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HER ROYAL HIGHNESS the CROWN PRINCESS of DENMARK.

Printat for the 23. I number of a tielle. pemble, or did's Court, §. Rishionable Magazine, an " for Ishin Foll, Boprider of the Bon life Hessenger, Southar ptor Stred. Strand, I 100.1.100%

Bell's

COURT AND FASHIONABLE

MAGAZINE,

For OCTOBER, 1807.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

OF

ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES.

The Twenty-third Number.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCESS OF DENMARK.

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HER Royal Highness the CROWN || their personal feelings. The city was illuPRINCESS of DENMARK is daughter of minated, and the hut emulated the palace Prince Charles, Stadtholder of Holstein. in testimony of unfeigned loyalty and joy. She has been married to the Prince Regent When the Princess was sufficiently refor some years; several children were the covered to go abroad, she visited the theatre. fruit of their union, of whom the Princess The streets through which the Royal family Carolina is the only survivor. She is about had to pass, were brilliantly embellished fifteen years old, but excluded from inherit- with devices, and otherwise disposed to ing the crown by the laws of Denmark, which give eclat to the occasion." confine the succession to heirs male. This has several times afforded the people grounds to evince their affection to the Prince, by expressing their heartfelt regret, that the throne of Denmark was not likely to be filled by his immediate descendant; but it was never more cordially manifested than on the 13th of February, 1802.

On the Royal personages entering their box, they were, contrary to custom, greeted with the enthusiastic acclamations of the audience; and at their departure from the theatre, the populace, amid thundering huzzas, surrounded the Royal party with such cagerness and impetuosity, that the guards were compelled to recede, and suffer them to follow the carriage.

This circumstance recalls to our minds the reply of Frederick the Fourth to the French Ambassador, when the latter expressed his surprise, that his Majesty should

In the morning of that day the cannon announced the delivery of the Princess. The people anxiously listened for a second, and third discharge, but their wishes were disappointed, and a certain gloom clouded || every face in the city. Notwithstanding || live at his country seat without guards. which, when night approached, all sacrificed "I am always safe in the arms of my people," replied the King.

On the birth of a Prince the guns are fired three times.

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ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

A DREAM ON THE OCCUPATIONS OF DEPARTED SOULS. [Concluded from Page 128.]

THESE were the contemplations which at that time occupied my mind, and I revolved them with so much pleasure that I did not miss my guide, who in the mean time had soared aloft, and when I descried him, beckoned to me to follow him. He directed my attention to the anxious occupation of a departed soul, whom he pointed out to me in the town to which we bent our flight. On coming nearer, I observed that that soul appeared half famished. It flitted round a splendid carriage which stood before the house of a merchant, whose name was very familiar to me, but is still more to many of his fellow-citizens, who must assist him in keeping up his splendor by advancing money to him. At first, I was uncertain what could be the object of that restless soul; and the ragged and patched clothes in which it was dressed, made me suspect that it was one of those who, in this world, act in a twofold capacity, either begging alms of travellers, or robbing them on the highway. But I discovered my error as soon as I came nearer, seeing that it was the economical soul of the merchant's father. I recollected to have known him in my life-time. He was the wealthiest citizen in the whole town, and notorious for having with economical hands mended his own shoes, darned his own stockings, and eclipsed all his fellow-citizens in the art of enduring hunger. He could never have imagined that his notorious usury and exemplary parsimony would afford his son an opportunity of lavishing thoughtlessly the wealth which he had gradually amassed by so much care and industry. The disappointment of his parental expectations proved therefore to his soul, since her separation from her body, a source of extreme torture. Every day afforded to his degenerated son a new opportunity for dissipation, and to himself an additional source of the most agonizing sorrow.

The merchant had just received from the coachmaker a carriage, which had cost him exactly the sum that his father once had gained by prudently denying on oath, for the benefit of his progeny, a debt for which he had given his bond under his own signature. Could therefore any thing have mortified his soul more painfully than this act of extravagance? He tried more than an hundred times to push the coachman from the

coach-box; but all his exertions proved fruitless, the driver being too corporeal, and himself too ethereal. He seized the reins of the horses; they became restive; but this was all that he was able to effect.

