But
others, and among them his brother Cumberland, declared that the
sprain was all a sham. I hope it was. The thought of a voluptuary in
pain is very terrible. In any case, I cannot but feel angry, for
George's own sake and that of his kingdom, that he found it impossible
to keep further aloof from the wearisome troubles of political life.
His wretched indecision of character made him an easy prey to
unscrupulous ministers, while his extraordinary diplomatic powers and
almost extravagant tact made them, in their turn, an easy prey to him.
In these two processes much of his genius was spent untimely. I must
confess that he did not quite realise where his duties ended. He
wished always to do too much. If you read his repeated appeals to his
father that he might be permitted to serve actively in the British
army against the French, you will acknowledge that it was through no
fault of his own that he did not fight. It touches me to think that in
his declining years he actually thought that he had led one of the
charges at Waterloo. He would often describe the whole scene as it
appeared to him at that supreme moment, and refer to the Duke of
Wellington, saying, `Was it not so, Duke?' `I have often heard you say
so, your Majesty,' the old soldier would reply, grimly.
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