ROYAL RESIDENCES 19 



Horace Walpole tells a story of Prince George 

 visiting his uncle. " To amuse the boy, he took 

 down a sword and drew it. The young Prince 

 turned pale and trembled, and thought his uncle 

 was going to murder him." There were others 

 who judged the " Butcher " quite capable of 

 altering the succession on mediaeval precedent, 

 in which party spirit was unjust to this Prince, 

 not so black or so bloodthirsty as he was painted 

 in the hatreds of the time. To the satisfaction 

 of most people, but not of the Duke, the future 

 King's mother was appointed Regent under 

 control of a council ; and her father-in-law allowed 

 her to act as guardian of her children. 



A lady, who any day might thus become the 

 chief personage in the State, would not lack 

 courtiers in a generation of politicians more 

 concerned about interest than principle. Among 

 her special friends came to be noted John Stuart, 

 Earl of Bute, that unpopular bogy of the next 

 reign. Their intimacy did not fail to pass for 

 scandalous ; but the Archangel Gabriel himself 

 would hardly have escaped scandal had he moved 

 in Court society of the period. Bute had been a 

 favourite and boon companion of the Prince, 

 and remained a close counsellor of the widow, 



