The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-17 00:00:00

great and instantaneous relief from medicines which pro-
duced very copious expectoration. The amendment was so
decided and evident as to inspire the hope that it might be
more than temporary, and his Majesty was certainly en-
abled to pass the ensuing day without any distressing oppres-
sion of his breathing. For this alleviation of the pain, as
well as for the more tranquil rest which he enjoyed during
two successive nights, the gratitude to the Almighty felt
and expressed by his Majesty was truly edifying. He was
frequently heard to give utterance to these sentiments with
eyes raised to heaven, in the most sincere and unaffected
terms. His patience and cheerfulness had at all times ex-
cited the astonishment and admiration of all. who had op-
portunity of witnessing them. No murmur ever escaped
his lips ; and often, in moments of the greatest suffering
(which was subsequently proved to have far exceeded what
his physicians had reason to suspect), he testified his grate-
ful sense of the care and attention of all who approached
him, and his regret that he should be the cause of imposing
on them the duty of so much painful attendance.
At no period from the commencement of the attack had
his Majesty been insensible to his critical state ; but, when
he alluded to the subject, it was evident that any anxiety
which he felt arose less from personal apprehension than
from solicitude for the country, and from a contemplation
of the embarrassment into which it might possibly be thrown
by his early dissolution. It was to such reflections as these
that his Majesty gave expression on the morning of 16th,
when he observed to the Queen, " I have had some quiet
sleep ; come, and pray with me, and thank the Almighty
for it." Her Majesty joined in this act of heartfelt devo-
tion, and when the King had ceased, said, " And shall I
rot pray for the Almighty that you may have a good day ?'
To which his Majesty replied, " Oh, do! I wish I could
live ten years, for the sake of the country. I feel it my
duty to keep well as long as I can."
On the morning of Sunday, the 11th, grateful for the
refreshing rest which he had enjoyed, his Majesty's mind
was impressed with the most pure devotional feelings. See-
ing Lady Mary Fox occupied with a book, he inquired
what she was reading, and being told that it was a Prayer
Book his countenance beamed with pleasure, but he said
nothing. After a considerable lapse of time the Queen
asked whether it would be agreeable to him if she read the
prayers to him. His Majesty answered, "0, yes! I
should like it very much ; but it will fatigue you." He
then desired to be informed who preached that morning in
the chapel of the Castle ; and when Lady Mary had ascer-
tained, and told him that it was Mr. Wood who preached,
he directed that he might be sent for.
When Mr. Wood entered the room, the King said, " I
will thank you, my dear Sir, to read all the prayers till
you come to the prayer for the Church Militant." By
which words his Majesty intended to include the Com-
munion Service, and all the other parts of the Liturgy used
in the celebration of public worship.
It was equally an affecting and instructive lesson to ob-
serve the devout humility of his Majesty, fervently dwell-
ing, as could be perceived from his manner and the intona-
tion of his voice, on every passage which bore even the most
remote application to his own circumstances. His mind
seemed quite absorbed in the duty in which he was en-
gaged, and to rise for a time superior to his bodily infir-
mities ; for, during the whole service, his attention was
undisturbed, and he experienced none of those fits of
coughing and oppression which for some days past had
formed an almost uninterrupted characteristic of his com-
plaint. As Mr. Wood withdrew, his Majesty graciously
expressed his thanks, and afterwards said to the Queen—
"lt has been a great comfort to me." Nor was this a
t-ansitory feeling. To this pure and scriptural source of
spiritual consolation his Majesty recurred with unfeigned
gratitude ; and on each day of the ensuing week did Lord
A. Fitzelarence receive the King's commands to read him
the prayers either of the morning or evening service. On
one of these occasion, when his Majesty was much reduced
and exhausted, the Queen, fearful of causing any fatigue to
him, inquired, hesitatingly, whether, unwell as he was, he
still like to have the prayers read to him ? He re-
plied, "0, yes ! beyond everything." Though very lan-
guid, and disposed to sleep from the effects of medicine, his
Majesty repeated all the prayers. The fatal progress of
the King's complaint was very visible during the three fol-
lowing days, June 12th, 13th, and 14th. Neverthele,, on
Tuesday, the 13th, his Majesty gave audience to his Hano-
verian Minister, Baron Ompteda, whom contrary to the
suggestioes of his attendants, be had specially summoned on
business connected with that kingdom, in the welfare of
which he had never ceased to feel a truly paternal interest.
On \Wednesday, the 14th, his Majesty received a visit from
the Duke of Cumberland.
The King's attention to his religious duties, and the
great comfort which was inspired by their performance,
have already been referred to. It will, therefore, create
no surprise that his Majesty joyfully assented to the
Queen's suggestion, that he should receive the sacrament,
or that he at once named the Archbishop of Canterbury
as the person whom he wished to administer that holy rite.
