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rounded by the Fathers of the Churchthe King encircled by the Nobility of the land and the Counsellors of his throne, and by warriors, wearing the honoured marks of distinction, bought by many a glorious danger-add to this the rich spectacle of the aisles, crowded with waving plumage, and coronets, and caps of honour, and the sun, which brightened and saddened as if on purpose, now beaming in full lustre on the rich and varied assemblage, and now darting a solitary ray, which catched, as it passed, the glittering folds of a banner, or the edge of a groupe of battle-axes or partizans, and then rested full on some fair form," the Cynosure of neighbouring eyes," whose circlet of diamonds glistened under its influence. Imagine all this, and then tell me if I have made my journey of four hundred miles to little purpose. I do not love your cui bono men, and therefore I will not be pleased if you ask me, in the damping tone of sullen philosophy, what good all this has done the spectators? If we restrict life to its real animal wants and necessities, we shall indeed be satisfied with "food, clothes, and fire;" but Divine Providence, who widened our sources of enjoyment beyond those of the animal creation, never meant that we should bound our wishes within such narrow limits; and I shrewdly suspect that those non est tanti gentlefolks only depreciate the natural and unaffected pleasure which men like me receive from sights of splendour and sounds of harmony, either because they would seem wiser than their simple neighbours at the expence of being less happy, or because the mere pleasure of the sight and sound is connected with associations of a deeper kind, to which they are unwilling to yield themselves.

Leaving these gentlemen to enjoy their own wisdom, I still more pity those, if there be any, who (being unable to detect a peg on which to hang a laugh) sneer coldly at this solemn festival, and are rather disposed to dwell on the expence which attends it, than on the generous feelings which it ought to awaken. The expence, so far as it is national, has gone directly and instantly to the encouragement of the British manufacturer and mechanic; and so far as it is personal, to the persons of rank attendant upon the Coronation, it operates as a tax upon wealth, and consideration for the benefit of poverty and industry; a tax willingly paid by the one class, and not the less acceptable to the other, because it adds a happy holiday to the monotony of a life of labour.

But there were better things to reward my pilgrimage than the mere pleasures of the eye and the ear; for it was impossible, without the deepest veneration, to behold the voluntary and solemn interchange of vows betwixt the King and his assembled

people, whilst he, on the one hand, called God Almighty to witness his resolution to maintain their laws and privileges, while they called, at the same moment, on the Divine Being, to bear witness that they ac cepted him for their liege Sovereign, and pledged to him their love and their duty. I cannot describe to you the effect produced by the solemn, yet strange mixture of the words of Scripture, with the shouts and acclamations of the assembled multitude, as they answered to the voice of the Prelate who demanded of them whether they acknowledged as their Monarch, the Prince who claimed the sovereignty in their presence. It was peculiarly delightful to see the King receive from the Royal Brethren, but in particular from the Duke of York, the fraternal kiss, in which they acknow. ledged their Sovereign. There was an honest tenderness, an affectionate and sincere reverence in the embrace interchanged between the Duke of York and his Majesty, that approached almost to a caress, and impressed all present with the electrical conviction, that the nearest to the throne in blood was the nearest also in affection. I never heard plaudits given more from the heart than those that were thundered upon the Royal Brethren when they were thus pressed to each other's bosoms-it was the emotion of natural kindness, which, bursting out amidst ceremonial grandeur, found an answer in every British bosom. The King seemed much affected at this and one or two other parts of the ceremonial, even so much so as to excite some alarm among those who saw him as nearly as I did. He completely recovered himself, however, and bore (generally speaking) the fatigue of the day very well. I learn, from one near his person, that he roused himself with great energy, even when most oppressed with heat and fatigue, when any of the more interesting parts of the ceremony were to be performed, or when any thing occurred which excited his personal and immediate attention. When presiding at the banquet, amid the long line of his nobles, he looked "every inch a king;" and nothing could exceed the grace with which he accepted and returned the various acts of homage rendered to him in the course of that long day.

It was also a very gratifying spectacle to those who think like me, to behold the Duke of Devonshire and most of the distinguished Whig nobility assembled round the throne on this occasion; giving an open testimony that the differences of political opinions are only skin deep wounds, which assume at times an angry appearance, but have no real effect on the wholesome constitution of the country.

