“Do you know I had the curiosity to have served as well for a nuptial. The go to the burying t'other night? I had real serious part was the figure of the never seen a royal funeral; nay. I Duke of Cumberland, heightened by a walked as a rag of quality, which I fan- thousand melancholy circumstances; he cied would be, and so it was, the easiest | had a dark-brown Adonis and a cloak of way of seeing it. It is absolutely a black cloth, with a train of five yards. noble sight; the Prince's chamber hung Attending the funeral could not be pleawith purple and a quantity of silver sant; his leg extremely bad, yet forced Jamps, the collin under a canopy of to stand upon it near two hours, his face purple velvet, and six vast chandeliers bloated and distorted with his late pa of silver on high stands, had a very ralytic stroke, which has affected, too, good effect. The ambassador from one of his eyes, and placed over the Tripoli and his son were carried to see mouth of the vault into which, in all that chamber. The procession through a probability, he must so soon descendline of foot guards every seventh man think how unpleasant a situation!-he bearing a torch, the horse guards lining bore it all with a firm and unaffected the outsides, their officers with drawn countenance. This grave scene was sabres and crape sashes, on horseback, fully contrasted by the burlesque Duke the drums muffled, the fifes, bells toll- of Newcastle; he fell into a fit of erying, and minute-guns all this was ing the moment he came into the chapel, very solemn; but the charm was the en- and flung himself back into a stall, the trance of the abbey, where we were re- archbishop hovering over him with a ceived by the dean and chapter in rich smelling-bottle; but in two minutes his robes, the choir and alms-men bearing curiosity got the better of his hypocrisy, torches, the whole abbey so illuminated, and he ran about the chapel with his that one saw it to better advantage than glass to spy who was or was not there, by day, the tombs, long aisles, and fret- spying with one hand and mopping his ted roof, all appearing distinctly and eyes with the other; then returned the with the happiest chiaro-scuro; there fear of catching cold, and the Duke of wanted nothing but incense, and little | Cumberland, who was sinking with heat, chapels here and there, with priests say- felt himself weighed down, and turning ing mass for the repose of the defunct; round, found it was the Duke of Newyet one could not complain of its not castle standing upon his train, to avoid being catholic enough. I had been in the chill of the marble. It was very dread of being coupled with some boy theatric to look down into the vault of ten years old; but the heralds were where the coffins lay, attended by not very accurate, and I walked with mourners with lights. Clavering, the George Grenville, taller and older, to groom of the bedchamber, refused to sit keep me in countenance. When we up with the body, and was dismissed by came to the Chapel of Henry VII., all the King's order." solemnity and decorum ceased, no order was observed, people sat or stood where they could or would, the yeomen of the guard were crying out for help, oppressed by the immense weight of the coffin. The bishop read sadly, and blundered in the prayers; the fine chapter

Man that is born of woman,' was chauuted, not read, and the anthem, besides being immeasurably tedious, would

Such was the funeral of George II., a King whose abilities were scarcely above mediocrity, whose reign was decidedly prosperous, and whose death, observes Walpole, "was most felicitous to himself, being without a pang, without tasting a reverse, and when his sight and hearing were so nearly extinguished, that any prolongation could but have swelled to calamities."

CHARLOTTE OF MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ,

Queen of George the Third.

HAPTER I.

Sophia Charlotte-Parentage-Birth-Education-Infancy and girlhood-Incidents which led to her marriage-Marriage treaty concluded-Journey to EnglandArrival at St. James's-Marriage to George III.-Singular address-Visit to Drury Lane Theatre-Her personal appearance and manners-Household established -Coronation-Visit to Covent Garden Theatre, and to the City of London on Lord Mayor's Day-Parliamentary settlement of her dower-Buckingham House purchased for her-Birth-day commemoration.

