The Sun.
London, England, 1820-05-03 00:00:00

•

LITERARY REVIEW.

AORGE THE TIORD I COURT, AND FAME

• • • 2 Volumes, Svu.
(Continued froin the 25th'ult.)
Informer notices of this interesting Work we
have principally' selected tr extracts front the
general polities of the antes we'novr proceed to
Anecdotes of our late revered Sovereign, rather

. .
more personal, And commence with some instances
of bis political fortitude on trying occasions.—
Spenking of the- well-known events during the
kite mobocracy, the Author says,—" It is no
Nut of our plan to enter upon all the politics of
this period as connected with the )4.4 of Wilkes,
and the circumstances of the riots during the
Breottord election, already mentioned ; but we
may record the firmness which his Majesty dis-
played, when insulted and menaced wi:h attack
front e. furious mob, that rusted into the Court-
yard of °St. James's, following a hearse decorated
withiusignia of the most shameful deseripioo,
with a person seated on it in the habit of an exe-
cmioner,lolding an axe in his hand and his face
covered with crape—said to hove been actually tin
Irish Viscount, then indeed a very young man,
descended from one of the nhh'st (',oldies in that
kingdom, and who had succeeded to his title about

,•
three years previously.
" Amidst these disgraceful proceedings the
King's firmness and presence of mind never de-
serted him a moment ; but he remained in the
drawing-room, displaying the• utmost coolness,
whilst the Palace and the surrounding streets, re-
sounded with the clamour of an infuriated mob,
and issuing the necessary orders, which his Mi-
nisters seemed incapable of giving.
" It is indeed not our intention to enter into all
the party politics of the period, or to recapitulate
all.the grievances complained of in the petitions
and remonstrances from all parts. of the Empire
against ►he men in power ; but we may record
the whimsical statement of a humorous foreigner,
who observed, that ' in England the people are
taxed in the morning for•tlte soap that washes
their hands; at nine for the coffee, the tea, and
the sugar they use fur breakfast ; at noon for
starch to powder their hair ; at dinner
_for the salt
to savour their meat ; in the evening for porter tic►
cheer their spirits ; all day long for the light that
enters the windows, and at night for the candles
to light them to bed.' All this is certainly very
true ; yet the people of England were nut the
less•dourishing, nor have they sunk under a taxa-
tion tenfold in degree. Taxation is not always
an absolute deprivation of wealth ; but is rather
a temporary loan from the individual to the pitblic
purse, for which be is repaid by protecticm, se-
' curity, extenned employment, and an increased
qiitnttloa to general industry."
This ciear, and simple explanation of the com-
plicated system of British Finance, is an answer
to all tl►e silly attempts at gaining a short lived
popularity, which enthrio politicians are so fond
of -getting up as an outcry against. Ministers, and
would have formed a lair reply to much of the'
common place poll-tics of the city in 1769, of
which our author veinal s,
" It Was in the autumn of Ibis year that the
famous redress of grievances was presented by the
.city, soon after which Wilkes obtained a verdict
of 40001. damages .againit Lou: Halifax, for the
sei-4ote of his papers. It was generally under-
stood, that the King had declared that he would
cover all the expences.of his servants in this affair;
a circumstance which, it bas been said, induced
the Jury not to grant larger damages I
" His Majesty indeed, though accused of obsti-
nacy by his enemies, gained tnicli applause from
his friends for the resolution with which he sup-
ported his Ministers on all points which be ap-
proved of. Daring the extreme unpopularity of
the Duke of Grafton, the King never deserted
him. The.country also owed much to hint, when
his Ministers were almost afraid to put the laws

