Tourt.

THE Court history of the week is the history of the Country, since it tells the birth of Queen Victoria's first son, the future ruler, in all human probability, of the empire. This took place on Tuesday November the 9th; and the official announcement was made the same day, in a Lon- don Gazette Extraordinary-

" This morning, at twelve minutes before eleven o'clock, the Queen was happily delivered of a Prince; his Royal Highness Prince Albert, her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Kent, several Lords of her Majesty's most Honour- able Privy Council, and the Ladies of her Majesty's Bedchamber, being present. " This great and important news was immediately made known to the town by the Bring of the Park and Tower guns: and the Privy Council being as- sembled as soon as possible thereupon, at the Council Chamber, Whitehall, it was ordered that a form of thanksgiving for the Queen's safe delivery of a Prince be prepared by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, to be used in all churches and chapels throughout England. and Wales, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, on Sunday the 14th November, or the Sunday after the respective ministers shall receive the same. " Her Majesty and the infant Prince are, God be praised, both doing well." There had been no immediate expectation of the event. On the morning before, Monday, the Queen walked in the Palace-gardens with Prince Albert, and had ridden in the afternoon. The dinner-party in the evening comprized, besides the Queen and Prince Albert, only the Dutchess of Kent, two noblemen of the Household, and the Lady in Waiting. During the evening the Queen compfained of fatigue, but felt no further inconvenience. She retired to rest at half-past ten. At six the next morning, Dr. Locock was summoned: at eight despatches were sent off to the Dutchess of Kent, Sir Robert Peel, and the Great Officers of State. The Earl of Liverpool, Lord Steward of the House- hold, was the first who arrived ; closely followed by Sir Robert Peel they arrived at nine o'clock. Then came Earl Delawarr; Lord Cham- berlain, and the Earl of Jersey, Master of the Horse. The Dutchess of Kent entered the Palace at half-past nine. There was then a lapse of more than half an hour, when more Ministers dropped in. Sir James Graham, the Duke of Buckingham, the Marquis of Exeter, the Lord Chancellor, the Bishop of Londoil, and the Earl of Aberdeen, occupying the time till half-past ten. Last of all came the Duke of Wellington, almost at the moment of the birth. The demi-official history of the sequel is given by the Court Circular- " There were present on the occasion, as at the birth of the Princess Royal, her Majesty's room, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, Dr. Locock, and . Lilly, the monthly nurse. In the adjoining apartments, besides the other medical attendants, Sir James Clark, Dr. Ferguson, and Mr. Blagden, [in one mom,] were her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Kent, the Lady in Waiting on the Queen, [in another room,] and fin a room of state] the following Officers of State and Lords of the Privy Council, viz. the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, the Master of the Horse, the Duke of Wellington, the Bishop of London, Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Aber- deen, Sir James Graham, the Lord Chancellor, and the Marquis of Exeter, Groom of the Stole to his Royal Highness Prince Albert. " After her Majesty's safe delivery of a Prince, the happy intelligence was immediately communicated to the Dutchess of Gloucester in town, to the Dutchess of Cambridge at Kew, and to the Princess Sophia Matilda at Black- heath. A messenger was also despatched with the auspicious intelligence to her Majesty the Queen Dowager, at Sudbury Hall. "Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George arrived in a short time at Buckingham Palace to make personal inquiry after the state of her Majesty and the infant Prince. Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Gloucester also arrived at the Palace.

" His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by the Marquis of Exeter and Colonel Wylde, Equerry in Waiting, left Buckingham Palace to attend a Privy Council, summoned to meet at the Council Chamber, Whitehall, at two o'clock, to consider of a form of prayer and thanksgiving for the Queen's mare delivery of a Prince. His Royal Highness was received at the Council- office by the Lord President. The following Privy Councillors were present- Ias Royal Higlinese Prince Albert, K.G., the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Wbarncliffe Lord President, the Bishop of London, the Duke of Buckingham, G.C.H. Lord Privy Seal, the Duke of Wellington, K.G., the Marquis of Exeter, S.G. Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert, Earl of Liverpool Lord Steward, Earl Delawarr Lord Chamberlain, Earl of Jersey, G.C.H. -Master of the Horse, Earl of Aberdeen, K.T. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Earl of Haddington First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl of Ripon President of the Board of Trade, Lord Stanley Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Hill, G.C.B. Commander of the Forces, Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey President of the Board of Control, Sir R. Peel, Bart. First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. H. Goulburn Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir H. Hardinge, G.C.B. Secretary at War, Sir J. Graham, Bart. Secretary of State for the Home Department, and Sir E. Knatchbull, Bart. Paymaster of the Forces. Prince Albert returned to Buckingham Palace after the Council. " Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia Matilda, attended by Lady Alicia Gordon, arrived at the Palace, from her residence at Kew, to learn the state of her Majesty and the Royal infant. " Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of Kent remained with the Queen throughout the day, until six o'clock in the afternoon, when her Royal High- ness returned to Clarence House.

