THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE | 



OF 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND THE BELLES LETTRES. 

 VOL. X.] AUGUST, 1830. [No. 5b*. 



KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH. 



SHARING fully in the general hope that better times are at hand, and, 

 rejoicing in the general joy at the King's accession, we have thought it 

 a duty to devote the first part of our present publication to a brief nar- 

 rative of the life of his present Majesty. 



William Henry, now King William the IVth, was the third son of 

 George the Third, and was born in August J 76'5, three years after the 

 birth of the late king. 



As it was the intention of George the Third to make his sons service- 

 able to their country, the young prince was intended from an early age 

 for the NAVY, the King justly looking upon that noble service as worthy 

 of all honour, and, like the true patriot that he was, desiring that he 

 should be seen by his people contributing like other fathers to the glory 

 of his country. The young prince entered the navy towards the close 

 of the American war, but was fortunately in time to be present in the 

 great battle fought by Rodney against the Spanish fleet under Langara. 

 He was at that period fourteen years old. The ship in which he was 

 Midshipman was the Prince George of 98 guns, so named in honour 

 of the Prince of Wales, and bearing the flag of Admiral Digby. 



After the victory over the Spaniards which established Rodney's fame, 

 retrieved the honour lost by the blunders of our military officers, and 

 showed the English government what the English people had never 

 doubted, that the Navy was the true bulwark of the nation, while the 

 army was at best but a doubtful instrument of success abroad, and 

 might be a formidable means of injury to the liberties of Britons j the 

 prince's ship was employed in pursuing the remnants of the enemy's 

 naval force in the West Indies. The Prince George was fortunate in 

 meeting a French convoy escorted by a ship of the line and some smaller 

 vessels of war. The fighting ships were captured and the convoy dis- 

 persed or taken. 



His Royal Highness was still a Midshipman, for it was the especial 

 order of the King that he should go through the gradations of service 

 like any other officer. And this circumstance gave rise to a striking 

 and natural remark of the Spanish admiral. Langara, at the close of 

 the action went on board Rodney's ship, and when he expressed a desire 

 of returning to his own, he was waited on by the little midshipman, hat- 

 in-hand, to tell him that the boat was ready. Rodney introduced the 

 boy, mentioning his rank : on which Langara lifted up his eyes, exclaim- 

 ing, that England might well be irresistible at sea, when the Son of her 

 King was thus content to go through the humblest ranks of her service ! 

 The royal family were, in general, large formed and athletic figures. 

 M.M. New Series, VOL. X. No. 56. S 



