The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-09 00:00:00

LirEE2.ATURE.

Becollection3 of West-sad Life. By 11.1,,j0r
Cbarn bre, late 17th Lancers. 2 vols. Hurst and
Blackett.
These are two volumes of light and pleasant
reading, adapted to beguile a leisure hour by
anecdotes amt impressions of a distant epoch. The
writer having mixed in good society and visited
various localities, finding himself unexpectedly iu
possession of unoccupied time, in censequence of the
disbandment of the militia, thought he would give
to the world the benefit of his experience. Those
who anticipate court anecdotes or political sketches
of that day will be disappointed, and it is scarcely
correct to call the book " West-end Recollec-
tion-s." The recollections often refer to an ex-
treme west, the Island of Jamaica, which is rather
beyond the immediate circle of the Prince Regent.
Nevertheless the book is full of pleasant anecdotes
and agreeable gossip, and though it does not contain
much originality, and indeed might easily have
been comp;led by one not air fait in fashion-
able circles, it will serve to amuse and gratify
many non-critical readers, though it can scarcely
pretend to anything higher.
We subjoin a few extracts as giving a fair view
of the general contents of the work, and the enter-
tainment to be occasionally derived from its retro-
spections. Here is a description of the gorgeous
coronation ceremonial of George IV. :
I found all the world talking of the approaching
coronation of George the Fourth ; and it happened
very fortunately that my old Colonel was in town. By
virtue of his rank, he was entitled to have a pare to
attend him; and on my expressing a wish to be present
he very kindly appointed me to the office. As few now
remember that remarkable ceremony, I will state what
I myself witnessed of it.
At four in the morning of the 19th of July, IS3I, I
went to breakfast at the E:srl of Blessiugton's in St.
James's-square, where a large party was assembled.
I was dressed, as were all the other pages, in a scarlet-
and-gold tunio, with a light blue-and-gold sash, a ruff
round my neck, white knee-breeches and silk stockings,
with scarlet rosettes at the knee and on my shoes. The
Peers of course wore their robes, and such as were in
the army, their uniform under them. Amongst the
company at breakfast was Mr. Charles Mathews, and be
and I went together to Westminster Hall, numbers of
people being there already, although we arrived before 6
o'clock. The appearance of the ball war very is posing.
On the east and west sides were two rows of galleries—
one above the other, for those who ha I obtained tickets,
and they were filling fast. The ladies L i ostrich feathers
and diamonds in their hair ; and the gentlemen, Court
dresses or uniform. To the south was the King's
throne, which was very splendid ; over the entrance a
gallery for the musicians, who were numerous ; and
from the door in Palace-yard, a covered way extende d
in a semicircle all around, till it reached the Abbey. The
canopy, to be borne over the King by 16 Barons of the
Cinque Ports, was in readiness in Westminster-hall ; it
was of gold brocade with a deep gold fringe, and the
cornice was composed of the four orders of knighthood
on a silver ground. Marshals were very busy arranging
the procession, aril it was about ten o'clock when the
King entered. As I was determined to see everything,
I made my way out of the crowd, and regardless ot ap-
pearances, climbed up the lamp-post at the door of the
Hall in Palace-yard; by this means I had an excellent
view of every one who came out. It would be out of my
power to describe al! those who figured in the proces-
sion. The first that made their appearance were
Miss Fellowe e the king's herbwoman, and her six as-
sistants—she with a scarlet mantle and her gold badge
of office; the others in white dresses. These ladies strewed
flowers on the platform as they advanced. -I par ticu-
larly observed that the King, who was dressed in the
costume of the Order of the Garter, with all his decora-
tions in diamonds and was very well gotup, particularly
his wig, which was quite a chef-d'oeuvre in its way,
turned quite pale as soon as he made his exit from the
building. The Queen bad been down an hour before,
and as the officer on guard refused her admittance, it
had created a great sensation outside. He doubtless
feared that his subjects would not receive him favour-
ably; however, the cheers that burst forth seemed to
reassure him. I thought the most remarkable-looking
personage in the precession was the Marquis of Lon-
donderry. Once during the march round the spectators
hissed him. He stopped, turned towards them, and
by his majestic demeanour converted the hisses into loud
plaudits. So soon as they had all passed in review
before me, I made the best of my way to the Abbey,
and by virtue of my office easily obtained admittance.
The ceremonies listed so long that I got tired, and
with a brother page, went back to see what was going
on in Westminster Hall. In the rooms belonging to
the House of Lords we found dinners spread, and as
none of the attendants could tell us for whom they
were intended, we very quietly sat down to a table laid
for sixty people, and ordered them to serve us. After
indulging in all the good things that were brought, we
got back in time to see theprocesiien return. The King
looked well. He wore a purple velvet dress, and the
Royal crown. In his right hand he bore St. Edward's
sceptre, and in his left the orb with the cross. As
soon as he reached Wegtmine,ter Hall, he retired to
his apartments behind the throne to repose himself, the
spectators within all rising and cheering as he passed.
The dinners were now served to the Peers and the
House of Commons. At a little before five the King
again entered, and seated himself on the throne under
the great canopy and his appearance was quite dazzling.
The crown of State bad been exchanged for ono of
diamonds, and be had on all his numerous decorations
set in precious stones. He certainly looked every inch
a king. Right and left of him were placed the six
members of the Royal family. The doors at the north
end of the hall opened, and the Duke of Wellington,
Lord Howard of Effingham, and the Marquis of Angle-
sea rode in on horseback, followed by pages and mar-
shals, and twenty gentlemen pensioners in curious, old
fashioned dresses, each bearing a gold dish, which they
placed on the Royal table. The three peers then backed
their horses out again, and Lord Auglesea being a very
good horseman, his riding was much remarked. The
next ceremony was the challenge. The champion came
into the hall from the north door, his arrival being
announced by a flourish of trumpets. He was dressed in
armour, his helmet and horse's head decorated with
ostrich feathers. The trappet:s of his charger were
splendid, and he had four attendant pages, besides mar-
shals and others. Three times he ehallecgod all the
King's enemies, each time throwing down ids gauntlet
in defiance, the 'rumpets sounding as before. After he
had done so for the last time, the King rose and drank
his health in a golden goblet, which he sent to the
champion, who retained it as his perquisite of office.
Then turning his head towards the spectators, the latter
cried with a loud voice, " Long life to his Majesty,"
which was responded to as became the occasion from the
body of the ball and the galleries. Numerous other
formalities, too long to enumerate, were gone through,
when George the Fourth evidently fatigued with the
length of the ceremonial, retired. After he was gone,
the ladies and others in the seats above, who were halt
famished from the lergth of time they had been there,
begged us pages to give them of the abundance that was
spread before their eyes on the tables below. We told
them to do their handkerchiefs together, and by this
means they heisted up cold fowls, pates, bottles of
champagne, glasses, and everything we could lay our
hands en, much to their gratification and our amuse-
ment-. The crowd was so great on going away, that
I did not get home till one o'clock the following
morning.
The stairs of the House of Lords were covered with
ladies, many of whom were so fatigued that they were
stretched out on them, fast asleep. I stood for at leest
an hour close to the Austrian Ambassador, Prince
Esterhazy, who was an object of attraction, is he were
his splendid Hungarian dress, embroidered with fine
pearls. In his cap was an aigrette of large diamonds,
and his pelisse was slung by a chain of brilliants. The
whole of the arrangements were on a magnificent scale,
and the feasting was worthy of the occasion. Eight hundred
and twenty dozen of various wines, besides one hundred
gallons of iced punch, were consumed on the different
tables. Nothing so magnificent as this coronation had
ever been seen in England, and probably will never be
witnessed again. It was the last expiring remnant of
feudalism, and must harecost an immense sum of money
to the nation.
The writer was fortunate enough while in Rome
to make the acquaintance of the Princesse Bor-
ghese

