there；　on　May　24；　1819；　a　female　infant　was　born。
  CHAPTER　II。　CHILDHOOD
  I
  The　child　who；　in　these　not　very　impressive　circumstances；　appeared　in　the　world；　received　but　scant　attention。　There　was　small　reason　to　foresee　her　destiny。　The　Duchess　of　Clarence；　two　months　before；　had　given　birth　to　a　daughter；　this　infant；　indeed；　had　died　almost　immediately；　but　it　seemed　highly　probable　that　the　Duchess　would　again　become　a　mother；　and　so　it　actually　fell　out。　More　than　this；　the　Duchess　of　Kent　was　young；　and　the　Duke　was　strong；　there　was　every　likelihood　that　before　long　a　brother　would　follow；　to　snatch　her　faint　chance　of　the　succession　from　the　little　princess。
  Nevertheless；　the　Duke　had　other　views：　there　were　prophecies。。。　At　any　rate；　he　would　christen　the　child　Elizabeth；　a　name　of　happy　augury。　In　this；　however；　he　reckoned　without　the　Regent；　who；　seeing　a　chance　of　annoying　his　brother；　suddenly　announced　that　he　himself　would　be　present　at　the　baptism；　and　signified　at　the　same　time　that　one　of　the　godfathers　was　to　be　the　Emperor　Alexander　of　Russia。　And　so　when　the　ceremony　took　place；　and　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　asked　by　what　name　he　was　to　baptise　the　child；　the　Regent　replied　〃Alexandria。〃　At　this　the　Duke　ventured　to　suggest　that　another　name　might　be　added。　〃Certainly；〃　said　the　Regent；　〃Georgina？〃　〃Or　Elizabeth？〃　said　the　Duke。　There　was　a　pause；　during　which　the　Archbishop；　with　the　baby　in　his　lawn　sleeves；　looked　with　some　uneasiness　from　one　Prince　to　the　other。　〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　the　Regent　at　last；　〃call　her　after　her　mother。　But　Alexandrina　must　come　first。〃　Thus；　to　the　disgust　of　her　father；　the　child　was　christened　Alexandrina　Victoria。
  The　Duke　had　other　subjects　of　disgust。　The　meagre　grant　of　the　Commons　had　by　no　means　put　an　end　to　his　financial　distresses。　It　was　to　be　feared　that　his　services　were　not　appreciated　by　the　nation。　His　debts　continued　to　grow。　For　many　years　he　had　lived　upon　L7000　a　year；　but　now　his　expenses　were　exactly　doubled；　he　could　make　no　further　reductions；　as　it　was；　there　was　not　a　single　servant　in　his　meagre　grant　establishment　who　was　idle　for　a　moment　from　morning　to　night。　He　poured　out　his　griefs　in　a　long　letter　to　Robert　Owen；　whose　sympathy　had　the　great　merit　of　being　practical。　〃I　now　candidly　state；〃　he　wrote；　〃that；　after　viewing　the　subject　in　every　possible　way；　I　am　satisfied　that；　to　continue　to　live　in　England；　even　in　the　quiet　way　in　which　we　are　going　on；　WITHOUT　SPLENDOUR；　and　WITHOUT　SHOW；　NOTHING　SHORT　OF　DOUBLING　THE　SEVEN　THOUSAND　POUNDS　WILL　DO；　REDUCTION　BEING　IMPOSSIBLE。〃　It　was　clear　that　he　would　be　obliged　to　sell　his　house　for　L51；300；　if　that　failed；　he　would　go　and　live　on　the　Continent。　〃If　my　services　are　useful　to　my　country；　it　surely　becomes　THOSE　WHO　HAVE　THE　POWER　to　support　me　in　substantiating　those　just　claims　I　have　for　the　very　extensive　losses　and　privations　I　have　experienced；　during　the　very　long　period　of　my　professional　servitude　in　the　Colonies；　and　if　this　is　not　attainable；　IT　IS　A　CLEAR　PROOF　TO　ME　THAT　THEY　ARE　THEY　ARE　NOT　APPRECIATED；　and　under　that　impression　I　shall　not　scruple；　in　DUE　time；　to　resume　my　retirement　abroad；　when　the　Duchess　and　myself　shall　have　fulfilled　our　duties　in　establishing　the　ENGLISH　birth　of　my　child；　and　giving　it　material　nutriment　on　the　soil　of　Old　England；　and　which　we　shall　certainly　repeat；　if　Providence　destines；　to　give　us　any　further　increase　of　family。〃
