but a manly openness accompanied all his actions, which in the end could not fail to render him a favorite with the British nation.

On Monday, the 27th, the Queen, the Princess Charlotte of Wales, and the Princesses Elizabeth and Mary, left Windsor-Castle for Brighton, at which place they arrived to dinner. To those who have experienced the delightful feelings of meeting with a beloved object after a long absence, the mere description must appear tame and vapid. Although the restraint was great, which the formalities attendant upon a royal introduction necessarily imposed upon the illustrious couple, yet there. is a language, which no tongue can utter, no cool spectator can understand-it is the language of the heart, which speaking through the eye, tells to its kindred heart the rapture it enjoys. The bright glance of joy, beaming in its radiance from an eye half suffused in tears, mingles with its congenial glance, and penetrating to the heart gives birth to feelings-the sweetest, dearest, of our nature. In this blissful moment, the warrior received an ample recompense for the dangers and hardships which he had undergone, nor did the happy object of his affections think the reward too great.

The stay of the royal visitors at Brighton was very short, but during that time many important preliminaries were settled in regard to the approaching nuptials, both in a public and private point of view; and it was definitively arranged, that they should be consummated as soon as the

1

formal instruments could be prepared. Some delay, however, occurred in the customary message being brought down to Parliament on the subject, in consequence of the indisposition of the Prince Regent, as previously to that important step being taken, the consent of the crown must be given in council, and the treaty of marriage regularly signed.

In the mean time, orders were issued for selecting a residence fit for the reception of the illustrious couple, and Colonel Stephenson, the president of the Board of Works, entered into some arrangements with Earl Harcourt for his house in Cavendish-square; but, on a close inspection of the premises, they were found to be so greatly out of repair, that more than one hundred thousand pounds would have been requisite to render it a fit residence for the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold. A treaty was then entered into for Camelford-House, the property of Lord Grenville; and it being found, in all respects, an eligible residence for their Highnesses, the treaty was concluded and possession was to be formerly given up on the day specified in the agreement.

Lord Grenville consented to grant a lease of the mansion, renewable at a stated number of years, with the use of the furniture in its actual condition, of which an inventory in the customary form was prepared.

Whilst these negotiations were pending, Prince

Leopold remained at the Pavilion at Brighton, where, by the affability of his manners, he ingratiated himself not only with the distinguished individuals, with whom he associated, but with the inhabitants of the town, with whom he conversed with all the ease and freedom of the polished gentleman, uninfluenced by his station or his rank.

As a proof of the condescension which accompanied his actions, his Serene Highness was, on the 4th of March, walking in the vicinity of the West Cliff, when he was overtaken by a violent storm of lightning and hail. To avoid the indiscriminate attack of the tempest, he took shelter in a small inn at the bottom of West-street, and seating himself down, began to read the newspaper. The host knew not the honor which was paid him, and eyed his guest, in expectation of some of the good things of his house being called for. Boniface wisely considered that a qui pro quo was the basis of all trade, and that as he had given the gentleman accommodation during the tempest, the gentleman must drink something, whether he required it or not; he, therefore, accosted the Prince with all the civility of his profession, and requested to know what he would be pleased to take? The Prince answered, "Nothing." In the estimation of Boniface, he was directly a shabby fellow, and no gentleman; and something of a hint was given that he should make but a sorry living, if he had all such guests as him. Two gentlemen coming in immediately after, driven also into the house

by the tempest, recognized the Prince, and saluted him in the most respectful manner. The salute was returned with the greatest condescension, and the host was soon made acquainted with the rank of his illustrious guest. His confusion may be easily imagined, and a string of apologies was stammered as long as his bill of fare, which he was just then thinking of putting into the hands of his Highness. The hostess was all in a bustle; the daughter blushed, the host ran against the waiter, and the waiter against the hostess. A greater confusion existed not amongst the panic-struck French, when, at Connentrai, Prince Leopold rushed amongst them with his cavalry, and tried the temper of his blade on their fugitive backs. The tempest being over, Prince Leopold left the inn, leaving a handsome gratuity for Boniface, who immediately declared he was a prince,-every inch of him.

The following arrangement for the marriage of the Princess Charlotte having been made public, and which was suggested by the Prince Regent, a most singular construction was immediately put upon it by some of the coffee-house politicians of the day; who consider it as an open reflection upon them, if, in every action proceeding from royalty, they do not discover something partaking of the marvellous and eccentric, and which never could have been discovered by any other heads than their

own.

It was arranged, that the precedent of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Brunswick, was to be

strictly followed, in consequence of which no distinction of the Royal Family of England was to - be continued to her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte; and even the royal liveries were not to be worn by her servants, but those of the illustrious house of Coburg Saalfeld were to be substituted in their place, in which the taste of her Royal Highness was to be particularly consulted.

The box of Pandora, containing the royal secrets into which the pseudo politicians of the day had been long straining to obtain a peep, was now, in their opinion, completely opened; and it was discovered, that in consequence of the above arrangement having been made by the Prince Regent himself, his Royal Highness must entertain some hopes at a future time of having a son, or he would have considered his daughter as the heiress apparent, not the heiress presumptive to the crown. But as this son could only be obtained by the death of the Princess of Wales, and a subsequent marriage of the Prince Regent, or by a divorce from his present consort, and seeing that there was no immediate prospect of the former event taking place, it was considered as almost amounting to a syllogistic demonstration, that the Prince Regent must have the latter event in his contemplation; and thus, whilst his Royal Highness, as an affectionate parent, was looking forwards with anticipated delight to the happy establishment of his beloved daughter, in whom were centered, not only his own hopes, but those of the nation,