The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-31 00:00:00

AINSWORTH'S N_ETV WORE.

The !Lady Mayoress, it has been intimated, was a few
years younger than her husband, and being still in re-
markably gcod preservation, might be termed a fine
woman. Her person was rather on a large scale, it is
true, her features fat and rounded, and her once dimpling
chin doubled, but her teeth and eyes were good, and she
had an agreeable smile, and a generally pleasing expression
of countenance. Her size, however, was vastly exagge-
rated by the outrageous dimensions of the hoops sustaining
her pink satin gown, which was decorated to profusion
with large bows of ribbon, cords, tassels, and wreaths of
flowers, and festooned with great bands of parti-coloured
silks ; while her stature was increased in the same ratio by
a surprisingly lofty head-dress, which rose full three feet
above her brows, and might have over-balanced a less sub-
stantially built frame. This monstrous " head," the in-
terior of which (if we may venture to reveal the secrets
of the toilette), was formed of tow, rose up smooth and
straight as a wall in front, being stiffened with powder and
pomatum, while the sides and back were covered with
ranges of enormous curls, likewise plentifully besprinkled
with powder. Some of these curls descended upon her
ladyship's ample shoulders. But we have not yet done,
The towering head-dress in question, which reminds ono of
Queen Huncamunca's, was bung over with ropes of pearls,
and other jewels, decorated with ribbons in bobs and ties,
and surmounted by a plume of ostrich feathers. Ther
seems little danger of such a mode as this being revived
but it may be well to remark, by way of caution, that in-
dependently of the time occupied in its construction, the
shape, which was calculated to last for a fortnight, could
only be preserved by the wearer sleeping in a chair during
the whole of the time. Such, ladies, was a Lady Mayoress,
in the times of your great grandmothers.
We pass by, as of lesser attraction, Lady Lorimer's
two elder daughters—the homely Regan and Goneril
.of the story, Lady Dawes, the pretty widow, ar-
rayed in her pollonese of garnet-coloured lustring,
and her equally pretty sister, clad in a
sky-blue satin sacque, Mrs. Chatteris wife of
Captain Chatteris, familiarly Tom Chatteris—we
pass by both charming Olivia and Chloris (bot
nee Lorimer)—to pause by preference for a whi_
over the following graceful sketch of the Cordelie
of the tale, the youngest and gentlest of the three
sisters, the loveable Cinderella of a household for
the most part somewhat unloveable the Fair
Mellicent ! Here is the delicate limning of her form
and features, and we examine every line and tint
in it with the more interest from feeling that in
Mellicent we may recognise at once
THE HEROINE OP THE STORY.
Just turned 18, and, therefore, in the full freshness of
youth, Millicent could not be termed pretty, and yet it
would be wrong to call her plain. Her beauty, such as it
was, mainly consisted in fine dark eyes, jetty brows, and
luxuriant raven tresses, which she had sense enough not to
disfigure by powder. In this respect, as well as in simpli-
city of attire, she offered a very striking contrast to her
showy sisters. In her mother's opinion she was stiff and
ungraceful, almost ugly, stupid, shy, silent, totally devoid
of spirit, and without a particle of taste. Viewed by a
father's partial eyes, she had a very pleasing countenance
—whether pretty or not it puzzled him to say—neither did
he greatly care, for he thought there was too much beauty
already in the family, and he did not see any extraordinary
advantage resulting from it. But there were moments when
Millicent's rather pale features were lighted up, when her
large eyes sparkled, and her lips unclosed with smiles to
display the casket of pearls beneath them, that he thought
her positively handsome—far handsomer, indeed, than either
of his other daughters. But this no doubt was a mistake,
and entirely attributable to his partiality. No one else dis-
covered these beauties, because poor, retiring Millicent,
who kept in the background—" the proper place for her,"
Lady Lorimer said—was generally overlooked. It cannot
be denied, however, that she had a very good figure; tall,
slight, and perfectly formed. Her rich dark tresses were
taken back from her smooth brow so as to form a very pretty
toupee of moderate size, while her profuse Lack locks, which,
when unfastened, fell down almost to ber feet, were clubbed
behind, and secured by a broad pink ribbon, tied in a bow.
Her gown was of dove•coloured silk, long waisted, laced
over the stomacher, and had short sleeves to the elbow,
adorned with large ruffles. There was no other ornament
about it. Her feet were quite as small and as pretty as those
of her sisters, and this was the only point of resemblance
between them.
The only brother of these three fair daughters of
The Lord Mayor of London—is the young scape-
grace Tradescant Lorimer, who appears as
A BEAU OP THE FIRST WATER.
A richly-laced, maroon-coloured velvet coat, made in the
extre\mity of the mode, with large cuffs, and without collar,
and a long-skirted satin waistcoat, embroidered and laced
like the coat, set off his really fine person; while cobweb
silk stockings of a ruby colour, and shoes with diamond
buckles in them, were equally advantageous to the display of
his log and foot, of both of which the young fellow was not
a little vain. Ruffles of the finest Mechlin lace, a deep frill
of the same material, and a muslin cravat, completed his
costume, A dishevelled peruke of flaxen hair assisted the
rakish look and deportment he affected. But for this dis-
sipated expression, and his extreme foppery of manner,
Tradescant Lorimer might have been termed a very hand-
some, elegant fellow; but his graces, such as they were,
were all external, for though not devoid of spirit, he was
shallow-pated and frivolous, devoted to pleasure, led by
his equally dissolute brother-in-law Captain Chatteris,
and preyed upon and duped by his other profligate asso-.
elates.

