For APRIL, 1818. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. Number One Hundred and Nine. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS ELIZABETH OF HESSE HOMBERG. THIS truly amiable and lovely Princess | Tuesday, the 7th of April, wedded to is the third daughter of our present beloved Philip Augustus Frederic, Prince of Hesse King and his august consort, and was born Homberg; between whom and her Royal the 22d May, 1770. Highness a tender attachment took place, as we have been informed, about two years ago, on their first introduction to each other; and a correspondence was, from that time, kept up between them. Accomplished as she was beautiful, the mind of the Princess Elizabeth seemed early imbued with an ardent love of literature and the fine arts. As a musician, the skill and delicacy of taste she evinced might have ranked her high even as a professor: and the elegance of her designs shew that she was equally capable of handling the pencil; in this delightful art she has laboured at improvement with unwearied diligence, and taught the canvas to breathe with mimic life, to the admiration of all who have witnessed the almost unrivalled specimens of her skill as a painter. Her Progress of Cupid, published under the name of Lady Dashwood, cut in paperwork, is a chef d'œuvre of feminine ingenuity, representing, allegorically, the power of the hood-winked deity. Nor is the Progress of Genius, from the same royal hand, less worthy of our admiration, which exhibits the different acts of that intellectual power. Her Royal Highness etched and invented each of these designs entirely herself. They were bestowed as presents and marks of esteem, and consequently were only to be seen amongst a select few: they were dedicated in an affectionate manner to the Queen. This accomplished Princess was, on Little doubt can be entertained of their mutual happiness; the amiable disposition of the Princess is well known; her virtuous benevolence has been long witnessed by all those who inhabit the vicinity of Windsor, and her absence from this country will be universally regretted. The Prince to whom she is united discovers a congenial disposition; his manners are condescending, while his demeanour is dignified and princely. The splendid saloon in the Queen's palace was the place determined. on for the marriage ceremony. An altar was ordered to be fitted up under the magnificent throne which was fitted up as the Queen's throne; the whole covered with crimson velvet and gold lace. At a quarter before seven o'clock the company began to arrive, and had all assembled before eight. The Queen took her station in a splen did chair of state to the left of the altar. His Serene Highness the Prince of Hesse Homberg was dressed in a General's uniform, and wore several of his orders, crosses, &c. being ten in the whole. Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth was conducted to the altar by the Dukes of Clarence and Kent, and the Duke of York appeared to give her away. As soon as the ceremony had concluded, forty-one cannon were discharged in honour of the joyous event. The Tower guns were also discharged on the occasion. 4 The splendour attached to royalty is, however, but a slender thread, on which the mind, attuned to the more solid virtues and accomplishments of domestic life, scorns to place its dependance or its hopes. The illustrious pair, so lately united in indissoluble bands, have each, as we are credibly informed, a store of intellectual resources in themselves, and are endowed with all those qualifications which are the charm of private life. To this continual source of Nothing could be more splendid than the appearance of the saloon: on the altar were placed two large communion wax candles; on each side were large candela-real happiness, as far as human life, ever bres near ten feet in height, with five wax candles, each reflecting against superb pier glasses. The front railing of the altar was covered with crimson velvet; on each side of the railing were candelabres with wax candles in each; and in the centre were three immense lustres, and a variety of smaller ones. The adjoining room, called the Japan Room, was beautifully illuminated, and a variety of exquisite refresh ments were served up and administered to the illustrious company who were present at the nuptial ceremony. Her Royal Highness was dressed in a rich and elegant silver tissue, with two broad flounces of fine Brussels lace; each flounce headed with silver net in the form of cockleshells. The body and sleeves of this superb dress were trimmed with Brussels lace, and tastefully looped up with silver tassels: the robe of rich silver tissue, trimmed with lace to correspond with the petticoat, was fastened round the waist with a very fine brilliant clasp. Her headdress consisted of a bandeau of diamonds of exquisite workmankship, with a superb plume of white ostrich feathers. After the conclusion of the ceremouy, and her Majesty had received the congratulations of the most distinguished characters present on this joyful occasion, the female attendants had the honour of kissing the bride's hand. The illustrious pair then retired, and having divested themselves of their splendid attire, his Serene Highness the Prince of Hesse Homberg appeared in a full ball dress, and her Royal Highness in a white satin pelisse and a nun's veil of fine lace. At nine o'clock they left the palace in her Royal Highness's landaulet and four, for the Prince Regent's cottage at Windsor. chequered