148 KEW GARDENS 



destined to end his busy life lamentably, far 

 from Kew, when, having in latter days married 

 an American lady, he transplanted his household 

 gods across the Atlantic. In passing through 

 New York from the South, he had an attack of 

 fever, mistaken, it seems, for the terrible " Yellow 

 Jack " that from time to time scares Uncle Sam, 

 so poor Proctor was turned out of his hotel, and 

 packed off to die in a hospital. 



One could tell of other noted authors living 

 at or about Kew, not always in such enviable 

 quarters as that " cottage of gentility " at which 

 Queen Victoria visited Sir Arthur Helps, but 

 perhaps the general reader, who, even in these 

 Radical days, likes to hear about great folk, would 

 take more interest in an aftermath of princely 

 memories. 



Our late Queen came to Kew only as a visitor. 

 The widowed Duchess of Kent had quarters 

 given her at Kensington Palace, where she de- 

 voted herself to educating her daughter for the 

 crown that would be her almost certain inherit- 

 ance ; and the Princess was carried about on 

 temporary sojourns in different parts of the king- 

 dom, to the marked displeasure of William IV., 

 who did not like to be reminded how he was only 



