proposed shewing it, as it expressed her feelings beyond the power of any other words. She bowed her desire to see it, and I ran and brought it. She read it aloud, Mrs. Schwellenberg being present, and was pleased and soothed by it.

Almost as soon as I returned to my room, I had the honour of a visit from the Duchess of Ancaster, who sat with me till dinner time. She is easy, obliging, unaffected, and well bred. I am happy to like her so well, and happy in her civility, as I find she spends the greatest part of the summer here.

She told me all the particulars I have related already concerning the Wednesday's alarming business. You may easily imagine no other subject can find entrance here at present.

A little incident happened afterwards that gave me great satisfaction in perspective. While I was drinking coffee with Mrs. Schwellenberg, a message was brought to me, that Mrs. and Miss Heberden desired their compliments, and would come to drink tea with me if I was disengaged.

To drink tea with me! The words made me colour. I hesitated, I knew not if I might accept such an offer. With regard to themselves, I had little or no interest in it, as they were strangers to me, but with regard to such an opening to future potentiality,— there, indeed, the message acquired consequence.

After keeping the man some minutes, I was so much at a loss, still, to know what step I had power to take, that I was induced to apply to Mrs. Schwellenberg, asking her what I must do.

"What you please!" was her answer; and I waited nothing more explicit, but instantly sent back my compliments, and that I should be very glad of their company.

This was a most happy event to me: it first let me know the possibility of receiving a friend in my own room to tea.

common room.

Both mother and daughter are sensible women. I had met them one morning at Mrs. Delany's, and they had then proposed and settled that we were to meet again. They left me before the tea-party assembled in our It was very much crowded, everybody being anxious to hear news of the Queen. Miss Egerton, Mrs. Fielding, and her three daughters, Mrs. Douglas, wife of the biographical Dr. Douglas, and my own dear Mrs. Delany, were amongst them. The General and the Major as usual; and the rest were strangers to me.

When they were all gone but Mrs. Delany, Mrs. Schwellenberg made us both very happy by a private communication that the Prince of Wales was actually then in the Lodge, whither he rode post haste, on the first news of the alarm given to the Queen.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH.-This was an extremely arduous morning to the poor Queen. The King again went to town; and her anxiety in his absence, and fear how it might end, oppressed her most painfully. She could not take her usual airing. She shut herself up with the Princess Augusta; but, to avoid any rumours of her uneasiness, the carriage and usual horsemen were all at the door at the customary time; and the Princess Royal, attended by the Duchess of Ancaster, went out, and passed, driving quick through the town, for the Queen herself, to most of the people.

At her toilette, before dinner, Lady Effingham was admitted. The Queen had her newspapers as usual, and she read aloud, while her hair was dressing, several interesting articles concerning the attack, the noble

humanity of the King, his presence of mind, and the blessing to the whole nation arising from his preservation. The spirit of loyalty, warmth, and zeal with which all the newspapers are just now filled seemed extremely gratifying to her: she dwelt upon several of the strongest expressions with marked approbation, exclaiming from time to time, as she read particular praises of his Majesty's worth and importance, "That is true! -That is true, indeed!"-But suddenly, afterwards, coming upon a paragraph beginning with the words of the coronation anthem, "Long live the King! May the King live for ever!" her tears flowed so fast that they blinded her, and to hear her read such words was so extremely affecting, that I was obliged to steal behind her chair to hide myself; while Lady Effingham took out her handkerchief, and cried in good earnest. I believe her to be warmly and gratefully attached both to the King and Queen; and she has received from the Queen very uncommon assistance, I am informed, in some very distressful situations.

The Queen, however, read on; dispersing her tears as she could, and always smiling through them when the praise, not the danger, drew them forth.

Nothing could be more gracious than her manner to me the whole time: she did not, as usual, dismiss me, either for her hair-dressing, or for Lady Effingham: she was sure I must be interested in what was going forward, and she looked at us alternately, for our comments as she went on.

I rejoiced she had not set me to read these papers. I expected, for the first week, every summons would have ended in a command to read to her. But it never happened, and I was saved an exertion for which I am sure I should have had no voice.

One night, indeed, I thought the matter inevitable. Something was mentioned, by the Queen, to Mrs. Schwellenberg, of Mr. Cowper's poem of the Task; and she said there was one of the most just compliments, without extravagance, and without coldness, that could be paid him. She asked me if I knew the poem? I told her only by character. She then desired me to get the book, which was only in the window.

I did,—and felt all my breath desert me at the same moment. I held it quietly, by the side of her chair, fearing every instant her commands to find the passage, and read it: but, very unexpectedly, she took it into her own hands, to look for it, and then read it aloud herself, looking at me as she proceeded, to observe and to draw from me what I thought of it.

How sweet this was! when merely curiosity must have led her to wish to hear me, that she might judge whether or not I could be of any use to her in a capacity in which she has declared she really wants an assistant.

From this time she frequently read me little paragraphs out of the papers, without even appearing to think of employing me in that way.

Madame La Fîte, in the afternoon, on my descent from Mrs. Schwellenberg to go to Mrs. Delany, brought me Mlle. Monmoulin. She seems a perfectly good creature, and is one of the best and finest work-women to be met with. She has taught the little Princesses a thousand ingenious uses of the needle.

I still had time for a moment or two with my Windsor guardian angel, and failed not to accept them.

On my entrance into the common room I found it again filled with company. The first to speak to me was Lord Walsingham, whom I had spent a day or two with at Thames Ditton. His Lady, also, was there;

and Lord and Lady Boston, Miss Egerton, a German Baron, M. del Campo, the Spanish Ambassador, and the General and the Major.

The confusion of the present time, and the quantity of company pouring into Windsor to pay their respects to the King and Queen, make the place appear all crowd and bustle. I rejoice in the proof it affords of the universal interest taken in the safety of the King.

The German Baron is an attendant on the Duke de Saxe Gotha, who was here for a few days again: he remained therefore after all others were gone, except Major Price; and as he could speak no English, Mrs. Schwellenberg had him wholly on her own hands, to entertain in German.

I had again a very long confabulation with Major Price, who seems to make it a part of his business to do whatever is in his power to assist me over the awkwardness of my first passage into a situation so utterly new to me. I had, indeed, to-day, made a little step forward for him. In my way to the Queen at noon, he had stopped me, in the gallery, to inquire if I had the Queen's newspapers?—No, I said, I never saw any but in her own hands. "I wanted exceedingly," cried he, "to look at the Morning Herald, and see in what manner they treat this affair there." He was going on, but I was in too much haste to answer him, and only made the best of my way to the dressing-room. But as I owed him every little civility in my power, I determined to make my apology for running off, by procuring him the newspaper. I ventured, therefore, to tell the Queen his wish to see the Morning Herald, and she instantly said, "O certainly! Let him see them all."

I brought them, therefore, away, and sent them to