"The nobility and gentry thronged during the afternoon to Buckingham Palace ; where the following bulletin was exhibited- " The Queen was safely delivered of a Prince this morning, at forty-eight minutes past ten o'clock. " Her Majesty and the infant Prince are perfectly well.

"'JAMES CLARK, M.D. CHARLES LOCOCK, M.D. ROBERT FERGUSON, M.D. RICHARD BLAGDEN.

"'Buckingham Palace, Tuesday 9th November 1841,

Half .past eleven o'clock a. m.' "

The Queen, it is said, bore the trial remarkably well. No other bulletin than the first was issued; and the very absence of such an an- nouncement at the Palace-gates, as the day advanced, conveyed to the eager multitude the assurance that every thing proceeded favourably.

It is said that the messenger was despatched to Sudbury Hall "at the express desire of her Majesty." As soon as the event became known, the Tower-guns thundered forth the proclamation of the Royal birth, with a hundred guns. There was some little delay in firing the Park-guns ; which the Queen (so runs the story) observed, and learning that orders had been given for their silence that she might not be disturbed, she directed them to be fired, lest the people should think that there was something amiss.

The event was celebrated on the instant with such impromptu modes of rejoicing as were accessible. The bells of the Metropolitan churches were set ringing, and the steeples were adorned with the Union-jack. As the news spread abroad through the country, the same demonstra- tions of joy were manifested. Some people in the Metropolis illumi- nated ; the national anthem was sung at the Theatres ; and the ready- made holyday in the City, the Lord Mayor's festival, received a fresh impulse.

On Wednesday, the medical authorities issued a bulletin certifying that the Queen had had a good night, and was, with the infant, going on welL A long string of names of callers is given daily in the Court Circular: among them, on Wednesday, was the Lord Mayor. On Thursday, his Lordship, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, the City Remembrance; and the Sheriffs, went in state to congratulate Prince Albert. They were treated with candle, and gratified with a sight of the baby, which was handed round for inspection. The following is the bulletin issued yesterday morning-

- Buckingham Palace, 12th November 1841. Half-past Nine a.m. " The Queen has slept perfectly well. Her Majesty and the infant Prince are going on most favourably.

"JAMES CLARK, M.D., CHARLES LOCOCK, M.D., ROBERT FERGUSON, M. D., RICHARD BLAGDEN."

This is the prayer ordered by the Privy Council to be used in the churches tomorrow- " A FORM OF PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING TO ALMIGHTY GOD,

" For the safe delivery of the Queen, and the happy birth of a Prince; to be used at morning and evening service, after the General Thanksgiving, in all churches and chapels throughout England and Wales, and the town of Ber- wick-upon-Tweed, upon Sunday the 14th day of this instant November, or the Sunday after the respective ministers thereof shall receive the same. " 0 merciful Lord and heavenly Father, by whose gracious gift mankind is increased, we most humbly offer unto Thee our hearty thanks for Thy great goodness vouchsafed to Thy people, in delivering Thy servant our Sovereign Lady the Queen from the perils of childbirth, and giving her the blessing of a son. Continue, we beseech Thee, Thy fatherly care over her ; support and comfort her in the hours of weakness, and day by day renew her strength. Preserve the infant Prince from whatever is hurtful either to body or soul; endue him, as he advances in years, with true wisdom ; and make him, in due time, a blessed instrument of Thy goodness to this Church and nation, and to the whole world. Regard with Thine especial favour our Queen and her Royal Consort, that they may long live together in the enjoyment of all earthly hap- piness, and may finally be made partakers of everlasting glory. Implant in the hearts of Thy people a deep sense of Thy manifold mercies; and give ns grace to show forth our thankfulness by dutiful affection to our Sovereign, by brotherly love one towards another, and by constant obedience to Thy com- mandments; so that, passing through this life in Thy faith and fear, we may in the life to come be received into Thy heavenly kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Thy blessed Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The daily papers teem with all sorts of " further accounts," " addi- tional particulars," scrapings from the Annual Register, and much re- trospective and prospective history—accounts of the birth and christen- ing of the last Prince of Wales, &c. &c. A good deal of this matter is served up again in the same shape as when it was used, even more irrelevantly, at the time of the Queen's marriage. Some of the less trivial facts, however, among the collected mass, may be quoted here, to save the reader the trouble of seeking his works of reference.

