Peter Parley's Visit to London, During the Coronation of Queen Victoria

"Her Majesty then kissed the book and set her royal sign manual to a copy of the oath. After this solemn ceremony she returned to the chair, and kneeling at her fald-stool, the choir sang, with the most touching effect, the magnificent hymn —

"'Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,And warm them with thy Heav'nly fire;Thou who th' Anointing Spirit art,To us thy sevenfold gifts impart;Let thy bless'd unction from aboveBe to us comfort, life, and love;Enable with celestial lightThe weakness of our mortal sight:Anoint our hearts, and cheer our face,With the abundance of thy grace.Keep far our foes, give peace at home —Where Thou dost dwell no ill can come.Teach us to know the Father, Son,And Spirit of both, to be but one,That so through ages all along,This may be our triumphant song;In Thee, O Lord, we make our boast,Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.'"

CHAPTER IX.

PARLEY CONTINUES HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE CORONATION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY

"The ceremony of anointing followed next in order – Her Majesty having been divested of her crimson robe by the Mistress of the Robes, took her seat in St. Edward's chair, and the Dean of Westminster taking from the altar the ampulla, containing the consecrated oil, and pouring some of it into the anointing spoon, proceeded to anoint her Majesty on the crown of the head and on the palm of both hands, in the form of a cross – four knights of the garter holding over her head a rich cloth of gold.

"The Dean of Westminster then took the spurs from the altar and delivered them to the Lord Great Chamberlain, who, kneeling before her Majesty, presented them to her, after which she forthwith sent them back to the altar. The Viscount Melbourne, who carried the sword of state, then delivered it to the Lord Chamberlain, receiving in lieu thereof, another sword, in a scabbard of purple velvet, which his lordship delivered to the archbishop, who laid it on the altar. After a short prayer the archbishop took the sword from off the altar, and, accompanied by several other bishops, delivered it into the Queen's right hand. Then rising up her Majesty proceeded to the altar and offered the sword in the scabbard, delivering it to the archbishop, who placed it on the altar. Lord Melbourne then redeemed it by payment of one hundred shillings, and having unsheathed it, bore it during the remainder of the ceremony.

"The most important part of the ceremonial now approached: the Dean of Westminster having received the imperial mantle of cloth of gold, lined or furred with ermine, proceeded to invest her Majesty, who stood up for the purpose. Having resumed her seat, the orb with the cross was brought from the altar, and delivered into her Majesty's hand by the archbishop; having in like manner been invested with the ring, the sceptre and the rod with the dove were placed in each hand. The archbishop, then, standing before the altar, took the crown into his hands, and again laying it on the altar said —

"'O God, who crownest thy faithful servants with mercy and loving kindness, look down upon this thy servant Victoria, our Queen, who now in lowly devotion boweth her head to thy divine majesty; and as thou dost this day set a crown of pure gold upon her head, so enrich her royal heart with thy heavenly grace, and crown her with all princely virtues, which may adorn the high station wherein thou hast placed her, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.'

"The Royal Crown was then brought from the altar and placed on her Majesty's head.

"At this instant the most deafening and enthusiastic cries of 'God save the Queen!' rose from every part of the Abbey, the peers and peeresses put on their coronets, the bishops their caps, and the spectators cheered and waved their handkerchiefs. The guns in the park, and at the tower, fired a royal salute.

"After a short prayer by the archbishop, the choir sang an anthem, and the Dean of Westminster taking the Bible, which had been carried in the procession, from off the altar, presented it to her Majesty, who, having received it, delivered it again to the archbishop, and it was returned to the altar.

"Having thus been solemnly anointed, and crowned, and invested with all the ensigns of royalty, the archbishop solemnly blessed the Queen, the rest of the bishops and the peers following every part of the benediction with a loud and hearty 'Amen.'

"The Te Deum was then sung by the choir, and her Majesty passing to the recognition chair in which she first sat, received the homage of the peers.

"The bishops first approached, and, kneeling before the Queen, the archbishop pronounced the words of homage; the others repeating them after him, and, kissing her Majesty's hand, retired.

"The Royal Dukes, ascending the steps of the throne, took off their coronets, and kneeling, repeated the words of homage, and then, touching the crown on her Majesty's head, kissed her on the left cheek and retired.

"The other Peers then performed their homage, each in succession touching the crown and kissing her Majesty's hand.

"The monotony of this ceremony was relieved by one little incident which evinced much kindness on the part of her Majesty. As one of the peers (Lord Rolle), who is a very aged and infirm man, approached the throne, he stumbled and fell back from the second step upon the floor. He was immediately raised, and supported by two noble lords; when he again approached, her Majesty, who beheld the occurrence with emotion, rose from her throne and advanced to meet him, extending her hand to him, and expressed much concern for the accident. This little trait of genuine goodness of heart was warmly cheered.

