It is difficult to speak fittingly of a sovereign, either living or not, long since gone.

You can hardly praise such a one without flattery.

You can hardly censure him without injustice.
We are either ignorant of his personal doings or we know them as secrets, which have been divulged for the most part either falsely or treacherously,--often both falsely and treacherously.

It is better, perhaps, that we should not deal with the personalities of princes.
I believe that Thackeray fancied that he had spoken well of George III., and am sure that it was his intention to do so.

But the impression he leaves is poor.