resa Caroline Amelia, eldest daughter of George Frederick Charles, late duke of Saxe Weiningen (born Aug. 13, 1792), at Kew palace, July 11th, 1818 -succeeded his brother George IV. June 26th, 1830

WILLIAM IV. crowned Sept. 8th. 1831

died at Windsor June 20, 1837, leaving no legitimate issue; was buried in St. George's chapel, Windsor, July 8, and succeeded by his niece,

ALEXANDRINA VICTORIA I. Daughter of the duke and duchess of Kent, born at Kensington, 24th of May, 1819 proclaimed queen June 21, 1837

The proclamation of Queen Victoria took place on the anniversary of a day not less memorable in the annals of British fame, than for the fact, that it bears the same name as the queen of England herself the battle of Vittoria, in 1813

It is also singular that the young queen should have been called to the high duties of royalty within a few days of the exact time (18 years of age) granted to her by the law to prepare for them There are in Europe at this time (1837) three female sovereigns, viz. the queens of England, Spain, and Portugal. This fact is unprecedented in the annals of diplomacy

The accession of a very young female to the throne of this country is an event unprecedented in the history of the kingdom. Indeed, without regard to sex, the youth

ful princess assumes the full regal power at an earlier age than any of her predecessors. The previous instances of young princes ascending to the exalted station of an English monarch have been in the cases of minors, which have consequently required the interposition of regencies. Henry III., Richard II., Henry VI., Edward V., and Edward VI., were all minors, and a regency, that fruitful cause of intri gue and evil ambition, was required under each. All the other sovereigns of England had passed the age of 21 years before they wore the crown.

The following have been queens of England in their own right since the conquest: 1, Mary, reigned from July 6, 1553, to November 7, 1558; 2, Elizabeth, reigned from November 7, 1558, to March 24, 1603; 3, Mary, reigned from February 13, 1684, to Mar. 8, 1702; 4, Anne, reigned from March 8, 1702, to August 1, 1714; 5, Victoria, began to reign June 20, 1837

Alteration in the Royal Arms.-The royal arms of England will vary much from those borne by her majesty's five predecessors. The sovereign being a female, they will be borne on a lozenge instead of a shield, and the imperial crest of a lion surmounting the crown will be discontinued, as will also the escutcheon of pretence bearing the arms of Hanover surmounted by the crown of that kingdom. The arms will in future consist of the four grand quarters onlynamely, England in the first and fourth, and Scotland and Ireland in the second and third quarters

Edward, Duke of Kent.

1837. Victoria.

MEM. The Queen being twenty-seventh in regular descent from the Conqueror, and at the same time thirty-sixth sovereign in succession from the Conquest, gives nearly twenty-nine years to a generation and twenty-two years to a reign, in respect of the seven hundred and seventy-one years which have elapsed since that period. The commonly-received average is thirty years to a generation and twenty years to a reign; according to which it appears, that the cares or luxuries, or both, of a crown, occasion a sacrifice to the wearer of it of one year of life, as compared with ordinary mortals.

29.97 52.5 22.5 This document possesses considerable interest. It shows the dangers that have surrounded the crown; and it points out no less distinctly the progress of civilisation, in the increased security of life enjoyed by those at the head of the government Of the 34 sovereigns, 10 died a violent death; 3 died of accidents; 2 in battle; 5 were put to death.

Accidents. William the Conqueror, William

Rufus, William III.; but William the Conqueror was bruised by his horse starting on the ashes of a town he had laid in ruins, and we agree with Thiers (Conquête d'Angleterre) that the arrow that pierced the heart of William Rufus probably flew from a Saxon bow, and was directed by a Saxon eye

Killed in Battle.-Richard Cœur de Leon, was shot in a siege; Richard III. died at Bosworth field

Of the five put to death, Charles I. was beheaded; Edward II., Richard II., Henry

