sworn Lady Elizabeth to take no notice of his altered state, either to her mother or Lord Grey; which hung so heavily on her mind. afterwards, that she saw several times the Bishop of London on the subject. A better counsellor she could not have. Never did the death of any private individual make so great a sensation in London; and Lord Tavistock's mention of him in the House of Commons, made half the House in tears.

"Tell me when next you write, what you have heard of the Princess of Wales. In London, it is as though such a being had never existed. Things appear to be going on smoothly at court; that is to say no fault is found with the Regent, he is heartily glad at the Princess's absence. Did you ever hear a clear account of a cock and a bull story which reached England some months ago, of Hownam's having challenged Ompteda, and of a servant having betrayed the Princess to the Hanoverian spy, given him false keys to her drawers, &c.? I own I believe Ompteda is set to watch Her Royal Highness. Heavens! how mean must be the mind that would undertake to occupy itself with such dirty work. Princess Charlotte has decidedly and for ever refused to marry the Prince

of Orange, it is said, because she ascertained that he was pledged to concur with the Regent to ruin the Princess of Wales. Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg has been named as likely to be the Princess Charlotte's bridegroom. I cannot help feeling a tender pity for one so young, and so lovely and loveable for her own sake, as this Princess, being compelled by her rank to marry from convenance. remain true to her mother.

I hope she will

But if that mother

does anything imprudent, her case is a lost one; and who so imprudent as she!

reason, Princess

I trust she may Royal Highness

They say Prince Leopold is friendly towards the Princess of Wales, and that for that Charlotte inclines toward him. not be deceived, and that His does not make promises in order to win the hand of our future Queen, which he may never intend to perform. He is after all but a petty Prince for the heiress to the British throne. hear, however, he is handsome; more than the Prince of Orange is.

I

which is

"Yours, &c."

I wonder if it be indeed true, that Princess Charlotte will marry Leopold. I think her heart was in favour of the Duke of -; but I suppose such an

alliance would never have been permitted; it would open the door to so many private intrigues, and jealousies, if Royal personages were permitted to marry private individuals or nobles. I have seen the Prince of Saxe Cobourg, and do think him well looking, but not noble in his air or deportment; and his expression was not to me pleasing; it was dark and caché, his forehead low, and he never looks at the person to whom he is speaking. But it is wrong to be such a determined disciple of Lavater as I am, and to allow oneself to be prejudiced either for, or against a person by their countenance, which is after all very often a treacherous guide. Nevertheless, I cannot help being strongly influenced by the impression a person's physiognomy makes upon me; I would not disregard the still small voice which warns me, as if instinctively, against some, or bids me trust in others.

I went to see the Duchess of D. There is an instance for example, where charm of countenance and of manner fascinate, and make one like her, despite of all that has been reported of her character. Her room is filled with books, and literature is now the pursuit in which she takes, or pretends to take, an interest. For my part, I suspect she is come to that time

when nothing of this world's amusements can charm; she has tasted pleasure in all its varieties; she has drank it to the very dregs; and the lees are bitter.

If there be a source of

interest to her, it is the Cardinal.

A small lute is generally placed by her side; yet no one ever heard her Grace play on it.

From the Duchess's I went to Canova's studio.

Wednesday. I went to visit the Borghese palace, built by Martino Lunghi il Vecchio for Cardinal Dezza in 1590, and finished in the pontificate of Paul V. Borghese, under the direction of Fluminio Ponzio. Its shape is that of a harpsichord, and it has hence been called the harpsichord of Borghese. The collection of pictures on the ground floor is fine, and they are well arranged, and seen pleasantly, with good attendance; only if the day is at all dark, there is not sufficient light to view them distinctly. Those which made the deepest impression on me were the deposition of Christ, by Raphael; and all the Garofalos, particularly the Entombment, which to me is the most delightful composition I ever beheld; the colouring is exquisite, and the green draperies, so often employed by this painter, appear in that one to the greatest perfection. The landscape in the back-ground is not the

least pleasing part of the composition; it is of that sublime cast which accords so well with the event which forms the principal subject of the picture. A portrait of Raphael when very young, by himself, and two Titians of a long peculiar shape, also pleased me greatly; the two latter represent one divine, and the other prophane love, under the figures of two women. I did not clearly make out the allegory; but the colouring of both is gorgeous. The famous Diana and Nymphs, by Domenichino, and the four famous Albanos, have not for me that interest which many less celebrated pictures excite. To my

fancy, there is something trivial and like an opera scene in all those Loves and Venuses, which have nothing to do with the Loves or Venuses of a deep felt passion. It is like the mere machinery of a ballet master. But I judge poetically, not scientifically, and doubtless my judgment is therefore often erroneous.

1 spent the rest of the morning at Lady W-d's. She was full of the Duchess of

D

and CG, and the Princess of Wales, and politics, private and public, as usual. Many people pretend to be uninterested about these things; but I do believe that nobody is so truly sick of them as myself. They seem to me so paltry and bustling, so inimical to all that is