If you ask me to distinguish who bere him best, and appeared most to sustain the character we annex to the assistants in

such a solemnity, I have no hesitation to name Lord Londonderry, who, in the magnificent robes of the Garter, with the cap and high plume of the order, walked alone, and, by his fine face and majestic person, formed an adequate representative of the order of Edward III. the costume of which was worn by his Lordship only. The Duke of Wellington, with all his laurels, moved and looked deserving the baton, which was never grasped by so worthy a hand. The Marquis of Anglesea showed the most exquisite grace in managing his horse, notwithstanding the want of his limb which he left at Waterloo. I ⚫never saw so fine a bridle-hand in my life, and I am rather a judge of " noble horsemanship." Lord Howard's horse was worse bitted than those of the two former noblemen, but not so much so as to derange the ceremony of retiring back out of the Hall.

The Champion was performed (as of right) by young Dymocke, a fine looking youth, but bearing, perhaps, a little too much the appearance of a maiden-knight to be the challenger of the world in a King's behalf. He threw down his gaunt let, however, with becoming manhood, and showed as much horsemanship as the crowd of knights and squires around him would permit to be exhibited. His armour was in good taste, but his shield was out of all propriety, being a round rondache, or Highland target, a defensive weapon, which it would have been impossible to use on horseback, instead of being a three-cornered or heater-shield, which, in time of the tilt, was suspended round the neck. Pardon this antiquarian scruple, which, you may believe, occurred to few but myself. On the whole, this striking part of the exhibition somewhat disappointed me, for I would have had the Champion less embarrassed by his assistants, and at liberty to put his horse on the grand pas. And yet the young Lord of Scrivelsbaye looked and behaved extremely well.

Returning to the subject of costume, I could not but admire what I had previously been disposed much to criticise-I mean the fancy dress of the Privy Councillors, which was of white and blue satin, with trunk-hose and mantles, after the fashion of Queen Elizabeth's time. Separately, so gay a garb had an odd effect on the persons of elderly or ill made men; but when the whole was thrown into one general body, all these discrepancies disappeared, and you no more observed the particular manner or appearance of an individual than you do that of a soldier in the battalion which marches past you. The whole was so completely harmonised in actual colouring, as well as in association with the general mass of gay and gorgeous and antique dress which floated

before the eye, that it was next to impossible to attend to the effect of individual figures. Yet a Scotsman will detect a Scotsman amongst the most crowded assemblage, and I must say that the Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland showed to as great advantage in his robes of Privy Councillor as any by whom that splendid dress was worn on this great occasion. The common Court dress, used by the Privy Councillors at the last coronation, must have had a poor effect in comparison of the present, which formed a gradation in the scale of gorgeous ornament, from the unwieldy splendour of the Heralds, who glowed like huge masses of cloth of gold and silver, to the more chastened robes and ermine of the Peers. I must not forget the effect produced by the Peers placing their coronets on their heads, which was really august.

The box assigned to the Foreign Ambassadors presented a most brilliant effect, and was perfectly in a blaze with diamonds. When the sunshine lighted on Prince Estherhazy, in particular, he glimmered like a galaxy. I cannot learn positively if he had on that renowned coat which has visited all the Courts of Europe save ours, and is said to be worth L.100,000, or some such trifle, and which costs the Prince L.100 or L.200 every time he puts it on, as he is sure to lose pearls to that amount. This was a hussar dress, but splendid in the last degree, perhaps too fine for good taste, at least it would have appeared so any where else.-Beside the Prince sat a good-humoured lass, who seemed all eyes and ears, (his daughter-in-law, I believe,) who wore as many diamonds as if they had been Bristol stones. An honest Persian was also a remarkable figure, from the dogged and imperturbable gravity with which he looked on the whole scene, without ever moving a limb or a muscle during the space of four hours. Like Sir Wilful Witwoud, I cannot find that your Persian is orthodox; for if he scorned every thing else, there was a Mahometan paradise extended over his right hand along the seats which were occupied by the Peeresses and their daughters, which the Prophet himself might have looked on with emotion.-I have seldom seen SO many elegant and beautiful girls as sat mingled among the noble matronage the of land; and the waving plumage of feathers, which made the universal head-dress, had the most appropriate effect in setting

off their charms.

