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made her anxious that the world should share the comfort she felt in the king's recovery.

"Then followed a scene between Willis and Warren on the same point of dispute. Dr. Warren declared that he had given his opinion and would not depart from it. Willis said it was against common sense. Warren said, Then you say I have not common sense.' 'Upon this point,' replied the other, 'you have not shown it.' Warren called on the ladies to witness what had been said to him, and they could only express their concern at the unpleasant situation of things. The queen has told me she never will see him again. To do him justice, he was respectful in his manner to her, and constrained the rage which evidently shook his frame when I saw him again below stairs." How inflamed the passions were, and how difficult it was to act impartially, may be gathered from the feeling and impressions of that amiable and moderate man, Sir Gilbert Elliot, later Lord Minto. He seems to have been thoroughly permeated with all the prejudices of his party. We will contrast his account of this curious incident, which is made to assume a different complexion.

"Warren," he says, "when he went to Kew, was desired by Willis to sign a report which was ready written, that the king was better. He refused, saying it was not his opinion-that he seemed better in his health, but as to his disorder there was no change, and he was surprised at their preparing a report for him before consulting him. Willis told him that it was the queen who had

ordered that it should be signed. Warren persisted in his refusal, and Willis still urged the queen's authority, with threats as from her, that it would be worse for him if he did not comply. Warren then desired to see the queen, whom he found white with rage, and she asked him in an angry voice what he meant by refusing to sign. He gave the same reason as before, that his health was better, but his mind not improved. The queen said that others thought differently, and asked for his reasons. The physician mentioned the king's conversation had been incoherent, and in other respects showed insanity. The queen insisted on knowing exactly what it was. Warren replied that it was impossible that he could repeat it. She said she supposed it was something improper, and again requested to be told, but the physician still refused, and at last was allowed to go. He was followed out, however, by two old ladies, Lady Charlotte Finch and Lady Harcourt, who told him they were sent by the queen to learn what was this conversation. He told them that Hawkins, the king's surgeon, had heard. much more of it, and referred them to him. Hawkins was accordingly sent for, and being asked the same questions, made the same coy resistance, assuring them that he could not bring his mouth to pronounce such things in the presence of ladies."

All which was, of course, Warren's own story told to the prince and the prince's friends. To other incidents picked up by him in his visits were given the same jaundiced complexion.

In December, 1788, Sir Gilbert wrote: "Willis has done all sorts of real mountebank things. On Saturdays he had the Princess Emily, of nine years old, brought to the king. As soon as she was within his reach he caught her up in his arms and swore that no power on earth should ever separate them again. The girl was terrified, and so were the bystanders, and they could not get the child away till they had promised to bring the queen. She was brought, and the king behaved exactly in the same way, catching hold of her and swearing that nothing should ever part them. The queen fell into fits, and they were obliged to separate them by main force, and the king was for the first time put into a strait-waistcoat, and continued raving for a considerable time. When he saw Warren he made a remarkable speech, saying that he had put it on himself; that a man who put it on could never wear the crown again." We may be sure that Warren told this acceptable story. He repeated it to the prince, and to Jack Payne, who told it to the amiable but very partisan Elliot.

The body-guard of ladies round the queen were now held out as being engaged in a sort of conspiracy to prevent the truth being known. "Mrs. Harcourt," said Sir Gilbert," was amusing herself all this time by going into fits, and by passing days in tears about the king. I allow," he adds, "all the natural compassion for the distress of the royal family, but it is pushed to a rage and fury completely nonsensical against poor us." And again: "Willis has been detected writing letters to