S

OPHIA CHAR- her father died, when the family removed LOTTE- -or Char- from Mirow to Strelitz, and the poetess, lotte, as she was more Madame de Grabow was appointed commonly designat- to assist in the education of the two ed--consort of George princesses. Shortly afterwards, these inIII., was the fifth structresses were succeeded in their ofchild and youngest fice by Dr. Gentzner, under whose able daughter of Charles tuition the Princess Charlotte successLewis Frederick, Duke of Mirow, and fully studied the languages and literahis Duchess. Albertina Elizabeth, dangh-ture of Germany. France, and Italy; ter of Ernest Frederick, Duke of SaxeHildburghausen. Her father was the second son of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a dukedon to which her eldest brother ultimately succeeded. She first saw the light at the ducal palace of Mirow, on the sixteenth of May, 1744, and was christened with the rites of the Lutheran church. Her amiable and accomplished mother paid great attention to her education, and appointed as governess to her and to her sister. Christina Sophia Albertina, who was born on the sixth of December, 1735, Mademoiselle Seltzer, a lady noble born, highly accomplished, erudite, and endowed with superior educational talents. In 1751,,

but, unfortunately, as neither the governesses nor the tutor had the slightest knowledge of English. the pupil was not taught the tongue of that nation over which she was destined, in womanhood, to bear sway as the Queen-consort of George Ill. The Princess was also well grounded in history, geography, natural and revealed religion, and the general principles of the arts and sciences, whilst, as accomplishments, she successfully practised drawing. vocal and instrumental music, dancing, needle-work, luce-making, and embroidery.

If Fénelon, an eye-witness, is to be accredited, the court at Strelitz, at this period, was a matchless model of social

contentment. unity, felicity, and mora- ¡ the King of Prussia's victory over the lity. He says

Austrians at Torgau, on the eleventh of November, 1760, she addressed the following impressive appeal to the Prussian monarch:

May it please your Majesty,

"They have no ambition here but that of serving their prince and country; they idle not away their time, but act with the utmost diligence in their respective departments; they behave with a just dignity and decorum, avoiding the "I scarcely know whether I extremes of meanness and pride; they should congratulate or condole with you are content with their paternal fortunes, on your late victory, since that same which set them above the inordinate de- success which has crowned you with lausire of riches; they are open and sin- rels has overspread Mecklenburg with cere, which renders them lovers of truth; desolation. I am aware, sir, that in they have no occasion to cringe to a this age of vicious refinement it is prince whose aversion is flattery; they deemed scarcely becoming of my sex to have the highest ideas of honour, and, feel for one's bleeding country, to laconsequently, are true to their engagement the horrors of war, or to pray for ments; they have an inviolable regard the return of peace. I know you may for all civil duties; they have a love for deem it more properly my province to their prince, on account of his virtues, study domestic matters and the arts of and esteem him for his capacity. To pleasing; but, unbecoming in me though conclude, it may be truly said, that in- it may be, I cannot resist the desire of stead of encouraging the ridicule of interceding for this unhappy people. virtue, this court is a pattern of mora"But a short while ago this territory lity and religion, a school of probity and wore the most promising aspect: the honour, a seminary of politeness, and, land was tilled, the peasants happy, the in fine, the seat of every social virtue. towns rich and prosperous; but now, This is no exaggeration, but a fair por- alas, how changed the picture! I am trait. The court of Strelitz, indeed, is not apt at description, nor can my fancy not very numerous, but it is one of the heighten the horrors of the scene around most regular and most agreeable of any me-a scene at which conquerors themin the whole empire. No private family selves would surely weep. The whole is governed with more order. and, per-country-my dear country- lies one haps, no prince is served by abler officers, and with greater diligence and affection."

"Well it would have been," remarks a learned author, "if this state of things had been permanent;" but, unfortunately, the peaceful little court at Strelitz was doomed to learn, by bitter experience, how short-lived human felicity usually is. The disastrous "Seven Years' War," which broke out in 1756, and spread desolation over Germany, was felt with peculiar severity through. out the duchy of Mecklenburg. The whole territory was taken possession of as a military station by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, whose troops committed atrocities disgraceful to civilized soldiers. The Princess Charlotte felt deeply for the sufferings of the people amongst whom she was born; and amidst the exultation produced by

frightful waste. The husbandmen and shepherds, unable to longer continue their employments, have turned soldiers themselves, and help to ravage the soil they formerly tilled - -to destroy the flocks and herds they formerly tended. The towns are deserted by all, saving a few old men, women, children, and maimed and invalided warriors. The alternate insolence of each of the opposing armies, as they happen to advance or retreat, is intolerable. No pen can express the confusion which even those calling themselves our friends excite; and as to redress, those from whom we might reasonably expect it, almost daily oppress us with new calamities. Therefore, sir, it is from your justice that we hope for relief; to you whose humanity stoops to the meanest petition, whose power is capable of repressing the greatest injustice, the famishing women and