Star.
London, England, 1829-12-18 00:00:00

THE REMONSTRANCE.

Though lately in your altered mien
Nae friendly smile fur me was seen,
Oh, far more wretched wad I been
If fault o' mine
Bade the kind welcome o' your een
Forget to shine.

An' yet, an' yet 'ds bard I wry,
When friends are aye sae rare below,
To lose frae oat the seantie few

At cherished friend ;
It strikes the sternest spirit thrones.
And makes it bend.

Heaven knows this drearie wart of ours,
This April-day o' smiles and showers,
Has not o' joy o'er mony flowers
Our path to strew,
That we should—lavish of our stores—
Ev'n ~forego.

For me, sae drear has been my track,
Sae clouded o'er wi' storm an' rack
bly way o' life—l fain look back,
Wl' fond regret,
reit to the least that now I lack
Of aU I met.

The time will come—that time comes fast—
When a' that charmed shall be n'ercast,
When each shall dread to be the last
Here left his hue,
To weep an' mourn o'er pleasures past.
An' friendships sane.—

To board, wr fond despairing care,
The memory o' joys that wrre—
Nae other solace left to share,
But all in gloom
To ask the passing wretch's prayer,
An' seek the tomb.

Sith this—and Dane frae this are free—
Slay, aiblins, be our destiny,
What can it 'vantage us to be

Like severed clouds
Oh, short's the space ourwls may see
Low in our shrouds.

When wealth an' wally gear forgot,
Our very forms remembered not,—
In some obscure and lowly spot
We mouldering lie,
Oh what can then avail the thought
0' pride gane by?—

Then think, an"twere na' just whiles worth
To deck our narrow span o' earth
Wi' germs o' friendship's e'ergreen birth
That ne'er may cloy,
Than coldly thin our present dearth
0' mortal joy ? H.
" THE TIMES" AND MR. O'CONNELL.

" TO TIM TOMOS Or THZ nun

" blerrion-square, Dec. 14.
" Mr Dean Sut.—The defence of the Times to my charge of
venality is quite insufilcient. It would not be received in ;ay
Court of competent jurisdiction. It is what we lawyers call
departure in pleading. It does not amount even to the general
issue. Indeed, there is sometisi.,g curious in this—that the
caitiff does not venture to deny venality by any positive or distinct
averment !!!
" Although the guilt is not positively denied—it would, indeed,
have been too audacious to deny it positively—yet I am free to
confess that the defence is, in other respects, pleasant and amusing.
It is comical, though not convincing. It is laughable, but not
satisfactory. It savours strongly of a ludicrous irritability; but
there is no logic, no argument, no proof.
" To set this matter in its true light, let me repeat my charge.
As I am fond even of the phraseology of that charge, I repeat, in
my own words—' There is in London a newspaper called the
Times,' &c. &c. The tawdry female, who, with rouged cheeks
and in faded silks takes the air in "the Strand" by gaslight, is
not a more thorough prostitute in person, in heart, and soul, than
the talented wide-circulating noses.'
" Such is my accusation. Now, what is the defence of the
Thus
" Flret—lt abuses the language and imagery of the charge !
Now, the language was exceedingly pretty language, and the
imagery not only exquisite, but exact, as I shall presently show !
" Secondly.—The Times begics to call names, ." Booby and
' Jack Puddiag'—what a Saxon idea!—and various other such
parts of speech—showing beyond a doubt that the culprit was in a
perilous passion.
" Thirdly—The Times comes to the pith and marrow of its de-
fence, and it is this—that I could not tell when, where, or how he
was bribed.
" What a specimen of precious reasoning is here. Mark the
Anglo-Saxon scribe. Because I not was not present when he was
bribed, ergo, he was not bribed.
" Case in point—l love a case in point. Here,' said a judge to
a prisoner, ' what say you to this charge ? Here is a witness who
swears positively that he saw you steal the sheep.' My Lord,'
replied the sheep-stealer, , I will bring three witnesses who will
swear positively that they did not see me steal the sheep.'
The prisoner was not acquitted, neither can the Times. Its
venality can be proved circumstantially with as conclusive a force
as by any direct testimony. Why should it devote at least two, if
not three leading articies—mind leading articles—not letters from a
correspondent, as it so characteristically insinuates—why should it
devote three leading articles to a foolish falsehood against so insig-
nificant an individual as myself if it were not bribed so to do? Or
is this its defence—that it led, forsooth, to nothing ! Is' the Lady
of the Strand'.--for that, after all, is the proper denomination of
the runes, and shall be so in future—l bestow that cognomen on
the base instrument of venality—is ' the Lady of the Strand' so
desperately attached to falsehood that she invented the lie, told the
lie, and repeated the lie—and all for the pure and disinterested love
of lying?
" Besides, who was it that furnished the Times with the garbled
extracts from my letters ? Come, tell us that, and, if you do, I
warrant it was a hand that touched much money, public and
private.
" The inference really is irresistible, fortified as it is by the pre-
vious bad character of the culprit.. It has long been a matter of
notoriety that the Times had neither honesty nor principle. Its an-
cient tricks and modern dexterities are quite familiar, and I only
gave voice to the public and universal sentiment when I declared
that paper to be venal to the very lowest pitch of venality.
" But, after all, the only thing that I am anxious about, is my
literary character, which has been assailed by the Times. It has
traduced my powers of similitude, abused my simile most unmet-

