and conversed at intervals with the nobility near him. He then took his seat upon the throne, from whence, for a long time, he appeared to survey the dancing with much pleasure. His majesty retired from the assembly-rooms at 11 o'clock precisely, and was attended back to Dalkeith-place in the same manner as he came. At two o'clock on Tuesday, the grand Masonic procession to lay the first stone of the national monument on Calton-hill set out from the Parliament-house, preceded by bands of music playing Masonic airs. The appearance of the different lodges was very splendid, and the paraphernalia rich and ap propriate. The duke of Hamilton marched in front as grand master for Scotland. His Grace was attended by the duke of Argyll and the earl of Rosslyn, who have passed the grand office. Some other noblemen closed the procession in carriages. The grand lodge took its place at the head of the brethren, and was followed by the lord provost and magistrates in their robes, together with the city officers, mace, sword, &c. The head of the procession arrived at Calton-hill a little before three o'clock, when the principal personages, who were with others named as commissioners by the king, entered the platforms erected for their accommodation: the lord provost and corporation, with the grand masters, &c., were similarly provided. Nothing could be finer than the appearance of this procession, and as if the masonic emblems of the brethren, which were all newly decorated for the occasion, did not furnish objects of sufficient display for the pageantry of the scene, a very formidable look since ing personage, half clad in shining armour, and attended by a black, and a white page, was led on horseback at the head of one of the lodges. Calton-hill and the neighbouring sites were crowded with well-dressed people, and the bustle and beauty of the scenery equalled any thing seen his majesty's arrival. Vollies of artillery at half past three o'clock announced the lowering of the first stone of the monument by the duke of Hamilton and the other commissioners, with all the imposing forms of masonic accompaniment. The next day the king honoured the earl of Hopetoun with his company at a dejuné a la fourchette, where the principal nobility were entertained under marquees on the lawn. On the 29th his majesty depart ed from Dalkeith-house between 11 and 12 o'clock attended by some of the principal members of his household, and shortly after drove through Edinburgh, accompanied by no other noise than that which resounded from a royal salute on the castle ramparts. He drove on towards Hopetoun, but did not stop, as was expected, at Ravelston, the seat of sir Alexander Keith, the knight marshal, the gate of which was fancifully decorated, nor at the earl of Roseberry's at Dalmeny. His majesty made no stoppage on the road but to change horses. On passing through the borough of Queensferry, he seemed pleased with the marks of attention of the villagers, who had decked their houses with wreaths of flowers, boughs of trees and other vegetable rustic ornaments. Mr. Sheriff Duff escorted his majesty to the boundaries of the the county, and he was subsequently conducted by the sheriff depute of Mid Lothian to the demesne of the magnificent seat of Hopetoun. The preparations of the noble host were of the most princely description. Besides the accommodation within the house for the large party who were invited to meet his majesty, tables were laid under the colonnade of each wing of that elegant mansion for a numerous tenantry, who were in the first instance engaged in keeping the ground. Cold meat, roasted and boiled, in abundance, and liquors, were placed on their tables. Behind the house, and sweeping along the shrubbery, ran a great extent of what his Lordship called a booth for the archers; it was a sort of arbour or alcove of great extent, supported by trees, and decorated with evergreens and shrubs. It was fortunately covered with an awning. Here tables were placed with cold meat, fruits, and choice wines. In front is the beautiful lawn, with a fine piece of water and jet d'eau. The earl of Hopetoun invited a small and select company of the nobility and gentry, particularly those of the neighbourhood, to have the honour of meeting his majesty at the dejeuné a la fourchette, which of course consisted of every delicacy of the season. The king spoke much of Scotland, and expressed his admiration of Edinburgh beyond any other European city. Captain Adam Fergusson, the deputy usher of the regalia, and Mr. Henry Raeburn, the historical painter, had the honour of knighthood conferred on them; and the king expressed his pleasure to sit for his portrait in the Highland dress, to Sir Henry Raeburn. The archers withdrew to the lawn, some to partake of the repast prepared by the noble host, and others to the pastime of shooting; but the amusement was soon abandoned, as the bow-strings had suffered from the rain. Scarcely had they retired to the booth, when lord Elgin called the archers to their post, and the bugles annouced they were now to take their station to bid adieu to the king. They formed again on the stairs, and the king bowed frequently as he passed to his carriage. He was in the undress Windsor uniform, and wore his travelling cap, and drove a green bodied carriage with four horses. At a quarter before three o'clock his majesty took his leave of the noble earl, and departed from Hopetoun-house