feb.]

MEMOIR

Of His Royal Highness

FREDERICK DUKE OF YORK AND ALBANY,

&c. &c. &c.

(With a Portrait.)

THIS illustrious personage, whose recent death has plunged the nation into the deepest distress, was the second son of his late Majesty George III. He was born on the sixteenth of August, 1763, about ten in the morning, at Buckingham House. There were present on the occasion, her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales, several lords of the privy council, and many ladies of exalted rank. His baptism was, however, deferred until the fourteenth of the following month, when the event was celebrated with unexampled splendour. The state bed, which was fitted up for her Majesty to sit on, was decorated with coverlids, valances, and curtains, which last, formed to draw up, were made of the richest crimson velvet, adorned with deep fringes of gold, and lined with white satin. The counterpane consisted wholly of lace of inimitable workmanship, and, though entirely of British manufacture, cost three thousand seven hundred and eighty pounds. When the company had assembled and paid their respects to each other, the religious service began, and the venerable Dr. Thomas Secker, archbishop of Canterbury, gave the royal infant the name of FREDERICK, after his grandfather.

The

sponsors on the occasion were Edward Duke of York, brother to the King; the reigning Duke of Saxe-gotha, his uncle; and the Princess Amelia: but as neither of the two former was present, their places were supplied by proxies; the Earl of Huntingdon, groom of the stole, representing the one, and Earl Gower, lord chamberlain, the other.

On the second day after the baptism, her Majesty, with the two infants, returned to her own house, which now became the royal residence, the old palace being no longer used except on public occasions. Here the children were chiefly under the care of her Majesty, assisted by lady Charlotte Finch, of the Winchelsea family, in

NO. 98.-VOL. IX.

[1827.

whom the greatest confidence was deservedly placed by the royal parents.

About seven months after the birth of Prince Frederick, a vacancy occurred in the bishopric of Osnaburg, one of those secular dignities, with an ecclesiastical designation, peculiar to Germany. As the right of nomination at this time devolved upon the King of Great Britain, as Duke of Lunenburg and Elector of Hanover, he immediately caused his second son to be declared Bishop of Osnaburg. This appointment, however, led to some serious differences, it being particularly opposed by those who wished to promote the Catholic interest, and many years elapsed before the conflict, to which it gave birth, subsided.

Among the effects produced by this contention, one was, a resolution on the part of his Majesty, to send his son, as soon as he should arrive at a proper age, to reside some years in Germany, that he might make himself acquainted with the laws and customs of the empire. This determination being made known, many persons, both at home and abroad, concluded that Prince Frederick was destined for an ecclesiastical order, or at least for one blending the spiritual and civil functions in his own person. It was in allusion to this idea, associated with the episcopal title, that the ingenious James Burgh, in 1766, prefixed to a volume of essays the following humorous dedica"To the Right Reverend Father in God, of three years old, His Royal Highness Prince Frederick, Bishop of Osnaburg."

tion:

By perseverance and influence, however, his Britannic Majesty, after some years of tedious litigation before the Imperial Court of Judicature, carried his point against the bigoted opponents of his electoral rights. But this conflict made a deep impression upon the royal mind, as it did some years afterwards upon that of his son, in convincing both of the restless and intriguing spirit which actuates the Romanists whereever they gain a footing, and are enabled to aspire to the establishment of an ascendancy. This point of history, trifling as it may seem in itself, throws no inconsiderable light upon matters of nearer interest and of more recent date.

H

Having passed through the hooping cough on the preceding year, from which they happily recovered, in the year 1766 the Prince of Wales and Prince Frederick were inoculated for the small-pox. This was an occurrence of no slight importance at that time, when national prejudice set in against the practice with an overwhelming tide. The undertaking was crowned with success; and perhaps this decisive step did more towards the rooting out vulgar error, than the most powerful arguments or persuasive exhortation could accomplish.

On the thirtieth of December, 1767, the sovereign summoned a chapter of the most noble Order of the Bath, for the express purpose of investing his second son with the insignia of that chivalrous dignity; but the ceremony of inauguration was postponed for a few years, on account of his extreme youth. On the 15th of June, 1772, the grand installation of the knights companions of the Bath took place in Henry the Seventh's Chapel, at Westminster, on which occasion Prince Frederick was knighted, though he had not as yet completed his ninth year; and on the twenty-fifth of the same month he was invested with the insignia of the most noble Order of the Garter, at a grand installation held for the purpose at Windsor.

To Prince Frederick, and every other branch of the youthful family, their Majesties paid the most unremitting attention, preventing them from indulging in luxuries, watching over their morals, and partially superintending their education, with the most unaffected parental solicitude. To this may in no small degree be attributed the principles of benevolence they were taught to cherish and practise, and the rapid improvement which, in their younger years, they made in the acquirement of useful knowledge.

The first governor of the two elder Princes was the Earl of Holdernesse, under whom were Mons. de Salzes, a French Protestant, and Mr. Leonard Smith. Dr, Markham, master of Westminster school, quitted that situation at the King's express desire, to become their classical instructor, and with him was associated Dr. Cyril Jackson, of Christ Church, Oxford, whose brother, Mr. William Jackson, became the mathematical teacher.

