Whatever was the original cause of this lamentable rupture, the Princess Charlotte passed the first eight years of her life in the enjoyment of the fond attentions of her mother, whom she usually accompanied in her carriage, sitting on her knee, or standing upon a stool; when her smiling, healthful, and intelligent countenance, universally delighted those who saw her.

The following interesting account of Her Royal Highness, when only five years old, is from the Diary of the pious and justly celebrated Dr. Porteus, late Lord Bishop of London:

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Yesterday, the 6th 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 hymns with great correctness and propriety; and on being told, when she went to South End, in Essex, (as she afterwards did, for the benefit of sea-bathing,) 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."

It will not be thought irrelevant here to introduce an authentic anecdote, which strongly marks that exquisite sense of propriety with which His Royal Highness the Prince Regent dignifies and adorns

his exalted station, When the Princess Charlotte was about seven years old, a gentleman, who at that time had the honour to be intimate with the Prince of Wales, saw her Royal Highness at Carlton House. The great flow of spirits which she pos sessed, her beauty, and the native frankness of her manners, immediately attracted his attention, so that, forgetting her exalted rank, and the wide dis tinction necessary to be observed between the infant Heiress of the British throne, and other children, he took her familiarly by the hand, inquired how she did, and then saluted her, in the presence of the Prince; who immediately signified his displeasure at the gentleman's presumption, by desiring him, in the most dignified manner, instantly to leave his presence.

Though the Princess, at this time, lived under the personal inspection of her Mother, she appears to have had a separate establishment at Shrewsbury House, and was only permitted to receive the visits of maternal fondness once a week, that those natural endearments might not interfere with the course of her education. The Dowager Lady Elgin, with her assistants, Miss Garth and Miss Hunt, superintended her education till she attained the sixth year of her age; and the whole week, except the day set apart for the visit of her august Mother, was invariably devoted to study.

By the laws of the realm, His Majesty is the guardian of all infants, and more especially of the infants of his own family; and in the year 1806, the Bishop of Exeter, afterwards translated to the see of Salisbury, was appointed by his Sovereign to the important office of private tutor to the Princess. That the King could hardly have selected a more proper person, is well known. The Rev. Dr. Nott received the appointment of sub-preceptor; and the Lady De Clifford, the important and responsible situation of governess. Under their superin

tendence, the Princess pursued her studies with great assiduity, and with singular success.

A strong enthusiasm of character, which has been construed into natural violence of temper, manifested itself in Her Royal Highness at that early period, when young persons often give way to those sallies of impetuosity, which require restraint and regulation, but ought never to be entirely suppressed. A remarkable instance of this impetuosity of spirit occurred one morning at Warwick House. As soon as the Bishop of Salisbury arrived, he was informed that the misconduct of a servant had provoked his fair Pupil to inflict a summary correction with her own hands. His Lordship, after representing the impropriety of such a step to Her Royal Highness, asked her why she did not take his advice, and repeat the Lord's Prayer before she proceeded to resent the provocation she had received? To which the Princess instantly replied, ""I did, my Lord Bishop, or I should almost have killed her."

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On another occasion, having forgotten to perform a task enjoined her by her reverend tutor, the amiable Prelate jocularly desired that Her Royal Highness would do penance for the omission, by wearing a charity-school girl's habit, which his Lordship ordered to be provided for that purpose. Next morning, when the Bishop attended the Princess, he was most agreeably surprised by Her Royal Highness's appearance in that homely garb, and facetiously asking his Lordship how he liked her in her new dress; passing her hand playfully down each arm, and remarking, as she surveyed herself, that it was as excellent a fit as if made on purpose!

The time was now fast approaching when Her Royal Highness was to experience the severe affliction of being removed from the society of her Mother, and from circumstances which threw a

melancholy shade over the opening years of her life; the nicest feelings of her affectionate heart were to be lacerated by the unfortunate dissensions of her parents, and, to her young and sensible mind, a choice of evils presented itself, from which she saw no immediate relief: the ardent love which she felt for her Mother, impelled her to espouse her cause; and the sincere affection which she justly entertained for her Father, prompted her to exonerate him from every imputation of harshness towards her Mother.

The conduct of the amiable Princess towards each of her august parents certainly conveys a strong censure upon the conduct of those, who, forgetting the wholesome old English maxim, of non-interference in family disagreements, widened the breach till it became irreparable; by basely availing themselves of the existing disputes, to gratify their own private pique and malignity. The accusation of the Princess of Wales by Sir John and Lady Douglas, which led to the Delicate Investigation in the year 1807, is not of a proper nature to be here introduced: but the occasion and result of that investigation will be sufficiently explained, by the following copies of original Documents, which it would be injudicious to withhold:

MINUTE OF THE CABINET, Jan. 25, 1807.

"Your Majesty's confidential servants have given the most diligent and attentive consideration to the matters on which your Majesty has been pleased to require their opinion and advice. They trust your Majesty will not think that any apology is necessary on their

part, for the delay which has attended their deliberations on a subject of such extreme importance, and which they have found to be of the greatest difficulty and embarrassment,

"They are fully convinced that it never can have been your Ma. jesty's intention to require from them, that they should lay before your Majesty a detailed and circumstantial examination and discussion of the various arguments and allegations contained in the letter submitted to your Majesty, by the law advisers of the Prince of Wales. And they beg leave, with all humility, to represent to your Majesty, that the laws and constitution of their country have not placed them in a situation in which they can conclusively pronounce on any question of guilt or innocence affecting any of your Majesty's subjects, much less one of your Majesty's Royal Family. They have, indeed, no power or authority whatever to enter on such a course of inquiry as could alone lead to final results of such a nature.

"The main question on which they had conceived themselves called upon, by their duty, to submit their advice to your Majesty, was this: Whether the circumstances which had, by your Majesty's commands, been brought before them, were of a nature to induce your Majesty to order any further steps to be taken upon them by your Majesty's government. And on this point they humbly submit to your Majesty their opinions as to the answer to be given by your Majesty to the request contained in the Princess's letter; and as to the manner in which that answer should be communicated to Her Royal Highness.

"They have, therefore, in dutiful obedience to your Majesty's commands, proceeded to re-consider the whole of the subject, in this new view of it; and, after much deliberation, they have agreed humbly to recommend to your Majesty the draft of a message, which, if approv ed by your Majesty, they would humbly suggest your Majesty might send to Her Royal Highness, through the Lord Chancellor.

"Having before humbly submitted to your Majesty their opinion, that the facts of the case did not warrant their advising that any further steps should be taken upon it by your Majesty's government, they have not thought it necessary to advise your Majesty any longer to decline receiving the Princess into your royal presence. But the result of the whole case does, in their judgment, render it indispensable that your Majesty should, by a serious admonition, convey to Her Royal Highness your Majesty's expectation that Her Royal Highness should be more circumspect in her future conduct; and