Prince Frederick was very much displeased with his sister for marrying before he did, but still more so with his father for settling a sum of money on her when he had not been so favored. The great trouble with him was that he was heavily in debt; and, out of the hundred thousand pounds granted to him by parliament, the king allowed him only thirty-six thousand, appropriating the rest himself. No doubt he allowed the prince little or much money, according as he behaved well or ill; and this was certainly humiliating to one of his station. Her son's conduct was the more painful to Queen Caroline because she was so kind and considerate of others herself. Here is a little anecdote in proof of this. One of the princesses had suffered a lady-in-waiting to stand behind her chair one morning for nearly an hour without the least occasion; the queen observed this lack of consideration, but said nothing at the moment. The same evening the princess was made to stand while reading to her mother until she was well-nigh exhausted; then, after explaining why she had permitted her to remain in that position so long, Queen Caroline added: "You are now, my dear, capable of feeling how improper it is, unnecessarily, {082}to make those who are about you the victims of etiquette." A lesson so taught was not likely to be disregarded. About this time Queen Caroline's mind was occupied with a matter that caused intense excitement in England. This was Sir Robert Walpole's excise scheme, which can be explained in a few words. After the civil war certain articles, such as beer, ale, cider, tea, coffee, wine, vinegar, tobacco, and sugar, had been subject to duty for the purpose of supplying the government with money. This was not in favor with the populace, because it increased the price of such articles as were taxed, and made the cost of living higher than it had been before. Then certain tradesmen, rather than pay the duty, organized a system of smuggling, which was done with the aid of gangs of armed men, who beat, abused, and even murdered those custom-house officers who insisted on performing their duty. Walpole organized a plan to prevent the smuggling and the recurrence of these outrages. It is not necessary to enter into the details of his scheme, but no sooner was it made public than the agitation became intense. Taxation in any form was regarded in the light of tyranny, and the mob that gathered around the doors of the House of Commons during the fierce debates, which lasted for three weeks, declared that they would not submit to slavery,--for so it appeared to them. Walpole's proposition was not really unreasonable at all, but the populace were driven to madness by pamphlets and ballads distributed among them by those who desired to further their own personal interests in one way or another. Riots threatened on all sides, and even the soldiers, who had got the idea that the minister's excise scheme would