Page images
PDF
EPUB

fplendor of the ladies, who vied with each other, on this occafion, in beauty and elegance, nothing perhaps has ever yet been feen equal to it, either in this or any other country. But what reflects the greatest honour on the royal perfonage, by whofe munificence it was given, all manner of gaming was totally prohibited, to the great difappointment of rooks and tharpers, who expected to have made a moft plentiful harvest on this occafion.

The value of the jewels, which were worn on this occasion, was supposed to amount to not less than two millions of money.

Epigram on Mrs. Rofs's performing Night, at the Masquerade.

Behold, in character of Night,

All clad in dark array,

Fanny appears!--the thought how right!---
Fanny has had her day.

:

On the 11th he went to Drury-lane play-house, to see Mr. Garrick play Lufignan in Zara. The play was advertifed to begin at feven o'clock, which was an hour later than ufual. At feven the houfe was quite full of the beft company; a great number of the principal nobility being there. The king of Denmark did not appear till a confiderable time after the audience however waited with the greatest good humour, and not one person throughout the whole boufe was feen or heard to manifeft the fmalleft degree of diflike. When they had thus patiently waited near half an hour, one of the actors came upon the tage, and informed the audience, that the king of Denmark had fent word, he was detained upon particular bufinefs, and had defired that the play might begin; but the performer very politely left it to the audience, whether they would wait till the king of Denmark came, which he apprehended would be in about ten minutes, or begin the play immediately upon which the whole houfe, with one voice, cried No! No! we will wait. The ten minutes expired, and no King appeared. The audience (which was very extraordinary) waited chearfully; they were not in the least diffatisfied. In about five minutes more his Danish majesty appeared, when he was faluted with fuch loud and unanimous fhouts of applaufe, as were never heard in that houfe before. He was accompanied by the Earl Temple in the ftage box, with whom he converfed during greatest part of the time,

[ocr errors]

Next day, the 12th, he took leave of the royal family, the nobility, &c. This day obferving a number of poor people under the windows of his apart ments, he threw feveral handfulls of gold amongst them.

On the 13th, at nine in the morning, he fet out for Dover, in his way to Paris. In his way thither he viewed Chatham and other places.

In general he was extremely affable and condefcending, conftantly fhewing himfelf whenever the people were in expectation of seeing him, and generous to profufion.

When the king of France received information of his Danish majefty's intention to vifit his kingdom, he directly ordered two of the firft dukes of France to wait for him at Calais, and attend him to Paris, which was done accordingly?

The REVIEW of Books is obliged to be deferred to our next

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

DATE

The Colonies Reduced.

Design'd & Engravd for the Political Registr

[blocks in formation]

THE

POLITICAL REGISTER,

For DECEMBER, 1768.

NUMBER XXI.

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

A LETTER to the MAN who thinks himfelf MINISTER,

My L

Nov. 1768

AM fo little known to your, although you are so much so to me, that to give you any personal reasons why I address myself to you at this time, can be of little confequence either to the public, your, or myself : But the eminent ftation in which you have fo fuddenly, for amazingly, and so unhappily been placed, the critical fituation your double conduct has brought you into, and your being at the opening of which, in all pro- ' bability your thinks, you have had the greatest share in forming, are all inducements for one who wishes well

VOL. III,

[blocks in formation]

to the public, to fet before you the light you appear in to the world, and those infurmountable difficulties you have brought upon this ftrange mixed adm―n, with regard to every national concern, that has been totally neglected, for the more interesting pursuit of your pleasure and your

avarice.

Your, who never took any ftep in public or private life, without a view to your own intereft, and who to promote that defirable end, never fcrupled to deceive and betray whomfoever you had any dealings with, may poffibly attribute this letter to fome private motive or defign of my own, instead of that public one I have professed; but to free you from any conjectures of that fort, I will affure you, that I never will have any tranfaction with you of any kind, having long had reason to believe the character your

[ocr errors]

has eftablished in the world (which is confirmed by fome of your late affociates) is too justly founded, not to make me fhun any commerce with you as a man and as a mr (it makes me laugh to call you fo) the contemptible opinion I have of you in common with the rest of my fellow fubjects, has equally determined me never to deferve your favour, though I will your efteem; for even a bad man must reverence a good one.

I will avoid all retrofpection to that early period of your political fally, when you endeavoured to establish a patriotic character by the most indecent and most violent personal abuse of that very favourite, at whofe feet you have fince fallen proftrate, fued for your pardon, and to whom not only devoted yourself, but for whom you also bafely facrificed that very man that led you forth, to whom you vowed all kind of devotion, and who, was fo deceived in you, as to have placed you in that very office you now disgrace, by making ufe of the power belonging to it, to facrifice not only that once great idol of yours, but every friend he has, and with whom you lately profeffed fuch close connections.

This, my 1, is known to all the world, and I fhall not dwell upon it; as fuch a hint of it, is fufficient to carry people's reflection back for a moment to thofe times, and

confe

« PreviousContinue »