Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-04-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
PRINCE or WALES THANKSG VINO.
A GALA DAY IN LONDON.
Description by De'aw~reau ,,e wituss.

| Prince of Wales Numerous other letters Of the
sort have been already published, but none in our
columns, and none which we think give more
animated and interesting description Of the oc-
casion
Early on the morning of the day, our cores
| pondeht had tax n up his position at private
/ window, from which he had good view Of
/ Temple Bar, and vicinity, and 1t is from this
| point of observation that he writes, follows
| Up the street, down the street, as far as the
| eye could reach, was one dense black mass OF
| humanity. What study for a physiognomist,
| there was below and around. There is the fat,
red faced countryman, with his buxom, rosy
| checked lasHie on his arm, staring with mouth
| and eyes wide open at this unwonted scene. Up
| in the window there is the SWELL in all the glory
| Of patent leather. kids, and pomade there is
the pretty, bright eyed. saucy-faced shop girl,
the prettiest women in London, neatly dressed,
| and out for holiday which she seems to be en-
| loving amazingly. Over in the pavilion ia the
naughty beauty from West End, half hidden in
lace and velvet, the English ladies ambition there
| is the tunkey in powdered wig and buckskin
breeches; here in the balconythe wealthy baronet,
| there is the street buffoon and rowdy getting of
/ his sterotyped wit to an admirng crowd Of fel-
low rowdies; over yonder the man Of learning and
| high attanments there, too, is the pale-faced,
| sallow-eyed and poorly clad sewing woman, who
| has snatched few hours from her endless toll
/ to come see the great show in fact, there is
| England from the lowest to the highest from
the worst to the best, and from the fool to the
| sage But this is keeping company waiting.
About 8 o'clock, elegant carriages began to
| pass with attendants in dress livery, on their
way to St. Paul's. Among the first nsblemen to
| pass was the Duke OF Richmond in his
| state carriage. Then followed several other
| splendid equlpages occupied by members Of Par
| lament, distinguished officers of the Army and
| Navy, &c, most of them recognized and saluted
by the crowd But hark what is that A loud
cheering is heard in the distance and up the
| All Has illuAtriOuR
by us and we failed to recognize him No. the
cheering comes this way. growing louder and
| nearer. Presently a royal carriage comes in
| sight gentleman and lady are sitting back a
| youth in front. The gentleman politely lifts his
hat to the people. His hair Is grlzzled and his
moustache is curiously waxed at the end. Every
one knows at once aad shouts the Emperor of
the French The Empress is by his side. A
few years ago she was said to be the most beau
tiful, the most accomplished and the most char
liable woman in Europe IL Eugene was the
most beautiful woman in Europe then, she is
certainly the grandest one now. Years and re-
verses instead of diminishing, have only devel-
oped and increased her beauty, and Tuesday
morning, when she bowed her Acknowledgements
with grace and dignity that was Incompatible,
1t made the vast throng cheer like mad men. The
youth, of course, was the Prince, Imperial. These
illustrious visitors had but passed on their way
to Buckingham Palace, when another ringing
cheer cane up the street, born oh from knot to
knot and given in honor Of the occupants of an
| open DarOuCne, one OF whom, Lhuyt lOOkeu
pleased and gracious, while the gentleman by
her side sat sombrs immobile, "starng straight
on with calm eternal eyes" Perhaps he thinks
civilization failure perhaps he finds that Che
Caucasian is played out Either might be the
case, for the welcomed visitor is Mr.. Disraeli.
The lady his wife, Lady Beaconsheld.
For the noxt hour, foreign princes, dukes and
lords, distinguished officers and foreign embassa-
dors, dashed by In their dress carriages, with re-
tainers gorgeous in gold lace and SNOWY colors.
BY half-past ten the streets were again perfect
ly clear there was still an hour and half to
wait, and during that time the crowd became
restless and noisy giving the police and soldiers
az much rs they could do to preserve order.
