"Some of the cream-coloured horses formerly attached to the Royal Coach, and which were only used on state days, are now employed in the daily drudgery of hackney coaches. The present proprietor values them very highly, and thinks, from their great receipt of custom, that they will draw him into an easy fortune."--(_Times, Aug. 10, 1796._) * * * * * "To the CONDUCTOR of the TIMES. "Sir,--Among many others, I was yesterday a spectator of what you notice in your paper of this morning. A pair of those noble animals, which, for several years, have drawn his Majesty's State Coach, degraded to a hack. The spectacle really gave me concern, and must certainly reflect disgrace somewhere. It necessarily suggests two considerations, one relative to the dignity of Majesty itself, the other to the natural emotions of sensibility. What! say the vulgar, are the _King's_ State Horses come to this? Oh! what a pity! says the man of sensibility, that these poor creatures recently, and habitually, so caressed, and pampered, should experience such a lamentable reverse! How fallen, how abused, how galled! I assure you, Mr. Editor, they are _literally_, and _grievously_, _galled_. Surely his Majesty must be a stranger to all this: and it would be of no dis-service to him, to let the Public know that he is so. Those who love him, cannot but feel for his horses, nor refrain from thinking that his sensibility, as a man, must be hurt, at hearing of the sufferings of those stately animals, which once contributed to his most magnificent public appearance. A Dutiful Subject." --(_Times, Aug. 12, 1796._) Here is a bit of Satire on the Prince of Wales, who was notoriously at variance with both his father and mother. "An illustrious Personage is now engaged in making a collection of the profile likenesses of his friends. The number already collected is stated to amount to _fifty_. His friends are certainly more numerous than those of almost any Prince we ever heard of, except our own Sovereign. The wealthy Croesus had but one friend, and that was his son."--(_Times, Nov. 6, 1799._) VARIETIES. The year 1788 begins well, with an account of a coming of age, which seems to have been conducted in the classical taste peculiar to this period.