  In　the　meantime；　he　decided　to　spend　the　winter　at　Sidmouth；　〃in　order；〃　he　told　Owen；　〃that　the　Duchess　may　have　the　benefit　of　tepid　sea　bathing；　and　our　infant　that　of　sea　air；　on　the　fine　coast　of　Devonshire；　during　the　months　of　the　year　that　are　so　odious　in　London。〃　In　December　the　move　was　made。　With　the　new　year；　the　Duke　remembered　another　prophecy。　In　1820；　a　fortune…teller　had　told　him；　two　members　of　the　Royal　Family　would　die。　Who　would　they　be？　He　speculated　on　the　various　possibilities：　The　King；　it　was　plain；　could　not　live　much　longer；　and　the　Duchess　of　York　had　been　attacked　by　a　mortal　disease。　Probably　it　would　be　the　King　and　the　Duchess　of　York；　or　perhaps　the　King　and　the　Duke　of　York；　or　the　King　and　the　Regent。　He　himself　was　one　of　the　healthiest　men　in　England。　〃My　brothers；〃　he　declared；　〃are　not　so　strong　as　I　am；　I　have　lived　a　regular　life。　I　shall　outlive　them　all。　The　crown　will　come　to　me　and　my　children。〃　He　went　out　for　a　walk；　and　got　his　feet　wet。　On　coming　home；　he　neglected　to　change　his　stockings。　He　caught　cold；　inflammation　of　the　lungs　set　in；　and　on　January　22　he　was　a　dying　man。　By　a　curious　chance；　young　Dr。　Stockmar　was　staying　in　the　house　at　the　time；　two　years　before；　he　had　stood　by　the　death…bed　of　the　Princess　Charlotte；　and　now　he　was　watching　the　Duke　of　Kent　in　his　agony。　On　Stockmar's　advice；　a　will　was　hastily　prepared。　The　Duke's　earthly　possessions　were　of　a　negative　character；　but　it　was　important　that　the　guardianship　of　the　unwitting　child；　whose　fortunes　were　now　so　strangely　changing；　should　be　assured　to　the　Duchess。　The　Duke　was　just　able　to　understand　the　document；　and　to　append　his　signature。　Having　inquired　whether　his　writing　was　perfectly　clear；　he　became　unconscious；　and　breathed　his　last　on　the　following　morning！　Six　days　later　came　the　fulfilment　of　the　second　half　of　the　gipsy's　prophecy。　The　long；　unhappy；　and　inglorious　life　of　George　the　Third　of　England　was　ended。
  II
  Such　was　the　confusion　of　affairs　at　Sidmouth；　that　the　Duchess　found　herself　without　the　means　of　returning　to　London。　Prince　Leopold　hurried　down；　and　himself　conducted　his　sister　and　her　family；　by　slow　and　bitter　stages；　to　Kensington。　The　widowed　lady；　in　her　voluminous　blacks；　needed　all　her　equanimity　to　support　her。　Her　prospects　were　more　dubious　than　ever。　She　had　L6000　a　year　of　her　own；　but　her　husband's　debts　loomed　before　her　like　a　mountain。　Soon　she　learnt　that　the　Duchess　of　Clarence　was　once　more　expecting　a　child。　What　had　she　to　look　forward　to　in　England？　Why　should　she　remain　in　a　foreign　country；　among　strangers；　whose　language　she　could　not　speak；　whose　customs　she　could　not　understand？　