The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-16

rent, and it was made a matter of in
quiry in the House of Commons. Fox
denied emphatically that it had taken
place. This seemed to be going too
far to suit the prince and a few days
afterwards Sheridan, it is supposed in
compliance with his wishes, made an
enigmatical speech which could be
taken in any sense and at which, we
are told, the members of the House
smiled.
The will made by George Nv. when
\ he was supposed to be dying and which
| has recently come to light is the
strongest proof that he considered
himself lawfully married to Lady Fitz-
herbert In that document he ex-
presses his will to leave all his prop
erty Of every description, denomina-
ton and sort, personal and other, to
my Maria Fitzherbert, my wife, the
wife of my heart and soul. Although
by the laws of this country she could
not avail herself publicly of that name.
still such she is in the eyes of heaven,
was, is, and ever will be such in mine.
And for the truth of which assertion
appeal to that Gracious God Whom 1
have here invoked to witness this my
last disposition of my property, to.
gether with such explanations and
| declarations as are necessary for me
| to make, to enable me to quit this
| life with a clear conscience, and even
without a sigh, except at the thought
| of leaving her (and perhaps too with
out first receiving the blessin of her
forgiveness), who is my real and true
wife, and who is dearer to me, even
millions of times dearer to me, than
that life l am now going to resign"
So much for the marriage. Now in
Difference to the wishes of his father,
and to preserve his title to the throne,
George ". was led few years after
wards to marry according to English
law Caroline of Brunswick. His UNI
happy life and final separation within
tories tell. To appease his creditors
and to please hi. father, he had bound
himself TO the German Princess, but
he row resolved to return to his only
lawful wife. Finding her unwilling to
forgive him for his conduct he began
t" threaten. He, of all men in the
world, would proclaim their marriage
and claim her as his wife, if it cost
him his Kingdom. Such an announce
nlent would of course. have meant
ruin TO the prince himself, but it would
also have involved the witnesses to
the marriage, Mrs. Fitzherbert's I'M
Gle and brother, and exposed them to
the penalties of praemunire-banish-
ment and the confscation of their
property. And there was another as
nect to the case, che man was her
husband and claimed her-was it open
to her 70 refuse to go? For nearly
four years she resisted, and then de-
rided To submit all the facts to the
Judgment If Re me and to abide by the
decision. 1 he answer came that the
prince was her husband, and her first
duty was to him. Eight years later
came the final separation. when the
prince fell under other influences
1t onl! remains to recall the fact
that RrouEham in his Memoirs tells of
his determination, if Queen Caroline's
| case had been pressed against her, in
| the last ,esort to use the marriage
with Mrs. Fitzherbert as Il means of
tumbling George w. himself from his
throne. What Brougham surmised,
and thought he could induce Parlia-
ment to believe, we now have docu-
mentary proof of.
| And now we leave royalty and the
peerage and go over to the East End
of London to st. Georges parish and
to Wrapping. the abode of small
tradeslncn, of ship chambers and sea-
faring men.
| In the year 1870 we find one Robert
Ord and his wife, Helen, Roman Cath
olcs dwelling in the parish of ST
Georges in the East End, London.
In August. 1878. Mrs. Ord then a