to
hate the heir-apparent was a tradition with the Georges.

Matters did not improve after the accession of George I to the British
throne. He disliked his daughter-in-law, Caroline, daughter of John
Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Anspach, and spoke of her as "_Cette
diablesse Madame la Princesse."_ The opposition was not slow to take
advantage of the rift, and planted itself on the side of his Royal
Highness. It proposed, on the Civil List vote, a separate revenue of
L100,000 for the Prince--which infuriated the King, as it was intended
to do.

In 1716 George was anxious to visit his beloved Hanover, but he was torn
between the desire to do so and the dislike to leave his son in England
as Regent during his absence. Indeed, he almost decided not to go,
unless he could join others with the Prince in the administration and
limit his authority by the most rigorous restriction. To this, however,
the Government could not consent, and Townshend stated that "on a
careful persual of precedents, finding no instance of persons being
joined in commission with the Prince of Wales, and few, if any,
restrictions, they were of opinion that the constant tenour of ancient
practice could not conveniently be receded from."

Lady Mary, like the rest of the world, found the Court dull, and she
much preferred to spend her time in the more congenial society of men of
letters. Addison, she knew, and Steele, and Arbuthnot, and Jervas, and
Gay, who presently paid her a pretty compliment in _Mr. Pope's Welcome
from Greece,_ wherein he inserted tributes to the ladies of the Court:

"What lady's that to whom he gently bends?
Who knows her not? Ah, those are Wortley's eyes.
How art thou honour'd, number'd with her friends;
For she distinguishes the good and wise."

Pope, too, wrote of her with appreciation:

TO LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU

I

In beauty or wit,
No mortal as yet
To question your empire has dared.
But men of discerning
Have thought that in learning,
To yield to a lady was hard.

II

Impertinent schools,
With musty dull rules,
Have reading to females denied;
So Papists refuse
The Bible to use
Lest flocks should be wise as their guides.

III

Twas woman at first
(Indeed she was curst)
In knowledge that tasted delight,
And sages agree
The laws should decree
To the first possessor the right.

IV