a glorious carouse, tapping the claret, as usual, by firing a pistol at the cask.

The traditions of Dunleckny allege, that when Bagenal, in the course of his tour through Europe, visited the petty court of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, the Grand Duke, charmed with his magnificence and the reputation of his wealth, made him an offer of the hand of the fair Charlotte-who, being politely rejected by King Bagenal, was afterwards accepted by King George the Third !-Abridged from Daunt's Ireland and her Agitators.

THE PRINCE OF WALES AND MRS. ROBINSON.

This lady was distinguished as a writer in verse and prose, as well as by her exquisite beauty and personal misfortunes. She was the daughter of a merchant at Bristol, of the name of Darby, who failing in business, and dying soon after, his widow took her lovely daughter to London, where, at sixteen, she was induced to marry a young attorney, of specious appearance, named Robinson. Her husband soon after falling into difficulties, Garrick encouraged her to try the stage for subsistence; and at nineteen she performed several parts with success:* she first appeared as Juliet, in 1776. Her beauty had already become known to the Prince of Wales; and one night, after she had played the part of Perdita, in the Winter's Tale, she received from the hands of Lord Malden a lock of His Royal Highness' hair, enclosed in a billet, with these words "To the ever adorable Perdita-Florizel, to be redeemed," in the Prince's handwriting. The vanity of a young woman in her situation rendered her an easy prey, and she soon after became the mistress of the Prince, and lived in a style of great splendour. The connexion, either from the incautiousness of His Royal Highness, the officiousness of false friends, or from some other causes, never well explained, produced much uneasiness to the royal family. The King thus wrote to Lord North:

20th August, 1781.

'My eldest son got last year into an improper connexion with an actress of indifferent character, through the friendly

* Walpole, however, speaks of her as an indifferent actress in Lady Craven's comedy of the Miniature Picture, performed at Drury Lane, in May, 1780. His words are: "Mrs. Robinson (who is supposed to be the favourite of the Prince of Wales) thought on nothing but her own charms or him."-Letter to Mason.

assistance of Lord Malden. He sent her letters and very foolish promises, which undoubtedly by her conduct she has cancelled. Col. Hotham has settled to pay the enormous sum of 5,000l. for the letters, &c. being returned.

therefore, settle with him.”

You will,

Then followed the open shame and scandal of the Prince's breaking up this intrigue; of which, however, the following record, an abstract from the parish register of St. Mary-lebone, may be added: "Georgiana Augusta Frederica Elliott, daughter of H. R. H. George Prince of Wales and Grace Elliott born 30 March, and baptized 30 July, 1782."

At this date we find Walpole writing: "Charles Fox is languishing at the feet of Mrs. Robinson." George Selwyn says: "Who should the man of the people live with, but with the woman of the people?" This scandal was, doubtless, heightened for the sake of the joke. However, the habits of luxury which Mrs. Robinson had acquired during her royal connexion could not be shaken off. Her attachments were of

a romantic cast on the return of the celebrated trooper, Colonel Tarleton, from his guerilla warfare in the backwoods of America, she fell desperately in love with him; in a journey by night to render him a personal service, she caught cold, followed by a severe fever, and lost the sinews of her knees, being then only twenty-two. This affliction she never overcame, and was unable to stand upright or walk during the remainder of her life. She now devoted herself to literature, and many of her poetical pieces are of deep feeling and highly-wrought sentiment. She maintained her personal fascinations, and she might be considered as one of the loveliest women in England till her 42d year, when her sedentary life brought on dropsy of the chest, of which she died, in 1800, neglected and poor, at Englefield-green: she was interred at Old Windsor, where a plain tomb, placed over her grave, bears the following lines :

"Of Beauty's isle, her daughters must declare,
She who sleeps here was fairest of the fair;
But ah! while Nature on her favourite smiled,
And Genius claimed his share in Beauty's child,
Even as they wove a garland for her brow,
Sorrow prepared a willowy wreath of woe,
Mixed lurid nightshade with the buds of May,
And twined her darkest cypress with the bay,
In mildew tears steeped every opening flower,

Preyed on the sweets, and gave the canker power.
Yet O may Pity's angel from the grave,
The early victim of misfortune save,
And, as she springs to everlasting morn,
May Glory's fadeless crown her soul adorn."

After the death of Mrs. Robinson, her papers, with the hair and billet of the Prince of Wales, were purchased by Sir Richard Phillips, by whom her memoirs, as far as she had written them, were published. Her portrait was more than once painted; her favourite attitude being with her head resting upon her upraised arm, which was very beautiful.

THE PRINCE OF WALES AN ODD-FELLOW.

Near to the south end of Grosvenor-row, Chelsea, was a small public-house, "The Feathers," to which a curious anecdote is attached. A Lodge of Odd-Fellows, or some similar society, held its meetings here; and on one occasion, when a new member was being initiated into the mysteries of the fellowship, in rushed two persons, whose abrupt intrusion threw the whole assemblage into uproar. Summary punishment was proposed by an expeditious kick into the street; but just as it was about to be bestowed, the Secretary recognised one of the intruders as George, Prince of Wales. Circumstances instantly changed: it was, indeed, the Prince, out on a nocturnal ramble accordingly, it was proposed that His Royal Highness and his companion should be admitted members. The Prince assented, and was chairman the remainder of the evening; and the chair in which he sat, ornamented, in consequence, with the triple plume, is still preserved in the parlour of the modern tavern in Grosvenorstreet, West; and over it hangs a coarsely-painted portrait of the Prince, in the robes of the order. The old "Feathers " was removed in 1851, and on clearing the ground, coins, old horse-shoes, war-implements, and some human remains, were found.

At the intersection of the cross-roads, at the end of Grosvenor-place, suicides were subjected to the revolting burial then awarded by the law. The last person thus interred was named Griffiths, the son of a colonel, who had first murdered his father and then destroyed himself: this took place in 1823.—Memorials of Knightsbridge.