Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-05-28
HAS BOOKS or:
!. WILLIAM ".
Navy Lists, With Comments On
Superior Officers, in New
York Library.
WASHINGTON GREATEST MAN
King of England So Termed Him in a
Speech Long After His Visit to
New York-Eighteenth Cen.
g. .. fury Slang. -

= - fury Slang. ~
New York.-Under the title "a
Kings Books" attention is invited
by the New York Public library to the
very human personal comments and
titles bestowed on his superior officers
by British prince, in annotations
made by his own hand, during his serv.
ice afloat in one of his majesty's ships.
In the Bulletin, recently published,
are described some old volumes OF
British navy lists, once the property of
William ", "the sailor king" A num-
Der of the volumes have his autograph
signature, william Henry" on the
title page, with his naval rank at that
date, and the name Of his ship. Such
is the case with the list of 1885, when,
in addition to his name, he has signed
himself Lieutenant" of the "Hebe."
'The young prince had amused him.
SELF according to the Bulletins edf.
tor, by annoting certain volumes of
the set, (which he seems to have had
in his cabin and, If the com.
ment opposite the name Of his grace
the duke Of Bolton, admiral of the
White, looks suspiciously like the word
mad it may be that the prince, even
as a lieutenant, was in a position to
know whereof he wrote. It was
by nc means the only comment at his
disposal. The Right Hon. George Lord
Viscount Mount Edgecumbe, admiral
of the White, is tersely described as
damned miser.' This is in the list
for 1852
Eighteenth Century Slang.
Reference is made to other express
sions mysterious today to every one
excepting those familiar with sailors
slang of the eighteenth century; 9th.
ers whose significance has no shade of
doubt-the blunt language Of the GUAR.
ter-deck or the barracks" And there
hand" possibly his own, when he had
succeeded to the throne, chad seen fit
TO cut out with sharp penknife."
GAIL are in keeping with the charac.
ter Of the man who, when he became
king, over forty years later, was
known for his good humor-but also
for his seafaring manners" says the
writer. In stressing his "bluff and
hearty nature" the library publication
cites the fact that, Eat tie most solemn
moment in his life, as he acceded to
the throne, and spoke of his late SOY.
ereign and brother, George w, with
as much feeling as anyone not a
trained actor could put into his voice
for that monarch" he INSTANTLY added
in his usual easy-going gruffness, as
he affixed his first signature as king to
some papers of state: "This is q
damned bad pen you have given me-"
OF more vital interest to New York.
ers is the princes connection with
| their own city of Manhattan. GAS
Prince William Henry the king stayed
for some time in New York, with the
British military and naval forces then
| 17S2) occupying the city, contrary to
the wishes of General Washington and
the American army, encamped in New
Jersey. The prince had his quarters
| in Hanover square, and skated, ac.
cording to tradition, on the Collect
pond. Colonel Ogden of the First Jer.
sey regiment formed an elaborate and
well-matured plan to capture the
prince and his admiral and take them
into Washington's camp. General
Washington approved the plan.
Thought Washington Greatest Man.
Something seems to have affected
! the prince fayorably toward this coun.
try and its first president. He had
!; Throughout life, an extraordinary
weakness for making speeches, some
/ of which were not remarkable for theil
tact. :. A happier example of his
oratory was afforded when he was
king and happened to be entertaining
a group of gentlemen which included
the American minister. He was seized
with his fatal habit Of making s
Speech and said that it had Away.
been with him q matter of serious re
greet that he had not been born free
/ independent American, so great wa.
his respect for that nation. He sale
/ that he considered Washington tn,
greatest man that ever lived.
/ Coming as this did from the kin,
of England, compliment could go N
further"
The acquiring by the library Of Sc
of British Army LISTS" beginnin,
1 with the year 1755 and ended witt
1912, dates back to the Astor nbrar.
and the time when Doctor Cogswell
its first librarian, was in Europe "witl
his princely endowment in his pocket
''These books" says the Bulletin
''had been the property of William Nv
king of Great Britain and Ireland, AM
of one or another of his sons, and the,
bear the bookpiates Of one or more q
these persOnages." +
u