The visit of Louis XVIII to the Bocking Deanery, which took place on February 18th, is described in a letter from Lady Charles Aynsley to her cousin, Mrs. Mitford, to whom she also sent a copy of the _Chelmsford Chronicle_ of February 26th, which contained a paragraph describing the event. Fortunately the editors of the _Chelmsford Chronicle_, which has existed for more than one hundred and fifty years, have kept an unbroken file of its numbers, so that we have been able to study the very paragraph in question. Mrs. Mitford incorporates the two accounts in a letter to her husband, but where certain details in this newspaper are omitted, we have introduced them between brackets. In explanation of an allusion to a severe snowstorm which it was feared might prevent the royal visit from taking place, we would remark that an examination of several numbers of the paper prove that the month of February, 1808, was marked by a prevalence of violent gales of wind and heavy falls of snow. A large number of ships are reported to have foundered, sea-walls were broken down in many places, and the Margate pier totally destroyed. “From the extraordinary falls of snow,” writes a journalist, “the usual communication between the metropolis and the distant parts of the kingdom has been nearly impracticable. The Portsmouth mail coach is reported to have lost its way in the snowstorm, and many accidents to passengers in other mail coaches are related.” [Illustration: _Dantoux_ LE COMTE D’ARTOIS (AFTERWARDS CHARLES X)] “At Hatfield Peveral,” states a writer, “twenty sheep and lambs were buried in a snow-drift, but were rescued owing to the sagacity of the shepherd’s dog.” A solitary sheep elsewhere “remained buried in the snow for eight days. When at last dug out it was discovered to be actually alive! It had found wurzels in the ground and had fed upon them.” Mrs. Mitford writes to her husband on receiving Lady Charles Aynsley’s letter from Bocking:— “Her ladyship has been in a very grand bustle, as the King of France, Monsieur (the Comte d’Artois), the Duke d’Angoulême, Duke de Berry, Duke de Grammont and the Prince de Condé, with all the nobles that composed His Majesty’s suite at Gosfield, dined at the Deanery last Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper (Lady Fitzgerald’s daughter) were asked to meet him, because she was brought up and educated at the French Court in Louis XVI’s reign; General and Mrs. Milner for the same reason, and Colonel, Mrs. and Miss Burgoyne—all the party quick at languages.