The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction | Page 8

of her, speak of her, write of her without tears, and have
often, when alone, addressed her in her bliss, as though she now saw
me, heard me; and it is because I respect her for her singleness of worth,
and am grateful for her past and meditated kindness."
"Her manner of addressing Prince Leopold was always as affectionate
as it was simple--'My love;' and his always, 'Charlotte.' I told you that
when we went in from dinner they were generally sitting at the
pianoforte, often on the same chair. I never heard her play, but the
music they had been playing was always of the finest kind."
"I was at Claremont, on a call of inquiry, the Saturday before her death.
Her last command to me was, that I should bring down the picture to

give to Prince Leopold upon his birthday, the 16th of the next month. *
* *"
"If I do not make reply to different parts of your letter (always
satisfactory in a correspondence), it is because I fear, having no long
time to write in, that I may lose something by delay, in narrating the
circumstances of my yesterday's visit to Claremont, when I was
enabled through the gracious kindness of my sovereign, to fulfil that
promise so solemnly given and now become so sacred a pledge."
"It was my wish that Prince Leopold should see the picture on his first
entering the room to his breakfast, and accordingly at seven o'clock I
set off with it in a coach. I got to Claremont, uncovered and placed it in
the room in good time. Before I took it there, I carried it in to Colonel
Addenbrooke, Baron Hardenbroch, and Dr. Short, who had been her
tutor. Sir Robert Gardiner came in, and went out immediately. Dr.
Short looked at it for some time in silence, but I saw his lips trembling,
and his eyes filled to overflowing. He said nothing, but went out; and
soon after him Colonel Addenbrooke. The baron and I then placed the
picture in the prince's room."
"When I returned to take my breakfast, Colonel Addenbrooke came in;
he said, 'I don't know what to make of these fellows; there's Sir Robert
Gardiner swears he can't stay in the room with it: that if he sees it in
one room, he'll go into another.'--Then there's Dr. Short. I said, I
suppose by your going out and saying nothing, you don't like the
picture. 'Like it,' he said, (and he was blubbering) ''tis so like her, and
so amiable, that I could not stay in the room.'--More passed on the
subject, not worth detailing. I learnt that the prince was very much
overcome by the sight of the picture, and the train of recollections that
it brought with it. Colonel Addenbrooke went in to the prince, and
returning shortly, said, 'The prince desires me to say how much obliged
to you he is for this attention, that he shall always remember it. He said,
'Do you think Sir Thomas Lawrence would wish to see me? If he would,
I shall be very glad to see him.'--I replied that I thought you would: so
if you like, he will see you whenever you choose, before your
departure.' Soon after, I went in to him. As I passed through the hall, Dr.
Short came up to me, (he had evidently been, and was crying,) and
thanked me for having painted such a picture. 'No one is a better judge
than I am, sir,' and he turned away."

"The prince was looking exceedingly pale; but he received me with
calm firmness, and that low, subdued voice that you know to be the
effort at composure. He spoke at once about the picture and of its value
to him more than to all the world besides. From the beginning to the
close of the interview, he was greatly affected. He checked his first
burst of affection, by adverting to the public loss, and that of the royal
family. 'Two generations gone!--gone in a moment! I have felt for
myself, but I have felt for the Prince Regent. My Charlotte is gone from
this country--it has lost her. She was a good, she was an admirable
woman. None could know my Charlotte as I did know her! It was my
happiness, my duty to know her character, but it was my delight.'
During a short pause I spoke of the impression it had made on me. 'Yes,
she had a clear, fine understanding, and very quick--she was candid,
she was open, and not suspecting, but she saw characters at the
glance--she read them so true. You saw her; you saw something of
us--you saw us for some _days_--you saw our _year!_ Oh! what
happiness--and it was solid--it could