in force ;. and it was to him personally that the
civil power was obliged to look for authority for
the execution of the Spitalfields rioters at Beth-
nal Green,- a change of place the legality of which
had been previously referred to the twelve
Judg es . "
In a note on the events of this period, we find
the following whimsical-anecdote—
" We have heard it stated, that on the return
to Guildhall, Beckford, and the Corporation en-
tered the Council-chamber in great: alarm and
most evident trepidation, when a Gentleman, high
in the eorifidence of the Lord Mayor, earnestly
asked him what be did say !—to which Beckford
confusedly replied, that he did not well know,'
but repeated soniething as well as be coolil recol-
lect. His friend then drew up the classic remon.
strance'now7 engraven on the pedestal, and which
was most assiduously echoed and re-echoed in all
the journals and Public Prints, apparently rather
in the hope of softening down democratic rude-
. ness, than of establishing an historical documept,
which it has now become."
But it was not towards, the City of London
alone that his Majesty was forced to display the
political firmness which marked his character ;
tot about this period he was beset by the con-
tenders for Ministerial power to a degree, which
a weak mind would have been unable to with-

stand.
Alluding to the political contests of the day,
the author, referring to one of the parties, hints
at the King's exptesscd intention of never em-
ploying them in the public councils of the n‘t ion.
Jr is itopossibleabsolutely to avouch the truth of
this statement ; but it %%as also reported that, in
manifesting his indignation, the King's express
words were, " [lave they then tesolved to invade
my rights, and to abuse those of my People ! 1
ant unh/appy Ht their folly—it has for ever exclud-
ed them from my favour, us it shall Irvin the see•

[PRICE SEVENPENCE;

vice of a conatry' whidt they would ifi L; 1;D,
their ambition. While I will, have toy i'eee'e
tree, 1 will be tree myself !"
From Polilicswe'proCeed to' the htionbler`vir:.
tiles'of 'the Monarch, of whom our Author re-.
marks, that . •
" The familiar style in which the King mixed'
with his subjects in their anlllsemetitS reel's!'
may be exemplified by the eonduct of the Royat
Party at Eghain- raCes, on 'the 29th of August,
when the King, Queer;, and five of the Princes-Ses
arrived on the course without Guards ,or cere
ninny, and
,were reedited by the Doke of Queens.
berry, who gave diem some account of the looses
that weft- to run. The
.Lord Mayor and Lady
Mayoress had some conversation %s hit their Ma-
jesties ; after which the 'King. appeared on the
'round on korseback, and conversed with the'
Clcsk of the course at different intervals, with the..
utmost eondezcension. During this time, the
Queen, PeinCess.bloyal, and Princess Elizabeth,
v.4re in an open landau, and the three younger
Princessse, in a coach.
Whilst in the • field, their Msjesties regaled
ihrieselves with cold beef, ham, and veal, and
se eine d to enjoy their lunch in the plain field man-
ner ; expressing themselves, oo Laviog the course,
much pleased with the day's snort.
" Indeed, their mixing thoceaMiliarly with their
subjects sometimes led io the most whimsical
occurrence, ; particularly on one ocession,sdoolly
alter the races, when returning Ilion London to
Windsor, in their post deoise, at their being set
down a number of children sorrounded the car-
riage, to see the Ki' g and Queen ; among whom
was a fine sturdy boy, who had that morning put
on short clothes for the firat time•
" His Majesty, ever .mrtentive even to the most
bumble, instantly Axed his eye on the cheerful
countenance of she child, and asked 'him whose
boy he was? to which the reply was, ':,lyl,:sher
is the King's beefeater.'
.Then' said she King.,
' down on your knee, and you shall sti the lid-
nour to kiss the Queen's hand ;',ro settles.. the boy
boldly replied—' No ! but I won't though ; be-
cause I shall dirt-my new .hreeehes. !'
" This extempore, but uncourtly repartee, had
such an effect upon their MajeSies, they
made the child a handsome present ; and repeeted
the story afteresards as an .excellent joke."
" The Kiug'i fondness for hunting was often
ridiculed ; but it ought to be recollected that his
great object was to adopt the severest exercise, itt
order to repress corpuiency... In the pursuit of
this amusement he was always, condesCendingly
happy to he accompanied by his subjects of etery
rank ; and he never tailed to find out, and con-
verse with, all those ,rho :appeared to be daring
• .. . •
riders.
" Indeed, whenever he understood that frotn
the arrives at Windsor there was a prohabality of
a 101 l fiehl, he always diee.cted a stag of speed and,
bottom to be selected for turning out ; and even
incressed the slumber of his.hueting.days in order
to gratify persons of respectability, who came
down expressly for that amusement.
" His attention to time 'pleasures of his. subjects
be manifested on many ol'..er points ; nnd, as
in
all business, and in every attaugement of time d ty,
he was as punctual as mime, so he always deemed
it essentiallyorecessat'y to observe the same punc-
tuality with. the audience of the theatres, when be
commanded an entertainment, There was one
instance of his being detahted by a special Coun-
cil, when a message came to the Managers, in less
then. half an hour after the usual time of begin-
ning the play, that his Majesty was prevented
from cooling.
" In this he followed the example of his illus-
trious grandfather, George 11., who once, when
business detaitted him a single quarter of an hoot'
which deferred the beginning of the play, as he
approached the front of his box, took out his
watch, and,'as it were, presenting its• dial to the
House, made a condescending how."'
Another instance is given doting the tour. to
Weymouth in 1789.
" In the evening the whole of the royal party
walked to an eminence in the forest, called the
Duke of Bolton's seat, in order to enjoy the rely
extensive prospect that may be seen front it. lit
this route they were attended by a very numerous
out respectful body of the tradespeople, who were
saved.from a complete wetting by his Mejesty',
skill in the weather ; for, on asking the name' of
a distant object, and being told it was Portsdown
Hill, the King, instantly turning round, and
looking at a black cloud, said, facetiously, " And
pray, Colonel, what prospect is that ?-1 fancy
if we don't get home, we shall soon know." lit
a moment all was hurry to return, and they were
just in, time to escape from a summer deluge. The
evening was spent in domestic amusements, and
in witoessing the slight-of-hand tricks of the then
celebrated Jonas, whom his Majesty instantly. re-
collectele 'after an interval of twenty years."
Indeed, even to the humblest, lie was affable,
as manifested by a little anecdote, connected with
the welhknowo visit to Whitbread's Brewery :
" Mr. Whitbread at this time was possessed of
a horse remarkable for his height ; amid the
horse•keeper, who bad charge of eighty hot sex
employed in the works, was so elated with the
presence of royalty, and the vanity of office, that
he boldly told the King be would show his Ma-
jesty the highest horse amongst his subjects '—
The good King smiled to see the poor fellow
on his high horse, went to see the animal, and
with good-natuted condescension permitted the
horse-keeper to expatiate upon his
He even went so tar as to guess at the height of
this cut iosity, which was upwards of seven-
teen hands, 'and to examine hint critically,
jog that his muscle was not in ptoportiou to hie
hone,"

