buted to personages by which it is almost morally impossible they should ever have been actuated.

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No prince was ever more calumnies of this description than His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; and none perhaps ever deserved them less. For years he seems to have been a mark for libellers to aim their darts at; and of late the press has almost literally groaned with the works that have teemed from it, calumniating and vilifying him. The object of this work is to relieve his royal highness from the misrepresentations that have gone abroad against him, to place his character in its true colours, and to shew the people of England, however of late they may have been industriously instructed to think otherwise, that the present heir apparent to the crown of these realms is as distinguished for every good,

great, and noble quality, and will wear the crown, whenever providence shall call him to the succession, with as much honour to himself and advantage to his subjects, as ever it was worn by any the most renowned of his prede

cessors.

To do strict justice to the character of this amiable and much calumniated prince, we shall not conceal his foibles, nor indeed is there any occasion for so unfair a procedure; for of what weaknesses can his royal highness be accused since his first entrance into public life, except those venial faults which have always been held pardonable in youth and elevated station? His friends have compared him with Henry V.when Prince of Wales, and in many particulars his character bears a strong resemblance to that of the conqueror of Agincourt. But to pursue a parallel between those two princes, it should

be taken into consideration that Henry lived in times widely different from our own. The manners of the nation had then made but small progress towards refinement and civilization, and Henry, with all the fire and vivacity of youth, entered deeply into the gaities of a rough and semi-barbarous age. But, when he mounted the throne, what prince ever more completely redeemed the faults of his youth? The pride and glory of his own country, and Scourge and terror of France, he carried the English name to a pitch of renown unequalled by the most fortunate of his predecessors; while under his wise and salutary government, at home the nation attained a degree of internal prosperity unknown among contemporary states. Who has not heard of the youthful excesses of this great prince, so admirably pourtrayed

read of the glorious achievements of his future reign? And shall we then be so unjust to the foibles of a prince of our own times as to condemn him for faults that are incident to his age and station, and may find their excuses in example and the present state of manners? This would be obviously unjust; and, therefore, in treating of the foibles of the Prince of Wales, we shall not view them with cynic severity, but as we are sure they are viewed by a great majority of the people, and by all the liberal-minded of the nation, as the pardonable exuberances of a gallant and high-spirited prince, sanctioned by fashion and the manners of his times.

His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Great Britain, Prince of Wales, Electoral Prince of Brunswick-Lunenburgh, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Ches

ter and Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Great Steward of Scotland, &c. &c. the eldest son of their present majesties, was born on the 12th of August, 1762, a day auspicious to the house of Brunswick, and to the British nation, being the anniversary of the accession of the Brunswick line to the throne of these dominions. Agreeable to the state etiquette which has been observed on the delivery of the Queens of England ever since the birth of the son (or pretended son) of James II. the Princess Dowager of Wales, and other branches of the royal family, and all the great ministers of state, were present in the royal bed-chamber on the occasion. The birth of the prince diffused a general joy through the nation, and loyal addresses were voted to their majesties by both houses of parliament, by the city of London, the two univer