CHAPTER XI.

66 TRISTIS GLORIA."

THE queen was in tears when the "people" were rejoicing, less certainly for her sake, than for the popular victory which had been achieved. There was nothing in the issue of the trial for any party to rejoice at. The ministry could not exult, for although they had carried the bill, which declared the queen worthy of degradation from her rights and privileges, rank and station, yet they refrained from acting upon it, because the popular voice was hoarse with menace, so unfairly had the case of the two antagonists been tried before the august tribunal of the peers.

The popular voice had been heeded, and was satisfied with the triumph. Caroline must have felt that she was really of but secondary account in the matter, that the victory was not for her, and that righteously or unrighteously, her reputation had been irretrievably shaken into ruins.

Her great spirit, however, was as yet undaunted. The bill was no sooner withdrawn, when she formally applied to Lord Liverpool to be furnished with a fitting place of residence, and a suitable provision. The premier's reply informed her majesty, that the king was by no means disposed to permit her to reside in any of the royal palaces; but that the pecuniary allowance which she had hitherto enjoyed, should be continued to her until parliament should again meet for the regular dispatch of business.

The then present parliament was about to be prorogued, and the queen was resolved that, if possible, that body should not separate until it had granted her what, as queen consort, she had a right to demand. Her solicitor-general, accordingly, went down to the Commons with a royal message, which he was not permitted to deliver. The house probably never presented such a scene as

Mr.

that disgraceful one of the night of the 23rd of November. Denman stood with the queen's letter in his hand; he was perfectly in order, but the speaker chose rather to obey that brought by the usher of the black rod, summoning the members to attend at the bar of the Lords, and listen to the prorogation. The speaker hurried out of the house, and the queen's message was virtually flung into the street. The public, however, knew that its chief object was to announce the queen's refusal of any allowance or accommodation made to her as by ministerial bounty. She still claimed the restoration of her name to the Liturgy, and a revenue becoming her recognized rank as queen consort.

In the meantime she publicly partook of the Holy Communion at the parish church of Hammersmith, a proceeding which some persons chose to consider as a new protestation of her innocence. The admirers of coincidences affected to have found a remarkable one in the first lesson for the day, on this occasion (Isaiah lix); and particularly in the verse which declares that, “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen into the street, and equity cannot enter." This was considered as applicable to the queen's case, but as its applicability presented itself in a double sense, every one was permitted to construe it as he thought best.

Caroline's next step was to proceed to St. Paul's in solemn, public array, to return thanks for her escape from the meshes constructed for her by her enemies. Due notice was given of her majesty's intention and object, to the cathedral authorities, and the day appointed by her was the 29th of November. The intimation excited in those authorities neither admiration nor respect. Even the dean, the mild and virtuous Van Mildert, seemed to think that it was highly unbecoming in the queen to be grateful for the dispensations of Heaven. The whole chapter thought, or were taught to think, that there was no greater nuisance upon earth, than for this woman to come to St. Paul's and thank God that He had not allowed her enemies to prevail over her. Those who may have any doubt as to these being the capitular sentiments, are referred to the life of Lord Sidmouth, by Dean Pellew, who records with

emphatic approval, what the good, but here mistaken, Van Mildert very uncharitably said and did upon the occasion.

The Corporation of London were anxious to facilitate the queen's object; the Chapter of St. Paul's, under pressure from very high authority without, resolved to do all they could to impede it. They determined that nothing should be changed in the ordinary service; that the queen's presence or purpose should in no way be recognized; that the doors should be thrown open to the rush of queen and canaille indiscriminately—and, that the mayor and corporation should be held responsible for the safety of the Cathedral.

The chief magistrate and his council soon, however, brought the chapter to a more proper sense of seemliness. The latter body indeed would not yield on any really ecclesiastical point; but they agreed that certain arrangements might be made by the mayor and his corporate brothers, for the better maintenance of the decorum, dignity, and decency becoming so solemn an occasion.

The dean was satisfied that the unwashed artisan,-the unclean public generally,-would make of the day a "saturnalia," a festival of obscene desecration. The public, it is to be hoped, pleasingly surprised him. It generally comports itself with propriety, when it descends in countless masses into the streets to form a portion of the solemnity, partly actors, partly spectators, on great occasions. The people never behaved with more decency than they did on this day.

