Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-11
Y. WH1TRiORE.
Publisher and Proprietor
A KINGS MADNESS.

One day Miss Burney was walk
ing in the garden at Kew, when
she saw the king, whom she sup
posed very insane, coming toward
her. To avoid meeting him she
ran off at full speed. But the king
was not to be disappointed Of his
chance of meeting pretty woman,
and so ran after her. The kings
attendants were alarmed, and ran
after him; but the king proved the
swiitest runner, and soon caught
up with the charming queens
maid, and throwing his arms
around her, kissed her. He then
informed her that he was as well
as ever he had been in his life, and
that he wished to talk with her on
affairs of state.
Miss Burney was at first terribly
frightened, but soon. gained her
selT-possession, and enjoyed one Of
the most pleasant interviews with
the king that she ever had while
in the service Of the royal family.
Another time, while the king
was breakfasting at Kew, the great
scarcity Of beef which was then
prevailing in England became the
subject of conversation.
"Why do not people plant some
beef ?" asked the king.
Upon being told that beef could
not be raised from the seed, he
seemed equally incredulous. He
took some bits of beefsteak and
went into the garden and planted
them. The next morning he went
out to see if they had sprouted, and
found there some snails. Thinking
they were oxen, he was heard call.
ing out:
''Here they are, here they are
Charlotte, horns and all p
Age at last battered his decaying
tabernacle, and his life became
more Lear-like as the twilight
shadows began to fall. His sympa
thies seemed to take a wider range,
and his charity to gather new sweet
ness as the evening of age came on
! In 1886, a poor insane woman
ma med Margaret Nicholson, at
tempted to assassinate him as hC
WAS in t'be act of stepping from his
| carriage. The king, on finding
that she was insane, remembered
| his own frailty, spoke of her witt
| great pity, and tried to disarm the
popular prejudice against her.
In 1890, John Firth, an insant
man, attempted the kings life, an(
another luhatic shot at him IL
1900, for each of whom the kin9
was moved to extreme pity when h'
understood the nature Of thell
malady.
One gloomy day a messenger
came to the kings room to an
nounce that his daughter Ameli'
| had breathed her last.
This calamity was too much fol
the king; reason began to wave
and soon took its flight.
"This was caused by poor Anne
lia," he was heard saying, as tn,
shadows opened and the drear,
winter of age came stealing on.
"Thoult come no more,
Never, never, never, never. neverl
This was in 1910. The remain
ing ten years of his life were passed
with the exception of a few br,e
intervals, in the long night 0
mindlessness, and the last eigh
years we're still more deeply shad
owed by the loss Of sight.
In May. 1871, he appeared ono
, outside Of the castle of Windsor
and henceforth the people saw hin
no more.
Withdrawn from all eyes bu
those that watched his necessities
in silence and in darkness, crown
less, throneless, sceptreless, ther
was for him neither sun, moon no
stars, empire, wife nor child.
The seasons came and went, th
springtime lighted up the hills an
autumn withered the leaves, th
summer sunshine dreamed in th
flowers, and the SHOWS Of winte
fell; battles were fought; Waterlo
| A