Leigh Hunt's Relations with Byron, Shelley and Keats — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Leigh Hunt's Relations with Byron, Shelley and Keats
John Stuart Mill · en
The fourth and most disastrous misdemeanor was libel of the Prince Regent,
a man of shocking morals and of unstable character. Before his appointment
as Regent he had leaned to the Whig party and advocated Catholic
Emancipation, but at his accession to power he retained the Tory ministry.
The Whigs were greatly angered in consequence, and _The Examiner_ took it
upon itself to voice their indignation.[29] At a dinner given at the
Freemason's Tavern on St. Patrick's day, March 22, 1812, Lord Moira, an
old friend of the Prince's, omitted mentioning him in his speech. Later,
when a toast was proposed to the Prince, it was greeted with hisses. Mr.
Sheridan, because of Lord Moira's omission, spoke later in the evening in
defense of the Regent, but he, too, was received with hisses. The _Morning
Chronicle_ reported the dinner; the _Morning Post_ replied with fulsome
praise of the Prince; _The Examiner_ with its usual alacrity joined in the
fray and took sides with the _Chronicle_, dissecting, phrase by phrase,
the adulation heaped upon the Prince by the _Post_. The following is the
bitterest part of the polemic against him:
"What person, unacquainted with the true state of the case, would
imagine, in reading these astounding eulogies, that this 'Glory of
the people' was the subject of millions of shrugs and
reproaches!--that this 'Protector of the arts' had named a wretched
foreigner his historical painter, in disparagement or in ignorance of
the merits of his own countrymen!--that this 'Maecenas of the age'
patronized not a single deserving writer!--that this 'Breather of
eloquence' could not say a few decent extempore words, if we are to
judge, at least, from what he said to his regiment on its embarkation
for Portugal!--that this 'Conqueror of hearts' was the disappointer
of hopes!--that this 'Exciter of desire' [bravo! Messieurs of the
Post!]--this 'Adonis in loveliness', was a corpulent man of
fifty!--in short, this _delightful_, _blissful_, _wise_,
_pleasurable_, _honourable_, _virtuous_, _true_ and _immortal_
prince, was a violator of his word, a libertine over head and ears in
disgrace, a dispiser of domestic ties, the companion of gamblers and
demireps, a man who has just closed half a century without one single
claim on the gratitude of his country, or the respect of
posterity!"[30]