I must not omit that the foreigners, who are apt to consider us as a nation en frae, and without the usual ceremonies of dress and distinction, were utterly astonished and delighted to see the revival of feudal dresses and feudal grandeur when the occasion demanded it, and that in a degree of

splendour they averred they had never seen paralleled in Europe.

The duties of service at the banquet, and of attendance in general, was performed by pages dressed very elegantly in Henri Quatre coats of scarlet, with gold lace, blue sashes, white silk hose, and white rosettes. There were also marshal's men for keeping order, who wore a similar dress, but of blue, and having white sashes. Both departments were filled up almost entirely by young gentlemen, many of them of the very first condition, who took these menial characters to gain admission to the show. When I saw many of my young acquaintance thus at tending upon their fathers and kinsmen, the Peers, Knights, and so forth, I could not help thinking of Crabbe's lines, with a little alteration

'Twas schooling pride to see the menial wait, Smile on his father, and receive his plate. It must be owned, however, that they proved but indifferent valets, and were very apt, like the clown in the pantomime, to eat the cheer they should have handed to their masters, and to play other tours de page, which reminded me of the caution of our proverb," not to man yourself with your kin." The Peers, for example, had only a cold collation, while the Aldermen of London feasted on venison and turtle; and such similar errors necessarily befel others in the confusion of the evening. But these slight mistakes, which indeed were not known till afterwards, had not the slightest effect on the general grandeur of the scene.

I did not see the procession between the Abbey and Hall. In the morning a few voices called Queen, Queen, as Lord Londonderry passed, and even when the Sovereign appeared. But these were only signals for the loud and reiterated acclamations, in which these tones of discontent were completely drowned. In the return, no one dissonant voice intimated the least dissent from the shouts of gratulation which poured from every quarter; and certainly never monarch received a more general welcome from his assembled subjects. Nothing was to be seen or heard but sounds of pleasure and festivity; and whoever saw the scene at any one spot, was convinced that the whole population was assembled there, while others found a similar concourse of revellers in every different point. It is computed that about five hundred thousand people shared in the festival in one way or another; and you may imagine the excellent disposition by which the people were animated, when I tell you, that, excepting a few windows broken by a small body-guard of ragamuffians, who were in immediate attendance on the great lady in the morning, not the slightest political violence occurred to disturb the

general harmony, and that the assembled populace seemed to be universally actuated by the spirit of the day, loyalty and good humour. Nothing occurred to damp those happy dispositions; the weather was most propitious, and the arrangements so perfect that no accident of any kind is reported as having taken place.And so concluded the coronation of George IV. whom God long preserve. Those who witnessed it have seen a scene calculated to raise the country in their opinion, and to throw into the shade all scenes of similar magnificence, from the field of the cloth of gold down to the present day.

AN EYE WITNESS.

THE QUEEN. In our number for July, (page 85,) we stated, that the Queen's claim to participate in the coronation had been refused by the Privy Council, and that her Majesty had, nevertheless, declared her determination of being present at the ceremony. In conformity with this intention, Lady Hood, by her Majesty's command, wrote to the Earl Marshal on the 15th instant, requesting that proper persons might be in waiting to receive her at Westminster Abbey, and conduct her to her seat. Lord Howard of Effingham, acting as Earl Marshal of England, replied to Lady Hood, informing her, that he had laid her letter before Lord Sidmouth, who was commanded by the King to inform her Majesty that it was not his Majesty's pleasure that she should be present, that, therefore, it was impossible for the Earl Marshal, under these circumstances, to comply with her wishes. An account of her Majesty's personal application at the doors of the Abbey for admission, and the reception she experienced there, was given in our number for August, (pages 173, 174.)

On the same day, July 15, the Queen wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury, communicating to his Grace, "That, as his Majesty the King had thought fit to refuse her being crowned at the same time with the King, yet the Queen hoped, that there could be no objection to her Majesty's receiving that right on the following week, whilst the Abbey was in a state of preparation."-The Archbishop begged, with all humility, to acknowledge her Majesty's communication; and observed, that her Majesty was undoubtedly aware, that he could not stir a single step in the matter, without the commands of the King. On the 19th her Majesty wrote to the King, requesting, "That his Majesty would be pleased to give an early answer to the demand which the Queen had made to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to be crowned the following week, not wishing to create any new expence upon the nation."-Her Majesty trusted, that, after the public insult she had received in the morning, the King would grant her just rights to be crowned, as on the Monday

following. The Queen, at the same time, informed his Majesty, that, during his approaching absence in Ireland, it was her intention to visit Edinburgh. In answer to this communication, Lord Sidmouth, on the 20th, informed her Majesty, by command of the King, "That the Privy Council, having decided, after solemn argu. ment, that the Queens consort of this realm were not entitled, as of right, to be crowned at any time; the King did not think it proper to give any orders for the coronation of her Majesty."

Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland. The annual meeting of the Convention took place on the 10th instant; the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the chair. The Convention proceeded, on the 11th, to consider the petition presented from Arbreath, in 1818, praying for an alteration in the set of that burgh, which had been delayed last year, on account of the subject of burgh reform being then under the consideration of a committee of the House of Commons. The alteration requested was, that on the first four vacancies which might occur in the Town Council, the same should be filled up by the Guildry and Trades respectively; and that these vacancies being so filled up, the Guildry and Trades should, at all future annual elections, have the right to nominate each four candidates, from which two Guildry and two Trades' Councillors should be appointed by the Council. The petition was signed by the whole of the then Magistrates and Town Council, and by all the members of the Guildry and Incorporated Trades; and an act of Council of the 7th July current, as well as resolutions of the Guildry and Trades, approving of the prayer of the petition, and requesting the Commissioner and Assessor to use their influence with the Convention to grant the same, were now also read. After some discussion, the petition was remitted to a committee for some verbal alteration; and was brought up amended next day by the committee. The question for granting the prayer of the petition being then put, the Provost of Aberdeen rose and begged to enter his dissent against it. He doubted the competency of the Convention to grant the alteration requested; and as the burgh which he had the honour to represent might at some future period think it right to call the legality of the measure in question, he did not wish to compromise their right to do so by agreeing with the motion. The Provost of Perth also dissented, and, with these two exceptions, the motion for the alteration of the set of the burgh of Arbroath was unanimously agreed to.

High Court of Justiciary.-Rape.-On Saturday the 14th the Court proceeded, with shut doors, to the trial of William Montgomery, accused of committing, or

attempting to commit, a rape, on Ann Dilling, a girl about ten years old, near the ruins of the Castle of Greenan, in the parish of Maybole, Ayrshire, on the 6th of September 1820. The Jury unanimous. ly found the pannel guilty of an assault, with intention to commit a rape. Lord Succoth commented on the atrocity of the case as proved in evidence, and proposed that the prisoner be transported beyond seas for life. Lord Meadowbank said, the case was one of such guilt, that, in the whole course of his practice, or even of his reading, he had never met with one of so gross and brutal a nature. He entirely concurred in the proposal of Lord Succoth. Lord Gillies coincided in opinion with their Lordships as to the heinous and aggravated nature of this case, and said, that, much as he felt in many, and almost in all instances, in pronouncing the last punishment of the law, on persons convicted of crimes, yet, had the Jury returned a verdict of guilty on the principal charge of the indictment, he would have felt no pain or compunction in awarding against the prisoner the dreadful punishment of death. His Lordship then sentenced the prisoner to be transported beyond seas for life. Montgomery, on leaving the bar, protested that he was innocent of the crime, and that three of the witnesses had sworn falsely against him.

Homicide.-The Court then proceeded to the trial of John Neil, accused of murdering Jean Henderson, or Neil, his mother, by striking her with a hammer or mallet, on the 26th of May last, in consequence of which she languished till the 4th day of June following, and died. The prisoner pleaded not guily. It appeared from the evidence that an affray had taken place in Mrs Neil's shop, between the pannel and his brother, with whom he lived on bad terms; that the two were striking at each other with hammers, when their mother interfered; and that a blow, which was aimed by John Neil at his brother Thomas, was received by their mother on her hand, and mortification ensuing, caused her death. The jury found the prisoner guilty of culpable homicide, and he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the jail of Edinburgh, and to find security in L. 100 to keep the peace towards his brother for the space of three years.

On the 16th, Andrew Hutton was found guilty, on his own confession, of housebreaking and theft, and sentenced to transportation for three years.-John Rennie and William Sutherland were then tried for three separate acts of housebreaking and theft. The prisoners wished to plead guilty, but the Lord Advocate told their counsel that it would avail them nothing, as he considered their case of such an aggravated description as to prevent him, in

the proper discharge of his duty, from restricting the libel. The trial then proceeded, and, after several witnesses had been examined, the prisoners again pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to be executed at Edinburgh on the 22d of August.