The circumstance was really solemn, but there were matters about it that robbed it of some of its solemnity. It was solemn to see a queen proceeding alone, as it may be said, but through myriads of people, to acknowledge publicly the mercies of Heaven. Lady Anne Hamilton was her solitary female English attendant; but every woman who witnessed her progress, either praised or pitied her that day. Her "procession" was made up of very slender material, though all her court followed her, in the person of Mr. Vice-Chamberlain Craven. This little company, however, was swollen by numerous additions on the way; members of parliament, among others, Sir Robert Wilson, Mr. Hume, and Mr. John Cam Hobhouse lent some dignity by their presence. Horse

men fell into the line, vehicles of every degree took up their following, and the "trades" marshalled themselves, either in joining the march or drawing up to greet the pious queen as she passed upon her way. Among these, perhaps, the solemnity most suffered. Some very ill-favored individuals shouted for her majesty beneath banners which declared, "Thus shall it be done to the woman whom the people delight to honor." The braziers added a joke to the occasion, by raising a flag over their position at the end of Bridge Street, on which it was recorded that, "The Queen's Guards are Men of Metal."

With the addition of the ordinary civic pomp the queen arrived at the cathedral, where she was received with affectionate respect by her friends, and with some show of courtesy by the ecclesiastical authorities, who had wiled away the time previous to her arrival, by squabbling rather too loudly for the place and occasion, with the corporation present.

The usual service was then proceeded with, and again the coincidence hunters sought for their favorite spoil. They found abundance of what they desired, in the hundred-and-fortieth, and the following psalms. But of these, the phrases cut both ways, and perhaps there was no passage more personally applicable to the queen, and some of those friends less in deed than in word, than where it is written, “Oh let not my heart be inclined to any evil thing; let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work wickedness, lest I eat such things as please them. Let the righteous rather smite me friendly, and reprove me. But let not their precious balsam break my head; yea I will pray yet against their wickedness." No especial form of thanksgiving was made use of in her majesty's name, but this was not needed. It was, however, imperative upon the clergy officiating to read the parenthetical clause in the General Thanksgiving prayer, which has immediate reference to the individual who desires to make an offering of human gratitude to God. This clause, however, was omitted! The queen consort of England was upon her knees upon the floor of the cathedral, but the officiating minister virtually looked up to Him, and standing between Caroline and her Creator, exclaimed, "Lord, she is not here!" The omission of the clause

was tantamount to this much. The people behaved better than the priests on that day; and yet it was one on which the priests might have found occasion to give, that which they are generally well qualified to contribute, valuable instruction to the people. Those of St. Paul's, at all events, mistook their mission on the day in question.

This spiritual matter ended, the temporal welfare of the queen had to be looked to. If she could have existed upon good wishes, she would have been wealthy, for never did congratulatory addresses pour in upon her as at the end of this year and the beginning of that which followed. But she needed something more substantial than good wishes, and the king himself acknowledged as much in a speech from the throne, delivered on the re-opening of parliament in January, 1821. His majesty recommended that a separate provision should be made for the queen consort. She instantly declared her refusal of any provision that was not accompanied by the restoration of her name in the Liturgy. The condition was peremptorily declined by the government, and the income of 50,000l. a year was then accepted by the queen. In this step she disappointed numberless friends, who would not have contributed a farthing to her maintenance. But stern necessity broke the pride of the poor lady, who was beginning to feel that a banker without "effects" for her use, was a worse thing than a Liturgy without her name. Her increased revenue enabled her to bear the expenses of a town establishment, which she now formed at Cambridge House, South Audley Street, but her favorite residence was still that on the banks of the Thames.

Early in May, 1821, the ceremony of the king's coronation began to be spoken of as an event that was about to take place. Caroline did not forget that she was queen consort. She immediately addressed Lord Liverpool, claiming to take part in the ceremony. The premier replied, that as his majesty had determined that the queen should form no part of the ceremonial of the coronation, it was his royal pleasure that she should not attend the ceremony itself. Ever active when she could inflict annoyance on the king by claiming what she very well knew he would never concede, she succeeded in obtaining a hearing for her legal advisers