Volume I Part 16 (2/2)
while the finger of Scorn will mark the spot where lies their ”SORDID DUST.”
The calamitous situation of the nation at this time became truly appalling. Subscriptions were entered into for the purpose of relieving the distresses of the poor, and her majesty's name was put down for the insignificant sum of three hundred pounds! If we were to be prolix in our account of this German lady's _discretionary_ liberality, the details, we fear, would not interest our readers. She was only liberal when her own interest was at stake!
Early in
1817,
the queen became indisposed, so much so as to cause alarm amongst her partisans for the issue. It was deemed expedient that the prince regent, who was then at Brighton, should be informed of the circ.u.mstance, and the Duke of York set off in the night to convey the intelligence to him.
Why a courier could not have been forwarded, we do not pretend to say; but deception and mystery always attended the royal movements. Shortly afterwards, however, her majesty was declared convalescent, and the family were gratified by her recovery, being well a.s.sured that her a.s.sistance would be of the most essential consequence to the completion of the regent's wishes in the intended divorce.
In February, the ”Habeas Corpus Act” was suspended, and, upon _suspicion only_, were Mr. Evans and his son seized and committed to prison on a charge of treason. They observed at the time, with great truth, ”Poor devoted England! she cannot be called our country, but our grave!” This was confirmed by Lord Sidmouth, who rendered his every service in this disgraceful business, and was at all imaginable pains to prove, that his master, the regent, was the ”Vicegerent of heaven, and had all power upon earth.”
The country was now elated by the information that the Princess Charlotte was likely to give an heir to the throne; because the people hoped that her progeny would prove more worthy of a crown than some of the sons of her austere grandmother. Upon this amiable princess, indeed, the English people had long placed their hopes, and they lived in anxious expectation to see the then existing tyranny superseded by a better form of government, under her auspices. In the mean time, every member of the royal family appeared more interested for the health of the queen than for the Princess Charlotte. Her majesty had experienced several relapses; but, after each attack, when she appeared in public, no symptoms of previous indisposition were visible.
Lords Liverpool, Castlereagh, and Sidmouth, and the _accommodating_ George Canning, were now the arbiters of the fates of nations; their will was no sooner expressed than it pa.s.sed into a law; and, while revelling at the festive board with their puissant prince, the country was writhing in the most pitiable condition. Even bread and water were not always within the poor man's grasp, and the starved peasantry of Ireland, in open defiance of military power, were living by stealing and eating raw potatoes, to enable them to eke out their most miserable existence! Under this humiliating condition, their rights and liberties were suspended, and it was made ”treason and sedition” to murmur or complain.
When the tyrannical King John oppressed his subjects, and endeavoured to usurp despotic power, the barons a.s.sembled around him, and, unsheathing their swords, swore, ”The laws of England shall not be changed!” But the days of chivalry were past! Lord Castlereagh was now our dictator, and a standing army of one hundred and forty thousand men, to enforce his vile and unconst.i.tutional measures, destroyed even the chance of emanc.i.p.ation. We may add, in the words of our immortal bard, that his lords.h.i.+p was a _man_,
”Ay, and a _bold_ one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil!”
The galling distresses of the people, at this period of national calamity and misrule, drove them to the commission of violent acts, and the diligence of well-chosen officers and prosecutors, with the partiality of judges, supplied the defect of evidence needful for punishment. The law was actually made a snare, while vice received encouragement and rewards, when on the side of the oppressors. This was not solely confined to the higher tribunals, but was also apparent in almost every inferior court. Indeed, Lord Sidmouth sent a circular letter to all lieutenants of counties, recommending even ”justices of the peace to hold to bail persons publis.h.i.+ng alleged libels!!!” The whole ministry proved themselves to be uninfluenced by the dictates of _equity_, or those principles of _moderation_ which distinguished some of our n.o.ble ancestors. Power was every thing with Castlereagh and his a.s.sociates, a.s.sisted by the MITRED HEADS of the ”established church,”
who were ever his zealous friends in the cause of tyranny! Be it, then, our duty to tear the mask of hypocrisy aside, and exhibit the deformity of Power, more especially when disguised under the specious form of PIETY. He who can a.s.sume the sanct.i.ty of a SAINT, and perform the deeds of a RUFFIAN, will not be spared in our explanations of TRUTH! The t.i.tle of ”Right Reverend Father in G.o.d” shall not cause us to be dismayed, if, by their _reverend_ works, they prove themselves to be the children of the devil! We are not what _pretended pious_ people term INFIDELS; but we detest to see the tools of power endeavour to subdue the nation in the garb of G.o.dliness, insulting the _poor_ with orders for ”general fasts,” while they themselves are indulging in the most riotous excesses!
We must now, as honest and fearless historians, record the most cold-blooded and horrible CRIME that was ever perpetrated in this or any other Christian country!
”'Tis a strange truth. O monstrous act!
'Twill out, 'twill out!--I hold my peace, sir? no: No, I will speak as liberal as the air!”
We are almost ready to murmur at Providence for permitting some of the a.s.sa.s.sins to escape from this world without meeting the punishment they merited. One or two, however, still remain to pollute the earth, and upon whom we yet hope to see justice administered!
Every honest heart was full of bitterness and anguish, when it was announced, ”The PRINCESS CHARLOTTE is DEAD!” The heavy-tolling bell, the silence of the streets, and the mute astonishment of all who met and parted, exhibited signs of unfeigned sorrow. In an _unexpected_ moment, the hopes of this great nation were brought to nought! Her royal highness was England's star of promise,--the beacon which it was expected would light the traveller to escape the quicksands of destruction!