Queen Victoria, then, is the first Queen Regnant of England who has ever given birth to a Prince of Wales. The infant Prince, as eldest son of the Monarch, inherits the title of Duke of Cornwall, and at once enters upon the enjoyment of the ducal revenue for his sole use. In a few days he will be created Prince of Walesand Earl of Chester : George the Fourth was so created when he was seven days old. The other titles usually attributed to the Prince of Wales are, Duke of Rothsay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, and Lord of the Isles, because they were formerly borne by the eldest son of the Kings of Scotland. The

Prince of Wales is a constituent part of the Order of the Garter ; hence he becomes a Knight of the Garter as soon as he is created Prince of Wales. Some of the Prince's privileges, for obvious reasons, are the same as those of the King : to compass his death, or to assail the chastity of his consort, is equally high treason. The following is the lineal descent of the new-born Prince, from William the Conqueror—

Ascended Ascended

1066 William I., father of A.D. Elizabeth Queen of Henry VII.,

1100 Henry I., father of mother of

Matilda Empress of German}-, Margaret Queen of James IV.,

mother of of Scotland, mother of 1154 Henry II., father of James V. of Scotland, father of 1190 John., father of Mary Queen of Scots, mother of 1216 Henry III., father of 1(303 James 1., father of 1272 Edward I., father of Elizabeth Queen of Bohemia, 1307 Edward IL, father of mother of 1327 Edward III., father of Sophia Electress of Hanover, Lionel Duke of Clarence, father mother of of 1714 George I., father of Philippa Countess of March, 1727 George II., father of mother of Frederick Prince of Wales, Roger Earl of March, father of father of Ann Countess of Cambridge, 1760 George III., father of mother of Edward Duke of Kent, father of Richard Duke of York, father of 1837 Victoria, mother of the infant 1461 Edward 1V., father of Duke.

Here is a list of the Princes of Wales, set down under the Royal Houses to which they belonged—

House of Plantagenet.

Edward of Caernarvon, son of Edward 1. (afterwards Edward IL) was the first Prince of Wales, being so created in 1284, holding in virtue thereof the Principality of Wales. He was afterwards made Earl of Chester.

King Edward III. never was created Prince of Wales, but was always sum- moned to Parliament as " Earl of Chester."

Edward the Black Prince, the first Duke of Cornwall, was created Prince of Wales in 1343. He was the hero of Cressy and Poictiers, and married Joan, commonly called the " Fair Maid of Kent." His son, Richard of Bordeaux, afterwards King Richard II., was created Prince of Wales in January 1377. The son of Henry IV., afterwards Henry V., was made Prince of Wales in 1399. He was the renowned hero of Agincourt.

Henry VI. was never created Prince of Wales.

Edward IV. was never created Prince of Wales.

Edward, son and heir of King Henry VL, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1454, and was murdered in 1471.

Edward V., born November 4, 1470, was created Prince of Wales in 1471. This Prince is supposed to have been murdered in the Tower by order of the Protector Gloucester, afterwards Richard Ill.; who married Lady Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, by whom he had a son, Edward, who was created Prince of Wales in 1483: he died before his father.

House of Tudor.

Henry VII., the first of the Tudors, on whose brow Sir William Stanley placed the crown on the field of Bosworth, had by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of King Edward IV., issue; of whom were,

1. Arthur Prince of Wales, born September 20. 1486 ; who married the In- fanta Katherine, daughter of Ferdinand King of Spain; but died a few months afterwards, issueless; and, 2. Henry Prince of Wales, afterwards King Henry VIII.; who married his brother's widow, Katherine of Arragon.

Henry the Eighth's son, afterwards Edward VL, by his second wife, Jane Seymour, born October 12, 1537, was never created Prince of Wales, nor was he even admitted into the Order of the Garter.

House of Stuart. James the First's son, Henry, was the succeeding Prince of Wales ; who died unmarried, in 1612.

Charles, successor to the Crown, second son of James I., was the next Prince of Wales, born November 19, 1600. He was succeeded by his son Charles, the Prince of Wales ; who became

Charles IL; and married Catherine the Infanta of Portugal.

