Fifth Series,
Volume I.

}

No. 1499.-March 1, 1873.

From Beginning,
Vol. CXVI.

CONTENTS.

1. UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, Quarterly Review,
2. HIS LITTLE SERENE HIGHNESS. Part IX. Trans-
lated from the Platt-Deutsch of

Fritz Reuter,

POETRY.

514

WHAT MY FRIEND SAID TO ME, 514 EARLY POEM,

514

539

514

530, 539, 576

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From The Quarterly Review. UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF THE PRINCESS

CHARLOTTE.

parently suit George, Prince of Wales, and the poor little girl, not wanted by her father, and not allowed to be with her NOTHING is more pathetic than old let- mother, was eventually established in a ters. The most elaborate biographies fail house of her own, with a staff of governto convey a correct idea of the illustrious esses and maids, under the superintenddead, unless supplemented by letters and ence first of Lady Elgin, and afterwards records; and even where the actual life of Lady de Clifford. Warwick House, a was uneventful and obscure, there is al- small house adjoining the garden of Carlways an interest in reading the words that ton House, was chosen for her; it was survive of a past long gone by. There close to her father's, it is true, but practiexists an old collection of letters by one cally he never saw her. Once a week, on whose name survives in history as an em- Saturday afternoons, she was taken to bodiment of all that was beautiful and Blackheath, to the house of her grandgraceful and hopeful. The memory of mother, the Dowager Duchess of BrunsPrincess Charlotte of Wales is still cher- wick (who had returned to England after ished, the sensation produced in England the death of her husband, killed in battle by her death has never been forgotten, in 1806), there to meet her mother for an and the remembrance of it has lately been hour or two. On rare occasions she visrevived in many quarters by the publica-ited her other grandmother, old Queen tion of the memoirs of Baron Stockmar, Charlotte, and her aunts at Windsor or containing a description of her happy married life, and of the melancholy circumstances of her death. But comparatively little is known of her earlier history; all the public had learnt about her was, that she had shewn spirit in breaking off an engagement she hated, that she was afterwards most happily married, and then cut off in the enjoyment of perfect happiness, and of the most brilliant prospects. Her fate is generally felt to be tragic, because her death put an end to what seemed the acme of human felicity, but few have real-tive to the Crown, for he probably always ized how short that felicity had been, or what heavy trials and sorrows had clouded her childhood and girlhood. In her case, the ordinary experiences of a woman's life were reversed. As a child and girl she was burdened with cares, overwhelmed with responsibilities and struggles; peace and perfect careless happiness, gaiety and all that makes youth light and happy were unknown to her till she married; then she shook off cares and responsibilities, and then she first felt free to enjoy youth and life.

Princess Charlotte was born January 7th, 1796, at Carlton House. Her mother, as is well known, quitted her husband's house for ever, as soon as possible after the birth of her child. The baby remained but a short time longer under her father's roof; a nursery in his house did not ap

Frogmore; now and then she was sent to the seaside. Though her father rarely saw her, and never took any interest in her, transferring to her his hatred of her mother, he did occupy himself about her so far as to interfere in all arrangements respecting her, always with a view of preventing intercourse with her mother, and keeping her as secluded and as much in the background as possible. He especially avoided anything that might appear like a recognition of her position as heiress-presump

hoped either by the death of her mother or by a divorce to be set free to marry again and have a son who would exclude her. His mother Queen Charlotte seems to have shared both his dislike to her as connected with her mother, and his views about her.

The child was quick enough soon to find out their dislike; her mother, on the other hand, though allowed no control whatever over her own child, and only seeing her in formal occasional visits, was kind and affectionate in manner to her. With all her faults (and possibly crimes of later years), Caroline, Princess of Wales, had a warm and affectionate heart; she was naturally very fond of children, and would have been a tender and affectionate, though perhaps not a judicions mother. No wonder then that her little girl clung to her,

companion she most loved was going abroad for an indefinite time, just at the time that the Princess Charlotte had had her establishment changed, and had gone through many annoyances. The friends had exchanged keepsakes, and poor Charlotte thanks her friend for a ring she had sent her, thus: —

and that her Saturday afternoon visits were | education and loveless life, had retained a the great event of her life. The probabil- most warm and affectionate heart. The ity is, that neither the Princess of Wales on the one hand, nor the attendants of her little girl, on the other, were very discreet; between them she very soon found out that the father, who was cold and hard to her, had ill-used the kind mother she so seldom saw, and it was but natural that she should become a violent partisan, of the one against the other. Of the people "I am all impatience till I can express my about her, there were some she loved, but thanks for the most kind letter and beautiful they all were at the mercy of the Prince ring which this fortunate evening has brought her father; the slightest indulgence to her, me from you. . . . . I know I am a very bad or even encouragement of her natural person at expressing myself when I feel much, affections, would have made them liable to however that you must excuse me, as the imdismissal, and their treatment of her must pression is not the less made to be lasting for therefore perforce have been constrained. that; the souvenir of such kindness and such She was, however, allowed a few friends fleet but happy moments are likely to be both of her own age; there were some children doux et douloureux' to me, but to the last I living at Blackheath at that time, whose am much accustomed. . . . Your delightful billet reached me whilst in the midst of composing parents' position was unexceptionable, a waltz for you, and I really believe it inspired and who were allowed to go and play with me more than anything could have done. I enher at her mother's on Saturday afterclose it, and have ventured to name it after your noons. These, and a few others, children favourite jewel. I cannot boast of the other enof persons about the Court, remained her closure being in any way equal to the beautiful friends through life, and to one of them cadeau, which I shall never cease to wear; but the Letters now before us are addressed. as it contains the hair you wished for, and [is] They commence in 1813, when she was a true emblem of the feelings the donor will just seventeen years old, and give us an ever entertain towards you far or near, I flatter insight into as sad an existence as any myself it will be worn as an answer to yours, young girl was ever condemned to. The which I have turned round every way in hopes handwriting is scrawling and illegible to a of finding a correspondent lock in vain. . . . I degree, and bears evidence of her neglect- feel very melancholy at your leaving this couned education. The grammar is often at try, as I cannot but reflect on the uncertainty fault, the style stilted and pompous, like of things, and what my fate may be before we that of the novels of the last century, with again meet.... Am I asking too much in rewhich she probably had a large acquaint-peating again the wish of hearing often? . . .” ance; but it can scarcely be called affected, This letter is nothing more in itself than because it is evident that she was pouring a sentimental school-girl's effusion, but the out her real feelings in the language most interest of it lies in its extreme humility natural to her. She was very sentimental, and general sadness. As a rule, royal as girls of that age, if naturally warm-heart-children inevitably acquire from their ed and imaginative, are sure to be: in the earliest youth a condescending manner: present day, the young lady of seventeen, however true and warm-hearted they may with feelings as strong, would probably veil be, their every-day experience, and the them in the garb of slang; but in 1813, habits of their lives, so entirely teach them young ladies were fed on the pompous and that in their intercourse with their friends grandiloquent style of the literature of they are always conferring favours rather the day (when sensational novels and slang than receiving them, that the humble, were alike unknown), and were proud of deprecating tone of this letter can hardly expressing their feelings in the warmest come within the range of their imagination. But Princess Charlotte had had Princess Charlotte, in spite of her lonely none of this experience. She had taken

terms.