On the 5th of November, at nine in the evening, this exemplary princess was safely delivered of a male child, said to be still born; and although p.r.o.nounced at that time, by her accoucheur, to be doing extremely well, yet, at half-past two on the morning of the 6th, her royal highness expired! Sir Richard Croft announced to Prince Leopold the heart-rending intelligence; and a messenger was instantly sent to the prince regent (to whom a former communication of fearful import had been made) and also to the queen at Bath. All the royal family then in England hastened to London, _report said_, ”nearly destroyed with grief.”
Special messengers were also despatched with the melancholy information to the Duke of Kent, who was at Brussels, and to the Duke of Cambridge, at Hanover; but the MOTHER of the late princess was entirely _neglected_. Etiquette and respect were attended to in the cases which least required notice, and omitted in the situation which really demanded, in common decency and justice, the most prompt consideration.
The prince regent arrived at Carlton House at four o'clock on the fatal morning, and was informed by Lord Bathurst and the Duke of York of the event. The regent had been, for ten or twelve days, sojourning with the Marquis, or _Marchioness_, of Hertford, at their seat near Sudbury. In contradiction to several either servile or ignorant historians, we fearlessly say that it was not unexpected news to his royal ear! In the course of the ensuing day, a letter was written and delivered to Dr. Sir Richard Croft, announcing the prince regent's offer of thanks for the attention paid to the Princess Charlotte, and a.s.suring the doctor that the prince was fully satisfied with his skill and superior merit; concluding with these words: ”As it is the _will of Divine Providence_, his royal highness is in duty bound to submit to the decree--_of heaven_.”
Prince Leopold was not so hasty in returning his thanks for the attentions of Dr. Croft, though much better able to judge of the matter than the regent; for _he_ was many miles off, and could not _personally_ know any thing of the matter.
Notwithstanding the professed deep sorrow and grief of the prince regent, however, we can announce that his royal highness did not permit himself to relax in any pursuit of pleasure, except that of openly exhibiting himself; for, on the ensuing evening, we ourselves were not very distant from Carlton House, and can testify to this fact. He and his brother of York were not in _very great_ anguish upon the occasion; they pledged each other in quick succession, until the circ.u.mstance which had caused their meeting was entirely forgotten by them. ”I drink to the safety of the regent,” said the duke, ”and _I_ to the safety of _York_,” retorted the prince. These remarks created irritability, and the prince very warmly replied, to an interrogation of his brother, ”What would _you_ think if the ghost of Edward Augustus stood at your elbow?”
How very different was the report issued to the world! The daily papers stated that ”the extreme sorrow of the regent had produced an unusual sensation of pain in the head of his royal highness.” We were not surprised at this announcement; though we had hoped to have heard the royal _heart_ was affected upon a review of his past enormities!
We regret to say, that when the Princess Charlotte was in daily expectation of her accouchement, she was not soothed by the attentions of any of her female relatives. It is true they had not, by any former acts of kindness, given her occasion to expect it; but the disrespect shewn to her royal highness was chiefly owing to the affection for, and defence of, her persecuted mother, which, though perfectly _natural_ and praiseworthy, displeased certain high and powerful personages. The _queen_ (that boasted paragon of goodness!) was one hundred and eight miles distant, and the hearts of all the family seemed as if estranged from virtuous and honourable feelings. Her majesty, with the Princess Elizabeth, left Windsor Castle for Bath, on the morning of the 3rd of October, for the avowed purpose of drinking the waters. On the 27th of the same month, the prince regent, accompanied by Sir B. Bloomfield, left London for the seat of the Marquis of Hertford, at Sudbury, in Suffolk. The Duke of Clarence was also absent. It is true that the cabinet ministers, whose presence was required by precedent and state necessity, were in waiting; but how far their services could be agreeable or beneficial to a young female in such a situation, we are at a loss to discover. Alas! _that parent_ who ought to have been present, and who would most joyfully have flown on the wings of maternal affection, was denied the privilege. But while the daughter was struggling in the agonies of a cruel death, the mother was a wanderer in a foreign land, and beset with snares laid for her destruction also!
During the pregnancy of the Princess Charlotte, the prince, her husband, was chiefly her companion. Her choice of an accoucheur fell upon Dr. Sir Richard Croft, as he was considered the most able and skilful man in his profession. The ladies in attendance upon her royal highness were unfit to render advice or a.s.sistance upon any emergency, as neither of them had been a mother. The princess, when in an advanced state of pregnancy, was kept low, and scarcely allowed animal food, or wine, to both of which she had previously been accustomed. Between the fifth and seventh months, her royal highness was bled several times, and still kept upon very low diet. Claremont, the place chosen for the eventful period, was sixteen miles from town, and when any pressing occasion required the attendance of a surgeon or physician from London, the distance caused a considerable delay. Her royal highness' confinement was expected to take place about the end of October, and the period between that time and the final issue was strongly marked by symptoms of approaching labour. Her royal highness was in extreme pain for more than forty-eight hours, yet each bulletin declared, ”The princess is doing extremely well.” At half-past twelve, A.M. her royal highness became uneasy and very restless; she exhibited much difficulty of breathing, and at half-past two--EXPIRED!
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