There were many whom the French would call nota-
bilities, who had come to see the ceremonies of the Holy
Week. Amongst others, Prince Leopold, besides a hot
of celebrities of every country in Europe. The Princesse
Borghese, sister of the first Napoleon, opened her saloons
occasionally, and I was so fortunate as to be a constant
visitor on these occasions. She still showed the remains
of great beauty ; and I observed that she was very fond of
display'n; be: small feet upon a redvelvet cushion, which
had the effect of setting them off to greater advantage.
Knoaing that I had so recently been at St. Helena, she
often beckoned me out of the circle which was formed
round the room, and talked to me of the Empero-, ask-
ing every imaginable question respecting the island, the
climate, and the authorities who bad been there at the
time of his death. When it became time to withdraw, a
dame d'honneur accompanied some one on the harp, and
played on the piano the " March of the Imperial Guard."
This was the usual signal for the party to break up. She
was a fascinating parson, and I coneidered myself for-
tunate in the honour of her acquaintance.
An amusing anecdote is told of the smuggling
trade between Geneva and Franco :
I returned to my old quarters in Geneva, and amongst
other plaoes went to visit Monsieur Beautte's jewellery
rooms, which have gained a European celebrl .ty There
is a great deal of contraband trade carried on from thee
canton generally into France, notwithstanding the num-
ber of Donaniers who are stationed in the Jura mountains
to prevent it. A story is
fit told
stop
apo
be i n Geneva to prove
the
()fit a pr putting
a
hirbipibtuivsselailwitsy
reader occupation.
where
ro
M. de St. Criq was at the
of
of
gold
thatde
nt
prohibitive
he heard of such quantities aarttemheesand
jewellery in
(1
being brought
across the frontier, that he went
himself to Switzerland to
arrangements that would see if he could not make some
o u put an entire stop to the
fraudulent entry of odld gwhich inflicted considerable
injury on French trade. Accordingly, he called at M.
Beautte's, and
after
inspecting a variety of articics, se-
lected a lar e g amount, which he purchased on condition
that they should be sent to and reach Paris at the same
time as he did. This M. Beautte agreed to, on his
paying the usual premium of five per cent. on the
total amount. M. de St. Criq started, and' as there
are three lines of Custom-house officers, he gave the
most stringent ordas to flea chiefs of ogh atati.l9ll to be