cifully. .
" Now, that simile was a very good simile, exact in all Its parts;
and even the defence of the Tenet proves its precision and exact-
ness, for gone of the vigilant-guardians of the night, vulgarly called
Charles; were to arrest the career of the female I described, how
would she defend herself? Precisely and to the letter as her pro-
totype, the Times. does. She would fly into a passion and call
names—' Booby,' and 'Jack Pudding,' and every other Timal'
flower of eloquence would be her first resource.
" Brought up the next day before the grave and sapient justice
at Bow-street, she would pursue precisely the same line of defence
with the Times. She would defy the magistrate to prove that be
was present when she committed the grime of prostitution. She
would cry with the Times—when, where, how ? But in vain.
Like the Times, her previous bad character, and the intrinsic cir-
cumstances of the case would condemn her, and she would be sent
to spend her lonely hours on the tread-mill—a station which I trust
will shortly be adorned by some of the managers of that venal print.
"' Lady of the Strand, for the present I have done with you.
You will, as becomes you, take up all the vile calumnies of the vile
orange pleas of Ireland, and give them out in new editions so your
English readers.
"' Lady of the Strand,' I defy you. • Calumny does net injure
those who have no other object in view but to do good to their
country and their kind ; and who, devoid of personal motives or of
personal interests, are quite regardless of the frowns of men in
power, and of the dagersof literary assassins.
" I am, my dear sir, your's faithfully.
DANIEL O'CONNELL."

Despatches were sent off yesterday morning from the
Colonial Office for the Governors of the Leeward Islands.

CORBETT'S LECTURES.

Mr. COBBETT gave his third lecture last night at the
theatre of the Mechanics' institute,. The hall was as

much crowded as on the former evenings, and the lec-
ture was allowed to proceed without any of those inter-
ruptions which marked his last exhibition. Mr. Cobbett
commenced by recurring to the two propositions which Le
had endeavoured to impress on his auditors on his last
lecture. He had already established—First, that there
was great distress at present amongst all chases that d d
not partake of the taxes. Secondly, that this distress
had arisen from the arbitrary changes which hal been
made in the valm. of money by acts of parliament.
Thirdly, that this distress would not go away of itself
like a slight cold, or a passing cloud, but that it would
remain like a piece of timber which had Hallam on a
human body, and must be removed by some other power.
Fourthly, that the removal of the distress must be effect-
ed by some just and effective legislative measure, or that
a violent convulsion must ensue ; and lastly, that a re-

