The King as "bon bourgeois" — Mobbed — Street song about him — A sailor in Guildhall — Behaviour of the public at Windsor — Charles X. in England — The "New Police" — A modest advertisement. The King affected the bon bourgeois, which, after the regal etiquette of the late King, rather astonished the lieges. The Magazine of Fashions for August, says— "He comes unexpectedly and unattended, as they are trooping the guard at St. James's, attired like a private gentleman, and nods graciously to the people, passes jokes with the officers, and tells the privates 'they shall rise by their own merits.' "He comes to town on the dickey of his own chariot. "He goes to Somerset House in a pair-horse carriage without a lancer, dragoon, or policeman to attend him, because he says, 'his guards are his people;' and he stops purposely in the streets that the people may say 'they have seen a King!' "He employs a hairdresser in Water Lane, Fleet Street, to make his coachman's white and curled wigs; because the poor fellow, when he knew better days, lived at the West End, and was employed by the then Duke of Clarence. We have seen these wigs being made. "He has all the members of his family, as a family, about him, and 'harmony and affection' is his favourite toast. "He neither likes moustaches nor foreign servants; because the one disguises an Englishman's face, and the other dupes an Englishman's pocket. "He overhauls the documents of the Navy Pay Office, to ascertain if any arrears of pay or prize-money are due to the seamen; and he orders refreshments to the poor recruits, to encourage them to become soldiers. "He meets two ladies (by character as well as title) in St. James's, one of whom solicits the honour to kiss his hand. 'Madam,' says the gallant monarch, 'my glove for courtiers, but my cheek for ladies; may I be permitted to touch yours?' Lady M—— 'wore her blushing honours thick about her.' "He asks people to dinner in the style of a friend, rather than a command, and does not require their presence if they have 'a better engagement.' "Above all things, he impresses upon those who pay their respects to him officially, or visit him familiarly, that his friends are the Queen's. "He proceeds in person, and in a style becoming the splendour of the Crown, to dissolve Parliament, appearing himself in the costume of a thorough-paced sailor; thus practising in his own person the precepts he command—thus giving countenance to his fellow-tars appearing in his presence in the dress which they can afford to procure, and in which they have conquered. "His Majesty, we hear, paid great attention to Sir Robert Wilson at the levÉe, and, after conversing with him familiarly for some time, said, in conclusion, 'Meet me to-night at Sussex's, and bring your daughters with you.' "A female servant of Mr. Brown, of Northampton, being in town with her mistress, was permitted to go to the review on Monday last, and, having obtained liberty from one of the soldiers to pass in front of the ranks, she approached the Royal carriage without knowing it, and asked one of the Ladies of Honour, 'Which is the Queen?' The Queen, hearing the inquiry, immediately answered, 'I am the Queen!' 'Oh, do show me the King, then!' The King, hearing the request, instantly turned round, and said with a smile, 'I am the King!' evidently enjoying her amazement and delight. The Queen Greville gives us a sketch of his bourgeoisie and its consequences— "All this was very well; no great harm in it; more affable, less dignified than the late King; but, when this (a Privy Council) was over, and he might very well have sat himself quietly down and rested, he must needs put on his plainer clothes, and start on a ramble about the streets, alone, too. In Pall Mall he met Watson Taylor, and took his arm, and went up St. James's Street. There he was followed by a mob, making an uproar, and when he got near White's, a woman came up and kissed him. Belfast (who had been sworn in Privy Councillor in the morning), who saw this from White's, and Clinton, thought it time to interfere, and came out to attend him. The mob increased, and, always holding Mr. Taylor's arm, and flanked by Clinton and Belfast, who got shoved and kicked about, to their inexpressible wrath, he got back to the Palace, amid shouting and bawling and applause. When he got home, he asked them to go in and take a quiet walk in the garden, and said, 'Oh, never mind all this; when I have walked about a few times they will get used to it, and take no notice.' "They even sang songs about him in the streets, of which the following is one:— "The King and the Sailor. "In Portsmouth town, at the sign of the Ship, "Says sailor Ben to sailor Jim, "Now Ben Block he arriv'd at the park, "'Ye ho!' says Ben, and he soon brought-to, "Now Ben, he answered with a grin, The King the hand of Ben he shook, "The King, he gave promotion to Ben, Par parenthÈse, here is a story of a sailor (Times, August 9th)— "Guildhall. Before Alderman Ansley.—An old tar, the very beau ideal of a 'true British sailor,' who gave his name as Will Robinson, his dark visage surmounted with a quantity of black hair, twisted and matted like so many ropes' ends, was charged with being drunk and assaulting the patrol of Aldgate Ward. "Bunce, the complainant, stated that between three and four o'clock the preceding evening, he found the tar stretched keel uppermost upon the footway in Aldersgate Street, exposed, not altogether decently, to the gaze of a crowd of idle boys. Bunce roused him, and advised him to move on; but, instead of obeying, Will ordered him to sheer off, or he'd pour a broadside into him; and, suiting the action to the word, commenced pummelling complainant most furiously. Bunce would have had no chance against the heavy metal of Will Robinson, but Hawkins, the marshal-man, came up, and with his aid the tar was secured in the Compter. While they were on the way, the tar contrived to get his pocket-knife open in his hand, but Hawkins perceived it and took it from him. "'You hear what the officer says?' observed the alderman, addressing the prisoner. "'Yes; but it is a d—d lie,' roared out Will Robinson, enforcing his assertion by a loud thump of his clenched fist upon the bar. "'He says you drew a knife upon him,' said the alderman. "'Your honour knows I can't spin a long yarn like this here "Alderman. 'How long have you been in England?' "'Only two hours ashore, your honour,' replied Will. 