The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-08
A LOVING ROYAL COUPLE.

The Lisbon correspondent of London paper
gives the following description ofthe Queen and
her husband, and of life among the palaces:
Nothing, it seems, can exceed the dulness OF
the life led in that region. The Queen and King,
unless they visit the opera, retire to bed at ten
O'Clock every night, and at eleven, or halfpast,
the whole palace is as dark and silent as the
catacombs, save where the tuneful notes of the
snorer steal upon the ear, and the rushlght sheds
its brilliant rays. The royal couple who are as
fond as Darby and Joan, or any. other equally
celebrated patterns of conjugal affection, see no
thing to find fault with in this mode of living
but the maids Of honor, having no one to take
care for or to care for them in particular, within
the dreary precincts uf the "Necessldades," de-
clare with many sigh that it is quite insupport-
able During the winter season her Majesty
receives company one night in each week; but
these soirees are so formal and insipid-so ut
terly devoid of cheerfulness, from the stiff cere
monial with which every thing is cramped, that
il appears they are voted tenfold greater bore
than even the absolute solitude they are intended
to relieve This will be easily conceived when
il is known that the ladies' are all in one room
and the men in another, and that the latter are
not allowed chairs TO sit upon that being con
trary to etiquette Under such circumstances,
dancing is Of course, out of the question, unless
those Of each sex were to dance separately and
card-playing equally so, unless the gentlemen
choose to stand round the whist table, which
would be both novel and funny sight. Fir
tation is, in like manner, under practical inter
dict, except perhaps, a little distant ogling and,
in short, there is nothing to beguile the tedious
hours through which these delightful soirees drawl
ont ill itpeases their Maesties to bid their yawn
ing guests /" TO each and all fair good night
but musc-and that not always of a sort at all
likely ito soothe the savage breast' by the power
of its charms An ocean oflemonade and lash
ings of cakes complete the entertainment
The Queen. il seems, is delighted with her
handsome husband beyond all measure, and he
not the less so with her. When they ramble
about the garden, which they do for hours to
gether every day, instead Of leaning on his arm.
thew usually walk hand in hand like Adam and
Eve in Paradise. Whenever he returns home,
after ever so short an absence, the moment she
hears him approaching away goes the embro-
dery, or whatever else she may have in hand,
and off she starts like shot (and pretty heavy
one too) to meet him. OF course, as might be
expected. her Majesty is now and then beset by
the green-eyed monster but assuredly without
lust cause. for all accounts agree IN representing
her spouse AS young man OF the purest morals
and the most circumspect conduct. He is OF
verv domestic disposition, has little taste for field
sports and amuses himself principally in draw
ing an art in which he is said TO be proficient,
as an amateur, requiring, perhaps, Gas was said
of somebody else) only little poverty TO make
him clever professional artist. Each OF the
two little princes is under the care Of foreign
governess, whose task is to instruct them practi-
cally (for they are yet too young to be initiated
in the deep mysteries of the alphabet) IN the
English and German languages The Prince
Royal, chubby -faced faxen-headed lIttle-iel-
low, not vet four years old, prattles away IN no
To- han foVr different 10 wit. The
English, Portuguese, German, and French.
The other child Don Lewis, is too young yet TO
speak much but the little he can say is the Ian
guage Of his dry nurse, English,