Among the profligate associates of Tradescant
figures conspicuous a personage very unlike him in
outward aspect, as well as intrinsically. Here is
the portraiture of this individual—instantly recog-
nisable as a lifelike outline of

JOHN VIILIES.
Noticeable among them—though not for good looks, for
he was one of the ugliest persons imaginable, and squinted
abominably—was a tall thin man of some three or four and,
thirty. He was rather more soberly attired than his com-
panions, and had less of the air of a petit-maitre. Though
his looks were almost forbidding, there was so much wit
and drollery in his conversation, and so much mobility and
expression in his features, that his ugliness was speedily
forgotten. His obliquity of vision gave effect to his jests,
This was no other than the well•known John Wilkes,
member for Aylesbury, who afterwards became sufficiently
notorious. An ardent admirer of the sex, Wilkes
plumed himself upon his successes, and notwithstanding
the personal disadvantages under which he laboured with,
them, there might possibly be some foundation for tlie
boast. On the present occasion he was devoted to the
beautiful Mrs. Chatter's, next to whom he sat.
Yet one more silhouette must be given from this
first instalment of Mr. Ainsworth's new story in
Bentley, and we shall have done. It is the sketch,
as follows of a personage upon attendance upon tlie
Lord Mayor upon his entrance—and who turns (jut
to be no other than the famous

kLDERMAN lINCKFORD.
Of the aldermen, the most worthy of note was a tall,
stately-looking personage, whose features, rather quick and
passionate in expression, and embrowned in hue as if by
warmer suns than our own, were marked by a large acqui-
line nose and keen penetrating eyes. This was Mr. William
Beckford, previously described as one of Mr. Pitt's most
zealous adherents. A wealthy West India merchant, one of
the representatives of the City in Parliament, and alderman
for the Ward of Billingsgate. Mr. Beckford had earned the
goodwill of his fellow-citizens by unremitting attention to
their interests both in the House and out of it, as well as by
his praiseworthy endeavours to check the abuse of malt d is •
tillery, and the pernicious effects of gin drinking. Some-
what hot in temper, no doubt owing to his West Indian
origin, and apt to be overbearing in manner, Alderman
Beckford could not fail to make some enemies, but those
who knew him intimately, and could estimate his sterling
qualities and generosity of character, admired and esteemed
him. Amongst these was Sir Gresham Lorimer.
We have seldom read a more fresh and sparkling
commencement to a new serial tale than this open-
ing of his new romance of the " Lord Mayor of Lon-
don" by Ainsworth. If it only should be continued
and completed as it has been commenced, it will be
among the happiest efforts of the gifted and popu-
lar author of " Rookwood " and " The Miser's
Daughter."

Sir Wm. and Lady Freestun have arrived at
heir residence in Gloucester-square, from Weymouth.

THE EMPEROR AND THE POPE.—We understand
that the address of the Emperor of the French to the as-
sembled Ambassadors on New Year's-day will contain an
announcement that the Pope will be supported in his pre-
sent position at Rome,--Press,

The Lord Mayor of London. By W. Harrison
Ainsworth.
The January number of Bentley's Miscellany
opens with a new story from the hand of one of our
most skilled and popular novelists. Pleasant tidings
for the readers of Bentley—a New Tale by Harrison
Ainsworth, and one with a title so tempting and
full of promise as The Lord Mayor of London ! The
"second title"—to wit, " City Life in the Last Cen-
tury"—dissipates at once the notion some might
otherwise have been disposed to entertain, that the
hero of the story The Lord Mayor of London could
be no other than our old friend Sir Richard Whit-
tington ! And that the immortal cat of the good old
legend might appear upon the scene of the narrative
as refreshingly and as thoroughly welcome—as ever
did the Marquis of Carabbas ! The Right Hon. Sir
Gresham Lorimer, Knight, is, in point of fact,
however, Mr. Ainsworth's chosen hero. He and
no other is in the present instance The Lord Mayor
of London. Three chapters only of the First Book
(" Guildhall") have appeared as the bonne bouche
in the number of the Miscellany for January. But
brief though the instalment is —it is thoroughly
delightful. It gives ample promise of the good in
store for us in the New Year, as the thread of the
narrative is unwound by the practised hand of
Tale Teller, that thread of the narrative that will
now from month to month be woven into the gor-
geous tissue of his new romance !
Exactly one hundred years are supposed to have
elapsed when the story commences. We suddenly
come upon the beforementioned Lord Mayor of
London, the Right Hon. Sir Gresham Lorimer,
Knight, Alderman for Cheapward, draper of Cheap-
side, successor in the Civic Chair of Sir Matthew
Blakiston—upon Lord Mayor's Day, the 9th of
November, 1761, at the beginning of the memoruable
year of his mayoralty. With a few brilliant touches
of his rapid pen, Mr. Ainsworth delineates in radi-
ant colours, as though his standish were a painter's
palette, and as though he dipped into it at plea-
sure for all the colours of the rainbow—with a few
radiant touches from his pen, we say, our novelist
brings out vividly to view a crowd of new and varied
characters whose fluctuating fortunes are destined
to constitute the interest of his narrative. How
vividly they are brought to view we may best indi-
cate by means of two or three brief but sparkling
quotations. Here, for example, is Mr. Ainsworth's
elaborate miniature of the Civic Queen :
MY LADY LORIMER.