THE following pages are mainly compiled from certain letters by Miss Mary Clitherow, which have come into the editor's possession. They afford glimpses of the Court at that time, with reference not so much to public functions as to their Majesties' more private relations with persons honoured with their friendship. The reader will meet with few, if any, references in them to leaders in political or philanthropic movements or in the realms of literature or fashion; but it is not to be inferred th

IT seems almost incredible that in the twentieth century a station on the Metropolitan Railway should stand amidst quite rural surroundings. About Brentford,[*] however, there are still several fine properties which have hitherto escaped the grip of the speculative builder—e.g., Osterley Park, the seat of the Earl of Jersey, and Syon Hill, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland—and the immediate neighbourhood of Boston Road is not yet covered with semi-detached villas, or sordid streets of jerry

THOUGH the reign of William IV. was free from any serious war, the political condition of the country was such as to cause the King much anxiety. The establishment of a popular Government in France under Louis Philippe gave a great impulse to the enthusiasm which had been growing in England for Parliamentary reform, which, through the growth of large manufacturing centres since 1790, had become a more urgent necessity every year. In 1795 Lord Grey brought forward a motion on the subject, which w

THE following long letter bears testimony to the King's conscientious discharge of duty, to his anxiety with regard to public affairs, to the Queen's devout religious spirit, and to her non-interference in politics: 'April 13, 1831. 'How very odd it was that I should find your letter on the table requesting to hear a little about Royalty on my return home from a three days' visit to Windsor Castle, the beauty, splendour, and comfort of which is not to be described! We were twenty-nine in the Cas

IN 1832 the cholera made its appearance in many parts of the country, and claimed many victims. At Brentford the people disputed hotly about it, some alleging it was not Asiatic cholera, fearing that the prevalence of that epidemic would be detrimental to the little trade of the town. At the parish meetings feeling ran so high that the disputants almost came to blows, and Colonel Clitherow 'never had so much difficulty in keeping them in decent order.' In the autumn of the previous year Earl How

THE following year found Colonel Clitherow's time greatly occupied with the treasurership of the Sons of the Clergy Corporation, and with a visitation of their estates in various parts of the country, which he found in such woeful condition that they would cost 'some thousands to repair and rebuild, or their ruin was certain.' This visitation, which took him and his party by slow stages as far as Yorkshire, probably accounts for our finding but one letter about the Court this year. It was writte

OUR next glimpse of their Majesties is not from , but at Boston House. This unsought honour was rather deprecated, though thoroughly appreciated by their hosts, who, in spite of their intimacy with the King and Queen, never made any pretension to be more than simple gentlefolk. Colonel Clitherow was the first commoner whom William IV. so honoured, probably the only one, and instances of other monarchs doing the like must be few and far between. In this case, doubtless, both their Majesties regar

'BOSTON HOUSE, 'August 28 [1834], WE have been absent a week visiting different friends, and on our return this morning took a Royal luncheon at the Castle. Our dear Queen received us most kindly, and we sat with her for half an hour before luncheon. Her conversation was most interesting. I wish I could give it you word for word. It showed such a feeling, religious, good mind. It was about her loss in one whom she termed a faithful servant, indeed a friend—old Barton (only sixty-four, but he had

'BOSTON HOUSE, 'July 13 [1835]. 'WE were invited on Saturday to dine at Kew with their Majesties. It was quite a social party, no company but ourselves and the Landgravine; the rest were the ladies in attendance, the household, and the King's family. We mustered thirty at dinner. They came down early in the day to thoroughly enjoy the country. They walked about till luncheon; then the Queen had her horse to ride, and little carriages, and they all went to Richmond Park, and returned to dress for

AFTER a short illness, William IV. died at Windsor Castle on June 20, 1837. On July 17 Miss Clitherow wrote as follows: 'Thank you very much for writing to me. I always enjoy your letters, and delight to hear from you. I feel I did not deserve it, so much time has elapsed since I wrote to you. But I dislike writing when the spirits are below par, and how could they be otherwise with the afflicting event which has befallen the country? Great were our apprehensions for the dear Queen when she was

TO the letters already given, which cover the seven years of William IV.'s reign, it seems appropriate to add two public utterances on the occasion of his death. The cuttings containing them are pasted in a MS. book belonging to Miss Clitherow's correspondent, himself a writer of repute,[*] and are preceded by the following notes: [*] The Rev. Edward Nares, D.D., Rector of Biddenden, Kent, and Regius Professor of Modern History in the University of Oxford. 'No King ever departed this life with l