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be the father of his people, and that he was | Halifax, earl Waldegrave, earl of Bath, earl of Buckinghamshire, earl Powis, earl Harcourt, earl Cornwallis, earl of Hardwicke, earl of Egmont, earl of Thomond, viscount Falmouth, viscount Barrington, viscount Bate man, viscount Ligonier, viscount Royston, lord Berkeley of Stratton, lord Sandys, lord Anson, lord Lyttelton, lord Melcombe, lord Grantham, Mr. vice chamberlain, Henry Legge, esq., George Grenville, esq., James Grenville, esq., Mr. secretary Pitt, lord-chief-justice Willes, master of the rolls, Henry Fox, esq., Charles Townshend, esq., Robert Nugent, esq., Welbore Ellis, esq., sir Francis Dashwood.

possessed of all the endowments requisite to fill so exalted a character, rendered the whole nation extremely impatient to see him united to a princess capable of making him as happy as he was desirous of making his people. As soon, therefore, as they saw him, by his ascending the throne, at full liberty to listen to the dictates of his own royal heart, they bent all their thoughts towards the selection of a princess, in all respects worthy of the love and affection of the best, as well as the greatest, prince of Europe; not but that there were many who thought he might find in a subject, an individual every way qualified to wear a crown, and made no difficulty whatever of pointing her out. But while some were amusing themselves with the vague accounts of his majesty, having actually fixed his choice on this, or that, foreign princess; and others, without any regard to decorum, had, in the most virulent pamphlets, written for or against any connexion with a subject; an extraordinary gazette appeared with the following intelligence, which, in an agreeable manner, put an end to all their conjectures, and convinced them, that, even in the affairs of life, which most nearly concerned his majesty's personal welfare, he made that of his subjects the chief rule of his de

liberations.

At the Court of St. James's, the 8th day of July, 1761,

PRESENT,

The king's most excellent majesty. His royal highness the duke of York, archbishop of Canterbury, lord chancellor, lord president, lord privy seal, lord chamberlain, duke of Bolton, duke of Leeds, duke of Bedford, duke of Rutland, duke of Queensberry, lord great chamberlain, duke of Newcastle, lord Steward, earl of Huntingdon, earl of Winchelsea, earl of Sandwich, earl of Shaftesbury, earl of Holdernesse, earl of Rochford, earl of Albemarle, earl of Godolphin, earl of Cholmondeley, earl of Kinnoul, earl of Bute, earl of

His majesty, being this day present in council, was pleased to make the following declaration, viz.

Having nothing so much at heart as to procure the welfare and happiness of my people, and to render the same stable and permanent to posterity, I have ever since my accession to the throne turned my thoughts towards the choice of a princess for my consort; and I now, with great satisfaction, acquaint you, that after the fullest information and mature deliberation, I am come to a resolution to demand in marriage the princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz; a princess distinguished by every eminent virtue, and amiable endowment, whose illustrious line has constantly shewn the firmest zeal for the Protestant religion, and a particular attachment to my family. I have judged proper to communicate to you these my intentions, in order that you may be fully apprized of a matter so highly important to me and to my kingdoms, and which, I persuade myself, will be most acceptable to all my loving subjects.

Whereupon, all the privy councillors present made it their request to his majesty, that this, his majesty's most gracious declaration to them, might be made public, which his majesty was pleased to order accordingly.

W. SHARPE.

On the same day his majesty signed the following proclamation for his coronation:

GEORGE R.

Whereas we have resolved, by the favour and blessing of Almighty God, to celebrate the solemnity of our royal coronation upon Tuesday, the 22d day of Sep.

tember instant, at our palace at Westminster, and for as much as by the ancient customs and usages, as also in regard of divers tenures of sundry manors, lands, and other hereditaments, many of our loving subjects do claim, and are bound to do and perform divers several services on the said day, and at the time of the coronation, as in times precedent their ancestors, and those from whom they claim, have done and performed at the coronation of our famous progenitors and predecessors; we, therefore, out of the princely care for the preservation of the lawful rights and inheritances of our loving subjects, whom it may concern, have thought fit to give notice of and publish our resolutions therein, and do hereby give notice of and publish the same accordingly; and we do hereby further signify, that by our commission under our great seal of Great Britain, we have ap

