The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-06 00:00:00

THE ETON MON TEM.

Yesterday the weather cleared up all its uncertainties, as if
t-to look forth in unsullied freshness and pure good feeling,
tispon the important triennial festivity, or irreproachable Satur-
nalia of Eton College. We of Eton may, at least, take the
Iliberty thus to appreciate the propitiousness of- the skies, and
occasion thereof. Never had so brilliant Montem been

dreamt of in Alma Mater, as the (then) forthcoming ! Why
:should clouds ttrrow a shade over fancy dresses of unprece-
faientesd elegance, or relentless showers damp their splendour?
It was happily not to be so ; and to all the hopes of the young
lstuckmts " Jove consented," not " in a silent shower," but
dbrifugh a full summer sun.
On Monday evening The usual observances of the period
-were commenced with the regatta, when there was no little
,disappointment felt rat her Majesty not having honoured the
.display with her P'esence ; but it was probable that her Ma-
jesty might have t.elt somewhat fatigued from her journey down
to Windsor, wKich indeed alone showed the interest she felt
la 'the Monter„.
Yesterday morning, at an early hour, people from all parts
,of the cot4r.try round Windsor, as well as considerable num-
bers who, came every hour from town by the Great Western
Ra►lro'4d, poured into Eton and the immediate precincts of the
"Iler‘ek About 10 o'clock carriages of every description cam,
rattling in, bringing fresh accessions to the crowd. Nor did
"each, or any enter with impunity, without being compelled to
pad' respect to the demands of some vigilant and chivalrous
:arer of a salt bag. Salt bag, exclaim some of our readers,
-not over familiar with the mysteries of an Eton Montem. But
'so it is--as it is said, that of old, these lands of Eton were held
by " custom of salt," as well as by a custom more curious, but
snow, with other estimable antique observances, abolished, of
" hunting a ram"; so now, the said custom of salt has been
metamorphosed into a custom of exercising a gentle and gene-
2rres erenpulsion towards all good folk who may approach the
Scholastic limits on this Montem day, that they may contribute
trAncwhat, be the same of gold or silver, towards making up
0% purse for the captain or head boy of the college, on his de-
parture for one or other of the universities. Thus that olden
'ordinary salt, is converted at once into a salt attic, and into
:the salt of all salts, cash—never unacceptable to son of Cam,
Isis. or Salamanca. To gather, in, then, this laudable scho-
lastic impost, there were not wanting most vigilant bearers of
-the salt bag, and undeniable they were, even from their imper-
wonation of Greek hero, or romantic knight, or, peradventure,
taftnined Turk, each attended withmeek and proper underling,
Armed with formidable mace, or baculum. But many of our
readers are, no doubt, familiar with the Eton mode of bagging
.the salt.

