Page:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher.djvu/311

Rh that this was the post, of a Lord in Waiting, who takes the cards, and gives them to the next officer, who announces them to the King.

"On passing the philosopher I kissed his hand, and then passing round the rest of the circle of chairs, I thus gave him his first lesson as a courtier.

"It was arranged that I should take Doctor Dalton with me to the levee, and put on his card, 'Doctor Dalton, presented by the Lord Chancellor.'

"When the morning arrived I went to Mr. Wood's residence, and found Doctor Dalton quite ready for the expedition. In order to render the chief actor perfect in his part, we again had a rehearsal; Mrs. Wood personating the King, and the rest of the family, with the assistance of sundry chairs and stools, representing the great Officers of State. I then entered the room, preceding my excellent friend, who followed his instructions as perfectly as if he had been repeating an experiment.

"Being now quite satisfied with the performance, we drove off to St. James's. The robes of a Doctor of Laws are rarely made use of, except at a University Address: consequently Dr. Dalton's costume attracted much attention, and compelled me to gratify the curiosity of many of my friends, by explaining who he was. The prevailing opinion had been that he was the Mayor of some corporate town come up to get knighted. I informed my inquirers, that he was a much more eminent person than any Mayor of any city, and having won for himself a name which would survive when orders of knighthood should be forgotten, he had no ambition to be knighted.

"At a short distance from the Presence-chamber, I observed close before me several dignitaries of the church, in