cline what,
after Southey had accepted it, he compared in a letter to Southey to
the herring for which the poor Scotch clergyman gave thanks in a grace
wherein he described it as "even this, the very least of Providence's
mercies." In March, 1815, Scott being then in London, the Prince
Regent asked him to dinner, addressed him uniformly as Walter, and
struck up a friendship with him which seems to have lasted their
lives, and which certainly did much more honour to George than to Sir
Walter Scott. It is impossible not to think rather better of George
IV. for thus valuing, and doing his best in every way to show his
value for, Scott. It is equally impossible not to think rather worse
of Scott for thus valuing, and in every way doing his best to express
his value for, this very worthless, though by no means incapable king.
The consequences were soon seen in the indignation with which Scott
began to speak of the Princess of Wales's sins. In 1806, in the squib
he wrote on Lord Melville's acquittal, when impeached for corruption
by the Liberal Government, he had written thus of the Princess
Caroline:--

"Our King, too--our Princess,--I dare not say more, sir,--
May Providence watch them with mercy and might!
While there's one Scottish hand that can wag a claymore, sir,
They shall ne'er want a friend to stand up for their right.
Be damn'd he that dare not--
For my part I'll spare not
To beauty afflicted a tribute to give;
Fill it up steadily,
Drink it off readily,
Here's to the Princess, and long may she live."

But whoever "stood up" for the Princess's right, certainly Scott did
not do so after his intimacy with the Prince Regent began. He
mentioned her only with severity, and in one letter at least, written
to his brother, with something much coarser than severity;[45] but the
king's similar vices did not at all alienate him from what at least
had all the appearance of a deep personal devotion to his sovereign.
The first baronet whom George IV. made on succeeding to the throne,
after his long Regency, was Scott, who not only accepted the honour
gratefully, but dwelt with extreme pride on the fact that it was
offered to him by the king himself, and was in no way due to the
prompting of any minister's advice. He wrote to Joanna Baillie on
hearing of the Regent's intention--for the offer was made by the
Regent at the end of 1818, though it