These little stories will all be true, and some of them so short that His Royal Highness will understand them, as soon as he can read fluently. The greater part of them are anecdotes of young princes, but I have added a few, of other illustrious children, and some striking ones, of great and virtuous kings.

Princes, in their early years, have great advantages: they are placed under the care of persons of known integrity, cultivation, and experience; and they are removed from the example of all low and grovelling vices: hence it is, perhaps, that history furnishes us with so many beautiful instances of young princes, distinguished by excellent qualities and great acquire

ments.

RELIGION.

"A Christian is the highest style of Man." YOUNG.

PRIN

RINCES being less amenable than other men to human laws, should be early impressed with their entire dependence upon the Divine Will. To none, in so eminent a sense as to Princes, does that sentiment of an inspired writer belong, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." That illustrious monarch, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, was so deeply sensible of this truth, that when he was surprised by one of his officers in secret prayer in his tent, he said to him, "Persons of my rank are answerable to God alone for their actions; this gives the enemy of mankind a peculiar advantage over us; an advantage which can only be resisted by prayer, and reading the Scriptures."

A PRINCE'S REVERENCE FOR THE BIBLE.

DWARD the Sixth began to reign young like

Josias, the virtuous king of Judah, and the English were fond of calling him their Josiah. Like him, he had a strong sense of religious duty and reverence, and he gave an instance of it at the early age of six years. He was playing one day with some children of his own age, and wishing to get something that was beyond his reach, one of his little companions placed on the ground a Bible, for him to stand upon. He beheld the profanation with much displeasure, and removed the book himself.

A LITTLE DAUGHTER OF CHARLES THE FIRST.

A

LITTLE daughter of Charles the First died at the age of four years. While on her death-bed, one of her attendants desired her to pray. She said she could not say her long prayer, meaning the Lord's prayer, but that she would try to say her short one: "Lighten my darkness, O Lord God! and let me not sleep the sleep of death." She had no sooner said it, than she laid her little head on the pillow, and expired.

TH

THE PRINCESS AMELIA.

HE Princess Amelia, youngest daughter of George the Third, when about three years old, heard that Mrs. Delany, a venerable old lady, of whom she was very fond, was ill. When saying her prayers at night, to her nurse, she added, of her own accord, "Pray God make Lany well again."

THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES.

THE

66

HE following interesting anecdote of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, at the early age of five years, is extracted from the journal of the venerable B. Porteus, Bishop of London. Yesterday the sixth of August, 1801, I passed a very pleasant day at Shrewsbury House, near Shooter's Hill, the residence of the Princess Charlotte of Wales; the day was fine, the prospect extensive and beautiful, taking in a large reach of the Thames, which was covered with vessels of various sizes and descriptions: 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, on being told, that when she went to

South End in Essex, she would then be in my diocese, she fell down on her knees, and begged my blessing. I gave it to her with all my heart, and with my earnest secret prayers to God, that she might adorn her illustrious station with every christian grace, and that if ever she became the Queen of this truly great and glorious country, she might be the means of diffusing virtue, piety, and happiness, through every part of her dominions."

CHILDHOOD OF GEORGE THE THIRD.

PRINCE George, afterwards George the Third,

when scarcely six years old, displayed such abilities, that he was taken from the nursery, and placed solely under the care of his first tutor, Dr. Francis Ayscough, afterwards Bishop of Bristol. The Doctor appears, by his modesty and candour, to have been well qualified for his duty, as is exemplified in a letter to the learned and pious Dr. Doddridge, where he says, “I thank God, I have one great encouragement to quicken me in my duty, which is the good disposition of the children entrusted to me; as an instance, I must tell you, that Prince George, to his honour and my shame, had learned several pages in your book of verses, without any directions from me."