everend prelates of
our most holy church?" she asked.

"Why, madam, human nature is pretty much the same in the church as out
of it, and there is quite as much intrigue among the prelates of the
church as among the politicians at court. His majesty, talking about
his early years not long since, said there was nothing but
disagreement and intrigue among those who had charge of him during his
early years. Mr. Scott, his tutor, did what he could for the little
fellow, but it wasn't much. His father, Fred, Prince of Wales,
delighted in private theatricals. He had several plays performed at
Leicester House by children, employing Jimmy Quin[47] to teach them
their parts. Now, my dear madam, you will see that with three bishops
disputing as to how the boy should be instructed in theology; whether
politically he should be a Jacobite or Whig; when each was trying to
get the biggest piece of pie and the most plums,--the boy, the while,
muddling his brains in trying to make Latin verses and learning
tragedies, there wasn't much chance for Master Scott to get him on in
other things, especially when my lord the Bishop of Norwich was
intriguing to get the master kicked downstairs, that he might put one
of his favorites in the position of tutor to the prince."

[Footnote 47: The celebrated actor, James Quin, was employed by the
Prince of Wales to direct the plays performed in Leicester House by
the children of the nobility.]

"Why, Mr. Dapper!" exclaimed Mrs. Newville.

"Then the prince had a change of governors about as often as the moon
fulled," said Mr. Dapper. "Each, of course, had some directions to
give in regard to his education. When Lord Harcourt was governor his
chief concern was to have the prince turn out his toes when walking."

The ladies laughed at Mr. Dapper's droll way of narrating the manner
of the king's education.

[Illustration: George III.]

"I do not wonder you smile, ladies; it is enough to make a horse
laugh," he said. "Perhaps you would like to know how the prince was
put through his paces from the time he opened his eyes in the morning
till he was tucked in bed at night. Lord North at one time was
governor to the prince; he gave me the programme of the daily routine.
The boy was to be out of bed at seven o'clock, eat breakfast and be
ready for Mr. Scott from eight o'clock to nine, or till the Reverend
Doctor John Thomas came, who had him in charge till eleven, when he
was to be turned over to Mr. Fu