Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Character, Life, And Times Of His Late Royal. Highness , By The Public Press.
and controlled his future destiny . The circumstances are thus detailed by his Royal Highness himself , in a letter to the late Lord Erskine , in which he says : — " In the month of December , 1792 , being ou my travels , I got acquainted , at Rome , with Lady Dunmore and her two daughters , who were just come from Naples- The well-known accomplishments of my wife ( then Lady Augusta Murray ) caught my peculiar
attention . After four months intimacy , by which I got more particularly acquainted with all her endearing qualities , I offered her my hand , unknown to her family , being certain beforehand of the objections Lady Dunmore would have made , had she been informed of my intentions . The candour and generosity my wife showed on this occasion , by refusing the proposal , and showing me the personal disadvantage I should draw
upon myself , instead of checking my endeavours , served only to add new fuel to a passion which no earthly power could ever more have extinguished . At length , after having convinced Augusta of the impossibility of my living without her , I found an English clergyman , and we were married at Rome , in the month of April , 1793 , according to the rites of the English Church . Many people think Lady Dunmore
was privy to this marriage , but of this I must totally exculpate her . " The letter from which the above is extracted is dated Naples , 30 th of January , 1798 , and was written after he had attained his full majority of twenty-five years , and five years after his separation from his wife , his object being to claim her as such , ancl her eldest child ( to use his own words ) , " as his true , legitimate , and lawful son . " The contract of marriage is curious ; it is as follows : —
" On my knees , before God , our Creator , I , Augustus Frederick , promise thee , Augusta Murray , and swear upon the Bible , as I hope for salvation in the world to come , that I will take thee , Augusta Murray , for my wife , for better , for worse , for richer or poorer , in sickness and in health , to love and to cherish , till death us do part , to love but thee only , and none other ; and may God forget me if I ever forget thee . The Lord's name be praised ; so bless me , so bless us , O God : ancl with my handwriting do I , Augustus Frederick , this sign , March 21 , 1793 , at Rome , and put my seal to it , and my name . ( L . s . ) ( Signed ) " AUGUSTUS FREDERICK . "
At the foot is a memorandum , in the handwriting of his Royal Hi ghness , as follows : — "Completed at Rome , April 4 , 1793 . " The same paper contains an engagement similar to the above , in the handwriting of Lady Augusta ; and at the beginning of the paper , it is written , in the hand of his Royal Highness , that it contains " a promise neither of us can break , being made before Gocl , our Creator , ancl all-merciful Father . " Having some doubts as to the validity of the marriage , his Royal
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Character, Life, And Times Of His Late Royal. Highness , By The Public Press.
and controlled his future destiny . The circumstances are thus detailed by his Royal Highness himself , in a letter to the late Lord Erskine , in which he says : — " In the month of December , 1792 , being ou my travels , I got acquainted , at Rome , with Lady Dunmore and her two daughters , who were just come from Naples- The well-known accomplishments of my wife ( then Lady Augusta Murray ) caught my peculiar
attention . After four months intimacy , by which I got more particularly acquainted with all her endearing qualities , I offered her my hand , unknown to her family , being certain beforehand of the objections Lady Dunmore would have made , had she been informed of my intentions . The candour and generosity my wife showed on this occasion , by refusing the proposal , and showing me the personal disadvantage I should draw
upon myself , instead of checking my endeavours , served only to add new fuel to a passion which no earthly power could ever more have extinguished . At length , after having convinced Augusta of the impossibility of my living without her , I found an English clergyman , and we were married at Rome , in the month of April , 1793 , according to the rites of the English Church . Many people think Lady Dunmore
was privy to this marriage , but of this I must totally exculpate her . " The letter from which the above is extracted is dated Naples , 30 th of January , 1798 , and was written after he had attained his full majority of twenty-five years , and five years after his separation from his wife , his object being to claim her as such , ancl her eldest child ( to use his own words ) , " as his true , legitimate , and lawful son . " The contract of marriage is curious ; it is as follows : —
" On my knees , before God , our Creator , I , Augustus Frederick , promise thee , Augusta Murray , and swear upon the Bible , as I hope for salvation in the world to come , that I will take thee , Augusta Murray , for my wife , for better , for worse , for richer or poorer , in sickness and in health , to love and to cherish , till death us do part , to love but thee only , and none other ; and may God forget me if I ever forget thee . The Lord's name be praised ; so bless me , so bless us , O God : ancl with my handwriting do I , Augustus Frederick , this sign , March 21 , 1793 , at Rome , and put my seal to it , and my name . ( L . s . ) ( Signed ) " AUGUSTUS FREDERICK . "
At the foot is a memorandum , in the handwriting of his Royal Hi ghness , as follows : — "Completed at Rome , April 4 , 1793 . " The same paper contains an engagement similar to the above , in the handwriting of Lady Augusta ; and at the beginning of the paper , it is written , in the hand of his Royal Highness , that it contains " a promise neither of us can break , being made before Gocl , our Creator , ancl all-merciful Father . " Having some doubts as to the validity of the marriage , his Royal