whom, I believe a worthier or a braver man never entered the
profession of which he was so distinguished an ornament) scarcely
survived the excursion two years.
[21] The Queen of Wuertemberg survived the levee, above described, only a
few months. Her DEATH was in consequence of over-maternal anxiety
about her children, who were ill with the measles. The queen was
suddenly called from her bed on a cold night in the month of January
to the chamber where her children were seriously indisposed. Forgetful
of herself, of the hour, and of the season, she caught a severe cold:
a violent erysipelatous affection, terminating in apoplexy, was the
fatal result--and SHE, who, but a few short-lived months before, had
shone as the brightest star in the hemisphere of her own court;--who
was the patroness of art;--and of two or three national schools,
building, when I was at Stuttgart, at her own expense--was doomed to
become the subject of general lamentation and woe. She was admired,
respected, and beloved. It was pleasing, as it was quite natural, to
see her (as I had often done) and the King, riding out in the same
carriage, or phaeton, without any royal guard; and all ranks of people
heartily disposed to pay them the homage of their respect. In a letter
from M. Le Bret, of the 8th of June 1819, I learnt that a magnificent
chapel, built after the Grecian model, was to contain the monument to
be erected to her memory. Her funeral was attended by six hundred
students from Tubingen, by torch light.
[22] For the sake of juxta-position, I will here mention the SEQUEL, as
briefly as may be. The "affair" was far from being at that time
"settled." But, on reaching Manheim, about to recross the Rhine, on my
return to Paris--I found a long and circumstantial letter from my
bibliographical correspondent at Stuttgart, which seemed to bring the
matter to a final and desirable issue. "So many thousand francs had
been agreed upon--there only wanted a well bound copy of the
_Bibliographical Decameron_ to boot:--and the Virgils were to be
considered as his Lordship's property." Mr. Hamilton, our Charge
d'Affaires, had authority to pay the money--and I ... walked instantly
to _Artaria's_--purchased a copy of the work in question, (which
happened to be there, in blue morocco binding,) and desired my valet
to get rea
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