"Peter Parley was highly amused at the scene which was enacted behind the throne, where one of her Majesty's Household was busily engaged scattering the coronation medals. Peers, Peeresses, Aldermen, and Military officers engaging warmly in the scramble and eagerly clutching at the coveted memorials.

"When the homage was concluded, her Majesty descended from the throne and, proceeding to the altar, partook of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

"The procession was then marshaled in the same order in which it had entered the Abbey. The rich effect of the costumes was however much heightened by the coronets of the peers.

"After a short stay in the robing rooms, the procession for the return to Buckingham palace was formed, and the crowned Sovereign left Westminster Abbey amid the enthusiastic greeting of her faithful and devoted subjects.

"Of course, there were many poems and songs made on this joyful occasion. The best which Peter Parley has seen is one by Charles Swain, which will form a very appropriate conclusion to this chapter.

"'CORONATION SONGI"'Thou music of a nation's voice,Thou grace of old Britannia's throne,Thou light round which all hearts rejoice,God save and guard thee, England's own!While thousand, thousand hearts are thine,And Britain's blessing rests on thee,Pure may thy crown, Victoria, shine,And all thy subjects lovers be!II"'Come, wives! from cottage – home, and field!Come, daughters! oh, ye lovely, come!Bid every tongue its homage yield,Sound, trumpets, sound; and peal the drum!God save the Queen! ring high, ye bells!Swell forth a people's praise afar;She's crowned the acclaiming cannon tells!The Queen! – God save the Queen! hurrah!III"'Long may she live to prove the bestAnd noblest crown a Queen can wearIs that a people's love hath blessed,Whose happiness is in her care!God bless the Queen! ring sweet, ye bells!Swell forth old England's joy afar,She's crowned the exulting cannon tells;The Queen! – God bless the Queen! hurrah!'"

CHAPTER X.

PARLEY GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE ILLUMINATIONS, AND OF THE GRAND DISPLAY OF FIRE-WORKS

"After the splendid pageant, which had rivetted the attention of every one during its continuance, had passed away, the fair in Hyde Park seemed to be the great centre of popular attraction.

"Though pretty well tired out with the unusual exertion of the last day or two, Peter Parley proceeded to Hyde Park to see what was going on there. He had come across the Atlantic to see the show, and he was determined to see all that was to be seen.

"How different an aspect did the park now present to what it did when Peter Parley visited it but two days before! The fair was now begun in good earnest, and there was no end to the booths for the sale of fancy goods of every description. Tents for the supply of articles of more substantial enjoyment were in equal abundance, and every one of them seemed to be completely crowded. When Peter Parley had wandered about the outskirts of the fair for some time, he saw a great many people standing looking at a large erection which seemed more like a house than a tent. He soon recognised the theatre of Mr. Richardson, which he had seen erecting when he first visited the park; as he drew near he saw that the people were laughing and enjoying the antics of a clown or merry-andrew, who was dressed in a parti-coloured dress, and was cutting the most ridiculous capers, to the no small delight of the spectators.

"Peter Parley loves a little fun, and can laugh as loud as any one at innocent amusement, so he got close up to the booth to see how the clown acquitted himself.

"'Come along, old boy! – this way, this way, father Adam!' cried the fellow to Peter Parley, when he saw him advancing – 'make way there, ladies and gentlemen!' he continued, leaping right over the head of a countryman who was gazing at him with intense delight, at the same time knocking his hat over his eyes so as completely to blindfold him. In an instant the clown stood beside Peter Parley, and was hurrying him up the steps of the theatre before he knew what he was about. Peter Parley, however, did not relish such a summary mode of introduction, so he disengaged himself from the fellow's grasp and moved to another part of the fair, amid the rude laughter of the by-standers.

"Peter Parley was amazed at the number of round-abouts and swings of every description, which beat the air and performed their evolutions with almost incessant rapidity. Some of them in the form of boats, which in the course of their movements rose and sunk alternately so as to imitate the motion of a vessel on the water, seemed particularly ingenious and appeared to be in constant request. Donkey races, too, lent their attractions, and altogether such a scene of gaiety Peter Parley never witnessed.

"As long as daylight lasted these out-of-door amusements seemed to lose little or none of their attractions. When it became too dark for their performance people crowded into the theatres and tents, or waited patiently for the grand display of fireworks which was to take place at a late hour in the evening.

"By way of making the most of his time Peter Parley got into a hackney coach and drove through the principal parts of the town to see the illuminations, which it was expected were to be on a grand scale.

"All along the line of the procession the display was most splendid, and though many of the exhibitions of private individuals were beautiful and tasteful, the public offices certainly carried off the palm. Peter Parley thinks he never saw such a brilliant display as that at the Ordnance Office, in Pall Mall, the whole front of which was one blaze of light. Peter Parley was told that there were no fewer than sixty thousand lamps employed in the devices!

