persiflage, which in the army went by the name of 'Cherry Cobbin.' This connection of Mr. Fox's, however, could not fail of giving great cause of jealousy to Mr. Pitt, his rival though his ally. Various circumstances inflamed it, and made it easy for another Court, namely that of the Princess Dowager, to break the new alliance.
"The Princess had since the death of the Prince lived in retirement.[1] She was neglected by the King, but her children were left under her management. It seems to have been her fate through life to have been neglected and undervalued, and under cover of that neglect to have compassed all her points and obtained more power than would fall to the lot even of an ambitious person in her situation. The Prince, her husband, is universally allowed to have been the weakest of men. He had, however, a strange mixture of cunning, incessant activity, and habits of such complete hypocrisy as would seem to have required more talent and force of character. His pictures, of which there are many, give a very exact representation of his character. His characteristic was activity, which continues to be that of the family to this hour: a great misfortune where there is not a very good head to conduct it. Happy is the country which has either a Marcus Aurelius, or an indolent Prince with plain common sense. His character cannot fail to be known to posterity from every quarter, for he was easy of access to all descriptions, and thought himself that he had more cunning than anybody; that there was no man, let his ability be what it would, that was a match for him. He was an incessant talker, and equally ready with his pen and tongue. He had great powers of deceit, which only served to multiply his contradictions. He was false to such a degree, that he lost all shame. I have heard the King say he was the best bred man in England, which only served to multiply his contradictions. His sole employment was intrigue either among men or women. In his intercourse with the latter, he fell into the hands of Lady Archibald Hamilton, a little woman not handsome,
- ↑ Frederick, Prince of Wales, married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. He died in 1751.
