heresy many of those determined Tories, who,
after the reign of the Stuarts had been extinguished in the person of Queen
Anne, were disposed rather to transfer their allegiance to her brother the
Chevalier de St. George, than to acquiesce in the settlement of the crown on the
Hanover family. Her husband, whose most shining quality was courage in the field
of battle, and who endured the office of King of England, without ever being
able to acquire English habits, or any familiarity with English dispositions,
found the utmost assistance from the address of his partner, and while he
jealously affected to do everything according to his own will and pleasure, was
in secret prudent enough to take and follow the advice of his more adroit
consort. He intrusted to her the delicate office of determining the various
degrees of favour necessary to attach the wavering, or to confirm such as were
already friendly, or to regain those whose good-will had been lost.
    With all the winning address of an elegant, and, according to the times, an
accomplished woman, Queen Caroline possessed the masculine soul of the other
sex. She was proud by nature, and even her policy could not always temper her
expressions of displeasure, although few were more ready at repairing any false
step of this kind, when her prudence came up to the aid of her passions. She
loved the real possession of power rather than the show of it, and whatever she
did herself that was either wise or popular, she always desired that the King
should have the full credit as well as the advantage of the measure, conscious
that, by adding to his respectability, she was most likely to maintain her own.
And so desirous was she to comply with all his tastes, that, when threatened
with the gout, she had repeatedly had recourse to checking the fit, by the use
of the cold bath, thereby endangering her life, that she might be able to attend
the king in his walks.
    It was a very consistent part of Queen Caroline's character, to keep up many
private correspondences with those to whom in public she seemed unfavourable, or
who, for various reasons, stood ill with the court. By this means she kept in
her hands the thread of many a political intrigue, and, without pledging herself
to anything, could often prevent discontent from becoming hatred, and opposition
from exaggerating itself into rebellion. If by any accident her correspondence
with such persons chanced to be observed or discovered, which she took all
possible pains to prevent, it was represented as a mere intercourse of society,
having no reference to politics