ductioa in the value of money, or a return to paper money,
lOWA it would be injurious to individuals and ruinous to
the nation at large, would not preserve it from that via!ent
convulsion which all good men deprec Ited. These proposi-
tions he had already established, and should now proceed to
the remedy. His plan was to go back to the year 1791 or
1792. There was a pitiful revenue then of fifteen millions,
whilst the revenue at present was sixty millions. When
the revenue was only fifteen millions the minister was
ready to go to war when any insult was offered by ano-
ther nation. Now Russia had possessed herself of Tur-
key, and England did not dare to raise a linger. Now,
why could not England raise a finger at the prestatt mo-
ment ? Simply because I;er revenue was .is:ty mil-
lions and not Moen. This country had not more
wealth now than in 1791; but it was inor;! hea-
vily taxed, that Wll5 the secret. IThen men got
into distress it was natural they should revert to that
time when they were comfortable, and not in di.;treas.'
In order to conform to the reduction of prices the country
must come back to the expenditure of 1791. In that year
the debt cost 9,500,0001. the civil list cost 898,00a1.
the navy, 2,000,0001. the army, 1,700,0001. soma
odd.i and ends, 128,0001. some other trifles, 40,0001.
and the ordnance, 375,0001. The total revenue in 1791
was 15,000,0001. Then it was that Mr. Pitt menact&
Spain with war for coming to Nootka sound. An arma-
ment was fitted out on this occasion which cost a mil-
lion and a half of moner, and when some one remarked
that the whole of Nootka sound was not worth above
201. Mr. Pitt properly answered, that the less value
the possession had the more we should resent the
insult. Within a few years, however, England had seen
the Floridas ceded by Spain to the United States of
America by a foul connivance ; she had seen the French
obtain the military command of Spaiu, and only deplored
it. Mr. Canning's words were, " I pray to heaven that ;
Spain may not succeed." The prayers of nations, how-
ever, should come from the mouths of canons, but not a
'hand could so stir. Our foreign Minister wrote to the
Duke of Wellington at Verona, to say that whatever
might be the resolution of other courts England had
determined on peace. All the other insults which Eng-
land had borne were as nothing compared with the re-
cent attack onTurkey. Mr. Pitt had said that any Eng-
lishman was mad who did not resent an insult given by
Russia to Turkey. Nothing of the kind was said by our pre-
sent ministers. They could not ; the nation was weaker, and
power was the only wealth of nations. England had lost
her power exactly in proportion as taxation increased.
The annual charge of tie debt was now thirty minors',
whilst in the days of poverty the debt only cost
9,500,0001. Justice Bayley said at York, when on cir-
cuit, in 1815, that a national debt was a national blessing,
and therefore the bigger the debt the bigger the blessing.
The army and miscellanies were now 9,000,0001. the
navy 5,500,0001. the ordnance 1,500,0001. the civil list
3,500,0001. and the odds and ends, which amounted to
300,0001. in 1791, now come to 4,500,0001. This
was the secret of all the miseries of the country.
(Hear, hear, hear.) No man's fortune was safe
whilst things went en in this way. The :expenditure
was more than 54,000,0001. per annum, and the expenses
of collecting the taxes was 6,000,0001. The coun-
try now paid six times more for colleAing the taxes than
the taxation of the whole country amounted to in the
time of James the Second, who was expelled from the
throne. It was quite clear that the country must come
back to the amount of taxation levied in 1791. But it
may he asked, how was an expenditure of fifty-four mil-
' lions, exclusive of the charge of collection, to ba sup-
ported? He would never attempt to pay the fifty-four
millions. It was a very awkward thing to reduce any
part of a man's expenditure. Pope told of a miser
who was making his will. He was asked what he
would do with a certain estate ? " Oh !" said he,
" must I part with it, then ? 0 give it to Ned." Two or
three other estates were disposed of by him with the same
reluctance At last he was asked what he would do
with a manor ? " Ah !" says he, " I e innot part with
my manor"—and—he died. So it would be with govern-
ment, who put of the only remedy which could save the
country till the last moment, and ti.e.i die over it. Thi-
army, navy, and ordnance, now cost the country t wenty-
fonr millions a year : but those services might be car-
ried on with less. The American govvrnment contrived
to defray all those expenses for two millions a-year.
But then the Americans had not noblemen—they had
not such men as Peel to draw up Peel biUs, and get
up panics. (Hear, and laughter.) Burke called nobi
lity the cheap defence of nations, but its nobility cost this
country a great deal. The single family of the Gren-
villes received more in sinecures than all the officers of
state in America. It may be said that, if clever men
are wanted, they should be paid for; but America
had clever men, and cheap men, too. Mr. Wind-
ham, in the House of Commons, told a story of a
countryman, who came to town to have a tooth drawn.
The dentist performed the operation in a moment, and
when it was over the countryman asked the price. Upon
being told that the dentist's fee was a guinea. " What ?"
said he, " do you charge me a guinea for that ; why Tom
Sledge, the blacksmith, wo.ild drag me round the room
for a shilling." No real Tom Sledge could drag the
country more than it was dragged by ministers. Now, and
it would be very desirable, es high-priced ministers
were tried £0 long, if low-priced ministers were just
called in by way of experiment. Mr. Cobbett
here proceeded to state the manner in which he proposed
to reduce the expenses of the Civil List, with the Army,
Navy, and Ordnance. The Civil List should be below
what it was in 1791. The army might be the same ;
and the navy he would consent to double, as there was a
new foe to contend with. Russia was likely to get
possession of the Mediterranean, and a great naval
rival had sprung up at the other side of the Atlantic.
It was folly to talk of friendship between the two
nations, and of their being as daughter and mother.
The fact was, the mother must fight the daughter at last.
He would knock off the sinecures and pensions, and be
was satisfied, it it were put to the poll, the fundholder
would prefer security for half interest, and the prices, of

