tirely to live. The cause of his separation from Mrs.
Jordan has not been explained, but it probably arose from his
desire to better his condition by a good marriage, and he wanted
to marry Miss Wykeham, a half-crazy woman of large fortune, on
whom he afterwards conferred a Peerage. George IV., I believe,
put a spoke in that wheel, fortunately for the Duke as well as
for the country. The death of the Princess Charlotte opened to
him a new prospect, and the lack of royal progeny made his
marriage as desirable an event to the public as it was convenient
to himself. The subsequent death of the Duke of York, which made
him heir to the throne, at once exalted him into a personage of
political importance, and when the great Tory schism took place,
upon the death of Lord Liverpool, Mr. Canning thought the Duke of
Clarence's appointment to the office of Lord High Admiral would
strengthen his Government, and at the same time relieve him from
some of the difficulties which beset him; and he accordingly
prevailed upon the King to revive the office in his person. Soon
after the Duke of Wellington's elevation he found it necessary to
remove the Duke of Clarence, and it is an excellent trait in the
character of the latter that, notwithstanding his vexation at the
time, which was very great, he harboured no resentment against
the Duke of Wellington, and never seems to have hesitated about
retaining him as his Minister when he came to the throne. His
exaltation (for the moment) completely turned his head, but as
his situation got familiar to him he became more composed and
rational, if not more dignified in his behaviour. The moral and
intellectual qualities of the King, however insignificant in
themselves, now became, from their unavoidable influence, an
object of great interest and importance, and in the early part of
his reign he acquired no small share of popularity. People liked
a King whose habits presented such a striking contrast to those
of his predecessor. His attention to business, his frank and
good-humoured familiarity, and his general hospitality, were
advantageously compared with the luxurious and selfish indolence
and habits of seclusion in the society of dull and grasping
favourites which characterised the former reign.

The King seemed to be more occupied with the pleasing novelty of
his situation, providing for his children, and actively
discharging the duties of his high function, than in giving
effect to any pol