OR COURT AND FASHIONABLE MAGAZINE. NEW SERIES, No. VII., FOR JULY, 1825. EMBELLISHMENTS. A Portrait of HER ROYAL HIGHNÉSS, VICTORIA MARIA LOUISA, TO SUBSCRIBERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. The publication of the SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER to the last half-yearly volume of LA BELLE ASSEMBLEE is postponed till Friday, the 1st of August next. Amongst the numerous recently-published works of which it will contain reviews, we beg leave particularly to mention the following:-The Crusaders ;-Memoirs of Samuel Pepys, Esq. F. R. S.;-a new volume of The Works of Horatio Walpole, Earl of Orford ;— The Life, Writings, Opinions, and Times of the Right Hon. Lord Byron, &c. by an English Gentleman in the Greek Military Service;-Observations on Italy, by the late John Bell ;-Reine Canziani, a Tale of Modern Greece;—The Foresters, by the author of Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life;-Massenburg, a Tale ;-Lochandhu, a Tale of the Eighteenth Century, &c. &c. &c.-The SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER will also contain a Title-Page and Index to the Volume ;-an Address to Subscribers and Correspondents ;—a Summary of Fashions for the last half-year, &c. A pleasant excursion to our hail his return with pleasure. if he can forward us a copy we agreeable and obliging friend, of the Temple! we shall The publication to which he alludes has not reached us : shall be very happy to meet his wishes. The promised communication has been forwarded to “Z. Z. Z." "England's Ancient Bards, No. IV." from our good friend, "W. C. S." of York, has reached us, and shall appear at an early season. When shall we receive No. II. of "Poetry no Fiction?” We are apprehensive that "Recollections of my Sister" will be found too long for the subject, and for our purpose. The article, however, shall experience early attention. We intreat of our correspondents to study brevity. To the extent of our power, we are at all times glad to aid the views of " E. B." His tale of " Cruel Friendship" shall be promptly examined: " The Convict" is not forgotten. "Letters on Costume," No. IV. as early as possible. Also, "Contemporary Poets and Writers of Fiction," No. IV. The poetical communications of "PHILO" promise considerable talent, but they are deficient in correctness, and polish, and chasteness of diction. The Ode is, perhaps, the most difficult of rhythmical compositions; and unless it be excellent, it is hardly endurable. We are very glad to hear again from "SOPHIA." If she will favour us with a sight of the Tales alluded to, we shall have much pleasure in looking over them. Apropos"-we are seriously apprehensive that the readers "of that very agreeable work, LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE," would not derive eminent gratification from a perusal of the lines of a "CONSTANT SUBSCRIBER, JEMIMUS," from the Kent Road. However, we are not altogether without the hope that the cruel Amanda may yet be induced to glance an eye of pity towards her poor, dejected, love-bewildered swain. Once, it appears "She felt, or thought she felt Love's flame; Sweet heart! what angel could thee blame'? But lo! an artful feminine Sprite, Infused her Doctrines-day and night, To chase away the passion dear : Of love's soft charms her breast to cheer, Alack! and a-well-a-day! Various unpaid letters, addressed to us at our publisher's (Mr. Whittaker) have, of course, been refused. We are sorry for this; but, were we to break through a general rule, we should be unnecessarily subjected to an enormous expense. We must, therefore, request our Correspondents to be particular in this respect. PRINTED BY COX AND BAYLIS, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S-INN FIELDS. JULY, 1825. TORTA MARIA LOUISA, DUCHESS oF BENT && c If I THOMSON from a pudono ly DARE ESORA Inbushal by G B Whillaner for Ia Belie Alembice new series No7 July 11825 LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE, FOR JULY, 1825. ILLUSTRATIVE MEMOIR OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, VICTORIA MARIA LOUISA, DUCHESS OF KENT, &c. &c. &c. THE antiquity and splendour of the fa- | in succession from Harderich; and Witemily of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the illustrious subject of this memoir, have been the theme of so many histories, and are so generally known, that a very brief notice of them might suffice in our pages; yet, as some peculiar sources of correct genealogical information have been opened to our research, we trust that we shall not incur the risk of being deemed obtrusive, in detailing the results. Let it, in the first instance, be observed, that Her Royal Highness derives her descent from John Frederick, surnamed the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony, who had the misfortune to be deprived of his ancestral possessions by the Emperor Charles the Fifth. The House of Saxony is entitled to consideration. In this portion of our sketch, we shall chiefly follow, without being particular in marking our quotations, the authority of Butler, in his "Succinct History of the Geographical and Political Revo- || lutions of the Empire of Germany." During the early part of the tenth century, the Germanic throne was occupied by the Saxon Emperors, who are generally supposed to derive their origin from Harderich, the first of the Saxon Kings whose names are known to us. He reigned ninety years before the commencement of the Christian era. Hengist, who, with his brother Horsa, invaded England, A.D. 434, was fourteenth * Charles Butler, Esq. No. 7.- Vol. II. kind the Great was the tenth in succession from Hengist. After a war of thirty years, Witekind was conquered by Charlemagne, and the whole nation became subject to the conqueror; who granted to Witekind the Duchies of Engern and Westphalia. Witekind then took the appellation of Duke of Saxony. From him Henry, the first Emperor of the House of Saxony, was the fifth in direct descent. The Electors of Saxony also profess to derive their descent from Witekind. They are traced from Hermann Billung, created Duke of Saxony by the Emperor Otho the First, A.D. 960. Magnus was the fifth and last Duke of Saxony of this line. Dying without a son, his ducal honours passed to Otho the Rich, a Count of the House of Ascania; who married Elicke, the youngest daughter of Magnus.* Bernard, the grandson of Otho, was the first Elector of Saxony. On the decease of Bernard, the Emperor Sigismond conferred the Electorate on Albert, his son; whose grandson, Albert III., was the last Elector of Saxony of the Ascanian line. * Stepping into the regions of fable, the Ascanian princes derive their origin from Ashkenaz, the grandson of Japheth, the first king of the Germans. A more probable, though still a suspicious account, traces them to Bernwald, a Saxon chieftain, on whom, A.D. 514, Thierry bestowed the towns of Ballenstadt and Atcherstoben. From him, Otho the Rich derived his descent. A |