1791 to tho preaent insecure aystem. It would t, gaol
for every eht but the aristocracy. He did not ac,: ise
Government of anything—they seemed sot to ::t:ow
That to do, and hid no intentions: but the wrists cr.tc.y
md clergy wanted to get rid of the debt by
clandestine means, and to beggar the funch:e:de.f,.
Si miLions a year might be advantageously taken I, )1
the clergy. The country gentlemen, as they crlied
themselves thrash they were generally to
found in town, looking out for therres!v
not want a rerhAion of taxation. They did n
want to come to an ruyount because their s ins
and re.atiyes and deptties must be dismissed.
What trust could be reposed in the abilities of such a man
as Peel? He did not speak of his private character; but
was ever such weakness and imbecility seen in a Mi-
ni:ter ? He had gone forward and backward, and
forward again, and at h:t plumped up to his chin
in the rrotd. If ho was SUITO: CO in the middle of
the hall. up to his chin in mud, no doubt Mr. Peel
would begin reproachimr those win surrounded hi:n
for nut teaching biro better, as I:2 had done Mr.
Attwootl. 13:.fore he wive him an.: advice he (M:..
Cobbett) would " How came yon there ; let use
know that, for it may be that you droned like an angel
from th • sky. tLugh I never saw an angel with hair of
that collar ?" Peel would then answer, " I walk...d
in." Th • next question would be, " Do yon walk in your
sleep?" and Peel would answer, " No; 1 walked
in with my eyes open." " But (it would be
ask d) had you no f kn.!, no relative to warn
you ?" " oh, yes." said Peel, " them were a) ;
bet I I:id not mind them. Mr. Ricardo told ma
the dit •It was only four inches deep, and Dr. Copplest
my tut told Inc -e same, for which I hul madeltiat
ahi ho " What ! got hint made a bishop for telin4
you this ? Then you may stick there!" That would b,
the anexe, to Mr. Peel; and •there he t•hati!d stick for
a c rtainty until the account came. The to or wy.l
find his account in being mad.. a bishop ; and it .7.713
to be hoped that Mr. Peel would nit get OE Rigor.;
being brought to an account t.o. When sa utnt;
were brought to misery and beggary he did not
believe the nation was 60 UttillSi and co:raptly to
to let those who 'nought cu the mi,ery eseaiie
scot free. Mr. Callen concluded by returning Lim:, s
for the patience and attention he had received, and
retired amid:t load and ireneral demonstrations of approval.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF GAS IN THE

HigNeHESTER FISH 314111TT.

:MANCHESTER, Drc. 16.