19.-Execution of David Haggart. This unfortunate young man underwent the heaviest penalty of the law yesterday, for the murder of the Dumfries turnkey, at the usual place of execution, in Edinburgh. His appearance, on quitting the prison, was firm and unshaken, and his countenance exhibited a degree of mildness astonishing to those acquainted with the daring hardihood of his character and exploits. The calm serenity, however, depicted on his countenance was changed for a moment to an expression of grief, and he even shed a few tears on hearing an exclamation of sorrow involuntarily burst from a few women assembled in Libber

ton's Wynd to catch a glimpse of his tall slender person, as he passed to the platform. -When on the scaffold, Haggart shook hands with the Ministers and Magistrates, bidding them farewell in a most affectionate manner, and ascended two or three steps of the platform; but wishing to say a few words, he came down to the scaffold, when, turning to the multitude, he earnestly conjured them to avoid the heinous crimes of disobedience to parents, inattention to the Holy Scriptures, and being idle and disorderly. He then knelt down, and prayed fervently and eloquently for a few minutes, after which he took his station on the drop, and spent a few minutes in prayer, when he gave the signal, and was launched into eternity. He was decently dressed in black, and seemed stouter than when on his trial.-The crowd assembled on the occasion was immense.

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July 25. Rev. James Cruickshank'admitted minister of the parish of Turriff.

11

13

12th do. J. L. Hampton, Cornet by purch. vice Newton, prom. 28th June.

Capt. Norcliffe, Maj. by purch. vice Walton, ret.

Cornet Ferguson, Lt. by purch. vice Barlow, 40 F.

9th Aug.

26th July.

do.

J. T. Goldrisk, Cornet by purch.
Capt. Campbell, Major by purch. vice
Cavendish, 1 Life Gds. 9th Aug.
Lieut. Bacon, Capt. by purch. do.
Cornet and Lt. Lord Geo. Bentinck,

Lt. by purch.

do.

Gent. Cadet Hon. Geo. Finch, from R.

Mil. Coll. Cornet by purch. vice MDuffie, prom.

do.

Paym. Neville, from 19 Dr. Paym. vice

31. Mr John Martin ordained minister of the Presbyterian congregation, Barryton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Aug. 9. Rev. John Anderson ordained minister of the parish of Dunbarney.

Rev, Mr Lemont, Kilmarnock, admitted minister of the Relief Chapel, South College Street, Edinburgh.

Sir James Colquhoun presented the Rev. Robert Carr, minister of the Presbyterian congregation of Maryport, to the church and parish of Luss.

22. Mr William Rutherford ordained minister of the Associate congregation of Newtown.

His Majesty presented Mr John Burns to be assistant and successor to the Rev. Mr Chalmers, Aughtergaven.

Mr William Rentoul ordained minister of the Presbyterian congregation of Maryport, Cumberland.

29. The Duke of Hamilton presented the Rev. Dr Meek to the first charge of the parish of Hamilton.

30. The second Associate congregation of Stranraer gave a call to Mr William Smellie, to be their minister.

'Gren. G.

Nolan, dead

26th July.

Col. Hawker, fm. h. p. 20 Dr. Lt. Col. 9th Aug. Hon. H. Townshend, Lt. Col. 25th July. Lt. Col. West, 1st Major with rank of Col. in the Army do. Hanbury, 2d do. do. do. Jones, 3d do. Coldst.G, Col. Woodford, Lt. Col.

do.

do.

do.

- Sir H. F. Bouverie, K. C. B. 1st Major do.

James Macdonell, 2d Major do. 3 F. G. Lt. Col. Rooke, Lt. Col. with rank of Col. in the Army do. Clitherow, Ist Major do. do. Cochrane, 2d do.

do.

do.

Ens. and Lt. Prendergast, Lt. and Capt. by purch. vice Baird, ret.

do

F. Harford, Ens. and Lt. by purch. do.
Lt. Col. Plenderleath, fm. h. p. 49 F.
Lt. Col.
9th Aug.

1 F.

9

Col. Blackwell, fm. h. p. 62 F. Lt. Col. do.

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