Dropsy-disease of heart-diseased blad

der

Inflammation of the heart

VI., Edward V., were murdered in various ways. Four kings were put to death by kings, one by the people; if the self-constituted tribunal that condemned Charles I. can be conceived for a moment to have represented the nation, Charles I. was condemned after judicial forms, and beheaded; the four others were assassinated secretly and cruelly by rival sovereigns. Nations are more merciful than individuals ; because the national will is the general result in which all individual decisions merge, and those cruel passions that agitate individuals never extend to the whole mass; humanity is merciful, just, good, and incapable of deliberate cruelty. If the question had ever been put to the people to poison or assassinate a sovereign, it would have been rejected with horror; yet this crime was committed four times by individual sovereigns, in the period of these observations, and perhaps the death of Charles I. should be ascribed to

men who at the time aspired to the crown. Suspicions of poisoning have been frequently entertained; the case of James I., Cromwell, Charles II., not to mention others of recent date, are in point. Popular report has, perhaps, been wrong in many instances; still it is not improbable that this fatal insidious instrument, then not easily detected, was sometimes employed. The improved state of medical science, and of public feeling, as well as the greater publicity given to the fatal diseases, are all guarantees of life for the sovereign. Of the 17 first sovereigns, 7 died violent deaths; of the 17 last, 3 only died violent deaths. The lives of the nobles partook of the insecurity of those of sovereigns in the

early ages. The nobles wer in the progress of civilisat prevented them from dest other

Nothing appears, at first sight, tain than the duration of k but, like all other organic ph examined, this is submitte laws. The mean intervals b rations were estimated by th be 33.3 years; they reckone rations to a century. This plied to kings; Newton show not apply to reigns where el brothers often succeeded. observations are from New logy :

Seleucus, &c.

Ye

3

2

in

The tenure of the sovereign's life increases as civilisation advances, as the following facts prove:

Number of Sovereigns. Eng. France. Ger. Popes. 25 29 96

500 years (800-1300) 29 500 years (1300-1800) 24 22 26 60 From Egbert the Great to Harold II. (8001065), 20 kings reigned in England; each reigned on an average 13 years, a shorter period, in this unsettled time, than the Czars of Russia, from Swatoslow II. to Alexander-the predecessor of the present emperor

William the Conqueror to Edward V., 17

kings reigned 423 years; each 24.9 years Richard III. to William IV., 17 kings reigned 343 years; each 20-2 years The first 17 kings reigned 24.9 years on an average; the last only 20-2 years; but the mean age of the first 17 kings at death was only 48 years; of the 17 last kings the

12

mean age at death was 57 y parent contradiction is eas the first 17 kings came to th mean age of 23 years, th age of 37.

The mean age of the 34 sove accession was 30 years; an pectation of life at that ag according to the Carlisl should, therefore, have die died actually at the age of was, therefore, 11-8 years should have been, accordi prevalent among the mi the present day.

17 first Sovereigns. Age on accession.. 23-2 yea Expectation of life. 391

Should have lived.. 62-3
Actual age at death 48:1

Below the standard 14'2
The 17 last kings lived near
than the 17 first by 4-8 ye
maintained that Mr. Mil
high; but if Mr. Milne's S
males be employed, the
should have lived 61 ye
lived but 52.5; according
thampton table they sh
583 years. The reign in
narchies ought to corres

pectation of life at the time of accession; it should therefore vary with age. This is exemplified by the popes, who are raised to the head of the church at an advanced period of life; 156 successors of St. Peter filled the papal chair in 1023 years (8001823). Each continued pope on an average 6.56 years; if the charges of poisoning and destroying each other lie against these venerable fathers of the church, their

crimes have diminished latterly. A.D. 800-1073 each sat 4.71 years; A.D. 1073 - 1823 the period was prolonged nearly three years (2-94); it was 7.65

The expectation of life of the dowager-queen (age 45), is 24:46 years; if parliamant allows her 100,0001. a year, she may expect to receive 2,446,0007. from the people of this country

The expectation of Victoria's life is 43 years

THIS nation has as great pretensions to antiquity as any in Europe, having, according to its historians, possessed that kingdom for above 2000 years, without ever being entirely conquered; though it has been subdued at certain periods by the Romans and English, and in a great measure over-run by the Danes. It boasts of a line of 115 kings, who can all of them deduce their pedigree from Fergus II. who was sent by the people of Ireland, and came into Scotland about the time that Alexander the Great took Babylon,

viz. 330 years before Christ. As to the origin of the Scots, there are various opinions; and the historians, who contend for their great antiquity, say they came from Spain. Those are opposed by others, who in general suppose them to be a remnant of the Britons who fled from the Roman servitude. However, we shall begin with Metellaus, the 17th king of Scotland (in the second year of whose reign Jesus Christ was born), who died in 29, and was succeeded by Caractacus.

. 242 Aidan.

252 Kennet I.

262 Eugenius IV.

263 Ferchard II.

277 Donald IV.

320 Ferchard I.

. 831 . 834

.854

. 858

874

876