The titaio3t const(_,rivition prevailed in dd.: town this
afternoon, in consequence of an explosion of gas having
taken place at the house of Min Parry, the King's Ile 'l
Inn, in the old Shambles, immediately opposite t.) ti..
new Fish Market, which was heard in nearly all parts of
the town. On inquiry, it was ascertained where the causa
of alarm originated, and the following appear to be the
facts of the case :—lt appears that several men em-
ployed by the Manchester Gas Company were iayi.►g
down a main pipe through the market, which pipe, it is
con :lectured, had a connection with the pipe boonf.iing to
the King's Head, and the gas having escaped front smite
part of the main pipe, the men, to learn from witenee
the strong stench of gas proceeded, foolishly applied a
lighted candle to the connecting pipe atttche 1 to the
mail", when suddenly a tremendous explosit n was the
consequence, which burst throudi the wit dow4 and.
into the brick work of the King's Head int' tht.
street, which were blown to a great distance, b eak;ng in
the windows of the neighbouring shops; this was about
half-past three o'clock. The shock caused by this dread-
ful explosion having subsided, assistance was procured,
and several individuals entered the King's HeAl,
a truly dreadful spectacle presented itself. Mrs. Parry,
the landla;ly, and a friend named Mrs. Taylor, who were
sitting in the ditring room at the time the dreadful
catastrophe oceurral, were found amongst a heap
of ruins in the cellar, having been precipitated,
together with the floor, into the cellar. When taken up,
the unfortunate females were discovered to be alive, but

dreadfully burnt and bruised I Mr. Parry and the bar-
maid were in the bar at the time, and were so much
scorched and bruised that their lives were considered to
be in danger. The bar and all its contents were literally
dashed to pieces. Another female servant, who was in
the lobby, is also dreadfully injured : the long-room, din-
ing-room, vaults, kitchen, and, indeed, all the lower partof
the premises, are wholly demolished. The vaults are imme-
diAtely adjoining the house ; and most fortunately it hap-
pened, that no customers were in either the vaults or
the house, otherwise incalculable injury might have been
the consequence. A young girl was corning out of •
the house, but seeing the flash she contrived to make
her escape, with comparative little injury. Surgical ts-
distance was with the utmost promptitude procured, but
it is impossible, in the present juncture, to state, whether
Mrs. Parry, her husband, and Mrs. Taylor, will survive
the lamentable event. The whole of the street along
i the line of road on which the pipe was laitl, is com-
pletely blown up by the explo:ion, and considerable
damage is done to the stone part of the new Fish Market.
The dreadful catostroithe has excited the utmost senra-
tion in the town, anti much blame is attached to the men
efull eyed by the Gas Company ; as thro,igh their
want of eautfm, and negligence, the necHent hap
pened. We have, jurt left the unfortunate sufferers,
labouring under the most excruciating agony. and the
medical men are using their utmost endeavours to an%
the pain under which they are suffering. The landerti,
Mr. Parry, has only lately become the succereor of tie
late Mr. Smitten!, whose dreadful suicide in tie t:,ine
house was recorded in our paper some time ngo:

The loss sum Maid estimated at about 5601

The Duke of NV ELLINGToN left town yesterday gioiu-
ing for his seat at Strathfieldsay, Hants. Mr. Secre-
tary and Mrs. PEEL left town in the afteruoon rm. Strath-
fieldsay, on a visit to his Grace and the Duchess of Wt.!,
A fßsh personal altercation, little less vehement th:trt
that in -which Sir C. Wetherell was a party, to3k plat-14
yesterday, in the Vice-Chancellor's Court, between the
Solicitor-General end a Metnbcr of the outer Br. .
Morniag Chrunick.
CORN—EXCHANGE, MARK—LANE. DK. Is.

Our market was in a lifeless state this mornirg, which generally
happens on the eve of Christmas ; Monday's prices, however, were
sustained fur fine samples of Wheat, Barley, and Oats ; bat she
middling qua:ities of Barley were quite unsaleable.
INPUILTAVIfIVA STMT 110VDAT.
Wheat, English (qrs.) . 3,800 Barley, Foreign
Irish . . 1 450 Oats, English .
Foreign . 4.400 j Foreign
Hari. y, English . 5;350 Isiah
Irish . . 800 i Flour (tacks)
COAL MARKET—Tuts Day.

TOO
. 7,5:0
1 ,•.:1:1)
• 50 Goo
4,1'4;0

There was a very abundant surpiy of Stand. rhud and Nen:ea-tie
o,als at market to-day, much more than has been for some time
past-206 ships having arrived since Wednesday last. The 0,31
Exchange was well attended by merchants, and Coals were in very
good demand.
- Ships arrived during the week 500°
Daring the mouth 406
Beat WaUsend Coals in« 01 Us. 6d
Other sorts .... 304 .OJ. 37s Od •
Ships at Market-

SHALSTZALIG Henry. 11. p. 2. a. 4. a. 10.