The House of Guelph.

The eon of George I., the first of the House of Guelph, George Au gustus, was the next Prince of Wales, born October 30, 1683, and afterwards George II. This monarch espoused, in 1705, the daughter of the Margrave of Anspach ; by whom he had issue, Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales ; who died in 1751, leaving issue by Au- gusta, youngest daughter of Frederick the Second, Duke of Saxe Gotha, George, who was created Prince of Wales, and became King George III. His son, George Augustus Frederick, was the last Prince of Wales, born August 12, 1762: he succeeded to the throne under the title of George 1V.

The Times gives a lugubrious retrospect of the fate of the Princes of Wales- " Of the twenty Princes of Wales of the Royal Family of England, six have died before their fathers, the reigning monarchs of the country. These were— Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III.; Edward, son of Henry VI.; Edward, son of Richard III. ; Arthur, son of Henry VII.; Henry, son of James I.; and Frederick Lewis, son of George II. and father of George IIL James Francis Edward, son of James IL, died in France in 1766, and is com- monly known in history as the Chevalier St. George.' Six of the Princes of Wales have met with unnatural deaths—namely, Edward IL, murdered at Berkeley Castle in 1327 ; Richard H., murdered at Pontefract Castle in 1399 Henry VI., murdered in the Tower in 1474, a few days after the battle of Tewkesbury; his son Edward, who was assassinated in the same year, after being taken prisoner at the battle ; Edward V., murdered in the Tower in 1483; and Charles L, who was executed at Whitehall on the 30th January 1648-9. The following thirteen of the Princes of Wales of the Royal Family of England afterwards became Kings, and ascended the throne of these realms— Edward II., Edward III., Richard II., Henry V., Henry VI., Edward V., Henry VIII., Edward VL, Charles I., Charles IL, George IL, George IIL, and George IV."

The foregoing retrospect, short as it is, comprises a number of gross

inaccuracies. For instance, there have been not twenty, but only sixteen Princes of Wales. The son of James IL was never Prince of Wales. The six Princes who died unnatural deaths were not all styled Prince of Wales at the time of their deaths. Edward IIL, Henry VL, and Edward VL, never bore the title. Much trouble must have been spent in collecting the mass of information from which the preceding selec- tions are made, but it is inconceivable what a mass of error has been mixed up with it. After expending a number of hours in correcting what has been transferred to our columns, we are not sure that it has been purged of all error yet. The first time the title of " Duke " was created in England was in 1337 ; when it was conferred upon Edward, son of King Edward the Third, who was made Duke of Cornwall.

The following account is given of the peculiar tenure and privileges of that Dutchy-

