THE BIRTH OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

(_By the Observer's own Correspondent._)

It will be seen that we were not premature in announcing the probability

of the birth of a Prince of Wales; and though it was impossible that any

one should be able to speak with certainty, our positive tone upon the

occasion serves to show the exclusive nature of all our intelligence. We

are enabled now to state that the Prince will immediately take, indeed he

has already taken, the title of _Prince of Wales_, which it is generally

understood he will enjoy--at least if a child so young can be said to

enjoy anything of the kind--until an event shall happen which we hope will

be postponed for a very protracted period. The Prince of Wales, should he

survive his mother, will ascend the throne; but whether he will be George

the Fifth, Albert the First, Henry the Ninth, Charles the Third, or

Anything the Nothingth, depends upon circumstances we are not at liberty

to allude to--_at present_; nor do we think we shall be enabled to do so

in a second edition.

Our suggestion last week, that the royal birth should take place on Lord

Mayor's Day, has, we are happy to see, been partially attended to; but we

regret that the whole hog has not been gone, by twins having been

presented to the anxious nation, so that there might have been a baronetcy

each for the outgoing and incoming Lord Mayors of Dublin and London.

Perhaps, however, it might have been attended with difficulty to follow

our advice to the very letter; but we nevertheless think it might have

been arranged; though if others think otherwise, we, of course, have

nothing further to say upon the matter alluded to.

We very much regret to make an announcement, and are glad at being the

first to do so, though we are sorry to advert to the subject, touching an

alarming symptom in the Princess Royal. Her Royal Highness, ever since the

birth of the Prince, whom we think we may now venture to call her brother,

has suffered from an affection of the nose, which is said to be quite out

of joint since the royal stranger (for we hope we may take the liberty of

alluding to the Prince of Wales as a stranger, for he is a stranger to us,

at least we have never seen him) came into existence.

We hear it on good authority that when the Princess was taken to see her

brother, Her Royal Highness, who begins to articulate a few sounds,

exclaimed, "_Tar_!" with unusual emphasis. It is supposed, from this

simple but affecting circumstance, that the Prince of Wales will

eventually become _a Tar_, and perhaps regain for his country the

undisputed dominion of the seas, which, by-the-bye, has not been

questioned, and probably will not be, in which case the naval attributes

of His Royal Highness will not be brought into activity.

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Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, November 13, 1841 · 第 4 / 73 题