The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 225: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

196 THE COURT OF LONDON my father’s separation from my mother he has been leading a life which reflects no honour upon him as a parent, a hus- band, or a prince. I know that many and many a titled dame belonging to the royal court has been too intimate with him, and I know also that Lady Sackville is the present royal favourite at Carlton House, and that her will, if she choose to assert it, may not only become law there, but also throughout the British empire. Can I wonder, then, my dear aunt, to hear you tell me that royalty is suffering in the estimation of the people of this country? ” “Would to Heaven, my dear Charlotte,’’ exclaimed the Princess Sophia, her own feelings now worked up to the most painful degree of excitement, for she felt — deeply, poignantly felt — that she herself was far from immaculate, and that the discovery of her dishonour had tended amongst other overwhelming misfortunes to render her own father, George III, a hopeless lunatic, ‘‘ would to Heaven that such topics as those to which you have alluded had never been forced upon your thoughts! Oh, my dear niece, you are too young, too good, to have such reflections thrust, as it were, upon your innocent contemplation — ”’ ‘““ Reflections which destroy all the innocence of the soul,”’ interrupted Charlotte, bitterly. ‘‘ Where is the generous confidence of my youthfulness? It is gone, gone, and never can be restored. Often do I think of those apples which erow upon the banks of the Dead Sea, and which, though fair and beauteous to gaze upon, nevertheless contain nought but corruption and rottenness. May not the British court be likened unto one of those deceptive fruits? For, alas! my dear aunt, it is not concerning my father only that start- ling whispers have sometimes reached my ears and distressing allusions in the newspapers have met mine eyes, but there is scarcely a member of the royal family concerning whom { have not recently heard or read something calculated to shock or scare me.”’ ‘Good heavens! what mean you, dear girl? ’’ demanded the Princess Sophia, surveying her niece with terrified amazement; for knowing how many dreadful things might be told relative to her parents, her brothers, her sisters, and even herself, Sophia was naturally stricken with horrible suspense as to how much of all those fearful truths had come to the knowledge of her niece. Gomicbdooks (E(0)