ience. He is of a circle, when in London, which has had good
opportunities of knowing the Prince; but he has also, himself, had
special occasions of verifying their information, by his own personal
observation. He happened, when last in London, to be invited to a dinner
of three persons. The Prince came by chance, and made the fourth. He
ate half a leg of mutton; did not taste of small dishes, because small;
drank Champagne and Burgundy as small beer during dinner, and Bordeaux
after dinner, as the rest of the company. Upon the whole, he ate as much
as the other three, and drank about two bottles of wine without seeming
to feel it. My informant sat next him, and being till then unknown
to the Prince, personally, (though not by character), and lately from
France, the Prince confined his conversation almost entirely to him.
Observing to the Prince that he spoke French without the least foreign
accent, the Prince told him, that when very young, his father had put
only French servants about him, and that it was to that circumstance he
owed his pronunciation. He led him from this to give an account of his
education, the total of which was the learning a little Latin. He has
not a single element of Mathematics, of Natural or Moral Philosophy, or
of any other science on earth, nor has the society he has kept been such
as to supply the void of education. It has been that of the lowest, the
most illiterate and profligate persons of the kingdom, without choice
of rank or mind, and with whom the subjects of conversation are only
horses, drinking-matches, bawdy houses, and in terms the most vulgar.
The young nobility, who begin by associating with him, soon leave him,
disgusted with the insupportable profligacy of his society; and Mr. Fox,
who has been supposed his favorite, and not over nice in the choice
of company, would never keep his company habitually. In fact, he never
associated with a man of sense. He has not a single idea of justice,
morality, religion, or of the rights of men, or any anxiety for the
opinion of the world. He carries that indifference for fame so far, that
he would probably not be hurt were he to lose his throne, provided he
could be assured of having always meat, drink, horses, and women. In
the article of women, nevertheless, he is become more correct, since his
connection with Mrs. Fitzherbert, who is an honest and worthy woman:
he is even less crapulous than he was. He had a fine person, but it
is becomi