The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12

| the royal household, grouped about the throne,
and her upon the throne.
Throughout the reading of the speech, her
| Majesty listened with cold, quiet manner,
sitting perfectly mOtiOnless, even to her fingers
| and eyelds. The Iron Duke, standing at her
left bent and trembled slightly, supporting.
with evident difficulty, the ponderous sword OF
state Prince Albert sitting, tall and soldier
| like, in his handsome feld-marshals uniform,
looked nonchalant and serene and only need
| ed his meerschaum, to make up u perfect pic
ture of German placdity. The Earl OF Derby
| held the crown on Its crimson cushion, grace
fully, like an accomplished waiter presenting
| an ice That crown smote on the eye, with
its intolerable brightness The wondrous cost
| ly Jewels seemed to throb with life, the indy
ing life of light Oh, immortal stones! on
how many scenes like this have We looked,
with your cold cleaning eyes mocking alike
the proud flash in the bold eyes of mighty
kings and the smiling light in the gentle eyes
of fair queens--mocking, indeed all the pass
ing power and the perishing glory We are
meant to adorn and emblazon, and the mourn
ful mortality, the deathward throbbing of the
brows We encirele.
| After the reading of this speech, certain
bills were read to her Majesty for her assent
L "a
shaking sparkles from her diamond tiara, in
dew-drOps of light. AT every token of royal
| acquiescence a certain parsonage whom | took
for a herald, bowed low toward the Queen
then performed similar obeisance toward the
Commons, crying in harsh, an utterly indie
scribable voice" La RENE lie pem" This
ceremony gone through with, the Lord Chan
cellor, kneeling at the foot of the throne, pre-
sented copy of the royal speech to the
| Queen, which she proceeded 10 read in man
ner perfectly simple, yet digntied, and in a
| voice sngularly melodous aud distinct Finer
reading never heard anywhere every sylla-
bic was clearly enunciated and the emphasis
| fell with unerring precision upon the right
| word.
The Lord Chancellor having formally an
| nounced that Parliament stood prorogued until
the Goth of August, her Majesty rose as majesti-
| cally as could be expected of one more remarka-
| BILE for rosy plumptitude than regal altitude
! Prince Albert took his place at her side-the
cro'"n bearer took his in front-the train bear
ers took theirs in the rear the royal procession
| formed swept slowly forth, the brilliant House
broke up and followed, and so the splendid pa
| geant passed away-faded like a vision of poetry
or a fairy enchantment.
| Most Of us were obliged to wait long time
in the ante-room before we could gain the stair
| case where our carriages were announced be-
| cause OF the mighty inward rush of the people
from the corridors, eager to get sight even OF
the empty chamber, SO lately glorifed by the
presence of nobility and sanctifed by the
breathings of royalty. 1t was in vain that gen.
| tlemanly ushers waved the official rod, and
stroye to preserve order-in vain that awful
policemen, pale with shocked loyalty, shouted
Make way for the Peers and Peeresses the
curious crowd came surging in and the bon
neted wives Of citizens elbowed the cOroneted
wives of Dukes, and tradesmen got entanged
in the ermned robes of Peers. One poor old
man was rudely jostled against me looked
up commiseratyely into his face, and it was
the Duke of Wellington! 1t was fonr O'Clock
ere we reached home, and yet we were by no
means the last to get away Mr. X, who ac-
companied me, beheld, by choice, the process
sion from the outside, which he tells me was
magnificent beyond all description.
AS soon as could change my dress, joined
the kind friends with whom am staying on
a visit to the children of Governor Kossuth, whC
are living with their tutor at Bayswater The
daughter was absent, on visit to the country
but we found the sons at home and can trul,
say never saw nobler boys. They are hand
some, spirited, intelligent, and apparently o
most sociable natures.
After dinner, We went to her Maiesty's the
atre to see performed "The Barber of Seville,
with Mad. De La Grange, a fine French sing
er, as Rosina, Signor De Bassini as Figaro, ant
the great LablaChe rs Doctor BartolO The
first bass-singer of the world is an enormous
mana monster of melody, who spouts up col
umns of sound from the "vasty Deep of his
L hal, no
This opera house is vast in it's dimensions
and splendid as a palace in its fitting up-a
most costly and luxurious temple of pleasure.
Early on the I'd, one of the lOveest morn
ings that ever dawned, set out, with Mrs. F
and a few choice English friends for day at
Alburg, the residence of Mr.. Tupper-a poet
whose manners are rs popular as his works,
and whose hospitality is as ''proverbial" AS his
philosophy" Our party consisted Of Mr. F.,
Francis BennOck, London merchant, yet a
poet, and friend Of poets lover and a gen
| erous patron of art n politician of heightened
| hberallty, Il warm-hearted mainland. what
| was the crown of all virtues ON an occasion
like ours, an admirable humorist: Mrs. Ben
| mock, his charming wife, and q little Frank, "
n blue-eyed fair-hared beauty of boy Mr..
| Durham, the young sculptor, to whom we owe
| the noblest bust of Jenny Lind Camilla Cros-
land the delightful auth0ress, whom we know
well under her maiden name of Toulman and
Mr.. Jordan, or " old Jordan" as he is familiar
| ly called, man of nearly seventy years, yet
retaining the joyous spirit of seventeen, one
of the finest wits and most remarkable person
ages of his time.
From the station at Gudford we rode to
| Alburg, about n mile, through the most deli
cious lanes past streams and little lakes-al-
together one of the pleasantest drives | ever
enjoyed
Mr. Tupper's place is the very ideal home Of
poet--shelered in lovely valley, embower.
ed in noble trees, clambered over by vines, and
illuminated with roses. The house itself il
quantity beautiful outwardly and inwardly fin.
shed and furnished with simple elegance and
much artistic taste.
Oh, what golden day they made for us
our genial and handsome host, his affible and
intellectual wife, and their children that ar,
, children. What pleasant talks We had in the
) library, what walks in the garden, what frolic'
; with the little ones in the hay-feld--what q
merry, noisy, nOnsensical time over our dinner
, and what a glorious ramble through greer
woodland paths. afterwards Oh, for Joshus
to have laid an Injunction on the sun, which
even in England will set at last. On our re
turn drive we threw mournful glances on the
beautiful country which had so charmed us in
the morning and grieving that we should see
its face no more We took leave of our hos
and his handsome little son at the station, mos
egretfuly-though am sorry TO say that some
of our party were guilty of several bad puns NJ
| to the last sad moment
On our way back to town, Mrs Crosland
with whom by the by, had become deeply
interested during the day, pointed out to M
Rygate, tho place where Eugene Aram wa
usher in school.
The day following, ! again went into ia,