Sunday was the day fixed by the King for the discharge
of this solemn duty, and a message was accordingly sent to
his Grace, desiring his presence at Windsor Castle on the
ensuing Saturday.
The two intervening days were a period of great suffer-
ing to the King, whose illness more than once in that in-
terval assumed the most alarming form, and in the evening
of Friday excited apprehensions of his Majesty's imme-
diate dissolution. The next morning, however, the King
felt easier, and the most urgent symptoms had disappeared.
In the usual course of business with Sir H. Taylor he
signed two public documents, though not without great
difficulty ; but on every subject which was brought before
him, his Majesty's power of perception was quick and ac-
curate, and he anticipated with pleasure and thankfulness
the approaching sacred duty of the morrow.
On the morning of Sunday, the 18th, though his Ma•
jestys mental energies remained vigorous and unimpaired,
a greater degree of bodily weakness was perceptible. He
raised himself in his chair with greater difficulty than the
day before, and required more aid and suppott in every
movement. The expression of his countenance, however,
was, perhaps, more satisfactory. He transacted business
with Sir H. Taylor, and affixed his signature to four docu-
ments—the remission of a Court-martial, two appointments
of Colonial Judges, and a pardon to a condemned criminal.
This was his Majesty's last act of Sovereignty. Increasing
debility prevented the repetition of a similar exertion ; and
thus, in the closing scene of his life, was beautifully and
practically exemplified by an act of mercy that spirit of
benevolence and forgiveness which shone with such pecu-
liar lustre in his Majesty's character, and was so strongly
reflected in the uniform tenour of his reign.
It had been arranged, as has been already remarked,
that the King should on this day receive the sacrament
from the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury ; and when
Sir Herbert left the room it appeared to the Queen that
the most favourable time had arrived. The physicians,
however, suggested to her Majesty the expediency of
deferring the ceremony till the King should have in
some degree recovered from his fatigue ; but his Ma-
jesty had already experienced the blessed consolations of
religion, and removed the doubts which his anxious at-
tendants were entertaining by eagerly desiring the Queen
to send for the Archbishop, seeming, as it were, anxious
to ratify the discharge of his earthly by the performance
of his spiritual duties. His Grace promptly attended,
attired in his robes, and at a quarter to eleven adminis-
tered the sacrament to his Majesty and the Queen, Lady
Mary Fox communicating at the same time. The King
was very calm and collected—his faculties were quite clear,
and he paid the greatest attention to the service, follow-
ing it in the Prayer-book, which lay on the table before
him. His voice, indeed, failed, but his humble demeanour
and uplifted eyes gave expression to the feeling of devotion
and of gratitude to the Almighty which his faltering lips re-
fused to utter.
The performance of this act of religion, and this public
attestation of his communion with that Church for the wel-
fare and prosperity of which he had more than once during
his illness ejaculated short but fervent prayers, was the
source of great and manifest comfort to his Majesty.
Though the shorter form had been adopted by the Arch-
bishop his Majesty was, nevertheless, rather exhausted by
the duration and solemnity of the ceremony ; but as his
Grace retired the King said, with that peculiar kindness of
manner by which he was so much distinguished, and at the
same time gently waving his hand and inclining his head.
" God bless you—a thousand, thousand thanks." There
cannot be more certain evidence of the inward strength and
satisfaction which the King derived from this office of reli-
gion than that, in spite of great physical exertions, his Ma-
jesty, after the lapse of an hour, again requested the at-
tendance of the Archbishop, who, in compliance with the
wishes of the Queen, read the prayers for the evening ser-
vice with the happiest effect on the King's spirits. This
being done, the Archbishop, naturally fearing the conse-
quences of so much mental exertion on his Majesty's de-
billeted frame, was about to retire, when the King mo-
tioned him to sit down at the table, on the opposite side of
which he himself was seated. His Majesty was too weak
to hold any conversation, but his spirits seemed soothed 4n d
comforted by the presence of the Archbishop, on whose
ve
and benign countenance his Majesty's eye reposed
with real pleasure.
The King at this interview stretched his hand across the
table, and taking that of the Archbishop, pressed it fer-
vently, saying, in a tone of voice which was audible only to
the Queen, who was seated near his Majesty, " I am sure
the Archbishop is one of those persons who pray for me."
The afternoon of this day witnessed a still further diminu-
tion of his Majesty's strength, but in proportion to the de-
cay of his bodily power was the increase of his spiritual
hope and consolation. At nine o'clock in the evening the
Archbishop was again summoned by his Majesty's desire.
The King was now still less able to converse than on the
last occasion ; but his Grace remained more than three
quarters of an hour, supplying by his pretence the filni.