The Dawn of the XIXth Century in England: A social sketch of the times — John Shaqi
The Dawn of the XIXth Century in England: A social sketch of the timesAshton, John
History
The Dawn of the XIXth Century in England: A social sketch of the times
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
To us, who are accustomed to have our news reeled out on paper tapes
hot and hot from the telegraph, or to converse with each other,
by means of the telephone, many miles apart, the method used to
disseminate the news of the peace throughout the country, seems to be
very primitive, and yet no better, nor quicker mode, could have been
devised in those days. The mail coaches were placarded PEACE WITH
FRANCE in large capitals, and the drivers all wore a sprig of laurel,
as an emblem of peace, in their hats.
The Preliminaries of Peace were ratified in Paris on the 5th of
October, but General Lauriston, who was to be the bearer of this
important document, did not set out from Paris until the evening of
the 7th, having been kept waiting until a magnificent gold box, as a
fitting shrine for so precious a relic, was finished; and he did not
land at Dover until Friday evening, the 9th of October, about 9 p.m.
He stayed a brief time at the City of London Inn, Dover, to rest and
refresh himself, sending forward a courier, magnificently attired in
scarlet and gold, to order horses on the road, and to apprise M. Otto
of his arrival. He soon followed in a carriage, with the horses and
driver bedecked with blue ribands, on which was the word PEACE. Of
course the mob surrounded him, and cheered and yelled as if mad—indeed
they must have been, for they actually shouted “Long live Bonaparte!”
At M. Otto’s house, the general was joined by that gentleman, who was
to accompany him to Reddish’s Hotel, in Bond Street. In Oxford Street,
however, the mob took the horses out of his carriage, and drew him
to the hotel, rending the air with shouts of joy; some amongst them
even mounting a tricoloured cockade. From the hotel window General
Lauriston scattered a handful of guineas among his friends, the mob,
who afterwards, when he went to Lord Hawkesbury’s office, once more
took out the horses, and dragged him from St. James’s Square to Downing
Street.
At half-past two the Park guns boomed forth the welcome news, and at
three the Tower guns proclaimed the fact to the dwellers in the City,
and the East end of London.
It was in vain that the general’s carriage was taken round to a back
entrance; the populace were not to be baulked of their amusement, and,
on his coming out, the horses were once more detached, men took their
places, and he was dragged as far as the Admiralty. Here he remained
some time, and was escorted to his carriage by Earl St. Vincent.
Said he to the mob, “Gentlemen! gentlemen!” (three huzzas for Earl
St. Vincent) “I request of you to be careful, and not overturn the
carriage.” The populace assured his lordship they would be careful
of, and respectful to, the strangers; and away they dragged the
carriage, with shouts, through St. James’s Park, round the Palace, by
the Stable-yard, making the old place ring with their yells, finally
landing the general uninjured at his hotel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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