'I'd just come from China, and got taking a glass with one messmate and a glass with another.' "Alderman. 'The sure way to get drunk. You should have taken a glass with but one messmate.' "'Your honour is an excellent preacher, and it's all very true; but if an old sailor, after a long voyage, when all hands are piped ashore, refused to drink with every mate who asked him, he'd be called a scaly fellow, and you know I should not like that.' "Bunce. 'I did not mind the assault, but I thought it was better to put him in a place of safety for his own sake.' "'D—e, you're an honest fellow, after all,' exclaimed the tar, seizing the officer's hand and squeezing it till the tears started into Bunce's eyes. 'Come, and we'll make it right over a glass of grog, old boy.' "Alderman. 'I doubt whether you have any money left.' "Will felt in his pockets, and could not find a copper. 'All gone! all gone!' exclaimed the tar, mournfully. "'It's all right—I've got his money safe,' said Bunce, drawing forth an ample handful of silver and gold. "'Huzza! huzza! Old England for ever!' vociferated the delighted tar, when he saw the money; and, seizing Bunce by the collar, 'Come along, come along, old boy; I'm as dry as a dolphin.' "Bunce refused till he counted the money, shilling by shilling, in the presence of the alderman; but, when he began to do so, Will found the operation too slow for the current of his feelings; and, catching up the officer by the waist, he carried him off in triumph, exclaiming, 'Keep it, my boy, keep it; we'll drink every penny of it; and maybe his honour there' (turning to the alderman), 'would take a drop of summut.' "The alderman could not contain his gravity, but he declined the offer; and Will set off with the officer still firmly held in his grip." "You would perceive, from the newspapers, that the Grand Terrace was thrown open to the public yesterday week. From the walk immediately under the castle you may see portions of the magnificent rooms—the splendid ceilings, window drapery, and chandeliers. I was delighted with the sight, and again visited the terrace on Sunday. The terrace was then crowded, and I am sorry to add, English-like, some of the people, (of the lower class, certainly) had behaved so ill, that the public were excluded from that part adjoining the building. Some of the creatures who abused the privilege thus extended to the public, not only ascended the steps leading to the state apartments, but actually climbed up into the windows to look into the rooms, thus intruding their rudeness on the King. It is said that his Majesty himself, from a window, saw a person writing his name on one of the statues, and observed on the occasion, 'I shall be compelled to do as my brother did, exclude the public from this part, if such conduct is continued.' The grass was all trampled and injured, the people would not confine themselves to the gravel walks." By the way, about this time, the King gave the Zoological Society the whole of the collection of beasts and birds belonging to the late King, amounting to 150. England has frequently afforded shelter to unfortunate princes—notably, in late times, to Louis XVIII., who resided at Hartwell, in Buckinghamshire—and now another French King, Charles X., sought her protection, arriving at Portsmouth on On June 19, 1829, the King said "Le Roi le veult" to an Act of Parliament (10 Geo. IV. c. 44) entitled "An Act for improving the Police in and near the Metropolis"—the present Police Act—introduced by Sir Robert Peel, from which fact the policemen were called "Bobbies" and "Peelers." They commenced duty on September 29, 1829, and were, at first, extremely unpopular, because of their strictness, compared to the Bow Street runners, patrols, and night watchmen. The parishes complained bitterly of the increased expense, but they forgot how much better they were guarded. It was also alleged that there were too few policemen distributed over certain districts, and too many in others; but that was a defect in administration almost certain to occur at first start, which experience afterwards rectified. Perhaps, also, the best men were not chosen, as the force was not so popular as now, when none but men of unblemished character are admitted, whilst as to the present physique of the over fifteen thousand Metropolitan Police, any general would be proud of such a division, which is utterly unattainable in any army. Here is a sketch of the uniform of the "New The following extract from the Times of September 16th gives an account of the police as they "There are 16 divisions of the police, and each division contains, on an average, 200 men, except the K division, which contains 32; there are also, in each division, six inspectors and one superintendent. The whole number of privates and sergeants alone amounts to 3600, without reckoning the inspectors and superintendents. The greater part of this large body of men were necessarily taken from the lower classes of the people, and it can readily be believed that the Commissioners were unable to make strict inquiry into every individual case, and yet there have been very few bona fide cases of improper behaviour on the part of the men. In each division there is a defaulter-book, in which the names of the men considered unfit for duty are written down and shown to the Commissioners, and they are immediately discharged." The subjoined advertisement, which is singular, from the modesty of its diction, appeared in the Times of September 15th, and, as in the scheme of this book there is no special place set apart for such, it may as well come in here in order of chronology. "A youth who has completed his 18th year within 100 hours of his writing this advertisement, wishing to make head against the res angusta domi, hereby TENDERS his CAPACITIES to any honourable patronage which the chapter of accidents may raise up in his behoof. Born to better hopes, his bringing up has not been wholly neglected, and he would fain apply some of the little items of his unpretending culture towards honest advancement in a life which even his short experience has proved to be not altogether unchequered—the mind's eye irresistably glancing at an example which recent events have revived and made too memorable to be overlooked by such a votary to fortune as the advertiser; to wit, the august example of King Philip the first, |