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CHAPTER IX.

The Queen's Thanksgiving-The Coronation and the King's Vanity-Exclusion of Her Majesty and its Effects-Her Death and Remarkable Funeral-Riots and Bloodshed-The King with his Irish Subjects— O'Connell and the Modern Cæsar-The King's Seclusion-His Eccentric Life at Windsor-The Marchioness of Conyngham and her Despotic Rule The King's Last Days-His Love of Mimicry—His Hallucinations and Death.

HE people were satisfied with the victory

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which the queen had gained, and rejoiced over it exceedingly; for three successive nights London was illuminated, and presented a blaze of light from end to end. A town relieved from a twelvemonth's siege,' says the Morning Chronicle, could not have displayed more tumultuous gladness.' Bands patrolled the streets; bon-fires blazed in the squares; the effigies of those who had borne false witness against the queen were paraded through the

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town, and hung high upon a mimic gallows; the windows of houses which exhibited no lights were ruthlessly smashed; the residences of Lord Castlereagh and Liverpool were guarded by the military; and great was the general excitement.

Amongst the first to call on Her Majesty and offer her their congratulations, were Prince Leopold and the Duke of Sussex; the latter had been summoned to the House of Peers by the Lord Chancellor for the second reading of the bill, but had stoutly refused compliance. Their example was quickly followed by numbers of the nobility; many old friends flocked round her, and addresses poured in on her by the hundred. Her triumph had such effect that the funds

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rapidly rose, and have,' says the Times, 'continued rising since the receipt of intelligence in the city that this bill, this nightmare on the national credit and tranquillity, had vanished into the regions of utter darkness whence it originated.' Immediately after her trial she applied to the premier to be furnished with a suitable residence and provision; to which Lord Liverpool replied, the king had no intention of

permitting her to reside in any of the royal palaces, but the allowance she had enjoyed would be continued to her. A subscription was then set on foot for the purpose of building her a palace at once befitting the dignity of the queen, the gift of the people, and their sympathy in her sufferings from the first moment of her landing on the English shore.' Large subscriptions were received, and, had she lived, the palace would no doubt have been erected.

She now determined to proceed to St. Paul's in state, there to return public thanks for her recent delivery from the hands of her enemies. When intimation of this was given by the Lord Mayor to the dean and chapter of the cathedral, they were by no means ready to lend their aid towards carrying out the necessary arrangements, having already received due instructions from high quarters. Lord Sidmouth, in a letter to the dean, Dr. Van Mildred, Bishop of Llandaff—a mild and paternal shepherd, who had expressed himself in favour of the royal divorce, and had been obliged to take refuge from a flock that had ousted him from his parish of Ewelme -regretted it was wholly out of the power of

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the government to prevent Her Majesty's intention of attending divine service at St. Paul's Cathedral from being carried into effect.'

It was arranged by the ruling powers that no special service should be held; that the doors of the church should be thrown open to the public as upon ordinary occasions; and, moreover, that the Lord Mayor and Corporation would be held responsible for any injury the cathedral might sustain. On November 30, the queen came in such state as she could summon, and was attended by a voluntary guard of honour, consisting of fifty horsemen and an immense number of people. She was received at Temple Barby the Lord Mayor, sheriffs, sword-bearer, and many members of the Corporation, who conducted her to the City. The church was crowded to excess, but it was noted that two seats were vacant, the bishop's throne and the dean's seat, both of these good men having written to the Lord Mayor prohibiting them from being used. All that the Dean and Chapter could do to lessen the effect of the service was carefully done. In the Litany no mention was made of the queen's name, and in the

general thanking,' Mr. Hayes, one of the minor canons, who was the officiating clergyman, omitted the particular thanksgiving which it was customary to offer up at the request of any individual, and which the queen had desired might be offered on her behalf.

When the service was over, Her Majesty and the procession returned in the same manner as they had come, and, notwithstanding the great and excited crowds which surged through the thoroughfares, no injury was done. Even the saintly Bishop of Llandaff afore-mentioned admitted that this strange exhibition had gone off with less disgrace to the country than might have been expected; although, after all,' added his spiritual lordship, it had been a mockery of religious solemnity at which every serious Christian must shudder.'

Her Majesty was destined to appear at but one more public celebration, and then the curtain descended upon the troubled drama of her life for evermore. This was at the coronation of the king, fixed for July 19, 1821, a pageant celebrated with much pomp and state, and all that theatrical effect so dear to His Majesty.