death.
Her last command to me was, that I should bring down the picture to give to
Prince Leopold upon his birthday, the 16th of the next month. * * *"

"If I do not make reply to different parts of your letter (always
satisfactory in a correspondence), it is because I fear, having no long
time to write in, that I may lose something by delay, in narrating the
circumstances of my yesterday's visit to Claremont, when I was enabled
through the gracious kindness of my sovereign, to fulfil that promise so
solemnly given and now become so sacred a pledge."

"It was my wish that Prince Leopold should see the picture on his first
entering the room to his breakfast, and accordingly at seven o'clock I set
off with it in a coach. I got to Claremont, uncovered and placed it in the
room in good time. Before I took it there, I carried it in to Colonel
Addenbrooke, Baron Hardenbroch, and Dr. Short, who had been her tutor. Sir
Robert Gardiner came in, and went out immediately. Dr. Short looked at it
for some time in silence, but I saw his lips trembling, and his eyes filled
to overflowing. He said nothing, but went out; and soon after him Colonel
Addenbrooke. The baron and I then placed the picture in the prince's room."

"When I returned to take my breakfast, Colonel Addenbrooke came in; he
said, 'I don't know what to make of these fellows; there's Sir Robert
Gardiner swears he can't stay in the room with it: that if he sees it in
one room, he'll go into another.'--Then there's Dr. Short. I said, I
suppose by your going out and saying nothing, you don't like the picture.
'Like it,' he said, (and he was blubbering) ''tis so like her, and so
amiable, that I could not stay in the room.'--More passed on the subject,
not worth detailing. I learnt that the prince was very much overcome by the
sight of the picture, and the train of recollections that it brought with
it. Colonel Addenbrooke went in to the prince, and returning shortly, said,
'The prince desires me to say how much obliged to you he is for this
attention, that he shall always remember it. He said, 'Do you think Sir
Thomas Lawrence would wish to see me? If he would, I shall be very glad to
see him.'--I replied that I thought you would: so if you like, he will see
you whenever you choose, before your departure.' Soon after, I went in to
him. As I passed through the hall, Dr. Short came up to me, (he had
evidently been, and was crying,) and thanked me for having painted such a
pi