Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-11
The Four Gesrxes.

The last Cornhill Magazine has the first Of
Thackeray's excellent lectures on GO The Four
Georges Of England" The following extract
therefrom relates to the life and times of
George L:
Delightful as London city was, King George
L liked TO be out of it as much as ever be could:
and when there passed all of his time with his
Germans. 1t was with them as with Blucher,
one hundred years afterwards, when the bold
old reiter looked down from ST. PauI's and
sighed out, ''Was for Plunder?" The Ger
man women plundered; the German secreta-
sizes plundered; the German cooks and intend
ants plundered; even Mustapha and Mahomet,
the German negroes, had share of the booty
Take what you can get, was the old monarch 8
maxim. He was not lofty monarch certain
ly; he was not patron of the fine arts; but he
was not hypOcrite, be was not revengeful, he
was not extravagant Though a despot in
Hanover he was a moderate ruler in England
His aim was to leave it to itself as much as pos
sible, and to live out of it as much as he could
His heart was in Hanover. When taken ill on
his last journey. as he was passing through
Holland, he thrust his livid head out of the
coach window, and gasped out, ''Osnaburg
Osnaburg!" He was more than fifty years of
age when he came amongst us; we took him
because We wanted him, because he served our
turn; we laughed at his uncOuth German way,
and sneered at him. He took our loyalty for
what it was worth; laid hands on what money
he could; kept US assuredly from Popery and
wooden shoes. 1, for one, would have been on
his side in 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 Jesuits in his train
The Fates are supposed to interest them-
selves about royal personages; and so this one
had omens and prophecies specially regarding
him. He was said to be much disturbed 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 Ahlden, presently pounced upon II. NJ King
George IN bis travelling chariot, on the Han
over road. What position can Outride that
pale horseman! 1t is said, George promised
one of his left-handed widows to come to her
after death II leave were granted to him to re-
visit the glimpses Of the moon; and soon after
his demise, great raven actually flying or
hopping in at the Duchess of Kerdar s window
at Twickenham she chose to imagine the king's 5
spirit inhabited these plumes and took special
care Of her sable visitor. Affecting metempsy-
chosis-funereal royal bird How pathetic is
the idea Of the Duchess weeping over it When
this chaste addition TO our English aristocracy v
died, all her jewels, her plate, her plunder,
went over to her relations in Hanover.
wonder whether her heirs took the bird, and
whether it is still tapping its wings over Her
renhausenl
The days are over in England Of that strange
religion of king worship, when priests iattered
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 I 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
hlm Tor preserving and transmitting the liber-
ties OF ours. In our free air, royal and hum
Die homes have alike been purified; and truth,
the birthright Of high and low among us which
quite fearlessly judges our greatest personages
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 feat.
ures are justice, courage, moderation and