The Washington herald., 1913-08-24
CCOpynsht. 1913. by A. D. Jaeobsou.)

CCOpynsht. 1913 By A. D. Jacobson)
1t seems strange that Byron. writing
only a year after the famous Waterloo
Ball." and in communication with per-
sons who were present at the event
should have stated that it was held in
the Hotel de Vile CCity HslD at Brussels,
for in "Childe Harold" he says:
within Widowed niche Of that high hall
Safe BrunsWck's fsted chieftain.
which well describes room in that his
toric building. Perhaps he was misin-
formed as to the actual place where
danced the soldier knights and fair dam
sells at the Duchess of Richmond 5 great
function. Perhaps the erratic bard may
have Just found the aspect Of the Gothic
walls suitable for his glowing pen and
ina gination.
And yet it is all but case Of artistic
license added 10 poetic license, leading TO
a misconception. which at last became
tradition. Researchers long ago decided
that the famous ball was not held in the
Hotel de Vile. But where did ii take
place? Under what roof did the Iron
Duke CWellington) and the Duke Of the
Black 'Brunswickers Cdie Schwarzen
Braunschweiger Reiter) confer when they
heard that Napoleon had actually crossed
the Sambre River?
o Brunswick. Duke Of DsAthwounds!
For whom tbo,I vr,r'st that aIiaI vredsry
Was waylaid nv my tipstaff nine years since,
So thou this day shalt feel his fendless tap
And Join thy Sire!
But at last there came a genuine cIew
to the mystery. 1t was given by daugh-
ter of the Duchess of Richmond. Georgi-
ana Lenox. Lady de Ros. As a very
young woman, she had been at the
Waterloo ball. talked with the Duke of
Wellington. danced with the young Off
GERS. and had seen the gay assembly
melt away to the call of a war drum at
the door Of a house in the Rue de la
Blanchisserie. The Duchess of Richmond
had hired a house there. for many Eng
lish families were in Brussels just before
Waterloo. TO be near their relatives in
the army. This house belonged to
coach builder. and, according TO Lady de
Ros. the ball took place in a large apart
ment on the ground floor which her sis
ters used as a schoolroom. She remem-
bered that 1t had a wall paper OF a trellis
pattern with roses.
Here was the Waterloo ballroom given
a definite local name and habitation. 1t
was found at 10 and e Rue de la Blan-
chisserie. but there could have been no
ball OF 200 or 800 persons in any apart
ment Of the actual house occupied by the
Duchess of Richmond. However. as part
of the buildings lying between the Rue
de In Blanchisserie and the Rue de Cen
dres, streets backing toward each other.
there is a large barnlike. pillared room.
and this was the spot Of the Waterloo
ball. And IL agreed with the description
given by Lady de Ros, although the old
coach warehouse. for such il was. had
been let to new tenants in succession and
had gradually lost its identity.
Lord HaIdane. as lord chancellor and
keeper OF the great seal, is the keeper OF
the Kings conscience also. The very title
suggests something Of the stately cere-
monial of a medieval court. His lordship
will show smiling face when addressing
his fellow-lawyers Of this country at the
annual meeting of the American Bar As
sociation.- the e~first week in September at
Montreal; for though he is the keeper of
the Kings conscience, he will not be bur-
dened with II when here with us For
he must not carry II out of the United
Kingdom: he must leave II behind in the
custody of others. II would never do to
let the Kings conscience" go about wan
dering.
II is as lord chancellor that Lord Hal
dene is also called keeper OF the Kings
and the visible sign is the
great seal, which plays an important
part in the completion Of British state
documents. Without II no writ for sum-
moning Parliament can be issued, no act
of Parliament can receive the royal as
sent and no treaty between Great Britain
and any other nation can be perfected A
new seal Is made for each sovereign. and
the old one is 'solemnly'' broken. The
Kings seal conveys to its keeper some OF
the sacredness of the Kings person. for
the law declares that TO slay the lord
chancellor is treason. Lord Haldane' car
ries the great seal with him when travel
ing in Great Britain, but while he is
away in America II Is placed in the hands
Of three commissioners. authorized to use
II for the sealing OF state documents in
his absence. He win, therefore, he secure
frcm tie fate that befell Lord Malchlen.
who. following Richard 1 to the Crusade.
was drowned OF the Island OF Cyprus
with the great seal suspended about his
neck.
The great seal, by the way. seems al
WAYS to be susoendsd nv rad tana But