altered the arms or titles appertaining to her regalities. But this title of King of France was renounced by George III, on the occasion of the Peace of Amiens in 1802, although such renunciation was not one of the stipulations of the treaty.

Neither does her Majesty style herself Queen of Hanover; for the Salic law prevailing in that country, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, as the next heir male, succeeded to the throne of Hanover upon the death of his late Majesty. One of the consequences of this alteration is, that the royal arms of England will now vary very considerably from those borne by her Majesty's predecessors. And by an order of council which appeared in the Gazette of the 1st August, 1837,* the arms are to consist of the four grand quarters only; namely, England in Elizabeth, commissioners on both sides were appointed to treat of peace. The Spanish commissioners proposed that the negotiations should be carried on in the French tongue; observing, sarcastically, that the gentlemen of England could not be ignorant of the language of their fellow subjects, their Queen being Queen of France as well as England.' 'Nay, in faith, gentlemen,' replied Dr. Dale, one of the English commissioners, the French is too vulgar for a business of this importance; we will, therefore, if you please, rather treat in Hebrew, the language of Jerusalem, of which your master calls himself King, and in which you of course must be as well skilled as we are in French.'

*The proclamation recites the fact of George III. having, by order in council, dated Jan. 1, 1801, appointed, that with the arms of Great Britain and Ireland there should be borne, on an escutcheon of pretence, the arms of his Majesty's dominions in Germany, ensigned with the Electoral Bonnet; and also of his having, on substituting the title of King of Hanover for his ancient title of Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, issued another proclamation, dated June 8, 1816, ordering that the arms of his dominions in Germany should in future be ensigned with the Hanoverian Royal crown, instead of the Electoral bonnet. It may be as well to observe that her Majesty, though a female, does not bear her arms in a lozenge, but a shield, they being arms of dominion, and not of blood.

the first and fourth, and Scotland and Ireland in the second and third quarters; the escutcheon of pretence, bearing the arms of Hanover surmounted by the crown of that kingdom being discontinued.

It has been already stated, that the constitution attributes perpetuity to the Sovereign. The King never dies; for, says Blackstone, immediately upon the decease of the reigning prince in his natural capacity, his kingship or imperial dignity, by act of law, without any interregnum or interval, is vested at once in his heir, who is, eo instanti, King to all intents and purposes.*

The following official record, of the proceedings on the accession of her Majesty Queen Victoria, will serve to show the constitutional forms observed at the commencement of a new reign.

(FROM THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE.)

Whitehall, June 20, 1837.

On Tuesday morning, the 20th of June instant, at twelve minutes past two o'clock, our late Most Gracious Sovereign King William IV. expired, at his Castle of Windsor, in the 72d year of his age, and the seventh year of his reign. This event has caused one universal feeling of regret and sorrow to his late Majesty's faithful and attached subjects, to whom he was endeared by the deep interest in their welfare which he invariably manifested, as well as by the many manly virtues which marked and adorned his character.

* Blackstone's Commentaries, Bk. i. c. 7, s. 3.

In France a similar practice obtains. "Le Roi est mort: Vive le Roi !" is the form in which the death of a sovereign is declared.

It has been stated, that immediately upon the death of King George III, which took place at Windsor, at about eight o'clock in the evening of the 29th January 1820, the event was notified by a herald proclaiming, to the sound of trumpets, from one of the windows of the Castle, "The King is dead. Long live the King!"

E

Upon the intimation of this distressing event, the Lords of the Privy Council assembled this day at Kensington Palace, and gave orders for proclaiming her present Majesty, who made a most gracious declaration to them, and caused all the Lords, and others of the late King's Privy Council who were then present, to be sworn of her Majesty's Privy Council.

Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King William IV. of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria,†

*The Privy Council is the one which is first called to the assistance of the new Sovereign. By the common law, that royal council was dissolved, ipso facto, upon the demise of the King; but by the statute 6 Anne, cap. 7, it continues in existence for six months after the King's demise, unless sooner determined by his successor.

