Produced by Cathy Maxam, Heather Clark and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) FARMER GEORGE [Illustration: _From a print_ (_circa 1812_) _in the British Museum_ GEORGE THE THIRD] FARMER GEORGE BY LEWIS MELVILLE _Author of_ "_The First Gentleman of Europe_," "_The Life of William Makepeace Thackeray_," _&c., &c._ WITH FIFTY-THREE PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I LONDON: SIR ISAAC PITMAN AND SONS, LTD. NO. 1 AMEN CORNER, E. C. [Illustration] 1907 PRINTED BY SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS, LTD. BATH. (2002) _To_ THOMAS SECCOMBE _To whom the Author is indebted for many valuable suggestions_ CONTENTS VOL. I CHAP. PAGE INTRODUCTION ix I. FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES 1 II. BOYHOOD OF GEORGE III 33 III. THE PRINCE COMES OF AGE 62 IV. THE NEW KING 71 V. "THE FAIR QUAKER" 86 VI. LADY SARAH LENNOX AND GEORGE III 105 VII. THE ROYAL MARRIAGE 120 VIII. THE RISE AND FALL OF "THE FAVOURITE" 136 IX. THE COURT OF GEORGE III 167 X. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE KING AND QUEEN 202 XI. "NO. XLV" 235 XII. THE KING UNDER GRENVILLE 269 ILLUSTRATIONS VOL. I PAGE GEORGE III _frontispiece_ FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES _facing_ 5 THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES, MISS VANE AND HER SON " 11 CAROLINE, CONSORT OF GEORGE II " 15 GEORGE II " 15 PRINCE GEORGE OF WALES, PRINCE EDWARD OF WALES, AND DR. AYSCOUGH " 35 AUGUSTA, PRINCESS DOWAGER OF WALES " 41 LEICESTER HOUSE " 45 GEORGE, PRINCE OF WALES " 55 GEORGE III " 62 GEORGE III IN HIS CORONATION ROBES " 71 "THE BUTTON MAKER" " 75 MISS AXFORD (HANNAH LIGHTFOOT) " 86 LADY SARAH LENNOX SACRIFICING TO THE MUSES " 105 QUEEN CHARLOTTE " 120 JOHN, EARL OF BUTE " 136 WINDSOR CASTLE " 167 "THE KITCHEN METAMORPHOZ'D" " 178 "LEARNING TO MAKE APPLE DUMPLINGS" " 190 THE KING RELIEVING PRISONERS IN DORCHESTER GAOL " 196