detect, even when she herself pointed it out. The number of plants finished by her amounted to nine hundred and eighty." This curious Flora is now in the possession of Barnard Dewes, Esq. of Wellsbourn, in Warwickshire.

"

The value of Mrs Delany's Letters, however, does not depend so much on any relation they bear to her as their author, as on the delightful view they exhibit of the domestic happiness and the warm benevolence of their late Majesties. Kings and Queens are, by most of their subjects, viewed at such an immense distance in public,-they seem so entirely beset by the ceremonial of state, and their private life is so completely concealed from observation, that we generally imagine them as beings quite different from the people over whom they rule; nor can we dismiss the mysterious awe which the circumstances of their station inspire, till, by an effort of reflection, we impress on our minds the remembrance that they are merely cc men and women. When, therefore, as in this small collection of letters, our attention is directed to such exalted personages in the capacity of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and neighbours,-relations arising not from the arrangements of society, but from the order of Nature, we deeply sympathize with all that we behold, and are, withal, consoled to think that the true relish of life flows not from the circumstances connected with rank and power, but from the cultivation of affections and the performance of duties equally within the reach of all, and equally incumbent upon the highest and the lowest in society. Mrs Delany, in her Letters, has given us a fine counterpart to Burns's "Cotter's Saturday Night." The first letter in the collection is dated the 28th of June 1779, from Bulstrode, the residence of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, and is chiefly taken up with the description of a Royal visit, and of an evening spent at Windsor Castle.

"The Royal Family (ten in all) came at twelve o'clock. The King drove the Queen in an open chaise, with a pair of white hor

ses.

The Prince of Wales and Prince Frederick rode on horseback, all with proper attendants, but no guards. Princess Royal and Lady Weymouth, in a post-chaise; Princess Augusta, Princess Elizabeth, Prince Adolphus, (about seven years old,)

and Lady Charlotte Finch, in a coach; Prince William, Prince Edward, Duke of Montague, and Bishop of Lichfield, in a coach: another coach, full of attendant gentlemen; amongst the number, Mr Smelt, whose character sets him above most men, and does great honour to the King, who calls him his friend, and has drawn him out of his solitude (the life he leisure moment. These, with all their athad chosen) to enjoy his conversation every tendants in rank and file, made a splendid figure as they drove through the park, and round the court, up to the house. The day was as brilliant as could be wished, the 12th of August, the Prince of Wales's birth-day. The Queen was in a hat, and an Italian night-gown of purple lustring, trimmed with silver gauze. She is graceful and genteel; the dignity and sweetness every thing she says, or does, satisfies every of her manner, the perfect propriety of body she honours with her distinction so much, that beauty is by no means wanting to make her perfectly agreeable; and though age and long retirement from court, made me feel timid on my being called to make my appearance, I soon found myself perfectly at ease; for the King's condescension and good humour took off all awe, but what one must have for so respectable a character, (severely tried by his enemies at home, as well as frocks; the King and all the men were in abroad.) The three Princesses were all in an uniform, blue and gold. They walked through the great apartments, which are in a line, and attentively observed every thing; the pictures in particular. I kept back in the drawing-room, and took that opportunity of sitting down; when Princess Royal returned to me, and said the Queen missed me in the train: I imme

diately obeyed the summons with my best alacrity. Her Majesty met me half-way, to me, Though I desired you to come, I and secing me hasten my steps, called out did not desire you to run and fatigue your self.' They all returned to the great drawing-room, where there were only two armed chairs placed in the middle of the room for the King and Queen.-The King pla ced the Duchess Dowager of Portland in his chair, and walked about admiring the ed-all prepared in a long gallery that runs beauties of the place. Breakfast was offer the length of the great apartments, (a suite of eight rooms and three closets.) The King and all his royal children, and the rest of the train, chose to go to the gallery, where the well-furnished tables were set: one with tea, coffee, and chocolate; another with their proper accompa niments of eatables, rolls, cakes, &c.; another table with fruits and ices in the utmost perfection; which, with touch, had succeeded a cold repast. The magical