pointed and authorized our most dearly beloved brother and councillor, Edward duke of York, (with all other members of the privy council), or any five or more of them, to receive, hear, and determine the petitions and claims which shall be to them exhibited by any of our loving subjects in this behalf; and we shall appoint our said commissioners for that purpose to sit in the Painted Chamber of our palace at Westminster, upon Tuesday, the 21st day of this instant, July, at ten of the clock in the forenoon of the same day, and from time to time to adjourn, as to them shall seem meet, for the execution of our said commission, which we do thus publish, to the intent that all such persons whom it may any ways concern, may know when and where to give their attendance for the exhibiting of their petitions and claims concerning their services before-mentioned, to be done and performed unto us at our said coronation: and we do hereby signify unto all and every of our subjects whom it may concern, that our will and pleasure is, that we do hereby strictly charge all persons, of what rank or quality soever they be, who either, upon our letters to them directed, or by reason of their offices or tenures, or otherwise, are to do any service at the said day or time of our coronation, that they do duly give their atten

dance accordingly, in all respects furnished and ap

pointed as to so great a solemnity appertains, and answerable to the dignities and places which every one of them respectively holdeth and enjoyéth; and of this they,

contrary at their perils, unless upon special reasons by ourself, under our hand, to be allowed, we shall dispense with any of their services or attendances.

Given at the Court at St. James's, the 8th day of

July, 1761, in the first year of our reign.

On Monday the 22d, between the hours of eleven and twelve, the officer at arms, serjeant at arms, and others mounted their horses, and at Westminster-hall-gate, Windsor herald, (after the trumpet had thrice sounded), read the above proclamation aloud, which being done, a procession was made to Temple-bar, where the constables of the city and liberty of Westminster retired, and were replaced by those of the City of London, the city marshal attending in the following order:

A party of constables with their staves to clear the way High constable of Westminster, with his staff Knight marshals men, two and two

Drums, two and two

Trumpets, two and two

Serjeant trumpeter in his collar, bearing his mace
Blue mantle and rouge dragon

Pursuivants in their coats of his majesty's arms Rouge croix pursuivant, in his coat of his majesty's arms, having a serjeant at arms on his left hand

Lancaster herald in his coat and collar, having a serjeant at arms on his left hand

Windsor herald in his coat and collar, between two
serjeants at arms

A party of constables to close the procession. At the end of Chancery-lane, Lancaster herald read the proclamation, and lastly at the Royal Exchange, in 'Change time; Rouge Croix pursuivant proclaimed it a third time, which ended with the loudest acclamations of the assembled multitude.

the negotiation for the hand of the princess Previously to entering into the particulars of Charlotte of Mecklenburg Strelitz for one of the first potentates of Europe, the following

birth to the mother of the present royal family of England will not prove unacceptable.

The country of Mecklenburg, which is about 120 miles in length, and thirty in breadth, is bounded on the north by the Baltic, by Brandenburg on the east, by Lunenburg and Brandenburg on the south, and by Holstein on the west. Its ancient inhabitants were the famous Vandals, who formerly made so conspicuous a figure in Europe, and, at length, had their kingdom reduced to this duchy, by the knights of the Teutonic order, the Poles, and the Brandenburgers. The Vandals were a rude, barbarous people, who had settled in this country at least twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ. They formed it into a powerful kingdom, and preserved its title and dignity till 1163; when its monarch, Pribislaus II. was compelled to embrace the Christian religion, by Henry Lyon, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, and one of our king's ancestors, assisted by the duke of Pomerania. At this time the title of king of the Vandals was extinguished, and that of the prince of Mecklenburg substituted in its stead: who became a vassal to the duke of Bavaria. However, in 1349, the prince of Mecklenburg, as he was called, was created a duke, and made a prince of the empire. The remnant of the Vandals united with the Mecklenburgers about the year 1429: after that time they were divided into three branches, viz.: of Gustrow, Swerin, and Strelitz; but the extinction of that of Gustrow in 1688, occasioned a law-suit, between the descendants of the two other branches, about the succession; which dispute continued till 1701, when a treaty of partition was made at Hamburg, and ratified by the emperor in the following manner: that the duchy of Gustrow should go to the duke of Swerin, and that the duke of Strelitz should

have the bishoprick of Ratzelburg securalized, and 40,000 crowns a-year from the tolls of Boitzenbourg, and a voice in the diet of the empire.