(To be Contitntl.).

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4•
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4444htikyell
I,ittoojga

ItltillTS AND PRIVILEGES.

TO JOHN BULL. ESQ.

LETTER IX.
Msgr.: JoHN—T he hustle of Elections, and
the horrors of assassination behig now happily

over, you will have some leisure to attend to the
progrcss of our Correspondence, which has now
reached the first Establishment of England as a

Kingdom, followed by the reign of ALVRFD. it.
which we may trace the first germ of English
Liberty. Yet it was not until the reign of his
-descendant, ETHaLRED, in 079, that the English
Monarch was bound by a Coronation Oath.
It was at this period also that the gram! palla-
dium of English Liberty and Security, the Taw,
By Jusy, was first instituted, though the Trial by
Ordeal continued for some ages afterwards. Out
noisy Reformers might have been happy had they
lived at that period, and wig argot hive been happy
also had they done at, for previons to this time
Our taxes were but few, and Cuifotni and Duties
were now laid on for the first time. I question,
however, whether the Patriots of that day knew
much about personal liberty, or lite liberty of the
subject, for although the population bad been
thinned by a massacre of the Dunes in 1002, ye t
the practice of parents selling their children was
not forbidden, even by law, oat it 1015 ; two years
after which Colvturs, the Danish King, shinned
the population a little mote by a successful inva-
sion, gaining the Crown, which his sneccsi,:trs
held for some years afterwards, until the S-excHt
line was restored tinder EDWAIM Tilt; CONFVS,,oR.
Under such circumstancks your Saxon Ancestors
could not be very free, JouNNY ; anti though you
M'y bear much said about their liberties, in a
I:torten-1 pot house, I suspect that some of your
children have as much liberty in one day at Sp,-
fields or Palace-yard, as would have served th•tri
for a life time. I even doubt whether the gene-
ral notions of public liberty were intiAl unproved
by the larize importations of pour Norman Gentiy
tinder the CONPEssOft ; was It con their lan-
guage that the terms " and " Slaves"
iweie first introduced into English Cllslolll3 and
jilt() theEot;lish langtiage.
The subsequent Norman Conquest reduced all
the rights and privilege,. which lino could daunt,
JoHNNV, from your Soon attic-Store, to a mere
unliity; and fur those whicii you now possess,
you ate solely indebted to the good sense of
LIAM THE CONQUEBon, who, in die moment even
of Ptlsonal tyranny, was not forgetful of the ge-
neral welfare. eitablist.•ed a trust of common
Tight both for NorMoisS and Saionsy the nistitu•
tion of the CoNiNitiN Lp,w, fottoded upon Norillin
Costoots, and its much of the ancient Sixon Liws
as !ie chco.t. in adopt. This was now become the
more necessary, itio,niuch as, the Normans !ttid
Saxons were now inter nipgled by marriages,
giving With to your ancestors, though lieu tiny
few in nitntbtr.
_ .

