nd maids, very nearly all in buff,
Came and swore in their lives they never met with such a light;
And each of the _family_ by turns had a puff
At the little farthing rushlight.
But none of the family could blow out the rushlight."

DEATH OF QUEEN CAROLINE.

With the year 1821 came the closing scene in the drama of Caroline's
unhappy but singularly undignified career. On the occasion of the king's
coronation she had applied to Lord Liverpool, desiring to be informed
what arrangements had been made for her convenience, and who were
appointed her attendants at the approaching ceremony. An answer was
returned that, "it was a right of the Crown to give or withhold the
order for her Majesty's coronation, and that his Majesty would be
advised not to give any directions for her participation in the
arrangements;" but with the obstinacy of purpose which was so fatal a
blemish in her character, and which seems to have been the primary cause
of all her misfortunes, she insisted on her right, and declared moreover
her firm intention of attending the ceremony. A respectful but
peremptory reply was returned, reasserting the legal prerogative of the
Crown, and announcing that the former intimation must be understood as
amounting to a _prohibition_ of her attendance. She was however so
ill-advised as to present herself early on the morning of the day (the
19th of July) at the doors of the Abbey of Westminster. The door-keepers
refused to allow her to enter as queen; and she was forced to submit to
the mortification of having to retire without having succeeded (as it
was her evident intention to have done) in marring the arrangements for
the splendid ceremony. By this time the enthusiasm in her favour had
greatly evaporated, and she was received even coldly by her friends the
assembled mob. The mortification proved fatal to her; very shortly
afterwards she was taken ill, and died in less than three weeks after
the unnecessary mortification to which she had thus insisted on exposing
herself.

It is probable that if the wishes of her executors had been allowed to
be carried out, the unfortunate woman would have been carried to her
grave in peace. She had directed that her remains should, three days
after her death, be carried to Brunswick for interment; and had Lord
Liverpool been wise, he would have left the executors to carry out the
arrangements after their own fashion. Unfortunately, the Government
decided to