Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-19

10 impose upon people because he omit
ed "Mr." on his card, giving simply his name,
"prince Saunders" leaving it to be inferred,
says Mr.. Leslie, that he was ga native African
prince I" In the first place, it is so improba"
BILE that the Countess of Cork would mistake
one with the manners of gentleman, who
spoke the English language correctly, and was
well known an American, for "a native AT
rican prince" The story is unworthy of a
moments belief, whether he wrote "Mr" be
fore his name or not.
The anecdote of the call on the Boston fam.
lily in London is very unfairly stated, particu-
larly where it is remarked that the lady would
''in Boston have sent him into the kitchen to
lunch with her servants" The correct ver-
sion, have no doubt. is given in Mrs Child's
Appeal published in 1886, page 1874, thus /:
"The anecdote of prince Saunders is well
known but it will bear repeating. He called
upon an American family, then residing in
London; the fashionable breakfast hour was
very late, and the family were still seated at
the table. The lady fidgetted between the
contending claims of politeness and prejudice.
AT last, when all but herself had risen from the
table, she said, as if struck by sudden thought
Mr. Saunders, l forgot to ask if you had
breakasted.' L thank you, Madam replied
the cOored gentleman, but have engaged to
breakfast with the prince regent George ~.
knew prince Saunders will hesitate to say that
Mr.. Leslie was msinformed, or drew largely
on his fancy, in reference to the story concern"
ing his having left party at his own lodgings
to go to one at Lady Curk's. IL is too improb-
able for belief.
AT Sir Joseph Banks party, Leslie thinks it
quite improper in Saunders 'to bow and
smile in acceptance of the compliment" when
one of the mobiles present observed to him,
that "what rprised him was that Saunders
spoke English so we'll" What Mr. Leslie
would have Mr.. Saunders do in such a case,
he has not told us. But most persons ap-
prehend, would have said that he did what
was strictly proper. Nothing was more com
mon, few years ago, than tor Euglishmen to
compliment Americans, and particularly ma
tives OF New England, on their pronunciation
of the English language. Mr.. Leslie would
intimate that Mr. Saunders was indebted to
his fortunate cogn0men for the many atten-
tons he received in England. This sugges-
ton l regard as singularly unfortunate, for
several reasons. Prince went to England as
fellow passenger with several merchants, and
others, of Boston, who knew him well, and it
could not have been that those gentlemen
would have failed to make so rare a passenger
extensively known; besides, he would of
course take letters of introduction to distin-
guished persons in England, any desirable
number of which he could have readily pro-
cured. Therefore, no intelligent gentleman or
lady in the circles where Saunders moved
could have been ignorant OF his being an
American, particularly as his use of the En-
glish language was very correct and fluent,
his pronunciation scrupulousy accurate, and
the undulations of his voice and his artlcua-
ton faultless. He had the manners of an &C.
c0mplished gentleman, always punctilious in
nh pf fasb nd
this will not appear strange when it is consd
cred that he had received classical education
and that he was cherished as friend and as
sociate by men who moved in the best social
and literary circles in Boston. Though Prince
was one of the blacklist of the black, the writer
of this article has many times seen him walk
ing arm in arm, in the streets Of Boston, with
gentlemen in all respects of the highest stand
ing in the community.