We do not, indeed, possess ALFurD's Book of
'Winchester, 60 as to ascertain the Sax.,n Popula-
tion before the Conquest, ; but by Domesday Book
it is clear that, wilt, the exception of the Metro-
polis, there vs as not a single City which co,tained
ten thousand inhabilents. Ihe City of York,
Rich was the largest, had only 1-11 S houses, of
which, however, ,uly 878 were inhabited; and
if we allow the modern proportion of 51 to a
hnuNe, the Population could not exceed 5000.—
Nay the City of Warwick, which was so much
vaunted by the Writers of that period, bad only
223 houses, and Exeter 315.
Happily for London, it was of sufficient conse-
quence to obtain a new Charter front WILLIAM,
adding tO, and COUfirlllitlg that formerly granted
by Enwscp the Confessor ; soon after which tstoe
established Ccurts Leet, and Courts Baron, inTend‘d
indeed to pet ptitt,tc Baronial imwer, trot' which,
float their very mode of conformation, kept up
ideas of English Libery.
After this commenced the STATUTE LAW, but
PARLIAMENT as 014 a Council of Barons ; the
People had there no Representa,ives, and the
towns were even more oppressed by taxes titan
under the Saxon Dynasty. Indeed at the Con-
finest there was no Parliament in existence. The
Battle of Hastings was fout.:iht by Soldiers, and
the Croxn offered to WrcuAsi by the Nobility.
The people, as people, had nolning io no with
the business. All land then necatne the King's.
The Barons held only by military tenure. yree-
bold had no existence, even in baronial posses-
*ion ; of course tho Barons could not grant
Freeholds; yet a few Saxon tenures, it must be
confessed, were allowed to remain; some even
to near the Metropolis as in Surrey. The Vree•
holds in Cumberland do not come into the ac-
count, that county was thew a province of Scot-

land.
Vet Liberty was making silent strides in our
Jurisprudence; for Justices of the Peace were esta.
blished as tally as 1076. and in ihe next reign,
14 N ror 1. (wind it necessary to grant a Charter,
which was revived afterwards, and /farmed the
growl MAGNA cHARTA of hid) you, J(4l NN Y
have just reason to be proud, though that Charter
was never intended for your advantage, but solely
for the Barons, whose retaine►s your ancestors
were. Indeed your ancestors could know but
little about it, for it was mitten in Latin, as you
lonst have heard from the grand oisplay ot one ot
your modern Westminster Members, who was
teaching his boil to translate it, at the very mo-
ment when the Serjeamt-at-Arms of the House of
Commons found it necessary to remove his ‘'llor!,
ship from Piccadilly to the Tower, giving rise to
that grand procession when the Baronet tipped
cnu the go•by from Traitor's-gate to Bank-
side.
Having now arrived at this point of Modern
Returns, we shall postr►one our considerntir,o of
Ancient Rights until another opportunity, when
you shall Lear again lions your old friend,
itiNgreS.