_ of Friday, 23rd, in
which she stated that, in consequence of the false and malicious reports
in circulation respecting herself, she was desirous of treating for "a
spacious and ready-furnished house to be hired for three months, in
which her _accouchement_ may take place in the presence of such
competent witnesses as shall be appointed by proper authority to prove
her character to the world." The appointed day--the 29th of
October--however passed by, and the prophecy remained of course
unfulfilled, although, in the manufacturing towns of the north, crowds
of the faithful assembled to wait the arrival of the coaches, in
expectation of tidings of the great manifestation. The satire entitled,
_Delivering a Prophetess_ (in vol. 8 of "The Scourge"), has reference to
the actual event which occurred on the 27th of December, 1814, when
death relieved Joanna of her delusions and her dropsy; the wretched
creature declaring on her deathbed that, "if she had been deceived, she
had at all events been the sport of some spirit, good or evil." Joanna
forms the subject of one of Rowlandson's caricatures of 1814, _Joanna
Southcott, the Prophetess, Excommunicating the Bishops_, published by
Tegg on the 20th of September, 1814. We shall also have to refer to her
again when we treat of the caricatures of George Cruikshank.

FLIGHT OF THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE.

This year (1814) the Princess Charlotte, heiress presumptive actually
ran away in a hackney coach, to avoid being affianced to the Prince of
Orange, to whom Her Royal Highness evinced an invincible repugnance. The
event is referred to in a caricature entitled, _Plebeian Spirit, or
Coachee and the Heiress Presumptive_ (published by Fores on the 25th of
July), which shows us the princess emerging from Warwick House, followed
by Britannia (who raises her hands in a suppliant attitude), and the
dejected British lion. "Coachman, will you protect me?" she appeals to
the driver. "Yes, yes, your Highness," replies the fellow, "to the last
drop of my blood!" A servant in the royal livery holds up his hands in
amazement and horror, while another spurs off in hot haste to apprise
the Regent of the flight of his daughter. But a satire of far superior
merit, entitled, _Miss endeavouring to excite a glow with her Dutch
Plaything_,[20] was issued by the same publisher a few days previously,
in which the rejected prince figures as a Dutch top, which the princess
has kept spinning for some time.