Page 390 - Child's own book

whenever he saw the Guards exercised in St. James’s Park,
which was often the case, he always beheld them with attention
and awe. He was fond of riding on horseback, and galloped
without fear; but riding in a conch was his favourite mode of
travelling, as, he observed, he could there both ride in company,
and converse at the same time. lie had a very rocao opinion
of ascending into the air in a balloon, which was then much in
fashion. lie said, he thought it a very- foolish thing to ride in
the air like a bird, when a man could travel more pleasantly on
horscback, or in a coach. We cannot bettor conclude our ac­
count of this amiable and unfortunate youth, than in the words
of a former editor, who saj'3, “ This inquisitive and pains-taking
young man was proceeding extremely fast in gaining the English
language, and making so rapid a progress with his pen, that
in a short time he would have written a very fine hand, when,
alas! he was attacked with that very disease against which so
much caution hud been used. On the 16th of December, he
found himself greatly disordered, and in the course of a day or
two, an eruption appeared all over him. Captain Wilson, full
of apprehension, had immediate recourse to Dr. Carmichael
Smyth, requesting him to see the prince. That gentleman
kindly attended, and upon tbe first sight of him, not only pro­
nounced the distemper to be the small-pox, but was obliged to
add, that the appearances were such as almost totally precluded
the hope of a favourable termination. However, the Doctor
prescribed what was then necessary, and on Captain Wilson’s
earnestly soliciting the continuance of his visits, assured him,
that, however inconvenient the distance, he would not fail daily
to attend the issue of the disease. In this sad situation the
afflicted youlh was deprived of the solacing presence of his dear
friend Captain W ilson, who, not having had the smallpox him­
self, yielded to the entreaties of his family not to go into his
chamber. However, his first and faithful friend Mr. Sharp, on