At one period, while the Duke of Newcastle was in power, in the reign of
George II. many serious complaints were made relative to the settlement
of public accounts. The King, at length, became acquainted with the
alleged grievances, and warmly remonstrated with the Duke on his
carelessness and inattention; protested that he was determined, at once
for his own satisfaction and that of his aggrieved people, to look into
the papers himself. "Is your Majesty in earnest?" asked the Duke. The
King replied in the affirmative, and the Duke promised to send him the
accounts. At an early hour on the following morning, the King was
disturbed by an extraordinary noise in the courtyard of his palace, and,
looking out of the window, he perceived a cart or a wagon laden with
books and papers, which, on inquiry he found had been sent by the Duke
of Newcastle. Shortly afterwards the minister himself appeared, and the
King asked him what he meant by sending a wagon-load of stationery to
the palace. "These are the documents relative to the public accounts,"
replied his grace, "which your Majesty insisted on examining; and there
is no other mode of forwarding them except by carts or wagons. I expect
a second load will arrive in a few minutes." "Then, my Lord Duke,"
replied the King, "you may make a bonfire of them for me. I would rather
be a galley-slave than go through the rubbish; so away with it, and
countermand the cart which you say is coming; but pray let me hear no
more complaints on this subject."
On another occasion, he sent, in a fury, for the duke's brother, Mr.
Pelham, and inquired, in a coarse and angry manner, why the civil list
had not been paid. Pelham replied that he had been compelled to use the
money for some public and more important purpose. The King, however,
would not admit of this excuse; and swore, if the arrears were not
instantly paid, he would get another minister. "I am determined," said
he, "not to be the only master in my dominions who does not pay his
servants' wages." One day, it appears that he was actually without a
shilling in his pocket; for it is related that a half idiot labourer
while the King was inspecting the progress of some repairs at
Kensington, having asked his Majesty for something to drink, the King,
although offended, was yet ashamed to refuse the fellow, and put his
hand into the usual receptacle of his cash; but, to his surprise and
confusion, found it empty. "I have no money," said he, angrily. "Nor I
either," quoth the labourer; "and for my part, I can't think what has
become of it all."
Few men were more deeply impressed with the value of money, although he
occasionally startled those about him, by being unexpectedly liberal, as
in the cases of his donation to the university of Cambridge, and his
submitting to the extortion of the Dutch innkeeper. One evening while
passing by a closet in which wood was kept for the use of the
bed-chamber, he dropped some guineas, one of which having rolled under
the door, he said to the page in waiting, "We must get out this guinea:
let us remove the fuel." In a short time, with the attendant's aid, he
found the guinea, which, however, he gave to his fellow-labourer, as a
reward for the exertions of the latter, in helping him to take the wood
out of the closet, observing, "I do not like any thing to be lost, but I
wish every man to receive the value of his work."
Of the hastiness of George the Second's temper, several examples have
been given: but it was never, perhaps, more ludicrously displayed than
in his first interview with Dr. Ward. The King having been afflicted for
some time with a violent pain in his thumb, for which his regular
medical attendants could afford him no relief, he sought the assistance
of Ward, whose famous pills and drops were then in great estimation. The
doctor, being aware of the King's complaint, went to the palace, at the
time commanded, with, it is said, a specific concealed in the hollow of
his hand. On being admitted to his Majesty's presence, he, of course,
proceeded to examine the royal thumb; which he suddenly wrenched with
such violence, that the King called him a cursed rascal, and
condescended to kick his shins. He soon found, however, that the doctor,
had as it were, magically relieved his thumb from pain: and so grateful
did he feel to Ward, whom he now termed his Esculapius, that he
prevailed on him to accept a handsome carriage and horses, and shortly
afterwards, presented his nephew, who subsequently became a general,
with an ensigncy in the guards.--_From the Georgian Era_.
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