Old times : $b A picture of social life at the end of the eighteenth centuryAshton, John
History
Old times : $b A picture of social life at the end of the eighteenth century
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs
In all, there were 8193 effective men, and the Review was very
successful, the only exception that was taken to it being, that some
of the newly-embodied Corps did not fire with perfect regularity.
Every Londoner is familiar with the statue in Pall Mall, of George
III. on horseback, doffing his cocked hat. Well, that was how he
appeared at this Review, which happened on his birthday. On the 21st,
he, and all the young Princes, inspected some 12,200 men, in a very
curious fashion. The Corps were not brigaded, as in Hyde Park, but
were inspected in their different districts. The Royal party started
at a quarter before 9 A.M., returned to Buckingham House at 6 P.M.,
and then set off for Windsor, a good day's work! especially as it all,
with the exception of the journey to Windsor, had to be done on
horseback. The King, and party, were to have gone to Leman Street,
Whitechapel, to inspect the Shoreditch, Whitechapel, and Mile End
Volunteers, but he could not get so far, so turned up Houndsditch, to
Finsbury. The only refreshment, and rest, the Royal party seem to have
had, was breakfast with the Lord Chancellor, at his house in Upper
Guildford Street, where they remained an hour and a-half.
The history of the remainder of the year is centred in Napoleon
Buonaparte. On 23rd of August, he suddenly left Egypt, affairs in
France requiring his presence there, if he would look after his own
interests. Had he not done so, it is probable that the world would
never have heard so much of him; as it was, he was elected the First
Consul of the three,--Cambacérès, and Le Brun, being his coadjutors.
On the 25th December of this year, Napoleon committed a solecism in
diplomatic etiquette, by writing an autograph letter direct to George
III., pointing out how each nation was wasting its strength and
resources, and suggesting the possibility, and desirability, of peace.
Lord Grenville replied to this letter, through Talleyrand, much to
Napoleon's disgust, and expressed his regret that the English
Government did not yet see its way to enter into negotiations for a
peace, which would not, in all probability, be a lasting one.
This year will close with a report of the number of French prisoners
in England, taken December 31, when they were delivered over to our
Transport Board, the Consular Government refusing to provide for them
any longer.
At Plymouth 7,477
" Portsmouth 10,128
" Liverpool 2,298
" Stapleton 693
" Chatham 1,754
" Yarmouth 50
" Edinburgh 208
" Norman Cross 3,038
------
Total 25,646
MEN'S DRESS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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