"The Admiralty, Somerset House, and the Horse Guards, shared, with the Ordnance Office, the attention of the evening. The former displayed a magnificent imperial crown surmounting an anchor, with the union flag on each side in coloured lamps. It had also an inscription, 'God save the Queen.'

"Somerset House, in which are several of the public offices, excited a good deal of attention from a novelty in the art of illumination. Instead of being lighted up with oil, the coloured lamps were illuminated with gas, which added greatly to their brilliancy and effect. The Horse Guards was, also, lit up in the same manner, and was equally attractive.

"There were, besides these, hundreds of others well worth looking at and remembering too; but so many attractions offered themselves to his notice on every side, that Peter Parley does not know which to tell you about.

"After being satisfied with gazing at the illuminations, Peter Parley again proceeded to the Park, as the time approached for the grand display of fireworks.

"So dense was the crowd of eager spectators, that it was with difficulty that Peter Parley could gain access to the Park. He succeeded at length, however, thanks to the virtue of perseverance, which has done much for him in the course of his life.

"The display commenced by the discharge of what is called a maroon battery, which fired off successively a series of immense crackers, each giving a report like the loudest cannon. The commencement of the spectacle was hailed with loud cheers by the assemblage, many of whom had waited several hours, and were beginning to lose all patience at the delay.

"This startling display was immediately followed by an exhibition of coloured fire, and four balloon mortars shooting forth serpents and squibs of every variety of colour. The beautiful variety of tints, blue, green, red, and purple, to which some of these gave rise when they exploded in the air, was most magnificent.

"For two whole hours did the gentlemen who had the direction of this exhibition continue the display, each successive variety vieing in beauty and brilliancy with that by which it was preceded, to the delight of all beholders, many of whom, and Peter Parley among others, never witnessed such a grand sight. The young Queen, it was said, enjoyed the splendour and beauty of the sight from the palace window, with as much interest and delight as any of her subjects.

"It was almost one o'clock before the fireworks were concluded, and nearly an hour later before Peter Parley could make his way home; and the sun rose high in heaven before he awoke next morning.

"Peter Parley must not omit to mention that all the theatres and places of public amusement were, by her Majesty's command, open to the public free; of course they were all filled, but Peter Parley did not visit any of them.

"It pleased Peter Parley to hear that the poor and the unfortunate were no less kindly attended to. In almost every parish committees were formed by the inhabitants for the purpose of collecting subscriptions and arranging matters for regaling the poor and the children attending the charity schools, so that to all the 28th of June should be a day of rejoicing. Nor were the unfortunate inhabitants of the prisons forgotten. In all those belonging to the city, they were each allowed an ample repast, and in some of the others the great brewers supplied them with a good allowance of ale or porter."

CHAPTER XI.

PARLEY ATTENDS A REVIEW IN HYDE PARK, AND RELATES SOME PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MARSHAL SOULT. – CONCLUSION

"Peter Parley had begun to recover from the fatigue which he had undergone, and was thinking of once more crossing the Atlantic, and returning to the enjoyment of his quiet home, when one morning at breakfast, Major Meadows announced that there was to be a grand review in Hyde Park, on a scale of such splendour, that Peter Parley must see it before he left town.

"The day fortunately turned out one of the most beautiful that could be conceived, and the crowds of persons who assembled to witness the grand military display, were very great. It was estimated by some of the military officers, who are accustomed to form pretty accurate notions of vast bodies of men, that at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, there were not less than two hundred thousand spectators present, in and around the Park.

"Early in the day the troops began to arrive, and by ten o'clock all the regiments to be reviewed were on the ground. Shortly after, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Hill, and a great number of English military officers, as well as Marshal Soult, and all the foreign ambassadors, attended by their brilliant suites, arrived, and were every where received with great cheering.

"At half-past eleven her Majesty arrived accompanied by her suite in four carriages, each drawn by four horses, and escorted by a detachment of Life Guards. She was attended by her Aides-de-Camp in full military uniform. The arrival of the royal party was announced by a discharge of cannon, the band striking up the national anthem, and the soldiers presenting arms as her Majesty approached.

"The great attraction among the foreign visitants was Marshal Soult, who, as usual, excited much attention. As he rode close past the spot where Peter Parley and his friend Major Meadows had taken their stand, his stirrup broke, and we feared he would have fallen from his horse, but the Marshal is a good rider, and quickly recovered. Peter Parley afterwards saw a curious anecdote in the newspapers connected with this accident. On learning what had happened, Sir H. Vivian immediately dispatched a messenger to the saddlers to the Ordnance, to procure a pair of stirrups to replace the broken one. It happened, singularly enough, that the Saddlers had in their possession the stirrups which Napoleon used in many of his campaigns; so that Marshal Soult, during this review, actually did what was next to standing in his master's shoes!

