The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-16 00:00:00

upon the Royal House of - England. Youth.

falls. before its influence. But the sacrifices have
,assinmdlt out been made in vain ; the lessons they
Itielkletedfit will not be readily forgotten; and in
the instances now more immediately before our
ages, they have been acemaptuied by circumstances
in themselves so singularly affecting, that they
moat make an indelible impression twos the public
,mind, subdued and mellowed as it is by the in-
flimsier of grief.
Many attempts have been made to draw the elm-
;0114e of Cgoaan but in those which we have
am pew worthy of notice, the pride and neengeof
ictialAde skill were evidently objects much lop*
'to the writers' hearts than correctness of desijnamd
truth of colouring. The character of& Kilt(tda#
be twofold—political and domestic. , Atia. political
character mast be in some degree an abstract of his
reign, and bear the nature of a political disquisition;
it is to lie found at large in the events that are re-
corded iu history, and AR their influence upon the
prosperity and habits of his people. His domestic
chaiacter must be sought in those relations of life
where alone the sympathies and charities of o' nr na-
ture can be fairly appreciated. By the principles
of the British Constitution, no censure can ever be
attached to the actions of a King, and in truth, it
would he impossible, from the nature of that Con-
stitution, for an ordinary observer to distinguish
fairly or accurately ,between the acts of the Kato
snd th;ise of his confidential servants ; but if
GEORGE 111. carried with him into the Cabinet
those principles of integrity, humanity, piety, and
that conscientious observance of good faith end
honour diet ever distinguished him in private life,
the maxims of our law, that attribute to the KING
every act of justice and mercy, and declare that he
does " ao wrung," were not fictioos of policy, but
the simple language of truth.
His MAJESTY through the long course of his
reign ever *hewed himself sincerely attached to the
forms and spirit of our admirable Constitution, and
notwithstanding the extreme violence with which
pony zeal presumed occasionally to assail hie cha-
racter, there never lived a Prince who enjoyed in
a higher degree the confidence of his subjects.
celebrated reply to the first American Minister,
" that he wall the last
.gag_ in his dosoiaisloi Lis
acknowledge the indepiadroce of the United .
States, and would 1146610gTh tp
4
evitaera his eiheatod• sitelle; tit sageogal tosigilnr
The observance of religion and morality may per-
haps be generally considered as forming a part of
lire MAJESTY's private, rather than of his public
character; hut's in private be was conscientiously
religious, so in public he rendered the observance
of its principles the guide of his public con-
duct. His example, united with that of his ex-
celleut Consort, raised a rampart which, in the
hour of danger, saved this country from innu-
merable evils, by throwing back upon the shores
of degenerate Fiance the tide of immorality and
atheism. Yet was hie &Jamey's arose of religion
free from the taint of intolerance; he was a friend
to the free exercise of conscience; and should
any individual, viewing only the disabling laws
•which still continue upon our statute books, affect-
iug certain sects of dissenters from the esta-
blished church, imagine that the' bile KING is not
fully entitled to this praise, lsUlm turn back to
the paws that existed at the period when his MA-
3nrry ascended the throne of three realms, and
which under lib auspices have been mitigated or
repealed, and he must, with gratitude, acknowledge
the justice oT our panegyric.
In the several relations of private life, his MA-
JESTY was irreproachable. In his domestic circle,
or in that more enlarged sphere of private life
wherein the dignity of the monarchy is partly blend-
ed with the benevolence of the man, he presented a
portrait of virtue, piety, kindness, and aftability,
that endeared him to his people; and often when the
rage of party violence distracted the State, and
Royalty seemed to have lost its influence upon the
giddy moltitude, the private character sof Ills. inish.
4hoosiag with native excellence, has quieted the
and restored his MAJOR?! AO the

..coofideoce of bis people—

Yelali aeon in poplin. enm same coons eat
Sedittu, savtique anintis iguuhik vulgus
Tuns, psietate cravens, ac ineritis si furte virurn gown
Cuosprxere, 'ilea t----
These lines truly &scribe the effects of his pti..
rate eh/racier : W that hi. MAJESTY has
closed his Icing career, chequered es it has been
good and ill—now that the voice of pane.
gyric can no longer chain* his ear, and censure
has no power to wound—now that hie life and cha-
racter have become the property of history, we
mil my of Him with truth. that never did Kura
lire more generally beloved, or die *ROTC generally
regretted.
A numerous meeting of the Nobility and Gentry
qie;§`?`.wiity of Sorifeflies'beld yesterday at Ey..
lIMPID, at WIWI AS Add Si Condolence. and Gro-
11111tilla was till4s,ind.'

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