1830.] King William the Fourth. 141 



blood royal without the sanction of the King, naturally exposes the 

 princes to a species of connexion which offends higher laws than those of 

 the land. On all the male branches of the royal family, charges of this 

 obnoxious kind are commonly fastened ; and as it is neither our purpose 

 to enlarge upon topics that cannot serve any good feeling, nor to throw 

 unsuitable offence upon the character of an individual who is now, by 

 the laws of the land, the possessor of the crown, we turn from the 

 discussion altogether. 



The Duke made frequent applications to the ministry for employment 

 during the French war. But some powerful competitor always 

 appeared, and the Duke's naval ambition was disappointed. In par- 

 ticular, he had made strong representations to his royal father for 

 the command of the Mediterranean fleet, from which Lord Colling* 

 wood, then in infirm health, had solicited to be removed. He was 

 disappointed; and the disappointment, though it might not have 

 soured a disposition which seems naturally kind and good-natured, 

 yet produced a long retirement from public life. While his royal 

 brothers were mixing in general society, and prominent in politics and 

 public meetings, the Duke of Clarence seldom came from his residence 

 at Bushy Park. He stated but a year or two ago, at the dinner of the 

 Goldsmiths' Company, that it was the first public body which had ever 

 presented him with its freedom. And the Covent Garden Theatrical 

 Fund of the year before last, if we recollect rightly, gave the first 

 instance of his presiding at a public dinner. It is no flattery to say, 

 for it was universally felt at the time, that his Royal Highness could have 

 been deterred from public appearance by no personal deficiency, for 

 he is a good public speaker, very fluent, ingenious in adopting topics 

 as they rise before him in the business of the day, and of unwearied 

 spirit and good- humour. He was considered to have made one of the 

 best chairmen that the theatrical dinner ever had ; and those who have 

 ever tried the task of presiding at a public dinner, know the trial of 

 temper, quickness of conception, arid readiness of speech, to be no 

 easy one. 



On the death of the Princess Charlotte, the necessity of providing 

 for the succession, produced a recommendation from the Prince Regent 

 to his brothers, to marry. The Duke of Clarence selected the Princess 

 Adelaide of Saxe Meinengen, an intelligent and estimable princess, 

 whose conduct since her arrival in this country has made her highly 

 popular, and who may render an important service to English morality 

 by following the example of Queen Charlotte, and excluding all females 

 of dubious character, let their rank be what it may. Her majesty may 

 be assured that in a measure of this kind, she would be most amply 

 supported by the goodwill" of the nation. On the occasion of this 

 marriage it became necessary to separate from Mrs. Jordan, and she 

 retired to Boulogne and afterwards to St. Cloud, near Paris, where she 

 died in about a year, of some neglected constitutional disorder. It was 

 first rumoured, of poverty. But subsequent evidence has been given, 

 that she had sufficient means, even for luxuries, and that one of them 

 was a diamond ring worth a hundred guineas, which she constantly 

 wore, and which of course precluded any actual suffering from narrow 

 circumstances. 



At length the duke's desire for professional employment was about 

 to be complied with, so far as it could be satisfied by a command in a 