Surely　it　would　be　best　to　return　to　Amorbach；　and　there；　among　her　own　people；　bring　up　her　daughters　in　economical　obscurity。　But　she　was　an　inveterate　optimist；　she　had　spent　her　life　in　struggles；　and　would　not　be　daunted　now；　and　besides；　she　adored　her　baby。　〃C'est　mon　bonheur；　mes　delices；　mon　existence；〃　she　declared；　the　darling　should　be　brought　up　as　an　English　princess；　whatever　lot　awaited　her。　Prince　Leopold　came　forward　nobly　with　an　offer　of　an　additional　L3000　a　year；　and　the　Duchess　remained　at　Kensington。
  The　child　herself　was　extremely　fat；　and　bore　a　remarkable　resemblance　to　her　grandfather。　〃C'est　l'image　du　feu　Roi！〃　exclaimed　the　Duchess。　〃C'est　le　Roi　Georges　en　jupons；〃　echoed　the　surrounding　ladies；　as　the　little　creature　waddled　with　difficulty　from　one　to　the　other。
  Before　long；　the　world　began　to　be　slightly　interested　in　the　nursery　at　Kensington。　When；　early　in　1821；　the　Duchess　of　Clarence's　second　child；　the　Princess　Elizabeth；　died　within　three　months　of　its　birth；　the　interest　increased。　Great　forces　and　fierce　antagonisms　seemed　to　be　moving；　obscurely；　about　the　royal　cradle。　It　was　a　time　of　faction　and　anger；　of　violent　repression　and　profound　discontent。　A　powerful　movement；　which　had　for　long　been　checked　by　adverse　circumstances；　was　now　spreading　throughout　the　country。　New　passions；　new　desires；　were　abroad；　or　rather　old　passions　and　old　desires；　reincarnated　with　a　new　potency：　love　of　freedom；　hatred　of　injustice；　hope　for　the　future　of　man。　The　mighty　still　sat　proudly　in　their　seats；　dispensing　their　ancient　tyranny；　but　a　storm　was　gathering　out　of　the　darkness；　and　already　there　was　lightning　in　the　sky。　But　the　vastest　forces　must　needs　operate　through　frail　human　instruments；　and　it　seemed　for　many　years　as　if　the　great　cause　of　English　liberalism　hung　upon　the　life　of　the　little　girl　at　Kensington。　She　alone　stood　between　the　country　and　her　terrible　uncle；　the　Duke　of　Cumberland；　the　hideous　embodiment　of　reaction。　Inevitably；　the　Duchess　of　Kent　threw　in　her　lot　with　her　husband's　party；　Whig　leaders；　Radical　agitators；　rallied　round　her；　she　was　intimate　with　the　bold　Lord　Durham；　she　was　on　friendly　terms　with　the　redoubtable　O'Connell　himself。　She　received　Wilberforce…though；　to　be　sure；　she　did　not　ask　him　to　sit　down。　She　declared　in　public　that　she　put　her　faith　in　〃the　liberties　of　the　People。〃　It　was　certain　that　the　young　Princess　would　be　brought　up　in　the　way　that　she　should　go；　yet　there；　close　behind　the　throne；　waiting；　sinister；　was　the　Duke　of　Cumberland。　Brougham；　looking　forward　into　the　future　in　his　scurrilous　fashion；　hinted　at　dreadful　possibilities。　〃I　never　prayed　so　heartily　for　a　Prince　before；〃　he　wrote；　on　hearing　that　George　IV　had　been　attacked　by　illness。　〃If　he　had　gone；　all　the　troubles　of　these　villains　＇the　Tory　Ministers＇　went　with　him；　and　they　had　Fred。　I　＇the　Duke　of　York＇　their　own　man　for　his　life。　He　＇Fred。　I＇　won't　live　long　either；　that　Prince　of　Blackguards；　'Brother　William；'　is　as　bad　a　life；　so　we　come　in　the　course　of　nature　to　be