sailed from Dover, with several other ships, to escort Louis XVIII. to the coast of France; and having seen him to Calais, returned to the Downs on the night of the 24th, and struck his flag a few days after.¹

During the period between the 25th of May and June 28th, 1814, (when his royal highness finally took leave of the sea,) his flag was hoisted, successively, in the Impregnable and Jason, and again in the Impregnable, and from her transferred to the Magicienne; in which last ship he sailed on the 26th of June, and having escorted the allied sovereigns to the continent, struck his flag, and came on shore.²

His royal highness' service at sea may, therefore, be stated as follows:—6 years as midshipman; 11 months as lieutenant; 3 years and 10 months as post captain; and 7 weeks as admiral of the fleet: making a total service at sea of about 10 years and 9 months.³

The intimacy of the prince with the gallant Nelson is well known as one of the most interesting incidents of the duke's life. They first met at Quebec in 1782, when Nelson was in the Albemarle off that station, and whence he was ordered to convoy a fleet of transports to New York. From this time they became much attached, and their separation was the cause of mutual regret. At the close of the war they met again, both being appointed to the Leeward island station. Nelson soon had an opportunity of witnessing the prince's resolute obedience to orders, amidst great personal danger, and strong temptations to avarice, the circumstances of which are briefly as follow:—The law excluded all foreign vessels from trade and intercourse with our West India islands; and America, being now independent, and as much a foreign nation as any other, Nelson, the senior captain on the station, ordered all American vessels to quit the islands within forty-eight hours, on pain of seizure, and prosecution of their owners. Four vessels at Nevis remained, which he ordered to be searched, and on being found American, they were adjudged legal prizes. This proceeding placed Nelson in considerable difficulty, but he ultimately triumphed; and though the thanks of government for protecting its commerce were given to the admiral of the station, who had in fact opposed the measure, Nelson was conscious of having done his duty, and enjoyed the approbation of such as were disinterested witnesses of it. Among these was Prince William, who thus notices Nelson's conduct on this occasion in a letter to a friend: "It was at this era," says the prince, "that I particularly observed the greatness of Nelson's superior mind. The manner in which he enforced the spirit of the Navigation Act first drew my attention to the commercial interests of my country. We visited different islands together; and as much as the manoeuvres of fleets can be described off the headlands of islands, we fought over again the principal naval actions in the American war. Excepting the naval tuition which I had received on board the Prince George, when the present Rear Admiral Keats was lieutenant of her, and for whom we both entertained a sincere regard, my mind took its first decided naval turn from this familiar intercourse with Nelson."

It is also worthy of remark, that while the prince spoke thus highly of Nelson, the latter estimated his royal highness in correspondent terms. In a letter to Captain Locker, about the same period, Nelson says, "You must have heard, long before this reaches you, that Prince William is under my command. I shall endeavour to take care that he is not a loser by that circumstance. He has his foibles as well as private men, but they are far overbalanced by his virtues. In his professional line he is superior to near two-thirds I am sure of the list; and in attention to orders, and respect to his superior officers, I hardly know his equal. His royal highness keeps up strict discipline in his ship, and without paying him any compliment, she is one of the finest ordered vessels I have seen." These opinions, it should be recollected, are quoted from private correspondence—a circumstance which adds materially to their value.

On July 11, 1818, his royal highness was married at Kew to her serene highness Adelaide Amelia Louisa Theresa Caroline, princess of Saxe Meinengen, eldest daughter of his serene highness the late reigning duke of Saxe Meinengen. The ceremony, as is usual on these occasions, was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the presence of all the royal family. By this marriage his royal highness had one daughter, who was born March 27, 1819, and died after a few hours. In 1823, his royal highness was made a general of marines; and within the past year the duke has been appointed lord high admiral of England.

It is not our intention here to enter into the supposed causes of the duke's long seclusion from public service, viz. from 1790 to the present time, except a short interval in 1814. At the commencement of the war with France, the late Duke of York took an early and active part by land; hence the question arises as to the non-appointment of the Duke of Clarence to a similar position by sea. The consequence has been, that the most vigorous portion of the duke's life has been lost to his country, whilst his royal highness has remained in comparative obscurity, amidst one of the most brilliant periods of our naval history. It is, however, gratifying to know that the duke's inactivity cannot be attributed to apathy on his part. On the contrary, he was anxious to be employed, and even sought appointment, as appears by the following letter, written by his royal highness to Commodore Owen in 1812:—

"Bath House, Saturday night.

"DEAR SIR—This evening I received your letter from Deal, and in answer to it, I beg to observe, that I have made both a public and private application to the king, that I may be permitted to hoist my flag, and relieve Lord Collingwood in the command of his majesty's fleet in the Mediterranean. There cannot be any secrecy in this thing; because, before more than fifty brother officers, I declared my resolution at Portsmouth. Until I have the order to hoist my flag, I cannot be certain; but I am very much inclined to think eventually that I shall have the honour and the happiness of commanding those fine fellows whom I saw in the spring in the Downs, and lately at Portsmouth. My short stay at Admiral Campbell's had impressed me with very favourable ideas of the improved state of the navy; but my residence at Portsmouth has afforded me ample opportunity of examining, and consequently of having a perfect judgment of the high and correct discipline now established in the king's service. * * * I could not resist what I felt; and reasons, both public and private, urged me to make the offer I have already mentioned, and I hope I shall be gratified.—I remain, dear sir, yours, &c.

"WILLIAM."

These zealous sentiments are, however, further corroborated by a recent declaration of the duke to the Goldsmiths' Company, on their presenting him with the freedom of their society.

Having sketched the principal circumstances which appertain to what may be termed the public career of his royal highness, it is our less pleasant, though equally important, duty, to notice his domestic life; for obvious reasons our details will be less perfect. It is a portion of