The following amusing paragraph appeared in the Gazette de France in the beginning of the year 1836. One would hardly have expected to see any claim to the throne of Great Britain put forth at the present day in behalf of the legitimate heirs of the house of Stuart; and still less expected to find that claim vested in the Duc d'Angouleme.

"IF the throne of England had not been USURPED by William of Orange, and if the succession had gone down from father to son, the English lawyers would have been called on, at the death of Henry IX, to verify the titles of succession coming from the third branch descending from Charles I, the first two being extinct; and they would have found-1. HenrietteAnne, of Angleterre, youngest daughter of Charles I, deceased in 1670, wife of Philip Duke of Orleans the Regent.-2. Anne-Marie of Orleans, daughter of Henriette; married April 10, 1684, to François-VictorAmédée II, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia.-3. Victor-Amédée III, eldest son of the preceding.-4. Marie-Thérèse of Savoy, born Jan. 31, 1756, daughter of Victor-Amédée III; married Nov. 16, 1773, to Charles-Philip of France, Comte d'Artois, afterwards Charles X.

5. Louis-Antoine, Duke d'Angoulême, son of Marie-Thérèse of Savoy and Charles-Philippe of France, Comte d'Artois.-6. In default of

saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William IV. which may be born of his late Majesty's consort: We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this realm, being here assisted with these of his late Majesty's Privy Council, with numbers of others, principal Gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria is now, by the death of our late Sovereign, of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lady Victoria, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, saving as aforesaid. To whom, saving as aforesaid, we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affection; beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless the royal Princess Victoria with long and happy years to reign over us.

Given at the Court at Kensington, this 20th day of June 1837.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

Here follow the names of all the members of the Royal Family, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the other Privy Councillors, the Lord Mayor and Members of the City deputation, &c. who signed the proclamation.

direct issue of Louis-Antoine, Duke d'Angoulême, the right of succession would belong, according to English law, to Mademoiselle, daughter of the Duke de Berry, and niece of the Duke d'Angoulême. Thus, according to the Catholic law of England, we have the true royal legitimacy perfectly proved. Monseigneur the Duke d'Angoulême, for the Catholics of Ireland, Scotland, and England, ought incontestably to be considered King of Great Britain, and Mademoiselle heiress-presumptive of the Crown, in the place and instead of William IV. and the Princess Victoria, who reigns only by virtue of a Protestant law of usurpation and revolution." Well may Shakspeare say, "there is much virtue in 'if'—your 'if' is

At the Court at Kensington, the 20th day of June 1837, present, the Queen's most excellent Majesty in council. Her Majesty, being this day present in council, was pleased to make the following declaration, viz.

"The severe and afflicting loss which the nation has sustained by the death of his Majesty, my beloved uncle, has devolved upon me the duty of administering the government of this empire. This awful responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and at so early a period of my life, that I should feel myself utterly oppressed by the burthen were I not sustained by the hope that Divine Providence, which has called me to this work, will give me strength for the performance of it; and that I shall find in the purity of my intentions, and in my zeal for the public welfare, that support and those resources which usually belong to a more mature age, and to longer experience.

I place my firm reliance upon the wisdom of Parliament, and upon the loyalty and affection of my people. I esteem it also a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a Sovereign whose constant regard for the rights and liberties of his subjects, and whose desire to promote the amelioration of the laws and institutions of the country, have rendered his name the object of general attachment and veneration.

Educated in England, under the tender and enlightened care of a most affectionate mother, I have learned from my infancy to respect and love the constitution of my native country.

It will be my unceasing study to maintain the reformed religion as by law established, securing at the same time to all the full enjoyment of religious liberty; and I shall steadily protect the rights, and promote to the utmost of my power the happiness and welfare, of all classes of my subjects."

Whereupon the Lords of the Council made it their humble request to her Majesty that her Majesty's most gracious declaration

your only peacemaker." But for the very important if in the present case, England might, ere now, have ranked among the most enslaved and priest-ridden of nations.