. Before we proceed in the train of the Royal progresses' to the
principal local attractions of the neighbourhood, it is fitting that
the.urivalwf the Duke of York should be noticed. A few days
, after the erection of the wooden-house had been completed, his
Royal Highness rwrived in the town at nine o'clock, on a fine sum-
s, mere morning ; .but his* appearance amongst us was so sudden,
that the. inhabitants were totally unprepared for his reception, and
ise drove his new and superb curricle. drawn by long-tailed black
. horses, through the street, and up to Bay's Hill Lodge, unnoticed.
; and pogreeted by the townspeople. When the fact of his arrival
„ became publicly known, they crowded to pay their respects, and
,I,to compensate fur their unconscious remissness, by a double dis-
. play of.assiduity and homage ; the bells rang out their merriest
.peals, and in the evening the town was illuminated in honour of
~ the event. That evening, f6r the first time, the Royal Family
visited the Theatre, without any ostentatious preparation ; and
their determination to gratify their loyal subjects in such a manner
seemed so instantaneously formed, that it was not till six o'clock,
.that Manager Watson was apprised, by Colooel •Digby, of the high
.honour that was about to be conferred upon his establishment.—
;„,,Altort as the notice was, it soon spread like wild-fire, and in less
thy). half an hour there was not a seat in the boxes, or in the pit,
to be,obtained " for love or money." At eight o'clock. the Mos-
triousparty entered the centre box, amidst the most enthusiastic
cheering--the band playing " Goo save the Bing !" and the au-
&epee joining with the performers in singing—or rather vocife-

ratingevery verse of the national anthem. For nearly ten mi-
.. notes the popular acclaim continued. and during that time the
.. Royal visitants continued standing, and acknowledging by bows,
and looks more eloquent than words, the gratification imparted by
• suck manifestations of affectionate loyalty. His Majesty then took
his seat in front, the Queen sat on his left hand, and the Princess
Royal on his right ; the Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth taking
. their places on the left of the Queen. The Duke of York sat
immediately behind the King. The comedy of " She would and
she would not," in which that most inimitable of all comic ac-
tresses, Mrs. Jordan, played grotiso, was well performed through.
out ; but the great treat of the evening was Mrs. Jordan's Au-
views, in the " Sultan." Every passage that afforded the slightest
opportunity of complimenting the distinguished Patrons of the eve-
ning was eagerly seized upon by the audience, as the signal for
plaudits, and cheers, and demonstration, of their joy—and of their
enthusiastic reverence for " the Father of Lis People." At the
end of the Entertainment, as if by a preconcerted arrangement—
when in fact there was no arrangement at all—the spectators
quickly retired from the interior of the Theatre, and instantly
formed a procession, at the head of which they placed the musi-
cians, and thus arrayed, escorted the Royal Family to their homes.
Notwithstanding the preparation which some of our most celebrated
beUes had made. in the anticipation of the Duke's arrival. and the
bewitching smiles and becoming dresses, with which they greeted
him when present, their fascinations were not sufficiently powerful
to detain him long an Inmate of the Wooden House, which
pleased him so little that he took his departure on the second day
after his arrival.
An incident that occurred a few mornings afterwards, afforded
the King not only momentary entertainment but lasting gradlica.
tion : anmangst the gay and fashionable crowds, assembled on " the
Mall" atiliin early hour, there appeared a poor weather-belten

sailor, who bad travelled upwards of one hundred miles for the

sale puryose of seeing the King; and there he stood, leaning
against he pales, and smoking his pipe With as little concern as If
he wets reclining against a mast, surrounded by his shipmates;—
till suddenly his eye brightened up as he beheld the King; he held
in his breath for a moment in silent ecstacy, then sent forth vo-
lume of smoke which almost stilled some of the exquisitely nerved
courtiers.—Colonel Digby, fearing that the King might be dis-
pleased by the seaman's rudeness, told him he would be taken