He quitted, therefore, the fatal carriage, uttering the most dreadful imprecations, and directed his flight towards his son's apartments. Curiosity tempted me to follow him, and I was astonished to observe the unspeakable agony with which he was seized. Could any thing have been more dreadful to him than the sight of the profusion of costly china, tapestry, and mirrors, which alone must have required an expenditure of many thousand dollars. Thrice did he stamp upon the sinful sofa covered with rich brocade. "Eightyfive dollars!" exclaimed he, groaning. Rich hangings trimmed with gold fringe, which he now descried, threw him into a still greater agony. He attempted to scratch off the gold; but to no purpose. He beheld every moment new objects of splendor, which also proved to him new sources of torture. He now descried a ledger upon a writing-desk. This object seemed to afford him some satisfaction. He read, and his fury abated. But this calm was only of a momentary duration; his son entering the apartment at the same instant, holding in his hand a parchment, whereon I could clearly discern the words Lord of D. He went to the money-chest, in order to substantiate his claims to the new title. What a dreadful sight for the unfortunate father! He even dropped the ledger. He flew to the chest, seated himself upon it, made every effort in his power to prevent its being unlocked, and attempted to seize the parchment, but in vain. The young merchant opened the chest with manifest satisfaction, taking out a money bag, which was, at least as weighty as seventeen degrees of noble ancestors, and cheerfully quitted the apartment. I shall never forget the despair which convulsed the soul of his unfortunate parent, who remained prostrate on the money-chest, embracing it with eagerness, and exclaiming again and again, in moaning accents: "O Levy, O Isaac !" I was deeply affected by his agony, and attempted to comfort him. Being desirous of ascertaining the exact cause of his despair, I went up to him, and

Taking him kindly by the hand, said, "Would you be so kind as to give me""What!" exclaimed he, "give you? I a poor, unfortunate || man! A tall, strong fellow, as you are, can work! Go to the parish!" Vexed at this surly reply, I quitted him abruptly.

Being informed, on coming into the street, that the soul of Cicero, attended by some Greek and Roman philosophers, had been seen in the garden of a neighbouring country seat, I was tempted to follow the immense crowds who were flocking thither to gratify their curiosity. The sight of the celebrated Roman afforded me uncommon pleasure, and his dignified countenance inspired me with all the awe which such a patriotic soul ought to excite. I discovered, however, in his features, the traces of sorrow and dejection, the cause of which I was incapable of finding out. Being curious to ascertain it, I applied to a shade, who followed Cicero, and appeared to be one of his emancipated slaves. "He has reason for being cast down and abashed," replied his attendant, "since he, in your country, has been committed to the mercy of a tribe, who, under the pretext of honouring his memory, render him ridiculous, and transform him from a Roman consul into a Latin schoolmaster. What is still more afflicting for him is, that on complaining of this ill-treatment to the gods of his country, he received for answer, that was the punishment to which Pluto had condemned bim, because he had been accused of having frequently betrayed marks of vanity and pride, which could not be corrected better than by committing his works to the mercy of commentators. I was terrified at this rigorous judgment of Pluto, the reality of which I should have strongly doubted had I not been convinced of it by the following incident.

tique bow, which, according to Gronovius, was customary among the young men of fashion at Rome at the time of Ennius. Cicero sustained this assault with great fortitude, and seemed to be impatiently waiting for the communication of their commission. His curiosity was at length gratified, when the spokesman, amid many contortions of the face, put himself into the usual rhetorical posture, and after repeated bows, presented to him an enormous book, borne on the shoulders of four of his colleagues, and having on the back the inscription, OPERA OMNIA.

Cicero was somewhat terrified at the sight of this strange machine, and listened with evident tokens of surprise, when the spokesman addressed him as follows: "Omnino, si quid est in me ingenii, quod sentio, quam sit exiguum—exiguum

➡quod sentio, quam sit exiguum." This incontestable truth had probably exhausted the strength of our Demosthenes, or the sight of Cicero, nf whom he had preconceived an idea entirely different from what he now beheld, had produced such a violent perturbation in his mind, that he could not proceed. He stopped a long while, and afforded Cicero time to collect himself from his astonishment, and who, not having understood a single word of the address, asked his Atticus, what language this was? Our orator recovered at last from his confusion, after having consulted the copy of his speech, which he carried in the crown of his hat. He assured the venerable Roman, in the most elegant Ciceronian style, that himself and his attendants were enraptured with joy, and that he would mark with a white stone the fortunate day when he had the honour of becoming personally acquainted with a literary luminary, who in his time had spoken the best Latin, and whose learning had afforded to himself and his companions the means of procuring the necessaries of life. He was particularly diffuse in giving himself credit for having taken compassion on the works of Cicero, and for having published them in that conv nient form, asserting, moreover, that he had enhanced their value by the addition of the most valuable and learned

We descried, at a distance of about an hundred steps, a great number of souls, covered with dust, and absorbed in profound meditation. Their steps were solemn, and their gait monarchic. They seemed to disagree very much with each other, and the nearer they came, the more plainly could I hear their dispute, which grew so vio-annotations, and rendered them useful by a copi

lent that their leader was obliged to turn round, and clenching his fis, to command silence, by exclaiming in an authoritative accent, Me Dius fidius! This cavalcade seemed to surprise the soul of Cicero: he suspected they had an important commission for him, and believed, as I was afterwards told, that they were ambassadors of a foreign nation, or barbarians, as he called them, who had been compelled by famine to apply to the Roman senate and people for a supply of bread from Sicily or Egypt. He received them with marks of compassion; but how was he astonished when the leader made a profound anNo. XXII. V'ɔl, III,

ous index, and by this means had immortalized
both the name of the author and the editor. He
concluded by lamenting the hardened blindness
of his German countrymen, who demanded more
of a man of learning, than merely a knowledge
of the Latin language, and even began to profane
the sacred antiquities of Latium, by propounding
them in a language which in Germany even the
populace could understand. Here he concluded
his speech with a joyous dixi, and Cicero, who
probably was tired of listening any longer to his
unintelligible jargon, returned no further answer
but, Cura, ut valeas! and withdrew abruptly.
Z

my head. I then cleaned my hat, and thereby deprived them so entirely of all matter for merriment, that they relapsed into melancholy silence.