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The duke of Swerin's annual revenue amounts to 40,000l. and that of the duke of Strelitz to 15,000l. besides his domain. The country is fruitful, but unhealthy, and excessive cold in winter. It has often been the scene of war, particularly in the differences between Sweden and the empire, when its principal towns, viz.: Rostock, (a sea-port), Gustrow, Butzow, Wismar, Swerin, Domitz, and Gaddebush, were several times taken by the Swedes, Danes, and Imperialists, and some battles fought near them. The country is able to raise a considerable body of troops; but they never had a sufficient number to repel any invader. The titles of both dukes are the same, viz.: dukes of Mecklenburg, princes of Wenden, Swerin, and Ratzelburg, lords of Rostock and Stargard; which last was the name of the final branch of the Vandals. The established religion of the country is Lutheran. Imhoff, in his Notitia Princeps Germaniæ, gives a large account of the genealogy of this family, which he says, is lineally descended from the kings or leaders of the Vandals. Hubner, in his Genealogy of the German Princes, says, this family, if not the most ancient in Europe, is certainly one of the most noble in Germany. The branch of Strelitz is the second branch of the house of Mecklenburg; but its duke is one of the secular princes of the empire, and takes his seat in the diet of Ratzelburg. The late duke of Mecklenburg Strolitz, Adolphus Frederick III., dying unmarried, was succeeded by his nephew, (son to his brother Charles Lewis, who is dead), Adolphus Frederick IV., born May 5, 1738, having the following brothers and sisters:

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1. Christina Sophia Albertina, born Dec. 6, which deserve particular notice. The merit of 1735. finding out the princess, as it was at that time designated, was claimed by general Græme; but the writer of Le Montagnard parvenu, ascribes it to lord Bute, for he says, page 17

2. Charles Lewis Frederick, now a lieutenantcolonel in the Hanoverian foot-guards, born Dec. 10, 1741.

3. Earnest Gottlob Albert, born Aug. 27," Heaven, through the immediate agency of

1742.

the new secretary of state (lord Bute) pointed

4. Sophia Charlotte, or Caroline, our most out princess Charlotte of Strelitz Mecklengracious queen, born May 16, 1744.

burg. No doubt whatever exists, that general Græme was sent over by lord Bute to the German courts, to discover a suitable matrimonial alliance for his majesty; and, although his instructions were not so concise nor particular as those which were given to the ambassadors, who were sent to take a survey

5. George Augustus, born Aug. 3, 1748. The mother of this illustrious family, who died a little before the queen's marriage, was the princess Albertine-Elizabeth, born Aug. 3, 1713, the daughter of Ernest Frederick, duke of Saxe-Hildbourghausen. There are some interesting circumstances, of the person of the young queen of Naples, connected with this matrimonial negotiation, whom Henry VII. intended to marry*, yet they

• Lord Bacon in his "History of King Henry VII." says, "When the king was ancient [anno 1505] he had thoughts of marrying the young queen of Naples, and sent three ambassadors, with curious and exquisite instructions, for taking a survey of her person, complexion, &c." These instructions signed by the king, together with the ambassadors' answers, to the several articles, having been published by the favour of a descendant of Mr. Braybroke, who was one of the ambassadors; and as they answer the character given of them by lord Bacon, they cannot fail of being perused with peculiar interest.

Instruccons geven by the king's highnesse, to his trusty and welbeloved servants Frunceys Marsyn, James Braybroke, and John Stile, shewing howe they should ordre theymself when they come to the presence of the old quene of Naples, and the yong quene hir doghter.

1. First, after presentacion and delyverance of suche lettres as they shall have with theym, to be delyvered to the said quenes, from the ladie Katheryn, princesse of Wales, making hir recommendacon, and declaracon of suche charges and words, as shall bee shewed and committed unto theym by the said princesse, to be openned and declared on hir behalf to the said quenes, they shall well note and marke the state that they kepe, and howe they be accompanied with nobles and ladies.

2. Item, To take good hyde, and marke thestats that the said quenes kepe, and whether they kepe their estats and housolds apart, or in oon house togedres, and howe they be accompanyed, and what lords and ladies they have abouts theym. 3. Item, If it shall fortune the king's said servants to fynde the said quenes keping their estats togeders, they shall well and assuredly note and marke the maner of keping and or

dering theym in their estats, with the countenance and maner of every of theym, and suche answer as they shall make upon the speche and communicacion as they shall have with theym, at the delyverance of the said lettres, and declaracion of thother matiers before mencioned; and to marke hir discrecion wisedom and gravitie, in hir said communicacion and answer in every behalf.

4. Item, They shall in like wise endevor theym to understand whether the yong quene speke any other langages than Spanyshe and Italyon, and whether she can speke any Frensh

or Laten.