into custody if he did not go away; but, nothing daunted at the
authoritative tone °Celle Royal attendant, the honest tar NOW
that "he had often been imprisoned for serving his Majesty, anil
*hoped his Royal Muter would not be offended with poor Jack,
. for taking a whiff in his Majesty's presence." The Ring laughed
heartily—gave poor Jack a guinea, and pursued his walk.
Even at this remote period, it la impossible to contrast the pre•
sent, with the past, condition of Cheltenham, without remembering
bow forcibly its appearance recalled the aspect of that " Arcady
the blest," where we are told " there were hills which garnished
their proud heights with stately trees, humble valUes whose bass
estate seemed comforted with the refreshing of silver rivers,
meadows enamelled with all sorts of eye-pleasing flowers : thickets,
which being lined with the most pleasant shade, were witnessed
. too, by the cheerful disposition of many a well-tuned bird—each
pasture seemed stored with sheep .. . • here a shepherd's boy,
piping as though he should never be old ; there a young shepherdess.
knitting, and withal singing, and it seemed that her voice com-
forted her bands to work, and her hands kept time to her voice
. music. As for the houses of the country, (for many houses came
under their eye) they were all scattered, no two being sae by the
other, and yet not to far off as that it barred mutual succour; a
chew, as it were, of an aceompanyable solitaryneu, and of a civil
wildness." How closely the scenery around Cheltenham re-
sembled, in its most prominent features, this picture of Arcadia,
there are many of its venerable inhabitants yet living to testify ;
. and even if such evidence were wanting, the traces of its most
simple beauties remain; and the bold and romantic, and plc.
unarm lineaments of its mountain grandeur, retain all their most
attractive characteristics.
The " home-excusions"ff I may use the phrase) of the Royal
family, wen most frequently made to Dowdswell, and Chariton
Park—and the.. Manor-house of the latter village was more than
once heavaire4 by their presence :—but I think that without even
the intermission of a day during their sojourn the public prome-
nades were graced by some one, if not by all, of our illustrious vi-
sitants; and walks through the meadows—by open footpaths, and
hedge-row taut', had ever in the delicious summer-time a charm
for the good King. One day, to the best of my recollection it was
that on which the Duke of York arrived, and in the afternoon
' Aide out in the vicinity with his beloved father—the QueM
the Princesses walked through the High-street—they were u-
rged # brown coats,-at that time a fashionable female costume—
and were Mee hats As they passed leisurely along, Lord Malt-
land, who was riding a spirited horse, approached to pay his re-
opens, and as be raised his hat with becoming reverence from his
head, his horse, alarmed at the movement, reared and flung him
iieustraie at the feet of Royalty. He sustained no injury by the
' • fin, and When the first alarm had subsided, the Queen phyla*/
complimented him upon the humility of his obeisance. I bad air
most forgotten to mention the extraordinary importation of hair•
dressers from the metropolis, which was one of the first visiblecon-
sequences of the Royal visit :—in less than a week after the arrival
of the Court, not less than fifty of these worthy "knights of the
comb" made dieii appearance ha the town; and Geed them having
frizzled his Oak in the very extreme of the then prevalent fashion, I
took his station for several hours in the gateway of the Swan lan,
exclaiming like &lying advertisement of his owg'skill, "'Twat I
did this." Tliere *Mg beside, a whole host of men.milliners--.la
that day tumid nondesctint«—that kindled the miasma and the
assoiliwisb MI the dexterity of women; sad waned to pride them-
esbee../abst misty person- ropes dui- effeminacy.
•Id altiftibei tis the regulleaniutinsents at the news, the two
"fSitirstO dm, Gesey•the one the "re•
puma ktber..7 and the ether.the nisei% of the emu modern wage-.
dian—dluplaped their pewers,•whiEkVere Miriralled In the milli
of their popularity ; sod Cate:yodel his disk attraction ceased,
•

V V ' t
• iirty, • 4 - , 41g. '
7....4t ...
4111PrA*
71'5. , y-444', .' f " N•OF.LEISIIRE, IN CHELTENHAM.
~ z.
No. VL
7i 4
..t- . -.... ?
r. . .-- .., From the Cheltenham Journal. •
ITr-0.) .."-`
- 1? Lord, who would live turmoird in the. Court,
And may enjoy such quiet walks as these!"