much forgotten as if she had never existed. The Princess Anne
was pining in the dulness of her royal home, when a marriage with the
Prince of Orange, was proposed for the consideration of his parents. It
was a miserable match as well as a miserable prospect, for the prince's
revenue amounted to no more than L12,000 a year; and the state and pomp
to which the Princess Royal had been accustomed could not be
contemplated on so small a fortune. It was still worse in point of that
poor consideration, happiness. The Prince of Orange was both deformed
and disgusting in his person, though his face was sensible in
expression; and if he inspired one idea more strongly than another when
he appeared in his uniform and cocked hat, and spoke bad French, or
worse English, it was that of seeing before one a dressed-up baboon.

It was a bitter cup for the princess to drink, but she drank it: she
reflected that it might be the only way of quitting a court where, in
case of her father's death, she would be dependent on her brother
Frederick, or on that weak prince's strong-minded wife. So she
consented, and took the dwarf; and that consent was regarded by a
grateful people, and by all good courtiers, as a sacrifice for the sake
of Protestant principles, the House of Orange being, _par excellence_,
at the head of the orthodox dynasties in Europe. A dowry of L80,000 was
forthwith granted by an admiring Commons--just double what had ever been
given before. That sum was happily lying in the exchequer, being the
purchase-money of some lands in St. Christopher's which had lately been
sold; and King George was thankful to get rid of a daughter whose
haughtiness gave him trouble. In person, too, the princess royal was not
very ornamental to the Court. She was ill-made, with a propensity to
grow fat; her complexion, otherwise very fine, was marked with the
small-pox; she had, however, a lively, clean look--one of her chief
beauties--and a certain royalty of manner.

The Princess Amelia died, as the world thought, single, but consoled
herself with various love flirtations. The Duke of Newcastle made love
to her, but her affections were centred on the Duke of Grafton, to whom
she was privately married, as is confidently asserted.

The Princess Caroline was the darling of her family. Even the king
relied on her truth. When there was any dispute, he used to say, 'Send
for Caroline; she will tell us the right story.'

Her fate had its clouds. Amiabl