Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-02
LIT II A II Y
From the London Anihen<um-
MEMOIRS OF MRS rITzHERBERT

his wife
The lady thus named was born exactl, eentur!
ago. She was the daughter of Hampshire gentle
man. Walter Smythe, Esq, and was yet child wber
on seeing Louis the Fifteenth dining in public at Yer
sallles she laughed aloud at the Kings awkwardnes
in pulling n chchen To pieces. At the age of nine
teen, In the very spring time of beauty which sh
retained almost to her latest years, Mary Smyth
married Mr. Weld OF Lulworth Castle Mr.. Niel,
died in a few months Three years later the younl
widow contracted second marriage with a Stafford
shire gentlemen, Mr.. Fitzherbert But her wcddcc
life was subject to sudden breaks Mr. Fitzhcrber
died in consequence of bathing when in an overhead
el state from his exeriious in the Gordon riots. N
twenty five the lady again widow, with an IN
dependent property OF $4,000 year, "A charming dis'
position and considerable personal attractions She
kept her widowhood at Richmond, and might have
been the heroine of that popular ballad, (Which
Prince Florizel himself might have written)
would crowns resign o call her mine
Sweet lass vt Richmond iiill
The Lass Of Richmond Hin nearly had n crown
brought to her feet. George, the FAT aud fair young
Prince, already wearied with his poor Perdita saw
the brilliant young beauty His heart was, as he
said, seriously affected the fair widow divided his
Affections with the bottle, and he became assidu-
uous wooer whom Mrs Fizherber rs assiduously
endeavored TO avoid The coyness OF the nymph on
IL the more inaamed the swain. But the lady was
ahdnraie and remained deaf 10 all cg,reatY, TIL
Kcii the surgeon, Lord OnsloW, Lord Southampton,
aud Mr. Edward Bouseres, arrived nj her house in
The utmost CONSERVATION, informing her that the life
Of the Prince in imminent danger-thai he had
abbcd himself and TINT only her immediate pres-
ence could save him There probably never
man SO ridiculous when playing the part of lover
a. the Prince of Wales. To have himself hled- ia
order that he might look pale and interesting in the
ewes of the Cynthia of the minute, with him
unusual trick On this OCCASION however II was
positively declared that he had stabbed himself and
the four male emissaries of Love besough the young
widow to hasten and heal the wound After
decent resistance, she proceeded 10 Carlton House
She went ththcr under the very proper guardianship
Of the Duchess of peeonshire When she reached
the place she found the Prince pale and covered
with blood. The sight are told, $50 oterpow-
cred her faculties that she deprived almost of all
consciousness The Prince told her that nothing
could odnce him to live, unless she promised 10 be
eoe his wife and permitted him 10 put ring nroud
her finger. II is believed that the Duchess of Dew
onshire supplied the ring that was to be the solemn
pledge Of love, and So for the moment ended Ger
cmouy which will remind the reader Of Les Noees
ale Gamache
Some Of Mrs. Fitzherherts friends, TO whom the
character and the manner, of Prince Forzel were
well known seem to have small faith in this snngnin-
AIRY egend. iord Strouton asked her whether she
did not believe THAI some trick had been pmetiscd
aid that il was not se.el The blood Of His Royal
lighness 2 The lady, however had faith in both
the lover and the legend She believed all she was
told and all she saw and, moreover TO maintain her
faith, "she had frequently seen the scar She adj
lied with amazing simplicity for young lady who
had buried two husbands as piece Of corroboratyc
evidence, that some brandy and water near his
bedside when she called 10 him on the day that
he wounded himself
However satisfied the Prince may have been with
bis trick, the lady speedily grew frightened and re-
penied narrative was drawn up of what had
passed, the persons present signed it witnesses,
he young widow entered her protest gainst the
whole proceeding declared that she had not been n
rec agent, aud forthwith fed beyond the sea- to Ak
a-Chapelle and subsequently to Holland. The wound
ii Prince went down into. the country, to Lord
for change Of air
The romance, of course, did not end here-the plot
py thickened. In Holland the fugitive lady became
intimate with the Princess of Grange, who at that
cry time was the object of negotiation with the Roy
/ Family of England for the heir apparent The
Princess all uaconse ious that her most dangerous
1val was her very dear friend questioned her close
y touching the prinees lover in whom she contem-
plated her future husband. What Mrs Fitzherhert
exported upon the matter not told but she in
ormed her friends that she often placed in cir
of considerable embarrassment but her
'bject being we are directed to observe To
freak through her own engagements, she not the
ypocrite she might have appeared afterwards ms she
would have been very happy to have mrthered this al
lance"
She remained year the Continent cndeayoring
n her own phrase, To fight or the perious honors
hat continued to be offered to- nay pressed upon
Ter. She traNerscd France and Switzerland, whittier
curriers', bearing ardent dispatches, followed her
ith much speed, and in such numbers, that the
1lelous French Government at last caught three of
hem and very uneeremoniously elapped them into
prison. But what cannot lovers and especially prince
y lovers, effect? The strongest proof we can name
Of the depth and strength of the attachment of the
English heir apparent, is the fact that he once wrote
love-eter OF seven and thirty pages in which long
etter he asserted that George the Third wonld con-
nlve at the union. We have less satisfactory Incl
lent In the circumstance that the notorious Egalite
Duke OF Orleans was the love-agent for the Prince
Between principal and agent the lady softened She
was fearful of the desperation of her royal lover
and she finally consented to return to England and
become his wife. Immediately after her arrival she
was married to the Prince, told, "aceording
TO the rites of the Catholic Church in this country
"A statement which does not very clearly agree with
what is stated in subsequent sentence. Her UNI
Gle, Harry Errlngton, and her brother Jack Smythe,
bong witnesses to the contract along with the Prot
estant clergyman who oihcated at the ceremony No
Roman Catholic Priest oficated A certificate of
this marriage is extant in the handwriting of the
Prince and with his signature and that of Mary Fitz-
herbert. The witnesses names were added but
at the earnest request of the parties in time of dam
ger they were afterwards cut by Mrs Fitzherbert
herself witi-her own scissors, to them from the
peril of the law"
Our readers know how the public and parliament
tary attention directed TO this Illegal marriage
how Fox directly addressed himself to the Prince
how the latter boldly denied the fact of the marriage
and how his % dear Charles was made the mouth
piece Of his denial in the face of the House Of Com
mons. Mrs. Fitzherbert indignant, but her in
digration was softened by repeated assurances "
given by her mendacous husband that Fox had new
er been authorised to make the declaration. The
f" wife and no wife" seems to have been sorely per-
picked, but her friends informed her that she
bound to accept the word of her husband "The
public supported her by their conduct on this occa-
sion, for at no period of her life their visits SC
numerous at her house as the day which followed
Mr.. foxs memorable speech; and to use her owr
expression the knocker was never still during th'
whole day."
To Sheridan, who had Informed her that Parlia