" The county of Cornwall is under peculiar jurisdiction, namely that of the Duke of Cornwall. The Dutchy of Cornwall was created in 1337, in favour of Edward the Black Prince, and settled by act of Parliament on the eldest son of the Sovereign of England. The Duke thence enjoyed large revenues arising from the Lordship of castles, boroughs, and manors, granted to him in Cornwall and Devonshire, the profits arising from the ' coinage' of tin, and various other sources. The annual revenue from the average of the three- years subsequent to the death of the Black Prince, was 2,493/. 7s. 3%d.; the clear revenue in the 15th year of Henry VIII. amounted to 10,095/. lls. 9%d.; in the 44th year of Queen Elizabeth, in 1602, it had fallen to 4,569/. 12s. 2id.; and at the publication of Messrs. Lysons' Magna Britannia, in 1814, the gross amount was estimated at 22,000/., of which 8,500/. arose from the tin- duty in the county of Cornwall, and 3,500/. from the rents of manors, fines, &c. in the same county. The sources whence the remainder was derived are not there enumerated. Before the war of 1793 the tin-duty had amounted to 14,000/. per annum. The immediate government of the county was vested in the Duke ; who still had his Chancellor, Attorney-General, and Solici- tor-General, and his Court of Exchequer ; he also appointed his Sheriffs. The mining trade is under the separate jurisdiction of the Stannary Courts; the Lord Warden of the Stannaries and the Vice-Warden are at the head of this jurisdiction, with a final appeal to the Duke and his Council. The miners claim to be free from all jurisdiction except that of the Stannary Courts, except in cases affecting land, life, or limb. The Vice-Warden's Court is held once a mouth, and is a court of equity for all matters relating to the tin-mines and trade. No writ of error lies to the Courts at Westminster ; but there is an appeal to the Warden, and from Lim to the Duke in Council, or, when the Dutchy is vacant, to the Sovereign in Council. Issues are frequently directed by the Vice-Warden to be tried in the Stannary Courts, which are held at the end of every three weeks, before the Steward of each four Stanna- ries, or mining districts,—namely, Foymore, Blackmore, Ty warnhale, and Pen- with and Kerner. In those courts all civil actions, in which either plaintiff or de- fendant is a privileged tinner, are tried before the Steward and a Jury. From those courts an appeal lies to the Vice-Warden, and from him as in other cases. The Stannary-laws are revised, or new ones enacted, by the Duke and his Council, with the consent of what is called 'the Stannary Parliament,' consisting of twenty-four Stannators, gentlemen of property in the mining dis- tricts, six being chosen for each Stannary. Those for Foymore arc chosen by the Mayor and Corporation of Lostwithiel ; those for Tywarnhale, by the Mayor and Corporation of Truro; and those for Penwit:i and Kerner, by the Mayor and Corporation of Helstone. The last Stannary Par- liament was held in 1752, at Truro, and continued by adjournments to September 1753. The Stannary-laws have been repeatedly pub- lished. The Stannary Prison ' was at Lostwithiel, but by the Act of William IV. is now at Bodmin. The ancient records of the Stannaries were kept at Lostwithiel till they were burnt in 1644 by the Parliamentary Army in the Civil War of Charles the First's reign. An Act was passed in the 6th and 7th William IV., cap. 106, entitled ' Au Act for the better and more ex- peditious Administration of Justice in the Stannaries of Cornwall, and for enlarging the jurisdiction and improving the practice and proceedings in the courts of the Stannaries.' By the fourth section of that act, the equitable jurisdiction of the Vice-Warden is extended to all matters connected with the working of lead, copper, or other metal, or metallic minerals within the county of Cornwall. By the sixth section, the Stannary Courts were consolidated, and were to be held before the Vice-Warden, who was to have the same Ballo- rity that the Stewards had. The Vice-Warden, by section 14, is authorized to make rules and orders for the regulation of the practice and proceedings of his court. Such rules as relate to the Equity side of his jurisdiction are to be confirmed by the Lord Chancellor ; and such as relate to the Common Law side by one of the Judges of the Superior Courts of Common Law at Westminster. The Vice-Warden's Court is constituted, by section 21, a court of record, and is held at Truro."

There was a general impression that there would be a creation of Peers and Baronets to celebrate the event of the day ; but the Times, which argues stoutly azainst the expediency of such a creation, says that it has no warrant iii precedent-

" On the last occasion of the birth of a Prince of Wales, the 12th August 1762, we cannot find that there was any creation of Peers or Baronets. There appear certainly to have been three English Barons created in 1762—Lord Holland, Lord Vernon, and the Earl of Egmont in Ireland, created Lord Lovell; but these creations took place in May 1762, and could of course have no connexion with the birth of the Prince of Wales. Neither are we aware that any addition was made to the list of Baronets in 1762 on account of that event."

By favour of custom, Alderman Pixie, as the actual holder of the Mayoralty, is entitled to a Baronetcy on the birth of a Prince of Wales during his term of office ; but it is understood that Alderman Johnson, who had only vacated the civic chair a few hours before, will also re- ceive the coveted honour.

According to a correspondent of the Courier, Prince Albert has in- formed Lord Hill and the Earl of Haddington, that it is the Queen's wish that a return shall be made of those officers of both services who have most distinguished themselves, for promotion on this occasion.

Some surprise was felt that Sir James Graham, who for the last three weeks had detained the messengers at the Home Office during the whole night, should have been one of the last persons in attendance at the Palace on Tuesday morning. It is explained in this way. Prince Albert, on the birth of the Princess Royal, despatched a messenger to Lord Melbourne, who was at that time Premier ; it having been under- stood that Lord Melbourne would undertake to communicate the intel- ligence to the other Great Officers of State. On the present occasion, the Prince, either not understanding that Sir James Graham was to be the per- son to whom the information was to be forwarded, or having forgotten it, despatched a messenger only to Sir Robert Peel. Sir Robert imme- diately departed for the Palace, concluding that the same messenger had left the necessary information at the Home Office; but on arriving at the Palace, and after waiting some short time and finding no one else arrive, he despatched a communication to the messengers in attendance at the Home Office, that they might send for the rest of the Ministers, and his own private messenger, who was in attendance at the Palace, to the private residence of Sir James Graham. Sir James immediately made all possible despatch, and reached the Palace only just in time.