"The date of my promise is now arrived, and I fulfil it-fulfil it with great satisfaction, for the Queen is come. I have seen her, have been presented to her, and may go back to Strawberry. For this fortnight I have lived upon the road between Twickenham and London. I came, grew impatient, returned; came again, still to no purpose. The yacht made the coast of Suffolk last Saturday, on Sunday entered the road of Harwich, and on Monday morning, the king's chief eunuch, as the Tripoline embassador calls Lord Anson, landed the princess. She lay that night at Lord Abercorn's, at Witham, the palace of Silence; and yesterday, at a quarter after three, arrived at St. James's. In half an hour, one heard of nothing but proclamations of her beauty: every body was content, every body pleased. At seven one went to court. The night was sultry. About ten, the procession began to move towards the chapel, and at eleven they all came up into the drawing-room. She looks very sensible, cheerful, and is remarkably genteel. Her tiara of diamonds was very pretty; her stomacher sumptuous; her violet-velvet mantle and ermine so heavy, that the spectators knew as much of her upper half as the king himself. You will have no doubt of her sense by what I shall tell you. On the road they wanted her to curl her toupet: she said she thought it looked as well as that of any of the ladies sent to fetch her; if the

ness.

King bid her, she would wear a periwig, otherwise she would remain as she was. When she caught the first glimpse of the palace, she grew frightened, and turned pale. The Duchess of Hamilton smiled -the princess said, My dear duchess, you may laugh: you have been married twice, but it is no joke to me." Her lips trembled as the coach stopped, but she jumped out with spirit, and has done nothing but with good humour and cheerfulShe talks a great deal, is easy, civil, and not disconcerted. At first, when the bridemaids and the court were introduced to her, she said "Mon Dieu, il y en a tant, il y en a tant!"-She was pleased when she was to kiss the peeresses: but Lady Augusta was forced to take her hand and give it to those that were to kiss it, which was prettily humble and good-natured. While they waited for supper, she sat down, sung, and played. Her French is tolerable: she exchanged much both of that and German with the King, the duke, and the Duke of York. They did not get to bed till two. To-day was a drawing-room: every body was presented to her: but she spoke to nobody, as she could not know a soul. The crowd was much less than at a birth-day; the magnificence very little more. The King looked very handsome, and talked to her continually, and with great good humour. It does not promise as if they two would

be the two most unhappy persons in England, from this event."

The day after the nuptials, a grand levee, comprehending also a drawing-room, was held at court, where, among other objects of admiration, the ten young ladies who had acted as bridemaids were particularly distinguished, being all attired alike in white lutstring dresses, ornamented with silver trimmings and rich jewels, that produced a very pleasing effect. The same night there was a most splendid ball, which was opened by the Duke of York, and his sister, the Princess Augusta, afterwards Duchess of Brunswick.

Pursuant to an order in council, an additional clause was inserted in the prayer for the royal family, placing the name of the Queen before that of the princess dowager of Wales; and this was attended to the following Sunday, when their majesties went to the Chapel Royal, which was uncommonly crowded. The sermon preached by the King's chaplain in waiting, the Reverend Mr. Schutz, was a plain practical discourse on the words "Provide things honest in the sight of all men :" and it is here mentioned, because many of the, congregation were disappointed at not finding any complimentary allusions in it to the happy union which had just taken place. But this was, in fact, a compliance with the royal intimation, for the King, immediately

VISIT TO DRURY LANE THEATRE.

91

after his accession, had expressly signified it as his pleasure, that nothing bordering upon adulation should be delivered in his presence from the pulpit; and it deserves remark, that the only two persons who violated this excellent monition were Dr. Thomas Wilson, and Mr. Mason the poet, both of whom incurred the royal displeasure, and in consequence, out of pique, became furious patriots.

On Monday evening, their majesties, in chairs, and most of the royal family in coaches, attended by the horse guards, went to Drury Lane Theatre, where the Rehearsal was performed by the King's command; and it is not à little remarkable that this was the first play which the Queen ever saw, dramatic entertainments having been interdicted in Mecklenburg, as tending to promote dissipation and idleness.

On the present occasion, the streets were lined with spectators, all the way from the palace to the theatre; and so eager were the people to see the Queen, as to press close to her chair, which gave her considerable alarm; but upon entering the house she soon recovered her spirits, and appeared highly delighted with the performance. Never, perhaps, was there a more splendid audience, the ladies being mostly dressed in the cloaths and jewels which they wore at the royal marriage. The house was nearly full as soon as the doors were open; so that out of the vast multitudes that pressed for admit

92

ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN.

tance, not a fiftieth part could gain an entrance, to the infinite disappointment of many thousands.

Much mischief was done, and one or two persons lost their lives by being trampled upon in the crowd, which was so closely compacted together, as to be totally immoveable, while they who were thus wedged in, experienced a sense of suffocation that could only be compared to the miseries endured by the sufferers in the black hole of Calcutta.

Among the numerous addresses which poured in upon the occasion of the royal nuptials, one from the ladies of St. Albans was of so extraordinary a cast as to merit particular notice and selection.

"TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

"The humble address of the LADIES of the Borough of St. Albans, in the County of Hertford.

"May it please your Majesty.

"We your Majesty's most dutiful and affectionate subjects, being by custom precluded from being named in the address of the mayor and corporation of this place, beg leave to approach your majesty with the warmest congratulations on your happy nuptials.

"Formed by nature, and improved by the completest education, you were selected by the best of kings, to add the only happiness that was wanting to his majesty in the world.