William IV. (1765-1837). King of England, 1820-1837.
Autograph Poem Signed. One page, Quarto, n.p., August 18, 1775. Being a five-line poem which the ten-year-old Prince has meticulously copied in a calligraphic hand in order to practice his penmanship. The poem reads:
"Let no example, let no soothing tongue,
Prevail upon thee with a Syren's song,
To do thy soul's immortal essence wrong,
Of good and ill, by words or deeds express,
Chuse for thyself, and always chuse the best...
August 18: 1775
William"
The boy-king has overestimated the amount of space available for each line, and the terminal words of the last two lines are hunched over and noticeably smaller than their predecessors.
Fine. Archivally framed with a steel engraving of King William to an overall size of 24¼ x 17¼".
Estimated Value $400-500.