Queen is so gra cious she will always make me sit down,) the Duchess of Portland sat next to the Queen, and I sat next to Princess Royal. On the other side of me was a chair, and his Majesty did me the honour to sit by me. He went backwards and forwards between that and the musicroom. He was so gracious as to have a good deal of conversation with me, particularly about Handel's music; and ordered those pieces to be played which he found I gave a preference to. In the course of the evening, the Queen changed places with Princess Royal, saying, most graciously, she must have a little conversation with Mrs Delany, which lasted about half an hour. She then got up, it being half an hour after ten, and said she was afraid she should keep the Duchess of Portland too late, and made her courtesy, and we with drew." pp. 21-24.

The following passage exhibits the Royal pair in the familiar and endearing light of a well-bred and kindhearted country gentleman and his lady receiving a forenoon's visit from a neighbour with whom they lived on terms of intimacy.

"The Queen made a morning visit here about three weeks ago, and brought only Lady Dartrey with her. The Duchess paid her duty in return, at the Queen's Lodge, and I had the honour of accompanying her. The Queen was quite alone in her dressing-room; her dress was simple and elegant, in a pale lilach satin. She added dignity to her dress by her most gracious manner of conversing. She was making fringe in a frame, and did me the honour to show me how to do it, and to say she would send me such a frame as her own, as she thought it was a work that would not try my eyes. We were dismissed at three o'clock, and, as we were going to the chaise, we met, in the passage, the King and his greyhounds, just returned from coursing. He told the Duchess that he could not part with her so; but we must both make him a visit, and opened the door for us to go with him into the drawing-room. The Queen soon came to us, and invited us back to her apartment, as the warmer place, and we staid till four 'clock." pp. 26, 27.

We have next an account of a visit of the King by himself, and also of another accompanied by the Queen and most of his daughters, as well as of the visit paid at Windsor in return, in both of which the Royal Family appear in a most advantageous point of

view.

"As I know you interest yourself in all the honours I receive, I must now tell you

of our royal visitors. In a few days after our arrival here, the Duchess of Portland and I were sitting in the long gallery, very busy with our different employments, when, without any ceremony, his Majesty walked up to our table, unperceived and unknown till he came quite up to us. lieve we were at first a little fluttered with You may behis royal presence; but his courteous and affable manner soon made him a welcome guest. He came to inform the Duchess of Portland of the Queen's perfect recovery after her lying-in, which made him doubly welcome.

A.

"Breakfast was called for, and, after a visit of two hours, the King left us. bout a week after this, the King and Queen came together, only accompanied by Lady Courtown. They breakfasted and stayed much about the same time. The etiquette is, that the person on whom such an honour is conferred goes the next day to inquire after their Majestics; but the Queen waved that ceremony, and desired the Duchess not to come till she received a summons, as they were going to St James's for some days. Last Thursday, 2d of October, a little before twelve o'clock, word was brought that the Royal Family were coming up the Park; and, immediately after, two coaches-and-six, with the King on horseback, and a great retinue, came up to the hall door. The company were, the King and Queen, Princess Royal, Princess Augusta, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Mary, and Princess Sophia, a lovely group, all dressed in white muslin polonoises, white chip hats with white feathers, except the Queen, who had on a black hat and cloak ;-the King dressed in his Windsor uniform of blue and gold; the Queen, attended by the Duchess of Ancaster, who is mistress of the robes, and Lady Elizabeth Waldegrave, who attends the two eldest Princesses, and Mrs Goldsworthy, who is sub-governess to the three younger Princesses. The King had no attendants but the equerries, Major Digby and Major Price. They were in the drawing-room before I was sent for, where I found the King and Queen and Duchess of Portland seated at a table in the middle of the room. The King, wish his usual graciousness, came up to me, and brought me forward, and I found the Queen very busy in showing a Portland, which was a frame for weaving very elegant machine to the Duchess of of fringe, of a new and most delicate structure, and would take up as much paper as has already been written upon to describe it minutely, yet it is of such simplicity as to be very useful. You will easily imagine the grateful feeling I had when the Queen presented it to me, to make up some knotted fringe which she saw me about. The King, at the same time, said he must contribute something to my work, and present

ed me with a gold knotting shuttle, of most exquisite workmanship and taste; and I am at this time, while I am dictating the letter, knotting white silk, to fringe the bag which is to contain it.

