day of April, when the king thanked the
commons for the supplies they had so liberally granted, and recommended
union and moderation to both houses.

{1740}

During the greatest part of this winter, the poor had been grievously
afflicted in consequence of a severe frost, which began at Christmas,
and continued till the latter end of February. The river Thames was
covered with such a crust of ice, that a multitude of people dwelt
upon it in tents, and a great number of booths were erected for the
entertainment of the populace. The navigation was entirely stopped;
the watermen and fishermen were disabled from earning a livelihood; the
fruits of the earth were destroyed by the cold, which was so extreme,
that many persons were chilled to death; and this calamity was the more
deeply felt, as the poor could not afford to supply themselves with
coals and fuel, which were advanced in proportion to the severity and
continuance of the frost. The lower class of labourers, who worked in
the open air, were now deprived of all means of subsistence; many kinds
of manufacture were laid aside, because it was found impracticable to
carry them on. The price of all sorts of provisions rose almost to a
dearth; even water was sold in the streets of London. In this season of
distress, many wretched families must have perished by cold and hunger,
had not those of opulent fortunes been inspired with a remarkable spirit
of compassion and humanity. Nothing can more redound to the honour
of the English nation, than did those instances of benevolence and
well-conducted charity which were then exhibited. The liberal hand was
not only opened to the professed beggar, and the poor that owned their
distress, but uncommon pains were taken to find out and relieve those
more unhappy objects, who, from motives of false pride or ingenuous
shame, endeavoured to conceal their misery.

These were assisted almost in their own despite. The solitary
habitations of the widow, the fatherless, and the unfortunate,
were visited by the beneficent, who felt for the woes of their
fellow-creatures; and to such as refused to receive a portion of the
public charity, the necessaries of life were privately conveyed, in such
a manner as could least shock the delicacy of their dispositions.

MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS MARY TO THE PRINCE OF HESSE.

In the beginning of May, the king of Great Britain set out for Hanover,
after having appointed a regency, and concerted v