440 Notes of the Month on [] APRIL, 



(We had thought that the late Sir R. Croft was dead before the Prin- 

 cess Victoria was born.) Another paper positively says, "that the 

 child was wheeled into the room at the late drawing-room in a chair, and 

 that she could not walk at all." What are we to believe. Another 

 charges the propagation of this report on individuals in high places, and 

 declares that its propagation has had a sinister purpose. But, after all, 

 what could be an easier refutation of the report than suffering this little 

 girl to do like other little girls, and use her legs in the streets. Why is 

 she not seen walking about like a human being, and not eternally 

 cooped up in a chamber at home, with a coterie of stiff governesses or 

 pitiful attendants, who, if they inculcate any lesson on the young mind, 

 must makfe her believe that she is something more than mortal. If she 

 stirs out it is only in a coach, cramped up all over, while the infinitely 

 more fortunate, and, as time will soon shew, the infinitely better edu- 

 cated for all the rational purposes of life, are enjoying the free use of 

 their existence, taking healthful exercise, and learning the lesson, which 

 royalty should in such times think it well worth its while to learn, that 

 the people of England are not altogether the dust of royal feet. This sys- 

 tem of haughty exclusiveness may do well enough for Germany ; though 

 its day is pretty nearly over even there. In England it is odious ; and 

 while it will have the inevitable result of spoiling whatever understand- 

 ing the child may have, it may give her habits very awkwardly unfit for 

 the emergencies through which the highest will probably have, before 

 many years are over, to struggle. All this foolery is German. And 

 how is it likely to end there ? Hitherto "there was not a little duke of 

 half a dozen miles of empire, who did not consider himself as paying a 

 compliment to mankind in allowing that he was of the same species. 

 Where will such Serene Highnesses be in half a dozen years ? 



A whole mob of our fashionable tourist- women are now on the continent 

 hawking their daughters to every market. In this sublime pursuit may 

 they all succeed ; we heartily wish that every man-hunting mamma may 

 get for her man-hunting daughter a marquis, and that the marquis may be, 

 what such cavaliers generally are, a swindler without a sixpence, with- 

 out a character, and with another wife, or another half dozen. But the 

 grand object is gained, the charming young worshipper of whiskers and 

 soirees is entitled Madame la Marquise de Vaurien, or the Baroness 

 Von Tondertentronck. The happy mother exults in being the Madame 

 Mere of the swindler and his belle Anglaise ; and in six months the 

 Marchioness is returned upon her hands, with " les trois chemises sur le 

 dos," in plain English, stripped of purse, wardrobe, and whatever else 

 she brought with her, and is a Marchioness, Heaven save the mark ! for 

 life. 



However all goes on in the same way, and the mammas load every steam- 

 packet with their accomplished cargoes.'* The last advices from Naples, 

 that land of the sun, the carissima of the earth, whose lava and laza- 

 roni are inexhaustible in their enchantments; breathe of nothing but 

 rapture : as if the smoke of revolution were not rushing down upon the 

 land of harlotry from the north ; and the political ground heaving under 

 the court more formidably than ever heaved the earthquake. One of 

 the letters says : 



" We have had a tolerable Carnival. The masked balls at St. Carlo are 

 magnificent, so far as outward appearances go ; but there is a woful lack of 

 wit among the masqueraders. A ' Devil/ or ' Punch/ will squeeze through a 



