It is difficult to say which was the most painful scene, that
in the chamber where the queen lay in agony, or without, where the
curse of family dissensions came like a ghoul to hover near the bed of
death, and to gloat over the royal corpse. This was the royal
dictum:--'If the puppy should, in one of his impertinent airs of duty
and affection, dare to come to St. James's, I order you to go to the
scoundrel, and tell him I wonder at his impudence for daring to come
here; that he has my orders already, and knows my pleasure, and bid him
go about his business; for his poor mother is not in a condition to see
him act his false, whining, cringing tricks now, nor am I in a humour to
bear with his impertinence; and bid him trouble me with no more
messages, but get out of my house.'
In the evening, whilst Lord Hervey sat at tea in the queen's outer
apartment with the Duke of Cumberland, a page came to the duke to speak
to the prince in the passage. It was to prefer a request to see his
mother. This message was conveyed by Lord Hervey to the king, whose
reply was uttered in the most vehement rage possible. 'This,' said he,
'is like one of his scoundrel tricks; it is just of a piece with his
kneeling down in the dirt before the mob to kiss her hand at the coach
door when she came home from Hampton Court to see the Princess, though
he had not spoken one word to her during her whole visit.
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