While that excellent process was going forward the scholars
'oF the College were assembling for the great business of the
.day. This, it was intended, as we have noted, should be a
.special celebration of the old rites, and accordingly we found
:amongst all the youths of the establishment a singular display
of expensive and elegant costume, which, as they passrd and
.re-passed about the town, excited universal admiration. About
'eadelen o'clock, according to previous regulation, they had all
-mustered in the great quadrangle, or school-yard of the col- +
arge, after having partaken of the Captain's breakfast. Then 1
'wasthe moment to appreciate the costume of each youth and
;the general effect of their review. All the larger boys wore
red coats, with swords and cocked hats, those of higher stand-
ing having epaulets and embroidery in addition. The Cap-
tain, a gentleman named Williams, son, we were told, of a re-
spectable bookseller in the town, bore in distinction a star on
his &At breast. At the head of the procession were " the
" the Captain," and " the Serjcants," each of
wisarn was attended by young lads, dressed in the ir- ost elegant
lacy dressas, after Hungarian, Polish, Turkish, Greek,
`Scotch, or Spanish pattern. The care of many a fair hand had
.doubtless been lavished upon these costumes, and, as they were
gof most cestly materials, they had nothing about them of the
tawridness of the stage, and seemed to belong really and legiti-
smately to the scene in which they were made to figure.
At about half-past eleven her Majesty, after having been
rreetived with olden ceremony by the provost and head-master,
/was conducted to what is called the election chamber window,
'from whenoe she looked down upon the scene in the quad-
rangle—aa scene such a neither Queen, nor yet the antique
.buildiolss themselves, nor yet the statue of Edward, the founder
of th-s College, had ever, witnessed there before. The bands
prPsent, viz., those of the horse and foot guards, struck up
4` God save the Queen," as the array of students marched
-round the quadrangle, and still as they came before the window
-where her Majesty sat, and through whose chequered case-
ment her beaming countenance could be well seen, their en-
tisusiastic huzzas made the old buildings around ring again.
A great concourse of spectators, who had been admitted to
witness this scene, and gazers from every window around,
added their voices to these acclamations. The whole scene
'was one of extreme excitement as well as brilliancy. We
should have remarked, that the line of march of the students
was protected from exterior pressure by the soldiers of the
:foot guards, drawn up, as the French say, " en grand tenue."
'The ceremonial here terminated by what is called flourishing
.the flag of the school, a proceeding of no ordinary kind, but a
sort of military mystery, requiring a strong and dexterous
arm, to put a flag with a short staff through more evolutions
than are dreamt of in the broad sword exercise. When this
led teen very cleverly executed by the ensign on the occasion,
three cheers more" were given for her Majesty, who there-.
mpon retired to prepare for the excursion to Salt-hill.
Thither the college array is already proceeding, marching
in order as before, with the horse guards' band at its head,
law( thousands of spectators, who could not gain adanitance
ttas the quadrangle, girding it on all sides, and gazing in '
-wonder or admiration. Thither also hurry all those ye-
:Melee, which in the morning (it is now past noon) had
'crowded into Eton, maintaining round the road and path-
way one unbroken and dense cloud of dust, to the despair
'of poor pedestrians toiling forward under a most relentless
torrid sun. These vehicles were numerous enough to re-
mind one of the Epsom-road on the Derby day, and they
Aso much impeded the road to the hill, that they royal trian
could only approach its proper position there by the great-
est exertion. At length the scholars made their way with
difficulty to the hill, the top of which was occupied by
their ensign with his flag ; and at length, also, the three
•carriages and four of the royal cortege were brought
aafely to the foot of the renowned eminence, which cock-
neys will remember to be by no means so lofty or ma-
jestic as, albeit more abrupt and steep than, Primrose-hill.
In company with her Majesty was her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent and her Majesty's lady in waiting. In
She second carriage of the twain was Lord Melbourne, and in
the third the Marquis Conyngham. Here her Majesty was
.again repeatedly and most rapturously cheered, and by a him-
•drodfold larger assembly than before, all which her Majesty
acknowledged by bowing frequently to all around her, and
avith the sweetest of smiles. The flourishing of the flag was
again gone through on the top of the hill, and, as before,
three cheers more" were given for the Queen. Almost im-
mediately afterwards the royal carriages commenced moving,
•and having slowly and with difficulty got upon the open road,
-.returned to Windsor, from whence her Majesty proceeded to
*awn shortly after two o'clock. The most important business
a the day being now transacted, the Etonians adjourned in a
*body to Botham's, the chief hotel of the town of Salt Hill, and
dined at the expense of their captain. Ere the close of this
meal, however, the results of the exemplary exertions of the
various salt-bag gentlemen were handed over to the head
master, to be examined and reported upon in proper time.
-What precise amount they brought we have yet to learn,
'but we should hope, from the promise of the day, that the
harvest was unusually rich. Salt Hill presented until night
the scene of a fair.
Dinners andballs were given, we understand, by the masters
of Ilse college in the evening, with which the festivities of the
day closed.
There was, it was said, some dissatisfaction felt at the cir-
ecunestance of her Majesty not having remained in Windsor, to
:honour the promenade on the terrace with her presence ; but,
doubt, there was sufficient reason for her Majesty's return to
-town ; and as for the young gentlemen of Eton, they might
rest assured that sufficient for the day was the honour thereof
--Likey had had the most splendid Montem on record.
It may enable our readers more easily to follow the above
notice, if we present to them the official order of the day, and
also Ittie leading and most important part of the list of the stu•
delits in procession.

" TPIE ORDER OF THE DAY.

" At nine o'clock the military will take their places in the
*ehoe)l-yard—will form a passage for the procession, and two
lidkow squares, one of which will be near the head-master's
.ambers, and the other near the angle formed by the chapel
rand school. Into these squares no one can be allowed to enter
but the authorities of the college and school, the Eton boys,
and such of their friends as shall be introduced by a master in
his cap and gown.
" The polemen at the lower school passage, at the entrance
to the cloister, and to the college hall, are strictly directed to
serve the same rules of admission.
" The captain's breakfast in hall, is at ten.
" The boys assemble in the school-yard, at quarter before
eleven.

" Her Majesty will be received by a guard of honour, at
-the gate of Woton's-yard, at eleven.
" The Royal party are met by the provost and head-master
;at the door of the head-master's chambers, through which
/bey pass to the door opening into the school cloisters, where
:a chair is prepared for her Majesty ; and the absence is called
iv 042 head-master. The boys take their places in the pro-
coeskon, from the hollow square near the chapel, which has
brinformed by the military.
" Tbre procession passes twice round the school-yard, after
vwlsicla the Royal party will be conducted to the lodge by the
protest ; and will, from the election-chamber windows see the
flag flourished in the school-yard. The procession passes
ru.ind a third time before the flag is flourished.
" After the flag has been flourished, the procession goes
forward into the Long-walk, thence through the wicket-gate
into Weston's yard, and thence into the Playing-fields, and on
'to Salt Hill, by Slough.
" The Royal party, after a short interval, take their car-
aria.g-,:s at the Provost's door in Weston's-yard, where the guard
,of honour is again prepared to receive her Majesty, and pro-
ceed in the samo line which the procession has taken to
Salt Hill.
" On her Majesty's arrival near the Mount, the flag is
flourished again by the Ensign, at the summit of the Mount.
After this the Captain's dinner, and those of the different
mouses, begin at the inns. The gardens at Salt Hill are open
'to the company presenting tickets of admission, which are to
be procured from the inn, at is. each.
" The Captain and two salt-bearers deliver the bags at the
head-master's table, at Salt Hill, a little before five, and then
take therni.ti
„Iltit4frktost's lodge—soon after which hour the
absence 'iTcZitscr-Phae Mount, and the procession will return
in the sanie"ordi.r-as im came. Absence is again called in the
. • .
• This paentfo•r ad ssion into Mr. Botham's garden is made to
the proprietor; and iivigi ely distinct from the collection made for the
captain, '

17f.,