But at last the great bell in st. Pauls tolled
ont the hour of twelve, followed Immediately by
a royal salute from the Tower, announcing that
Her Majesty had left buckingham. 1t was now
all excitement. Sharp Buesses were made as 10
where the procession had reached at such and
such time, and when it would be in sight. just
8 before one o'clock, faint sound was heard like
the distant roar OF our own Niagara, coming
A nearer and nearer, louder and louder, till II be
= came thunder itself What mighty sound il
: | was all London was cheering with it's every
: throat, their Queen and their future King. Slow
: | ly and grandly the royal pageant moved up the
: | street, headed by a solid body OF the hoya
. Horse Sword, with glittering cuirasses and golC
| tipped helmets. These we're followed by bodl
. | of Royal Lancers, splendid set OF men anC
a | richly uniformed. Then came the state carriag'
! | of the Prime Minister, followed by the dres
= | carriages of the Archbishop of Canterbury, ant
= | that of the Lord Chancellor then the Roys
a Life Guards, the finest looking body OF men II
= | the Kingdom And now come the Royal car
: | riages - moving masses of gold, with purpl
a | aud crimson velvet" each drawn by four horse
!. | richly caparisoned. The first was occupied b.
His Royal Highness, the Duke OF Cambridge am
4 Suite. The next five, by the Lords and Grosm
in Waiting, the Equerries, Lord ChambeTlal1
Ladies' OF the Bed Chamber, Ladies' Of the Ward
robe, Maids OF Honor, aud other members o
It the royal household.
/ The seventh and eighth carriages wers tn
:. centre Of attraction. In the seventh were thel
II koyal Hlghnesses, the Duke Of Edinburgh
Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold. In tn
eighth, their Royal Highnesses, the Prince O
| Wales the Princess of Wales, Princess Beatric
. and Her Majesty the Queen. In the rumble be
VI hind the Queens carriage dressed in highlan
costume, sat the irrepressible and notSriou
k. John Brown.
a. At Temple Bar the procession, Of course, stoI
,d ped and were there met by the Lord Mayor, an
. | the two High Sheriffs, accompanied by larg
va | body of civic functionaries and retainers,
,e handsome uniforms His lordhhip and the tW
w high sherffs attired in their ancient robe
in of state OF black velvet trimmed with ermine an
gold lace. As soon as the procession stopped
the trio advanced, and with most profound oil
eisance, delivered up the keys and sword Of I'll
city to the Queen, which Her Majesty took, the
ef | returned, with a little complimentary remaT
at to the effect, that they could not be IN bette
on hands.
ed AS soon as this was over, the three hurrie
ok back to remount their horses and take the
places in front of the royal carriages. And the
comes the show Of the day,-the mountingi
this it would be difficult to write, only to recoi
-as its effects upon the lockers on. Fleet street
l6. far as Chancery Lane broke into one broad gri
il The Queen first smiled, then laughed out II
M Princess Of Wales and Princess Beatrice cou
to not contain their merriment, and the Prince
r. Wales and the younger Princes broke into
hearty laugh, AS for Mr.. Brown, who Sat in Il
rumble Of the rural carriage-he gufiawed.
did the policemen. So did the distinguishI
ar military men on the staff, So did the priVa
lad soldiers the swells at the windows, and the pc
oil | pie in the crowd One touch of nature max
by the whole world kin, aud from the Monarch
om these realms to the London street boy, who b
Ihe lodged the police aud got the reserved part
ith the street, ''unbeknown," every one was snitt
ed with the same merriment. There are SOL
things which cannot be described and the spt
tacle Of three broad shouldered, porty, midd
.L aged men, in long robes, much begilded a
hf hung in chains, scrambling on to their horst
q . and palpably feeling the occasion to be all il
~ portant and that they ought to look dignihed
,nd was too much for gods or men.
de- The procession again started and the ro!
in carriages were followed by long lines OF Ro.
aro Horse Swords, Life Guards and Lancers
,sar "blazing amor and lofty plumes" remind
" one Of the pomp and grandeur of the midi
ages, The ceremony at st. Pauls was condu
cd by the Primate of all England, assisted b.
La ha1p Of