with good and evil, may be said to enjoy, the Prince of Hesse Homberg unites that real personal bravery that renders his renown honourable as a soldier: and the military character of his Sereue Highness was well proved in the memorable attack on Leipsic, as may be seen in the following extract from the twentythird bulletin of the Crown Prince of Sweden, dated Leipsic, Oct. 21, 1815: "The Freuch attacked the town of Acken, and the division of the Prince of Hesse Homberg moved in that direction, and the bridge and town of Acken, were regained. Our columns were moving upon Leipsic, when large masses of the enemy were seen debouching between Molka and Englesdorff, threatening to turn our left. General Blucher ordered his troops to make a front movement; the troops at that point did not appear to be sufficiently numerous; it was necessary to reinforce them; the Prince of Hesse Homberg was ordered to proceed, and he executed his movement with the precision and regularity of a parade; General Bulow then attacked two villages, and was successful.-At five next morning, the enemy having retired into the suburbs of Leipsic, the Prince Royal (now King of Sweden) ordered General Bulow to carry the city; the latter directed the Prince of Hesse Homberg to make the attack, the division of General Hertzell was intended to support it. The gate was protected by a palisade, and the walls were loopholed; notwithstanding which, our troops forced their way into the streets, when the Prince of Hesse Homberg was wounded by a ball; the city was taken, and such of the enemy as did not surrender were put to the sword," ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. NEW SYSTEM OF MYTHOLOGY. THE SIEGE OF TROY. THE most considerable and most famous enterprise of the coalesced Greeks, however, was the siege of Troy, situated on the coast opposite to Asia-Minor; it began in the year 2810 A. C. and lasted ten years. Ulysses and Penelope, before the plough. share, which the father turned aside for fear of hurting the child. Ulysses sought revenge, and was the cause of Palamedes' death. Thetis, the Nereid, aware that the oracle Priamus, the son of Laomedon, reigned had foretold that her son Achilles should at the time. He had married Helena, by meet with his death at Troy, disguised him whom he had several children, namely, || in woman's clothes, and secreted him at the Hector, the hopes of his family, Deiphobe, court of Lycomedes King of Scyros, where Helenus, and Paris, who was to cause the he married Deidamia, who became the ruin of his country. A short time after mother of Pyrrhus. But Ulysses, disguised the famous judgment which he had pro- as a pedlar, got admission at the court of nounced between the three rival Goddesses, Lycomedes, and intermixed arms amidst he was acknowledged by his father, who, some articles of wearing apparel which he apprehending the misfortunes with which pretended to sell to the ladies. The sight he was threatened at his birth, had con- of arms awoke the martial ardour of the demned him to die on his being born. He youthful Achilles, who immediately chose was next sent to Greece, there to consult them. Ulysses instantly was made conthe oracle at Sparta, for the first time, he scious of his real character, and conducted saw Helena, the daughter of Tyndarus, him to the army that was assembled in and wife to Menelaus; he succeeded in Aulis, under the command of Agamemnon, gaining her affections, and ran away with who had been appointed chief of the coa her. lesced powers. Offences of the kind were customary at the time, as may be observed. Helena herself had already been carried off by Theseus; but when Tyndarus had given her in marriage to Menelaus, he had exacted an oath from the Grecian chiefs, who almost all aspired to her hand, that they would unite to punish the offender, whoever he might be, that should presume to take her from her husband. Menelaus, at the news of Paris' crime, supported by his brother Agamemnon, King of Argos and of Mycenæ, applied to the Greek chieftains for the fulfilment of their promise: however, the magnitude of the enterprise, together with the misfortunes that (according to the oracles) awaited both the conquerors and conquered, frightened most of them. Ulysses, King of Ithaca, the wisest and most eloquent of all the Greeks, pretended to be deranged, and to plough the sand on the coast of the sea; but Palamedes, the son of Nauplius, King of Eubea, discovered the stratagem by placing Telemachus, the only child of Besides the heroes we have just named, Agamemnon had under his command Nestor King of Pylos, the most aged of all the Greek warriors; Ajax, the son of Oileas, King of the Locrians; Ajax, the son of Telamon and Hesione, the bravest among the Greeks next to Achilles, but, like him, proud, brutal, and passionate; Diomede, || grandson to Æneas, King of Calydon, who was inferior in valour to the two former alone; Idomeneus, King of Crete, grandson to Minos; Menelaus, King of Sparta; Patroclus the friend of Achilles, and many other warriors whose fame would only be obscured by that of such renowned heroes. Priamus neglected nothing to oppose the dangers that threatened him; in his own family he had numerous brave defenders, amongst whom Hector held the first rank; Eneas, another descendant from Tros; Memthe son of Aurora: several princes and warriors from Asia assisted, likewise, in defending Troy. Even the Gods would interfere in the contest. Juno and Minerva, incensed at the decision of Paris, warmly non, |