BOOKS AND READING
BY HILDEGARDE HAWTHORNLE
REGENT AND KING
Prixce GeorctE had been a very large thorn in his poor old father’s side almost cver since he was any size at all. He was a very wild yvoung prince, and, to annoy his father further, he threw in his influence with the Whig party, with Fox and Sheridan. Ilis friends called him the “First Gentleman of liurope,” and he was a handsome, debonair man, with delightful, pol- ished manners, and a very taking way. Quite different from “Farmer Gearge,” as theyv called teorge 111
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He had cight brothers, one of whom, William. cventually succeeded him on the throne. When he came of age, he was given a large income, and Carlton House, where he set up his estab- lishment. He was constantly in debt, Parliament, more than once in his career, having to vote large sums to free him: and this the English peo- ple did n't much like. So that George was at once extremely popular and highly unpopular, accord- ing to the particular set of whom you asked an opinion.
In 1811, George I1I lost his mind entirely, being
thus forced to abdicate. In 1818, his devoted550