The Earl of Holdernesse did not, however, long retain his exalted situation of governor to the Princes; and on his resignation, Lord Bruce was appointed to that honour. His time also was exceedingly short; and on his retirement, the Duke of Montague succeeded to the superintendence of the royal education. With this noble

man Dr. Markham and Dr. Jackson cordially co-operated, and under their joint labours, with the assistance of the ablest professors that could be procured, in different departments, the most satisfactory progress was made by the royal pupils.

After a solid foundation had been laid by the above gentlemen, the task of completing the important work of education, in the more finished and -ornamental parts, was consigned to Dr. Hurd, bishop of Litchfield. This well-selected appointment is said to have originated solely with the King, from the high opinion he had been led to entertain of his talents and character, from a perusal of his writings.

During the progress of their instruction, eight hours every day were devoted by the young Princes to their several tasks, but sufficient time was always allowed for relaxation, and such exercises as tend to invigorate the constitution. Among these latter, single-wicket cricket was a favourite amusement, and Frederick, who was distinguished for the agility of his motions, was expert in horsemanship, and all such employments as required manual exertions.

Early in November 1780, Prince Frederick was appointed, by brevet, a colonel in the British service, and on the 30th of the same month he left Buckingham House for the continent, accompanied by Colonel Richard Grenville. Landing at Ostend he was treated with every remark of respect, and, after visiting the Capuchin monastery, he repaired to Hanover. From this place he proceeded to Lunenburg, and thence to Brunswick, then considered the first military school in Europe. Here he made himself acquainted with the Prussian exercise, and with such military accomplishments as qualified him for the command of an army; but the rigour of discipline which he saw practised, he found it both unnecessary and imprudent to enforce among the troops of his native land. He was present at the celebrated review of Potsdam, under the great Frederick, to whom he was introduced by his uncle the Duke of Brunswick, and was treated by that monarch with every mark of polite attention. During these travels he made himself master of the German language; and when at the Prussian court, he first saw the Princess Frederica, daughter of Frederick William the Second, to whom he was married in the year 1791.

While thus engaged abroad, his advancement at home was not neglected. On the 23d of March, 1782, he was made colonel of the second horse grenadiers; and on the 22d of November, in the same year, he

received the appointment of major-general. | On the ensuing year he entered into the possession of his bishopric of Osnaburg, on which occasion there were great rejoicings among the Lutheran inhabitants of that principality. At the time when, in his infancy, he received this nomination, the revenues of the bishopric were estimated at about £20,000 per annum, but in consequence of the commotions to which his being appointed gave rise, it was scarcely ever productive of much pecuniary advantage. These contentions are, however, now at an end, for, on settling the indemnities at Ratisbon in 1802, it was agreed that this bishopric should devolve to the house of Brunswick in perpetuity.

In the year 1784, he was created Duke of York and Albany, by the former of which titles he became afterward publicly known. In 1793 the command of the troops furnished by England was given to him, and in this capacity he joined the combined army, commanded by the Prince of Saxe Cobourg. The siege of Valenciennes commenced under the superintendence of the Duke, and, after a struggle of six weeks, the city surrendered. Some time afterwards, with a large body of troops, he made an attack upon Dunkirk, but was repulsed with considerable loss. In the spring of 1794 he returned to England, to confer with the ministers on the operations of the ensuing campaign, but resumed his command after an absence of six weeks. At first the allies were successful. They took Landrecy; but the armies of Clairfayt and Cobourg being driven back, and the Duke of York's position at Tournay becoming critical, he retired to Antwerp; and although Lord Moira succeeded in joining him with 10,000 men, he was obliged to continue his retreat until he reached the sea, where he embarked with his troops.

In 1785, the Duke of York was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English army, in which capacity his correction of many flagrant abuses proved highly advantageous to the country, and beneficial to those under his command. In 1799, with some Russian troops as auxiliaries, he was sent with the command of an expedition against Holland. The first operations were against the Dutch fleet in the Texel, which surrendered to the English under Admiral Mitchel. This being accomplished, the Duke landed his army, consisting of thirty thousand men, and advanced into the country. The French were at this time posted at Alkmaer, and he compelled them to fall back, but at Castricum, in a general action, he was obliged to make a precipitate retreat, and to embark

|

under the terms of capitulation. He then resumed his functions of Commander-inChief, which he exercised until 1809, when he resigned his office, and was succeeded by Sir David. Dundas. After a few years he was, however, reinstated, and continued to fill his exalted station with honour, until his death, which took place about 20 minutes past nine, on the night of Friday, Jan. 5th, 1827.

The following delineation of his character, and estimate of his talents, is said to be from the pen of the author of Waverley.

