Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/325

 i2s.vi.juN B 5,i92o.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

265

LONDON, JUNE 5, 1920.

CONTENTS. No. 112.

NOTES : Printing House Square Papers : II. Queen Victoria at the Prince of Wales's Wedding, 265 ' Timon of Athens,' 266 Field of the Cloth of Gold Degrees of " Beloved "-ness, 269 De Blainville's ' Travels 'Aboli- tion of Sex Disqualification " Plew " London Uni- versity, 270 Townley House, Kamsgate Hurbecs, 271.

QUERIES .-Amber Nursery Tales and the Bible- Bombers in Charles II. 's Navy, 271 Grundy Family J. G. Burns Thrale Family at Nomansland " Chinese "- Gordon Epitaph ' Rhymes from the Cobbler's Lapstone ' Funeral Parlour, 272 Corresponding Rank in Navy and Army Trent Otway Seventeenth - Century Tokens ' Northanger Abbey ' Irish Record Office Marquis de Valady, 273 Col. T. H. Smith Two Old Pistols- George IV. The Prefix " Honorable "Guy Roslyn Benjamin Farnworth Nairne and Arnott Sprot or Sproat Rue de Bourg, Lausanne, 274 Petley Family Author of Quotation Wanted, 275.

REPLIES : Altar Tables, 275 St. John's Head Altar- slabs Emerson's ' English Traits," 276 Wearing a Cross on St. Patrick's Day Woodhouse's Riddle John de Burgo Itinerary of Antoninus, 277 Con- greve's Dramatic Works Corrie Australian Bush, 278 Was Dr. Johnson a Smoker ? Caveac Tavern Scottish Bishops Frames White Wine Three West- minster Boys Pilgrimages and Tavern Signs,279 Mr. Hill ' On a Day of Thanksgiveing/ Bats : Hair Tennyson on Tobacco Booksellers' Label " Big Four " of Chicago, 280 Bishops of Dromore Evans of the Strand Clergymen at Waterloo D. Humphreys Bulls and Bears Old Stained Glass, 281 Caroline Robert Herbert Latin as an International Language Dickens's Medical Knowledge Chinese Gordon's Height Curious Sur- names, 282.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Old Crosses and Lychgates ' ' Malherbe and the Classical Reaction in the Seventeenth Century ' ' Catalogue of Inscribed and Sculptured Stones of the Roman Period.'

Notices to Correspondents.

Jlote*.

PRINTING HOUSE SQUARE PAPERS

II. QUEEN VICTORIA AT THE PRINCE OF WALES'S WEDDING.

THE name of the eighth Viscount Torrington, Lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, is fre- quently mentioned in Mr. Dasent's ' Life of Delane,' and in Sir Edward Cook's volume. f Mr. Dasent speaks of Lord Torrington's " positive talent for describing scenes of which he had been an eyewitness " ; and records that Delane told him in jest that he would have made his fortune as a reporter ; and that he delighted in styling himself " Your Windsor Special." Writing at great length, and with much freedom of ex- pression, Mr. Dasent tells us, he would sometimes send Delane a letter a day, and even twice a day. These letters were intended only for Delane's private eye. The following specimen of Lord Torrington's descriptive style is preserved at Printing House Square ; it was written on Mar. 10,

1863, the day of the marriage of the Prince of Wales :

Wedding Day, 6 o'clock.

MY DEAR DELANE,

The last words before I left Windsor that were whispered in my ear to-day was to tell you of the very touching manner of the Queen during the ceremony. I was right in front of them and saw her perfectly. I never saw a woman suffer more than she did to restrain herself, and maintain her composure. When the march first struck up in the Church for the Prince of Wales's procession I thought it was all up the mouth moved, the features changed, and it was by great determina- tion of purpose she got round, and was able to smile on the Prince when he stopped at the altar. The same effect was produced though less when the Princess was approaching, but her eager watching of the whole affair, and her touching anxiety for the success of the whole performance was charming and unmistakable to all who saw it. The face was marked by sorrow but I am sure that no woman could have suffered more and felt more properly. I am afraid that all the stories of her gaiety at the doings in honour of the marriage are unfounded and that she feels and thinks they are as much in honour of herself and her late husband's conduct. The smile of the Queen at the end of the ceremony was one of great happiness as if she truly and really rejoiced at the happiness of her children. The whole thing in the Chapel was perfect, not a mistake, no crowd, place and room for each lady in fact, in the 26 years at Court I have never seen a ceremony better done in every way or one I liked better. If you can bring anything into the report in the good language you often induge in on the matter I have suggested I shall be glad. I have reason to think that this over, she will endeavour to show, but I can from my own eyes, assure you that the Queen's manner and feeling were all that could be desired. Ever yours,

TORRINGTON.

Delane was present at the wedding at Windsor, and the ceremony was described in The Times by W. H. Russell.

Another letter, also in the possession of The Times, forms an appropriate pendant to Lord Torrington's. It was written to Lord Torrington by Lady Augusta Bruce, resident Bedchamber woman to the Queen and afterwards wife of Dean Stanley, whose correspondence with Lord Torrington on the question of the possibility of the marriage being solemnized in London and of a public appearance there of the Queen, was sent, as Sir Edward Cook records, to Delane with the Queen's knowledge. The Queen, however, maintained her retirement, and only witnessed the wedding at Windsor from a private gallery. Lady Augusta Bruce's letter, describ- ing events after the wedding, is as follows :

DEAR LORD TORRINGTON,

I am thankful to be able to give as good an account of the Queen as one could have hoped for, knowing as we do how small a part of the inward