Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-08-13


The FIRST OF THE GEoRGEs.-Delightful
as London city was King George L liked to be
out OF ii as much as ever he could /; and when
there, passed all his time with his Germans.
1t was with them as with Butcher. one hun.
dred years afterwards, when the bold reier
looked down from st Paul's and sighed out, q"
Was fur Plumber! The German woman plum.
dered the German secretaries plundered
even Mustapha and Mahomet, the German
negroes, had share of the booty. Take what
you can get, was the old monarch's maxim.
He was not lofty monarch certainly he
was not patron of the fine arts but he was
not hypocrite, he was not revengeful, he was
not extravagant Though despot i'll Han
over, he was moderate ruler in England. His
aim was to leave it to itself as much as posi-
Bile, and live out of it as much as he could. His
heart was in Hanover. When taken i'll on his
last journey, as he was passing through Ho
land, he thrust his lvid head out OF the coach
window, and gasped out, "Osnaburg, Osna-
burg He was more than fifty years of age
when he came amongst us we took him be-
cause we wanted him, because he served our
turn; we laughed at his uncouth German
ways, and sneered at him. He took our 10y.
ality for what it was worth laid hands on
what money he could kept us assuredly from
Popery and wooden shoes. |, for one would
have been on his side i'll those days Cynical
and selfish as he was, he was better than
king out of st. Germans, with the French
kings orders in his pocket, and a swarm of
Jesuts in mis- train.
The Fates are supposed to interest them.
selves about royal personages and SO this
one had omens and prophecies specially re-
gardng him. He was said to be much dis
lurbed at a prophecy that he should die very
soon after his wife and sure enough pallid
death having seized upon the luckless princess
in her castle of Anlden, presently pounced up
on IL. M. King George /. in his travelling
chariot, on the Hanover road. What position
can outride that pale h0rseman! 1t is said,
George promised one of his left.handed wild,
Ows to come to her after death if leave were
granted to him to revisit the glimpses of the
moon; and soon after his demise a great
raven actually flying or hopping in at the
Duchess OF Kerdar'S window at Twickenham,
she chose to imagine the kings spirit inhabit-
ed the plumes and took special care of her sable
vlstor-Atecting metempsy chosis-funereal
royal bird How pathetic is the idea of the
Duchess weeping over it When this chaste
addition to our English aristocracy died all
her jewels, her plate, her plumber, went over
to her relatives i'll Hanover. | wonder whether
her heirs took the bird and whether it is still
Tapping its wings over HerrUnhausen
The days are over in England of that strange
religion of king-worship, when priests fiattere4
princes in the Temple OF God when servility
was held to be ennobling duty; when beauty
and youth tried eagerly for royal favor and
woman's shame was held TO be no dishonor
Mended morals and mended manners in courts
and people, are among the priceless conse-
quenceS of the freedom which George |. came
to rescue and secure. He kept his compact
with his English subjects and, if he escaped no
more than other men and monarchs from the
vices of his age, at least we may thank him
for preserving and transmitting the liberties OF
ours. In cur free air, royal and humble
homes have alike been purified and truth,
the birthright of high aud low among us,
which quite tearlessly judges our greatest per
sonages, can only speak of them now in
words of respect and regard. There are
stains in the portrait of the first George, and
traits in it which none of us need admire :;
but among the nobler features are justice,
courage, mo1eration-and these we may rec
ognze ere we turn the picture to the wall.