The Prussians seem dreadfully touchy about the proceedings of the
King of Hanover. He has been celebrating his silver wedding at Hietzing, which was attended by some 500 Hanoverians, whom he addressed in a flaming speech. He expects, he says, to return, as his ancestors did in 1815, to "an enlarged Guelphic kingdom." The Prussians, who have just voted him an enormous annuity, under the idea that he has renounced his rights, are extremely angry, and threaten to stop his allowance as a punishment, but they are a little unreasonable. The poor man thinks he reigns by divine right, and must therefore return ; and if that is a comfort to his mind, why should he not enjoy it ? Our Kings were officially styled Kings of France till the early part of this century, and the Stuart Pretenders threatened invasions for a century. Nevertheless, France was French, and England maintained the line of Brunswick. The good Prussians cannot yet get rid of the idea that Kings' talk signifies.
Previous page