5. Item, Specially to marke and note well the age and stature of the said yong quene, and the feturys of hir bodye. 6. Item, Specially to marke the favor hir visage, whether she bee paynted or not, and whether it be fatte or leene, sharpe or rownde, and whether her countenaunce bee chierful and amyable, frownyng or malincolyous, stedefast or light, or blushing in communicacion.

7. Item, To note the clearnesse of hir skynne.

8. Item, To note the colours of hir here.

9. Item, To note well hir ies, browes, teethe, and lippes.

extended to some minute particulars, of which, the negotiator must have been deeply read in human nature, to enable him to give a true and circumstantial report, considering how short the time was, allotted him for the purpose.

10. Item, To marke well the fassion of hir nose, and the heithe and brede of hir forehedde.

11. Item, Specially to note hir complexion.

General Græme found the princess dowager of Strelitz, in the company of her two daughters, partaking of the humble festivities of the fashionable watering-place of Pyrmont, wholly divesting themselves of all the form and cere

23. Item, The kings said servants shall also at their comyng to the parties of Spayne, diligently enquere for some conynge paynter, havyng good experience in making and

12. Item, To marke hir armes, whether they bee grete or paynting of visages and portretures, and suche oon they shall smale, long or shorte.

take with theym to the place wher the said quenes make their abode, to thentent that the said paynter maye drawe a picture of the visage and semblance of the said yong quene, as like unto hir as it can or maye bee conveniently doon;

13. Item, To see hir hands bare, and to note the fascion of theym, whether the palm of hir hand bee thikke or thynne, and whether hir hands bee fatte or leene, long or shorte. 14. Item, To note hir fyngers, whether they be longe or which picture and image they shall substancially note and shorte, smale or grete, brode or narrowe before. marke in every pounte and circumstance, soo that it agree

15. Item, To marke whether hir nekke be longe or shorte, in similitude and likenesse as near as it may possible to the smale or grete. veray visage, countenance and semblance of the said quene ; 16. Item, To marke her brests, and pappes, whether they and in case they may perceyve, that the paynter at the furst be bigge or smale. or second making thereof, hath not made the same perfaite 17. Item, To marke whether they appere any here about to hir similitude and likenesse, or that he hath omitted any hir lippes or not.

18. Item, That they endeavor theym to speke with the said yong quene fasting, and that she may telle unto theym some matier at lengthe, and to approache as nere to hir mouthe as they honestly maye to thentent that they may fele the condicion of her brethe, whether it bee swete or not, and to marke at every time when they speke with hir, if they fele any savor of spices, rose waters, or muske, by the brethe of her mouthe or not.

19. Item, To note the height of hir stature, and to enquere whether she were any slippars, and of what height her slippars bee, to thentent they be not deceyved in the veray height and stature of hir; and if they may come to the sight of hir slippars, then to note the fassion of hir foote.

20. Item, To enquire whether she have any sekenesse of hir nativitie, deformitie or blemmyshe in hir bodye, and what that shuld bee; or whether she hath been communely in health, or sometyme seke, and sometyme hole, and to know the specialities of such diseases and sekennesse.

21. Item, Whether she be in any singular favor with the king of Aragon hir uncle, and whether she have any resemblance in visage, countenaunce, or complexion to him.

22. Item, To enquere of the manor of hir diet, and whether she bee a grete fedar or drynker, and whether she useth often to ete or drynke, and whether she drynketh wyne, or water,

or bote.

feture or circumstance, either in colours, or other proporcions of the said visage, then they shall cause the same paynter, or some other the most conyng paynter that they can gete, soo often times to renewe and reforme the same picture, till it be made perfaite, and agreeable in every behalfe with the veray image and visage of the said quene.

24. Item, The kings said servants by the wisest wayes that they can use, shall make inquisician, and enserche what land or livelood the said yong quene hath, or shall have, aftre the decesse of hir mother, either by the title of jointer or otherwise, in the realme of Naples, or in any other place or contraye, what is the yerely value thereof, and whether she shal-have the same to hir and hir heires forever, or ells during hir lif oonly: and to knowe the specialities of the title and value thereof in every behalf, as nere as they shall knowe.

ANSWERS.

To the 6th article.-As to thys articule, as farre as that we can persayve or know, that the said quene ys not paynted, and the favore of hir viasage ys after hir stature, of a verrey good compas and amyabille, and some what round and fatte, and the countenance chierful and not frowneynge, and stedfast and not lizght nor boldehardy in speche, but with a demewre womanly shamefast contenance, and of fewe words as that we coude persayve, as we can thynke that she uttered the fewer words by cause that they quyn hir moder was pre

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