University of Virginia Library

Letter from his Royal Highness the Prince Regent to the Duke of York, Feb. 13. 1812.

“I think it hardly necessary to call your recollection to the recent circumstances under which I assumed the authority delegated to me by Parliament.” —Prince's Letter.

“My sense of duty to our Royal father solely decided that choice.” —Ibid.

The antique shield of Martinus Scriblerus, which, upon scouring, turned out to be only an old sconce.

“I waved any personal gratification, in order that his Majesty might resume, on his restoration to health, every power and prerogative,” &c. —Prince's Letter.

“And I have the satisfaction of knowing that such was the opinion of persons for whose judgment,” &c. &c. —Ibid.

The letter-writer's favourite luncheon.

“I certainly am the last person in the kingdom to whom it can be permitted to despair of our royal father's recovery.” —Prince's Letter.

“A new era is now arrived, and I cannot but reflect with satisfaction,” &c. —Ibid.

“I have no predilections to indulge,—no resentments to gratify.” —Prince's Letter.

“I cannot conclude without expressing the gratification I should feel if some of those persons with whom the early habits of my public life were formed would strengthen my hands, and constitute a part of my government.” —Prince's Letter.

“You are authorized to communicate these sentiments to Lord Grey, who, I have no doubt, will make them known to Lord Grenville.” —Prince's Letter.

“I shall send a copy of this letter immediately to Mr. Perceval.” —Prince's Letter.

See Prior's poem, entitled “The Dove.”

P*rc*v*l.

In allusion to “the Book” which created such a sensation at that period.

The incog. vehicle of the Pr---ce.

Baron Geramb, the rival of his R. H. in whiskers.

England is not the only country where merit of this kind is noticed and rewarded. “I remember,” says Tavernier, “to have seen one of the King of Persia's porters, whose mustaches were so long that he could tie them behind his neck, for which reason he had a double pension.”

A rhetorical figure used by Lord C*stl*r---gh, in one of his speeches.

Colonel M---cm---h---n.

One of those antediluvian Princes, with whom Manetho and Whiston seem so intimately acquainted. If we had the Memoirs of Thoth, from which Manetho compiled his History, we should find, I dare say, that Crack was only a Regent, and that he, perhaps, succeeded Typhon, who (as Whiston says) was the last King of the Antediluvian Dynasty.

Edward Byrne, the head of the Delegates of the Irish Catholics.

The ancients, in like manner, crowned their Lares, or Household Gods. See Juvenal, Sat. 9. v. 138.—Plutarch, too, tells us that Household Gods were then, as they are now, “much given to War and penal Statutes.”—εριννυωδεις και ποινιμους δαιμονας.

Certain tinsel imitations of the Shamrock which are distributed by the Servants of C---n House every Patrick's Day.

The sobriquet given to Lord Sidmouth.

This and the following are extracted from a Work, which may, some time or other, meet the eye of the Public—entitled “Odes of Horace, done into English by several Persons of Fashion.”

Charles Fox.

The Noble Translator had, at first, laid the scene of these imagined dangers of his Man of Conscience among the Papists of Spain, and had translated the words “quæ loca fabulosus lambit Hydaspes” thus—“The fabling Spaniard licks the French;” but, recollecting that it is our interest just now to be respectful to Spanish Catholics (though there is certainly no earthly reason for our being even commonly civil to Irish ones), he altered the passage as it stands at present.

I cannot help calling the reader's attention to the peculiar ingenuity with which these lines are paraphrased. Not to mention the happy conversion of the Wolf into a Papist, (seeing that Romulus was suckled by a wolf, that Rome was founded by Romulus, and that the Pope has always reigned at Rome,) there is something particularly neat in supposing “ultra terminum” to mean vacation-time; and then the modest consciousness with which the Noble and Learned Translator has avoided touching upon the words “curis expeditis,” (or, as it has been otherwise read, “causis expeditis,”) and the felicitous idea of his being “inermis” when “without his wig,” are altogether the most delectable specimens of paraphrase in our language.

I must here remark, that the said Dick M*rt*n being a very good fellow, it was not at all fair to make a “malus Jupiter” of him.

There cannot be imagined a more happy illustration of the inseparability of Church and State, and their (what is called) “standing and falling together,” than this ancient apologue of Jack and Jill. Jack, of course, represents the State in this ingenious little Allegory.

That model of Princes, the Emperor Commodus, was particularly luxurious in the dressing and ornamenting of his hair. His conscience, however, would not suffer him to trust himself with a barber, and he used, accordingly, to burn off his beard.—“timore tonsoris,” says Lampridius. (Hist. August. Scriptor.) The dissolute Ælius Verus, too, was equally attentive to the decoration of his wig. (See Jul. Capitolin.)— Indeed, this was not the only princely trait in the character of Verus, as he had likewise a most hearty and dignified contempt for his Wife.—See his insulting answer to her in Spartianus.

In allusion to Lord Ell---nb---gh.

Lord C*stl*r---gh.

He had recently been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

An allusion to Lord Eld---n's lachrymose tendencies.

“Of the taxes proposed by Mr. Vansittart, that principally opposed in Parliament was the additional duty on leather.” Ann. Register.

The character given to the Spanish soldier, in Sir John Murray's memorable despatch.

The literal closeness of the version here cannot but be admired. The Translator has added a long, erudite, and flowery note upon Roses, of which I can merely give a specimen at present. In the first place, he ransacks the Rosarium Politicum of the Persian poet Sadi, with the hope of finding some Political Roses, to match the gentleman in the text— but in vain: he then tells us that Cicero accused Verres of reposing upon a cushion “Melitensi rosâ fartum,” which, from the odd mixture of words, he supposes to be a kind of Irish Bed of Roses, like Lord Castlereagh's. The learned Clerk next favours us with some remarks upon a well-known punning epitaph on fair Rosamond, and expresses a most loyal hope, that, if “Rosa munda” mean “A Rose with clean hands” it may be found applicable to the Right Honourable Rose in question. He then dwells at some length upon the “Rosa aurea,” which, though descriptive, in one sense, of the old Treasury Statesman, yet, as being consecrated and worn by the Pope, must, of course, not be brought into the same atmosphere with him. Lastly, in reference to the words “old Rose,” he winds up with the pathetic lamentation of the Poet “consenuisse Rosas.” The whole note indeed shows a knowledge of Roses, that is quite edifying.