"Seeing that Peter Parley was very much interested in the Marshal, Major Meadows, who had been engaged in the Peninsular war, and had fought against him in some of his most celebrated battles, continued, when our attention was not completely occupied by the evolutions of the troops, to relate many most interesting anecdotes of his distinguished career.

"'Marshal Soult,' said Major Meadows, 'is a very singular man, Mr. Parley, and like many of Napoleon's generals, rose from the very humblest rank. He entered the army as a private soldier, and, after serving some time in this capacity in a royal regiment of infantry, he became sub-lieutenant of grenadiers.

"'He afterwards rose through the various ranks, till in 1796 he was appointed general of brigade, and sent to join the army of Italy. Here he soon won for himself new laurels, and his fame attracted the notice of Napoleon, who henceforth honoured him with his personal esteem.

"'On the eve of the memorable battle of Austerlitz, in which he was entrusted with the command of the centre of the army, Napoleon, as usual, called his marshals together to explain his plans to them, and to give them instructions for their guidance. To the others he was minute in his directions, in proportion to the importance of the posts assigned to them. When he came to Soult, however, he merely said, 'as for you, Soult, I have only to say, act as you always do.'

"'In the midst of the battle, an aide-de-camp arrived with an order that the Marshal should instantly push forward and gain certain heights. 'I will obey the Emperor's commands as soon as I can,' replied Soult, 'but this is not the proper time.' Napoleon, enraged at the delay, sent a second messenger, with more peremptory orders. The second aide-de-camp arrived just as the Marshal was putting his column in motion. The manœuvre had been delayed because Soult observed that his opponents were extending their lines, and, consequently, weakening their centre. Complete success attended the attack. Napoleon, who, from the elevated position which he occupied, saw the attack, instantly perceived the reason for the delay, and the brilliancy of the movement, and riding up to Soult, complimented him in the presence of his staff, who, but a few minutes before, had seen him angry at the supposed disobedience, saying, 'Marshal, I account you the ablest tactician in my empire!'

"'After the battle of Eylau, Napoleon was very much discouraged at the loss he had sustained, and wished to fall back, so as to form a junction with the other corps of his army. Against this resolution Soult warmly protested, telling the Emperor, that from what he had seen, he expected the enemy would retreat during the night, and thus leave the French army in possession of the field. Napoleon complied with the Marshal's advice, and every thing took place just as he had foretold. So that it was to the sagacity of Soult that the French army owes the honour of the victory of Eylau.

"'In 1808, Soult, now Duke of Dalmatia, was entrusted with the command of the army in Spain, and his first movement was to pursue the gallant Sir John Moore in his memorable retreat towards Corunna. Under the walls of that town he engaged the British army, but, after a sharp contest, was completely repulsed. The British general, however, was killed in the action, and was buried in the citadel, his corpse wrapped in a military cloak, and the guns of his enemy paying his funeral honours. Marshal Soult, with that noble feeling which can only exist in minds of true greatness erected a monument to his memory, near the spot where he so nobly fell.

"'To the Duke of Dalmatia Napoleon entrusted the command of the army, when the defeat of the French at Vittoria had placed the Peninsula at the mercy of the Duke of Wellington. After a series of conflicts, which covered the British army and its able general with glory, Soult, finding the cause of his imperial master hopeless, gave up the contest and returned to Paris.

"'Soult afterwards fought at Waterloo, but without that distinction which might have been expected from his old renown. After this battle, which for ever stamped the fate of Napoleon, and showed Wellington the greatest general of the age, Soult retired to the country, and lived for some years in seclusion. He was however recalled, and created a peer of France by Charles X.'

"Such was Major Meadows' account of this celebrated man. To Peter Parley he was an object of great interest, because his presence recalled the remembrance of some of the spirit-stirring events in which he had been a participator; not that Peter Parley is an admirer of military genius or delights in military renown. He would rather do honour to the humblest benefactor of the human race than the greatest general that ever lived. With him the glory of James Watt, the inventor of the steam-engine, far outshines the lustre of a Soult, or a Ney, or an Alexander! and he would rather be the author of the Waverley Novels than be crowned with the blood-stained laurels of a Napoleon or a Wellington!

"Peter Parley is one of those who hope the time is now come when the sound of war will be heard no more, and nations, instead of wasting their energies in deeds of blood, will strive to rival each other only in the peaceful pursuits of commerce and the arts."

"Peter Parley must now bid his young friends good bye! When he meets them again he hopes to find them all equally willing to be pleased and as patient and attentive to the tales which he tells them, as they have been to his 'Visit to London during the Coronation of Queen Victoria.'"

FINIS