66

In the person of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, we may justly say, in the language of scripture, There has fallen this day in our Israel, a prince, and a great man." He has, from an early period of his manhood, performed a most important part in public life. In the early wars of the French Revolution, he commanded the British forces on the continent, and although we claim not for his memory the admiration due to the rare and high gifts which in our latter times must combine to form a military genius of the first order, yet it has never been disputed, that in the field his Royal Highness displayed intelligence, military skill, and his family attribute-the most unalterable courage. He had also the universal testimony of the army for his efforts to lessen the distresses of the privates during the horrors of an unsuccessful campaign, in which he acquired, and kept to his death, the epithet of the soldier's friend.

But it is not on account of these early services that we now, as boldly as our poor voice may, venture to bring forward the late Duke of York's claims to the perpetual gratitude of his country. It is as the reformer and regenerator of the British army, which he brought from a state nearly allied to general contempt, to such a pitch of excellence, that we may, without much hesitation, claim for them an equality with, if not a superiority over, any troops in Europe. The Duke of York had the firmness to look into and examine the causes which, ever since the American war, though arising out of circumstances existing long before, had gone as far to destroy the character of the British army as the naturally good materials of which it is composed, would permit. The heart must have been bold that did not despair at the sight of such an Augean stable.

In the first place, our system of purchasing commissions-itself an evil in a military point of view, and yet indispensable to the freedom of the country-had been stretched so far as to open the way to every sort of abuse. No science was required, no

service, no previous experience whatsoever; the boy let loose from school the last week, might in the course of a month be a field officer, if his friends were disposed to be liberal of money and influence. Others there were, against whom there could be no complaint for want of length of service, although it might be difficult to see how their experience was improved by it. It was no uncommon thing for a commission to be obtained for a child in the cradle; and when he came from college, the fortunate youth was at least a lieutenant of some standing, by dint of fair promotion. To sum up this catalogue of abuses, commissions were in some instances bestowed upon young ladies, when pensions could not be had. We know ourselves one fair dame who drew the pay of captain in the dragoons, and was probably not much less fit for the service than some who, at that period, actually did duty, for, as we said, no knowledge of any kind was demanded from the young officers. If they desired to improve themselves in the elemental parts of their profession, there were no means open either of direction or instruction. But as a zeal for knowledge rarely exists where its attainment brings no credit or advantage, the gay young men who adopted the military profession, were easily led into the fashion of thinking that it was pedantry to be master even of the routine of the exercise which they were obliged to perform. An intelligent sergeant whispered from time to time the word of command, which his captain would have been ashamed to have known without prompting; and thus the duty of the field-day was huddled over rather than performed. It was natural, under such circumstances, that the pleasures of the mess, or of the card or billiard table, should occupy too much of the leisure of those who had so few duties to perform, and that extravagance, with all its disreputable consequences, should be the characteristic of many, while others, despairing of promotion, which could only be acquired by money or influence, sunk into mere machines, performing, without hope or heart, a task which they had learned by

rote.

To this state of things, by a succession of well-considered and effectual regulations, the Duke of York put a stop with a firm yet gentle hand. Terms of service were fixed for every rank, and neither influence nor money was permitted to force any individual forward, until he had served the necessary time in the present grade which he held. No rank short of that of the Duke of York-no courage and determination

| inferior to that of his Royal Highness, could have accomplished a change so important to the service, but which yet was so unfavourable to the wealthy and to the powerful, whose children and protegés had formerly found a brief way to promotion. Thus a protection was afforded to those officers who could only hope to rise by merit and length of service, while, at the same time, the young aspirant was compelled to discharge the duties of a subaltern before attaining the higher commissions.

In other respects, the influence of the Commander-in-Chief was found to have the same gradual and meliorating influence. The vicissitudes of real service, and the emergencies to which individuals are exposed, began to render ignorance unfashionable, as it was speedily found that mere valour, however fiery, was insufficient on such occasions, for the extrication of those engaged in them; and that they who knew their duty and discharged it, were not only most secure of victory and safety in action, but most distinguished at head-quarters, and most certain of promotion. Thus a taste for studying mathematics and calculations applicable to war, was gradually introduced into the army, and carried by some officers to a great length, while a perfect acquaintance with the routine of the field-day was positively demanded from every officer in the service as an indispensable qualification.

His Royal Highness also introduced a species of moral discipline among the officers of our army, which has had the highest consequences on their character. Persons of the old school of Captain Plume and Captain Brazen, men who swore hard, drank deep, bilked tradesmen, and plucked pigeons, were no longer allowed to arrogate a character which they could only support by deep oaths and ready swords. If a tradesman, whose bill was unpaid by an officer, thought proper to apply to the Horse Guards, the debtor received a letter from head-quarters, requiring to know if there existed any objections to the account, and, failing in rendering a satisfactory answer, he was put on stoppages until the creditor's demand was satisfied. Repeated applications of this kind might endanger the officer's commission, which was then sold for the payment of his creditors. Other moral delinquencies were at the same time adverted to; and, without maintaining an inquisitorial strictness over the officers, or taking too close inspection of the mere gaieties and follies of youth, a complaint of any kind, implying a departure from the character of a gentleman and a man of honour, was instantly inquired into