Page:The world's show, 1851, or, The adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Sandboys and family, who came up to London to "enjoy themselves", and to see the Great Exhibition (IA worldsshow1851or00mayh).pdf/12

 and epaulets, was wending his way towards London to tender his congratulations to the Prince Consort.

Nor was the commotion confined alone to the extremes of the world—the metropolis of Great Britain was also in a prodigious excitement. was preparing to open a restaurant of all nations, where the universe might dine, from sixpence to a hundred guineas, off cartes ranging from pickled whelks to nightingale's tongues—from the rats à la Tartare of the Chinese, to the "turkey and truffles" of the Parisian gourmand—from the "long sixes, au naturel," of the Russian, to the "stewed Missionary of the Marquesas," or the "cold roast Bishop" of New Zealand. Here, too, was to be a Park with Swiss cottages, wherein the sober Turk might quaff his Dublin stout; and Chinese Pagodas, from whose golden galleries the poor German student, dreaming of the undiscoverable noumena of Kant, might smoke his penny Pickwick, sip his Arabian chicory, and in a fit of absence, think of his father-land and pocket the sugar.

St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey ("in consequence of the increased demand") were about to double their prices of admission, when , "ever ready to deserve the patronage of a discerning public," made the two great English cathedrals so tempting an offer that they "did not think themselves justified in refusing it." And there, on alternate nights, were shortly to be exhibited, to admiring millions, the crystal curtain, the stained glass windows illuminated with gas, and the statues lighted up with rose-coloured lamps; the "Black Band of his Majesty of Tsjaddi, with a hundred additional bones;" the monster Jew's harp; the Euhurdy-gurdychon; the Musicians of Tongoose; the Singers of the Maldives; the Glee Minstrels of Paraguay; the Troubadours of far Vancouver; the Snow Ball Family from the Gold Coast; the Canary of the Samoiedes; the Theban Brothers; and, "expressly engaged for the occasion," the celebrated Band of Robbers from the Desert.

, too, had "thrown up" Jenny Lind, and entered into an agreement with the Poor Law Commissioners to pay the Poor Rates of all England during one year for the sole possession of Somerset House, as a "Grand Hotel for all Nations," under the highly explanatory title of the ";" where each guest was to be provided with a bed, boudoir, and banquet, together with one hour's use per diem of a valet, and a private chaplain (according to the religious opinions of the individual); the privilege of free admission to all the theatres and green-rooms; the right of entrée to the Privy Council and the Palace; a knife and fork, and spittoon at pleasure, at the tables of the nobility; a seat with night-*cap and pillow in the House of Commons, and a cigar on the Bench with the Judges; the free use of the columns of "The Times" newspaper, and the right of abusing therein their friends and hosts of the day before; the privilege of paying visits in the Lord Mayor's state-carriage (with the freedom of the City of London), and of using the Goldsmiths' state barge for aquatic excursions; and finally, the