for Edgar pier, near Queen's ferry. The earl of Hopetoun insisted upon conducting his majesty to the pier, where the king was received by the lord chief commissioner Adam (who formerly so long held a confidential situation with his majesty at Carlton-house), who attended at the shore as convener of the ferry trustees. The king cordially shook commissioner Adam by both hands, and expressed the satisfaction he felt at seeing him, and at being conducted to his barge by "so old a friend." Upon his majesty's taking his seat in the barge, a royal salute was discharged from the shipping off the ferry, and was re-echoed from the hills of the surrounding coast, by different small batteries of cannon erected on the demesnes of the noblemen and gentlemen of the neighbourhood. The earl of Hopetoun, Hopetoun, after seeing the king into his carriage, mounted his horse and followed with all expedition, and the archers having moved off, the whole crowd began rapidly to disperse. At the society the archers met lord Hopetoun on his return, when they halted and saluted him, and then moved on to Port Edgar, whence they were conveyed in boats to the steam vessel. His majesty's yacht was towed down the Frith of Forth amid the salutes from each side of the shore; but the rain again fell in torrents, and nearly obscured the parting flotilla from the view. The royal squadron was seen from the admiral's ship, at her moorings off Leith, at a quarter before four o'clock, and she immediately fired a royal salute, which was repeated by all the other ships in the harbour. The royal yacht was towed by the steam boat so close to the Fifeshire coast as to be scarcely discernible from the opposite shore. When she was seen on a line with Leith Fort, a royal salute was fired from the battery, and again repeated by the ships of war in the harbour. A number of pleasure yachts and smaller vessels endeavoured to keep up with the royal squadron, as well as some steam boats which were sailing with company wishing to remain near the king's yacht; but the latter was towed so rapidly, as to distance in a short time every other vessel. The royal yacht then steered to the north of the island of Dalkeith, and kept the Fifeshire coast while the squadron remained in sight. The duke and duchess of Argyll were in their carriage on the beach at Newhaven endeavouring to catch a passing glimpse of the royal squadron. There were but few persons on the shores at His majesty arrived in London The From the beginning to the end of the royal visit, there was a contrast strikingly characteristic of the of the two coun-national temper tries, between the manner of his majesty's reception and departure in Scotland and Ireland. Scotch - pique themselves upon what they term" the propriety" of all their arrangements, even to the ebullitions of loyalty sent forth in the streets of the metropolis. In Ireland his majesty had arranged for a private landing at Howth pier, in consequence of the arrival of the unfortunate intelligence of the queen's death; but the arrangement was vain, for the subordinate officers of government let the secret out, and the king was beset the moment he touched the pier on the Sunday, by a mixed and noisy throng, in which were judges of the land, peers, and groups from every class in society, who drove to the Phoenix park with the king, trampling across the vice-regal plantations in their helter-skelter confusion. In Scotland, on the evening of the king's arrival off Leith, and when it was known that his majesty would not land until the following day, the people filed off mechanically, except a few who had engaged a steam-boat, and two or three boats, in which were company, that sailed round the royal yacht. Every thing was done there systematically; the people seemed to be as it were drilled to the observance of a form in which was displayed none of the symptoms. symptoms of glowing enthusiasm. Hand-bills were circulated from authority, notifying to the people where to be, and how to act; one in particular, on the day before the king went to St. Giles's church, cautioning them not to huzza on the Sabbath; but to receive his majesty with respectful silence. The implicit manner in which these hints were obeyed, resembled the discipline which Bonaparte once enforced in the Parisian theatres, where the applause, if given, was to follow the act, and not to interrupt the performer during the scene. The difference between the Irish and Seotch reception was, if possible, still more marked on his majesty's departure. It was known that the king would depart privately from Hopetoun-house, after paying a parting visit to that gallant soldier, the earl of Hopetoun. Nobody dreamt of disturbing this arrangement, as was so merrily done when the king attempted to pass off quietly from lord Powerscourt's seat to Dublin harbour. No parting compliments were forced upon his majesty by the corporate authorities, or popular characters; but the king was left to the undisturbed pursuit of his previous arrangements, without the slightest bustle or tumult on the part of any body. Christened A GENERAL BILL of CHRISTENINGS and BURIALS, from December 12, 1821, to December 11, 1822: S Males.. 11968) In all Died under 2 years..4605 Between 2 and 5..2033 5 and 10.. 932 10 and 20.. 649 There have been executed in London and the county of Surry, 24; of which number 8 only have been reported to be buried within the Bills of Mortality. |