"On the Monday after, we were appointed to go to the Lodge at Windsor, at two o'clock. We were first taken into the Duchess of Ancaster's dressing-room; in a quarter of an hour after, to the King and Queen in the drawing-room, who had nobody with them but Prince Alverstaden, the Hanoverian minister, which gave me an opportunity of hearing the Queen speak German; and I may say, it was the first time I had received pleasure from what I did not understand; but there was such a fluency and sweetness in her manner of speaking it, that it sounded as gentle as Italian.

"There were two chairs brought in for the Duchess of Portland and myself to sit on, (by order of their Majesties,) which were easier than those belonging to the room. We were scated near the door that opened into the concert-room. The King directed them to play Handel and Geminiani's music, which he was graciously pleased to say was to gratify me. These are flattering honours. I should not indulge so much upon this subject, but that I depend upon your considering it proceeding more from gratitude than vanity. The three eldest Princesses came into the room in about half an hour after we were seated. All the Royal Family were dressed in a uniform for the demi-saison, of a violetblue armozine, gauze aprons, &c. &c. :— the Queen had the addition of a great many fine pearls.

"When the concert of music was over, the young Princess Amelia, nine weeks old, was sent for, and brought in by her nurse and attendants. The King took her in his arms, and presented her to the Duchess of Portland and to me. Your affectionate heart would have been delighted with the royal domestic scene; an example worthy of imitation by all ranks, and, indeed, adding dignity to their high station." pp. 30-35.

The following extract is from a letter dated the 22d of June 1784.

"Now, according to my usual custom, I must give you an account of my past life and actions, regarding royal favours. As soon as the bitterness of winter was over, I received the King and Queen's commands to attend the Duchess of Portland to the Queen's House, at eight o'clock in the evening: there was no company there but the five Princesses and Lady Charlotte Finch. There was a concert of music in the next room, which (the door being open) we heard in a very agreeable manner. The King walked backwards and

forwards between the rooms; had a great deal of conversation with the Duchess of Portland,; and did me the honour of sharing in it some times.

"We had much talk, particularly a. bout music; and his Majesty condescended to order those pieces of music to be played that he called my favourites. The Duchess of Portland sat on the Queen's right hand, and I on her left. Her Majesty talked a great deal to me about books, especially about those on religion, and recommended to me an explanation of the four Evangelists, translated from the German. The next morning she sent me a present of the work, in three volumes." pp. 39, 40.

The same letter informs us, that their Majesties, having learned that the 14th of May, old style, was Mrs Delany's birth-day, they sent for her to Windsor. "It," she remarks, "does not become me to say the gracious, kind, and flattering manner with which they received me. Queen ordered Lady Weymouth to tie about my neck a small medallion of the King, set round with brilliants. The resemblance, which is very great, and the gracious manner in which it was done, make it quite invaluable."

The

The Duchess of Portland and her companion were invited to the Queen's house to hear Mrs Siddons read "The Provoked Husband." There were two length of the room. Their Majesties rows of chairs for the company the sat in the middle of the first row, with the Princesses on each hand. The row behind was appropriated to the ladies, and the space between that and the wall to the gentlemen who were admitted. Mrs Siddons stood at a desk, with candles before her, and was allowed three pauses of half an hour each, when she retired into an adjoining room to refresh herself.

The letter giving an account of the Duchess Dowager of Portland's death is dated 24th July 1785, and is written by a brother of Bishop Sandford; and that of the 20th of the following September exhibits their Majesties in such an amiable light, that we must give it entire.

"The hurry that I have been in since my arrival at this place, has prevented the intelligence that I am sure my dear friend would like to receive, and, indeed, 1 hardly know how to recollect the many honours and kindnesses I hourly receive in my present situation. On Saturday, the 3d of this month, one of the Queen's messengers