I retired with my guide beyond the precincts of the town, absorbed in reflections on the impertinence and presumption of the people whom we had just quitted, and probably should have given a longer audience to my thoughts, had not my meditations been suddenly interrupted by a violent blow which I received on my head, and which was struck with so much force, that I grew quite dizzy, and my hat dropped on the ground,pleased to call his humourous sallies elegant, natu

Not being much inclined to keep them company in gaping, I stole away from them, and in another company of ladies met with the soul of a French marquis, who in his lifetime had frequently amused the same company, that were

ral, witty, and charming; but I now found him, contrary to the nature of other departed souls, totally changed. He was mute, and barren of invention, and not a single person in the com. pany seemed to entertain the same opinion they had of him upon earth. I told him I was sur prised at this unexpected alteration. He shrug.

I turned round in a violent passion to see who it was that had dared to treat me in so rude a manner. "You are very impudent," exclaimed I in a violent tone," for treating in such a rude manner people whom you do not know, and who have not given the least offence to you." "And you are a great fool," replied he with a loud laugh, "for being offended at a piece of humour.ged up his shoulders, assuring me that he was Do you not perceive that I am a satirist ?"

This disagreeable accident made me extremely uneasy, as I apprehended some witty blade might take it into his head to satyrise me black and blue; therefore I proposed to my conductor to retire to a shadowy spot, which lay before us, and where I hoped to be, if not more solitary, at least more

secure.

the most unhappy of all mertals, adding that death had come upon him so suddenly, that he had no time to take his watch-chain and snuffbox with him, "two articles," exclaimed he mournfully, "in which all my wit and liveliness consisted! when I wish to sport an humourous sally I miss my watch-chain, and am not capable of producing a witty thought. I am not even capable of giving my opinion of literary and political matters, or of a poem, because I cannot take a pinch of snuff." I sincerely lamented the fate of the unfortunate marquis; but not having it in my power to assist him in regaining his wit, I invented a plausible pretext, which compelled me to leave him, and retired.

I was, however, disappointed, as I descried on my arrival a large company consisting chiefly of ladies. As they had lived in my native town, I knew every one of them, and soon found that they had not made any alteration in their manner of living: they played, drank tea, some of them were totally silent, but the majority laughed so loudly, that I was impatient to observe them closely. I enquired what was the reason of it? but they were so malicious as to refuse giving me the least explanation. One of them, however, to whom I had rendered a most essential service by a most elegant and witty sonnet which I had made upon her pug-dog, was so grateful as to relieve me from my painful perplexity. "I will tell you," said she," why we are so merry. We had sat many hours in the most tedious silence, because we had been tired of criticising the dress, the gait, and the features of all the souls who passed by nor had we any thing more to say about our absent acquaintances. In this state we happened to descry you from afar in a situation important enough to set us all a laughing." Here she broke off abruptly, at the same time holding both her sides with her hands, and bursting out in concert with the whole company into such an excessive laughter, that I was confounded with shame. "Do you not perceive it yet?" resumed she, after having collected herself a little. "For heaven's sake, only look at your hat! it is entirely covered with dust." "If this be the only thing" Is it you?" said she contemptuously, and withwhich renders me a subject of so much mirth," replied I, "I can easily remove it." I informed them that a wit whom I had met had joked it off

My conductor was just going to relate to me the history of the departed soul of a MerryAndrew, who had lost his party-coloured jacket, and with it all his laughter-moving faculties, when we were interrupted by a new adventure. The departed soul of a lady, whom I had not perceived because my back was turned towards her, had stolen upon me from behind, and suddenly flung one arm round my neck, while she with her other hand pressed mine so tenderly, that I could guess the meaning of this voluptuous eloquence more plainly than if she had made an oral declaration. I could easily guess that she was a roving fair one, and the gloom of the soli. tary place where we were, confirmed me in this suspicion. She seemed to be as violently enamoured of me as a person of that description is capable of. I perceived plainly that she became every moment more inflamed, and more impudent in her familiarity, which rendered me curious to see her face. Succeeding, after some struggles, in disengaging myself from her arm, I turned round. Heavens, what a sight! I started back,

drew abruptly. My readers may easily guess that it was the departed soul of my wife; she had mistaken me for another person, which was the

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