trial of thy virtue past: Who could foretel that your first wish would be, |