130 



A VOYAGE TO 



considerable distance by several indifferent old fash- 

 ioned carriages, carrying the great people. On ap- 

 proaching the house they stopped a few moments, and 

 spoke in a very familiar, friendly manner, to Miss 

 Sumpter. The queen and princesses, were plain in 

 their dress, and in their manners affable and polite. 

 But for the guards and retinue, I should have taken 

 them to be of the respectable class of citizens. I have 

 seen much more parade in the great people of our 

 own country. I should have felt, I must confess, less 

 respect for royalty, if I had seen it on this occasion ar- 

 rayed in the pomp and magnificence I had figured to 

 my imagination. Although I had read a great deal of 

 kings, and queens, and princesses, I had no idea that 

 I should feel so little of that awe and dread, supposed 

 to be produced by the irradiations of majesty. Paine 

 observes, ^^that kings, among themselves, are good re- 

 publicans;'' and being myself of a country where every 

 citizen is a sovereign, I thought myself entitled to 

 meet any king or his family, on terms of equality. 

 The princess Leopoldina was distinguished from the 

 r^st, by the fairness of her complexion; I saw nothing 

 remarkable in her appearance; and there are thou- 

 sands of my country-women I would choose in pre- 

 ference for a wife. It is said her situation is extremely 

 unpleasant, in this barbarous land, a land removed so 

 far from the commonwealth of courts, and seem^ 

 ingly fitted only for vulgar republicanism. A number 

 of scandalous stories are related, respecting the bick- 

 erings, and quarrelings, and parties, in the palace; for 

 the house is said to be divided against itself.* The 



*Among the people I heard of no parties; affairs of government 

 do not concern them; as in Venice, it would be as dangerous to 



