a learned
friend of his, by name Will Hay, how he should move some especially fine
claret, about which he was anxious.

"Pray, my lord bishop," says Hay, "how much of the wine have you?"

The bishop said six dozen.

"If that is all," Hay answered, "you have but to ask me six times to
dinner, and I will carry it all away myself."

There were giants in those days; but this joke about wine is not so
fearful as one perpetrated by Orator Thelwall, in the heat of the French
Revolution, ten years later, over a frothing pot of porter. He blew the
head off, and said, "This is the way I would serve all kings."

Now we come to yet higher personages, and find their doings recorded in
the blushing pages of timid little Miss Burney's _Memoirs_. She represents
a prince of the blood in quite a royal condition. The loudness, the
bigness, boisterousness, creaking boots and rattling oaths, of the young
princes, appeared to have frightened the prim household of Windsor, and
set all the tea-cups twittering on the tray. On the night of a ball and
birthday, when one of the pretty, kind princesses was to come out, it was
agreed that her brother, Prince William Henry, should dance the opening
minuet with her, and he came to visit the household at their dinner.

"At dinner, Mrs. Schwellenberg presided, attired magnificently; Miss
Goldsworthy, Mrs. Stanforth, Messrs. Du Luc and Stanhope, dined with us;
and while we were still eating fruit, the Duke of Clarence entered.

"He was just risen from the king's table, and waiting for his equipage to
go home and prepare for the ball. To give you an idea of the energy of his
royal highness's language, I ought to set apart an objection to writing,
or rather intimating, certain forcible words, and beg leave to show you in
genuine colours a royal sailor.

"We all rose, of course, upon his entrance, and the two gentlemen placed
themselves behind their chairs, while the footmen left the room. But he
ordered us all to sit down, and called the men back to hand about some
wine. He was in exceeding high spirits, and in the utmost good humour. He
placed himself at the head of the table, next Mrs. Schwellenberg, and
looked remarkably well, gay, and full of sport and mischief; yet clever
withal, as well as comical.

" 'Well, this is the first day I have ever dined with the king at St.
James's on his birthday. Pray, have you all drunk his majesty's health?'

" 'No, your royal highness; your royal highness mi